MEd Program Handbook 2014-2015 Department of Graduate ...€¦ · 807-343-8708 (telephone)...

MEd Program Handbook 2014-2015

Department of Graduate Studies & Research

Revised August 2014

Faculty of Education

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Foreword

This Handbook is a guide to the Department of Graduate Studies & Research at Lakehead University for Master of Education students. The Handbook is a modified version of earlier Handbooks and I am grateful to previous contributors for their work.

Our website contains up-to-date information on program changes, course offerings, and other news. You are invited to visit our site at: http://education.lakeheadu.ca/graduate/

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss any aspect of the Department of Graduate Studies & Research, please contact Dr. Paul Berger, Chair of Graduate Studies & Research, or Diana Mason, Administrative Assistant.

Paul Berger, Chair Department of Graduate Studies & Research Faculty of Education Bora Laskin 1007B 807-343-8708 (telephone) 807-346-7771 (fax) [email protected]

Diana Mason, Administrative Assistant Department of Graduate Studies & Research Faculty of Education Bora Laskin 1007C 807-343-8706 (telephone) 807-346-7771 (fax) [email protected]

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mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://education.lakeheadu.ca/graduate

Table of Contents

Foreword ii

Information in this Handbook 01

Introduction 01 Master of Education Program Overview of the Master of Education Program in

Educational Studies Field 03 Overview of the Master of Education Program in

Education for Change Field 04 Collaborative Graduate Program with Specialty in Gerontology 04 Collaborative Graduate Program with Specialty in Women’s Studies 05

Taking Courses 05 Ask Us 05 Full-Time/Flex Time 05 Distance and On-Campus Courses 05 Maximum Number of Courses per Term 05 Maximum Number of Courses per Degree 05

Admissions 06 Admission Requirements 06 Admission with Advanced Standing 06

General Information 06 Full-Time Graduate Student 06 Graduate Assistantships 07 Scholarships 07 Continuance of Registration 07 Leave of Absence 07 Time Extension 07 University Regulations 08 Key Dates 08

Graduate Fees and Financial Support 08 Fees 08

Unpaid fees - Unconfirmed Registration 08 Delinquent Accounts 09 Financial Support 09

Application to Graduate 09

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Grading System 09 Incomplete Grades 09 Minimum Satisfactory Academic Standing 10 Reappraisal 10 Academic Dishonesty 10 Plagiarism 11

Harassment and Discrimination Policy 11

Graduate Student Office and Computer Facilities 11

Education Library Information for MEd Students 12 Borrowing Materials/Library Card 12 Starting Points for your Library Research 12 Connecting from Off-Campus 12 Searching the Online Catalogue 13 Searching for Journal Articles 13 Books and Journal Articles Not Available at Lakehead 13 Computers, Printers, and Scanners 13 Quiet Study Space 13 Borrowing from Other Libraries in Canada 13 Library Services for MEd Students Outside of Thunder Bay 13 Purchase Suggestions 13 Bibliographic/Citation Manager Software 13

Planning Your Program 14 The Importance of Planning 14 Initial Contact/Orientation 14 Planning 15

Sequence of Courses 15 Electives in Other Departments, Schools, or Universities 15 Involvement in Research Activity 15

Thesis, Portfolio or Course Route? 16 Course Route 16 Portfolio 16 Thesis 16

MEd Thesis Route 17 Why Undertake a Thesis? 17 Minimum Requirements for the Thesis Route 17 Aligning Your Course Work to Support Your Thesis (Year 1) 17 Finding a Supervisor (During Year 1) 17 Directed Study Course ED 5570 (Year 1) 18 Foundations and Electives (Year 1) 18 Committee Member (Year 1) 18

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Developing a Research Question 19 Developing a Plan 19 Writing a Proposal 20 Supervisor Feedback on the Proposal 20 Sending the First Clean Draft to the Committee Member 21 Signing Off on the Proposal 21 Ethics Application (4-5 weeks) 21 Data Gathering 22 Analysis 22 First Draft of Analysis 22 Discussion and Conclusion 22 Examinations 23

Internal Examiner 23 External Examiner 24 External Examination 24

Final Thesis 25 Paper and Print Copy 25 Saving Paper 25

MEd Portfolio Route 26 Why Undertake a Portfolio? 26 Overview 26 Aligning Your Course Work to Support Your Portfolio (Year 1) 26 Finding a Supervisor (During Year 1) 26 Directed Study Course ED 5570 (Year 1) 27 Foundations and Electives (Year 1) 27 Committee Member (Year 1) 27 Developing a Proposal 28 Deciding on Your Tasks 28 Planning Your Proposal 29 Writing a Portfolio Proposal 30 Supervisor Feedback on the Proposal 30 Sending the First Clean Draft to the Committee Member 31 Signing Off on the Proposal 31 Ethics Application (4-5 weeks) 31 First Draft of Your Portfolio 31 Length of Portfolio 32 Style Requirements for Portfolios 32 Approval of Portfolio 32

Paper and Print Copy 32 Saving Paper 32

Regulations and Forms During Your MEd 33

Faculty Profiles 34

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Appendix A: Ground Rules Checklist for Graduate Students and Supervisors 70

Appendix B: Education for Change Field Specializations 71

Appendix C: Backwards Planning 77

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List of Figures Figure 1: Fields of Study: Educational Studies and Education for Change

(with Specializations) 02 Figure 2: Overview of the MEd Educational Studies Field Degree

Requirements 03 Figure 3: Overview of the MEd Education for Change Field Degree

Requirements 04

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Information in this Handbook

Lakehead University’s regulations concerning graduate programs are found in the Lakehead University Calendar 2014-2015, which is henceforth referred to as “the Calendar.” The general regulations which apply to all graduate programs are found here: http://navigator.lakeheadu.ca/~/Catalog/ViewCatalog.aspx?pageid=viewcatalog&catalog id=20&topicgroupid=7474

Regulations that apply specifically to the Faculty of Education are found here: http://navigator.lakeheadu.ca/~/Catalog/ViewCatalog.aspx?pageid=viewcatalog&catalog id=20&topicgroupid=10552

The Calendar is the definitive reference for any Lakehead University regulations, and should be consulted if you have questions about University regulations or policies. The Chair or the Administrative Assistant can assist you in clarifying Lakehead University regulations and policies that are relevant to your program of study, but it is essential for students to familiarize themselves with the regulations and policies.

Introduction

This section presents a concise summary of important information about the Master of Education program at Lakehead University. Some of this information is covered in more detail later in the Handbook.

Master of Education Program

There are two fields of study in the Master of Education program: Educational Studies and Education for Change. Within the latter field, students choose one of three specializations: Social Justice Education, Indigenous Education, and Environmental and Sustainability Education. See the flowchart overview of the program below in Figure 1.

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Figure 1: Fields of Study: Educational Studies and Education for Change (with Specializations)

All students are automatically enrolled in the Educational Studies field. If you wish to take one of the Specializations in the Education for Change field, you must indicate this on your application or complete a program change form available from myInfo, from Diana Mason, or here (http://education.lakeheadu.ca/uploads/docs/Graduate%20Request%20for%20Program %20Change.pdf) . See Appendix A for a list of the course offerings for both fields of study and the specializations for 2014-15.

Once you have decided upon your Field of Study (and possibly a specialization), you must also determine which route you will take: course only, portfolio, or thesis. Figure 2 outlines the general course requirements within each route for the Educational Studies field. Figure 3 outlines the general course requirements within each route for the Education for Change field. More detailed course requirements and listings for each field can be found in Appendix B.

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Overview of the Master of Education Program in Educational Studies Field

Thesis Route Portfolio Route Course Route

Compulsory courses

1 introduction to research half course

1 methods half course





Mandatory and Elective courses

4 half courses* (2 full course equivalents)

6 half courses (3 full course equivalents)

8 half courses (4 full course equivalents)

Thesis or Portfolio

Thesis (2 full course equivalents)

Portfolio (1 full course equivalent)

Total 5 full course equivalents 5 full course equivalents 5 full course equivalents

*thesis students may wish to take 1 half course as a directed study with their supervisor

Figure 2: Overview of the MEd Educational Studies field degree requirements

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Overview of the Master of Education Program in Education for Change Field

Thesis Route Portfolio Route Course Route

Compulsory courses



1 foundations course in area of specialization

(1.5 full course equivalents)









Mandatory and Elective courses

3 half courses* (1.5 full course equivalents)

5 half courses (2.5 full course equivalents)

7 half courses (3.5 full course equivalents)

Thesis or Portfolio

Thesis (2 full course equivalents)

Portfolio (1 full course equivalent)

Total 5 full course equivalents

5 full course equivalents 5 full course equivalents

*thesis students may wish to take 1 half course as a directed study with their supervisor

Figure 3: Overview of the MEd Education for Change field degree requirements

Students enrolled in either field of study and in the thesis or portfolio route may undertake a collaborative degree with either Gerontology or Women’s Studies. Students in the Education for Change field must consult with the Chair and may require an extra half course to meet all requirements.

Collaborative Graduate Program with Specialty in Gerontology The Specialization in Gerontology requires students to complete Gerontology 5710 and Gerontology 5790 (non-credit seminar), plus complete a portfolio or thesis related to gerontology. Students who have been approved by the Gerontology Graduate Committee receive academic counselling by the Gerontology Graduate Co-ordinator.

The thesis or portfolio, taken in Education, must have a gerontological focus. Students must have a supervisor who is approved as a core faculty member in Gerontology. In exceptional circumstances, with approval of the Gerontology graduate committee, there may be joint supervision by a member of Education and a Gerontology faculty member. Two members of each student's committee must be Gerontology faculty and one of these must be from an academic unit outside of Education. The inclusion of a committee member from outside the student’s primary academic unit supports Gerontology's interdisciplinary focus.

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Collaborative Graduate Program with Specialty in Women’s Studies The Specialization in Women's Studies consists of one full-year core course - Women's Studies 5101 - Theory and Method in Women's Studies, and a thesis or portfolio that must incorporate feminist scholarship. The proposed topic must be approved by representatives of both Education and the Women's Studies Graduate Committee.

Taking Courses

Ask Us If you are unsure about regulations or procedures, have questions of any kind, or need advice about any aspect of the program, our offices are in the Bora Laskin Building (BL 1007), and we would be pleased to help you. Email addresses and phone numbers can be found on page ii.

Full-Time /Flex Time The MEd may be taken on a full-time [six terms of continuous full-time registration] or flex-time [six terms of continuous full-time registration followed by up to six additional terms of continuous registration, during which no fees are required] basis. Students in the flex-time option are expected to complete all requirements within 12 consecutive terms (four years). As this option is intended for working professionals, students admitted to the flex option will not normally be considered for financial support. MEd students registered on a full-time basis are expected to complete their degree within two years.

Distance and On-Campus Courses In the fall, winter, and spring terms, a number of courses in the program are offered via online learning and/or media streaming. This initiative is offered to accommodate students in Northwestern Ontario and beyond. It is currently possible to complete the entire program at a distance in the Educational Studies field; however, course selection is more limited than for on-campus students. Students living outside Thunder Bay commonly take summer courses in July in addition to distance courses. Courses offered on campus during the month of July are scheduled Monday through Thursdays for 2.5 hours each day for three (3) weeks. https://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/programs/masters/education/node/7272

Maximum Number of Courses per Term MEd students registered on a full-time basis are expected to complete their degree within two years. The maximum number of half courses that can be taken per term are: fall – 3; winter – 3; spring – 2; summer – 2. https://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/programs/masters/education/node/7272

Maximum Number of Courses per Degree In exceptional circumstances students may apply to the Chair to take one extra course during their degree. For Course Route this is the 11th course, for Portfolio Route this is the 9th course and for Thesis route this is the 7th course. Please use the “Add and Drop

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Courses” form located in myInfo, or available from Diana Mason, and indicate why an extra course is required.

Admissions

Admission Requirements Admission requirements are outlined under the “Requirements” tab at https://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/programs/masters/education/node/7272

Admission with Advanced Standing Applicants who have taken graduate courses at another faculty/university may be granted credit for up to two half courses in their MEd program. Such courses must be approved by the Graduate Studies in Education Committee based on the following criteria: 1. The courses have not been used as credit toward another degree, certificate, or

diploma; 2. A minimum of B standing was obtained; 3. The courses are considered to be directly relevant to the area of specialization

chosen by the applicant; and 4. The courses have been taken within three years of the time of admission to the

MEd program.

General Information

Full-Time Graduate Student A full-time graduate student must: 1. be designated by the University as a full-time graduate student; 2. be pursuing his or her studies full-time; and 3. be available to work normal on-campus working hours and shall not be employed

full time (i.e. classified full time by the Employer).

Graduate Assistantships A Graduate Assistantship is a paid position, which provides full-time students with the opportunity to work closely with one or more faculty members in various capacities supporting undergraduate teaching and research activities within the University. (The number of required hours to work is 270 hrs - 135 in each of the fall and winter terms. This works out to approximately 10 hours/week). As part of your graduate assistantship, you will assist our office with conducting course evaluations on behalf of the Faculty of Education during the fall and winter terms.

Students with Graduate Assistantships must be available to work normal on-campus working hours and shall not be employed full time (i.e. classified full time by the employer).

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Postings for Graduate Assistantships in Education are made in August. Students are encouraged to apply for positions of interest to them, listing them in order of preference. Every effort is made to accommodate these requests. Further details on assistantships can be obtained by contacting the Department.

Scholarships Information regarding graduate scholarships (such as SSHRC and OGS) can be obtained through the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Most scholarships require application in the early fall for a spring award, so it is recommended that you apply the year before you begin full-time study. Full-time students may also apply in the fall of their first year for the following academic year. See https://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/graduate-funding for funding details. Look for a funding workshop offered on campus Wednesday September 18th.

Continuance of Registration All graduate students must maintain continuous registration from initial registration until they have completed the requirements of their program. It is the student's responsibility to ensure they are registered by the appropriate deadline for each term. Students who have failed to register by the deadline and have not applied for a Leave of Absence will be registered in a University placeholder course and will be assessed appropriate fees. Students who have failed to register for two consecutive terms will be considered to have left the program and will be withdrawn. Students then wanting to complete their program must apply for re-admission and pay the application fee.

Leave of Absence A leave of absence will be given only for exceptional circumstances (for example, a limited term of external employment closely related to the program of study, health problems, parenting or compassionate grounds). Cases will be considered on an individual basis on the recommendation of the Department. A graduate student granted a leave of absence will not be required to pay a continuance registration fee and will not have access to University faculty or laboratory facilities. Leaves of absence will be considered for up to three terms; for each term granted, a “stop-the-clock” policy will prevail with respect to completion of degree requirements. https://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/resources/leave

Time Extension A Time Extension in a graduate program will be granted for exceptional circumstances on a per term basis, up to three terms. Recommendations for the first term beyond the allowed Period of Study requires approval by the Department, that then sends notice, including reasons for this approval, to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Recommendations for the second term and for the final term must be sent to the Faculty of Graduate Studies Council for consideration and final approval.

A graduate student who does not complete the required courses and/or portfolio or thesis within one of the prescribed periods of study and does not receive an approved

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Time Extension is considered to have failed the program and must withdraw. https://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/resources/time-extension and form https://www.lakeheadu.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/56/Time_extention_request_form.p df

University Regulations Students should familiarize themselves with the general University regulations found here: http://navigator.lakeheadu.ca/Catalog/ViewCatalog.aspx?pageid=viewcatalog&catalogid =20&chapterid=3413&loaduseredits=False

Key Dates Please refer to the current Lakehead University Calendar for dates for registration and withdrawal from courses, and for the application to graduate deadline. http://navigator.lakeheadu.ca/~/Catalog/ViewCatalog.aspx?pageid=viewcatalog&catalog id=20&topicgroupid=10883

It is recommended that students register early to avoid cancellation of courses that are under-subscribed.

Thesis students need to expect that the external examination of their thesis may take eight weeks. They should consult with The Faculty of Graduate Studies to determine the deadline for the term in which they expect to graduate, and then plan backwards (see Appendix C).

Graduate Fees and Financial Support

Fees Students are responsible for the timely payment of all program-related and miscellaneous fees. All such fees must be paid in full before students can graduate. Check the current edition of the Lakehead University Calendar for relevant sections on the policy related to payment and refund of fees. https://www.lakeheadu.ca/current-students/tuition-fees/fees

Unpaid Fees - Unconfirmed Registration. The University reserves the right to cancel a student’s registration if the required fees are not paid by the last day to register in any given academic term. All charges and outstanding fees accrued to the date of cancellation will remain due and payable on the student’s account as defined in the Refund Schedule.

Delinquent Accounts. Students with an unpaid balance from a previous term will not be permitted to register in a subsequent term until their accounts have been paid. Students will not have access to final grades, including official transcripts and/or

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degree/diploma certificates. The University uses the services of outside collection agencies and reserves the right to use any legal means to reclaim monies owing.

Financial Support. Students are encouraged to acquaint themselves with the current Lakehead University Calendar for information on Financial Aid to Graduate Students. Award details, applications centres, requirements, and deadline dates are provided. Interested qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.

Application to Graduate

Students must be registered in the year in which they intend to graduate. Students must apply to graduate. Application forms are available through myInfo. Refer to the current calendar for deadlines and fees.

Grading System

Course standings in the graduate programs will be reported as follows:

A+ 90 to 100% A 80 to 89% B 70 to 79% C 60 to 69% Fail 01 to 59% F 0 Academic Dishonesty INC Incomplete

To maintain registration as a graduate student, a student must achieve and maintain satisfactory academic standing at all times. A student whose academic performance does not meet the minimum standing will be required to withdraw from the program.

Incomplete Grades An incomplete grade may, at the discretion of the instructor and in consultation with the student, be assigned to a course when the instructor believes that the student has not yet completed all the requirements of the course for a valid reason. In such cases, when a percentage grade would normally be assigned to the course, the instructor must also assign a numeric grade for work completed to the point of submission, unless stipulated in the course syllabus that a student will be deemed to have failed the course if a particular component had not been completed, in which case the student would be assigned a failing grade expressed as a portion of the entire course mark. Incomplete grades will not be included in the calculation of the student’s average.

The instructor is obliged to set the due date for the additional work in order to permit submission of the revised grade to the Registrar’s Office by the dates listed below:

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Fall term grades: June 1st (or May 1st if student plans to convocate in the Spring)

Winter term grades: September 1st

Summer term grades: January 1st (or November 1st if student plans to convocate in the Fall)

To clear an incomplete grade, the student must complete the outstanding work and a Change of Grade form from the instructor must be received in the Registrar’s Office by the appropriate date (above). Grades that are not cleared by the appropriate date will be converted to the numeric grade assigned (students who have not successfully completed the required component needed to pass the course will receive the failing grade) and at that point will be included in the student’s average. Pass/Fail courses with a grade of INC will be converted to F.

Minimum Satisfactory Academic Standing Graduate students must maintain at least a B overall average in their courses with no more than one full course equivalent graded C. A mark of less than 60% in a graduate course constitutes failure. A graduate student with a mark of 50 - 59% in a graduate course may repeat the course. No more than one full course equivalent may be repeated. If, after exercising this avenue for improving course marks, a student is still unable to achieve the minimum B overall average, the student will not be permitted to continue in the program.

Course marks below 50% are unacceptable in a graduate program. A graduate student with such a mark will not be permitted to continue in the program. Courses with a mark below 50% may not be repeated. http://navigator.lakeheadu.ca/~/Catalog/ViewCatalog.aspx?pageid=viewcatalog&catalog id=20&topicgroupid=9889

A graduate student who does not complete the required courses, portfolio, or thesis within one of the prescribed periods of study and does not receive an approved time extension is considered to have failed the program and must withdraw.

Reappraisal Please refer to the University Regulations, VI Reappraisal in the Calendar for information. https://www.lakeheadu.ca/faculty-and-staff/policies/regulations/reappraisal-andacademic-appeals

Academic Dishonesty The Faculty of Education, in accordance with University regulations, maintains a strict policy regarding academic dishonesty. Rules and penalties for infractions are outlined in the “Code of Student Behaviour and Disciplinary Procedures,” which is available from the Office of the Registrar and via this link: http://idc.lakeheadu.ca/academic-dishonesty/

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Plagiarism. The consequences of plagiarizing are severe. As noted in Section IX: Academic Misconduct of the University Calendar (see: http://navigator.lakeheadu.ca/Catalog/ViewCatalog.aspx?pageid=viewcatalog&catalogid =19&chapterid=3080&topicgroupid=9352&loaduseredits=False), the "minimum penalty for a candidate found guilty of plagiarism, or of cheating on any part of a course will be a zero for the work concerned." In many cases, a zero on a major assignment will result in a failure in the course altogether, which in turn will result in automatic withdrawal from the program.

Harassment and Discrimination Policy

Lakehead University has established a comprehensive policy on harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment. This document is available from the Office of Human Resources (and https://www.lakeheadu.ca/faculty-and-staff/policies/humanresources/harassment-and-discrimination-policy-and-procedures). Students who have concerns may consult with the Chair of The Department of Graduate Studies & Research or arrange an appointment with an officer in Human Resources.

Graduate Student Office and Computer Facilities

Students currently enrolled at Lakehead University in the Faculty of Education have full access to the computer lab facilities situated in the Faculty of Education Building (Bora Laskin Building, Thunder Bay Campus). The main lab is available for general use when not used for teaching.

Dedicated IBM computer stations with laser printing facilities and scanning facilities as well as a Macintosh computer are located in the Graduate Student Office (BL 2041) for full-time students who have a key. Full-time students are issued a key at the request of the Department of Graduate Studies & Research.

Accounts are necessary for access to computer systems. Accounts are setup by Technology Services Centre when you register. If you have a problem accessing your account, contact the helpdesk at ext. 7777 (346-7777 or at [email protected]). There is no charge for student use of computers. All of the computers have network access. Students have full access to electronic mail and Internet services through the campus network. Students will need to provide their own paper for printing and we ask that students keep printing to a minimum to help limit toner costs.

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Education Library Information for MEd Students

As an Education graduate student at Lakehead University, the Education Library is dedicated to supporting your research and teaching activities. When you visit Lakehead University Thunder Bay Campus in person, the Education Library is located on the main floor of the Bora Laskin Building. Check the Education Library website at http://library.lakeheadu.ca/edlib for library hours and additional information.

Help is available:

• Email your library research questions to our confidential email service at [email protected]

• Personalized Research Consultations: You are encouraged to arrange a research consultation with the Education Librarian to determine the best strategy for your literature search. (Contact Gisella Scalese [email protected] or call 807-343-8719 to arrange a time).

• Graduate Student Library Guide: this guide was created to help you through the library research process. Go to the Education Library site and click on “Graduate Student Guide”. The tabs across the top of the page will provide information specific to that information resource.

Borrowing Materials/Library Card Upon registration please visit the Chancellor Paterson Library to receive your Lakehead University Photo Identification Card (available at the Paterson Library Circulation Desk 343-8225) – this is also your library card for both the Education and Chancellor Paterson libraries. Please see the “Borrowing Privileges” link on the library website. Click on the “My Library Account” icon on the library website to manage your library account (see what you have borrowed, place recalls and renew books).

Starting Points for your Library Research It is recommended that you start your search for research from the Education Library website. From there you will be able to access all of the library’s restricted resources.

Connecting from Off-Campus If you are off campus, begin your search on the library website as directed above, however, when you click on a link that is restricted, you will be prompted to enter your mail username and password. Your information will remain entered and you can search all the restricted resources until you close your browser. If you see an error message or are unable to connect, please contact the Education Librarian at 807-343-8719 or the TSC HelpDesk at 807-346-7777.

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Searching the Online Catalogue If you are looking for a either a print book or an ebook, search the library’s Online Catalogue. You can search using information such as title, keywords, author or subject.

Searching for Journal Articles For a selection of education-related journal article databases begin at the Education Library website and click on “Education Articles and Databases”. We recommend that you try these Education Databases on this page: CBCA Complete (for Canadian Education information); ERIC; Professional Development Collection and Education Fulltext. Consult the Graduate Student Guide for additional searching information and/or book an appointment with the Education Librarian for additional search strategies.

Books and Journal Articles Not Available at Lakehead It is possible to obtain books and journals not available at Lakehead through the interlibrary loan/RACER service. You will have to create a RACER account and order the item. For more information go to the Education Library website and click on the RACER link.

Computers, Printers, and Scanners Computers (PC and MAC), printers (black & white and colour); and scanners are available in the Education Library.

Quiet Study Space Quiet study space is available at the back of the Education Library.

Borrowing from Other Libraries in Canada Graduate students may use their Lakehead University Library card to borrow items from other Ontario University libraries, as well as other participating university libraries in Canada. These items may also be returned to any other university library. For more information please contact the Education Librarian.

Library Services for MEd Students Outside of Thunder Bay It is possible to request delivery of items that are not available online or through any local library. For additional information contact the Education Librarian or check the Distance Education Library Service page at http://library.lakeheadu.ca/?rc=46

Purchase Suggestions Feel free to recommend book titles or other items not currently available in our collections. Send an email to the Education Librarian, Gisella Scalese [email protected] or call 807-343-8719.

Bibliographic/Citation Manager Software Bibliographic software is recommended to assist you with creating bibliographies and managing your references. For information on commercially and freely available packages please check this page http://library.lakeheadu.ca/?rc=359. Other

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commercially available packages include Bookends for Mac Users and Endnote for PC users.

Planning Your Program

The Importance of Planning The decision to pursue graduate studies in education is an important one. Students make this decision for reasons that may be personal, academic, or professional. Graduate education has the potential to introduce students to new ideas and knowledge, to new ways of thinking, to the conduct of research, and to alternative and creative applications of current knowledge. Graduate education provides students with opportunities to pursue personal, academic, and professional interests and goals in breadth through courses and directed study, and in depth through a thesis or portfolio.

Graduate studies in education may lead you down several different pathways. It may lead to the development of professional knowledge and skills within your current professional role, new career possibilities within your profession, or to the decision to pursue doctoral studies. If you are an MEd student considering doctoral studies, you should be enrolled in the thesis route.

The old adage “You get out of the degree what you put into it” is particularly true of graduate education. The successful completion of a graduate degree requires motivation, ownership, and active involvement, time, tenacity, and the ability to work independently and cooperatively. It is important to consider any graduate degree as a program rather than as a collection of discrete courses. Conceptualizing the program as a whole enables you to plan a program tailored to your personal, professional, and academic interests and goals.

Initial Contact/Orientation Prior to registering in the program, you may want to schedule an interview or telephone meeting with the Chair of the Department of Graduate Studies and Research (Paul Berger). He will provide you with an overview of the program and will assist you in the selection of courses.

An orientation session will be held on September 18th for incoming MEd students. The session is intended to welcome new students and to acquaint them with the programs. The sessions also give students the opportunity to meet other graduate students and faculty members. Continuing students are also encouraged to attend. Students from out of town, and those who cannot attend the session, are encouraged to contact the Chair or Administrative Assistant with any questions about the program.

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Planning In planning your program, students should give consideration to tentative completion dates or milestones for each phase of the program. The phases include: 1. compulsory courses; 2. elective courses; and 3. possibly a portfolio or thesis.

The Chair can assist you in the selection of courses, in resolving concerns, and in the selection of a supervisor for the portfolio or thesis.

Sequence of Courses. The compulsory courses should be completed early in the student’s program. These courses introduce students to the area of specialization and research design and methodologies.

Electives in Other Departments, Schools, or Universities. With permission of the Instructor and Chair, elective courses may include a maximum of one full graduate course, or the equivalent, in another cognate academic unit. This will require a paper registration. To take a course at another institution, you should plan at least one term ahead. Students should familiarize themselves with the information on the Faculty of Graduate and Studies’ website pertaining to Ontario Visiting Student Application (https://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/resources/ovgs) and have the Chair of the Department and the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies sign, as well as get signatures from the Ontario university where you are planning on taking the course.

Involvement in Research Activity. Students are strongly encouraged to present their work and to attend events that involve them in research activity. Such events include seminars and guest lectures, the annual Graduate Education Students’ Conference, and the annual University-wide Graduate Students’ Conference.

Students should consider attending provincial, national, and international conferences as a participant or presenter. The Faculty of Education has some limited monies to help students defray the costs of presenting papers at conferences. The application, including procedures, can be found at http://education.lakeheadu.ca/graduate/ under “Forms for Graduate Students.” Proposals for presenting a paper at a conference are submitted well in advance. For example, the annual conference of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE) is held each year in late May, but the proposal deadline is in the fall. There are numerous conferences in many fields of education that might interest you.

http://education.lakeheadu.ca/graduatehttps://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/resources/ovgs

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Thesis, Portfolio or Course Route?

As a graduate student you should understand the differences between the course, portfolio, and thesis route, and consider carefully which route best meets your personal, professional, and scholarly interests and goals.

Course Route The course route allows students to gain breadth of knowledge of the wider education field, to be critical consumers of research, and be able to apply that research in various educational settings.

Portfolio A portfolio may involve research or the application of theoretical knowledge to a practical problem in the profession. A portfolio allows the candidate flexibility in: 1. The type of problem or topic selected for study; 2. The processes through which a problem is examined, developed, implemented, or

evaluated; and 3. The range of forms that may be used for reporting.

The final portfolio must include a relevant literature review as well as at minimum one other product such as a resource for professionals in the field. A portfolio committee consists of the Supervisor and one other faculty member.

Thesis A thesis requires in-depth examination of a research problem. The thesis committee includes the Supervisor and at least one faculty member. Before the graduate student meets the requirements for satisfactory completion of the MEd degree, the thesis must be approved by the thesis committee, an internal examiner (a faculty member who is not serving on the committee), and an external examiner from another university. Some details on the timing of this process can be found in Appendix C.

A thesis and portfolio have different weightings: a thesis is equivalent to four half courses (2 full course equivalents); a portfolio is equivalent to two half courses (1 full course equivalent). This weighting reflects the commitment to research and analysis required for a thesis and portfolio.

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MEd Thesis Route

Why Undertake a Thesis? Undertaking a thesis is typically more complex and intensive than doing course work. If you undertake a thesis it is in order to answer a question on a particular topic of interest. You may also (although not necessarily) be interested in pursuing a PhD.

Minimum Requirements for the Thesis Route You must be enrolled in the thesis route (which requires a minimum 75% entry from your undergraduate degree). If you wish to switch into the thesis route during your MEd you must meet this criteria, as well as finding a supervisor willing to supervise your thesis. If you wish to switch during the program, but entered with less than a 75% average, you may apply to the Chair after completing three courses. At that time you must have an average of 85% in the MEd program and a faculty member willing to supervise your thesis. Please make an appointment to speak with the Chair if you think you might want to switch routes. This will help in planning the transition and making the most of your coursework. The request for Graduate Program Change can be found at http://education.lakeheadu.ca/graduate/ under “Forms for Graduate Students.”

Aligning Your Course Work to Support Your Thesis (Year 1) If you enter the program as a full-time student knowing you want to embark on a thesis you are well advised to meet with your supervisor and tailor your first six courses toward your thesis. You should complete your six courses in the first year. In many course it will be possible to focus extra readings and major assignment topics on areas that will support your thesis work.

Finding a Supervisor (During Year 1) You will need to find a supervisor who is working in your area of interest and willing to supervise your thesis. Look online for potential supervisors, speak with the Chair, and speak with your fellow students. Set up a meeting with potential supervisors and meet with them to discuss supervision. You will not likely know the exact question you want to research but should have a general idea of the area. You may want to wait until you have completed your first two courses (Introduction to Research and Qualitative or Quantitative Research Methods) before seeking a supervisor. Please inform the Graduate Office once a faculty member has agreed to be your supervisor, and see the Chair if you need guidance in selecting a supervisor.

Students may, in rare instances, encounter difficulties in working with their supervisor, which may lead them to consider changing supervisors. Because of the potential significance of a change of supervisor, students should carefully consider their options if they are encountering difficulties in working with their supervisor. In such cases, the student should first consult with the supervisor in order to discuss the nature of the

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problem and to determine what steps might be taken to remedy the problem. Students are encouraged to consult with the Chair, who will work with both the student and supervisor towards a resolution. A student wishing to change supervisors must submit a request to the Chair. Once approval of the Chair has been obtained, the Chair will notify the original supervisor and committee member.

Directed Study Course ED 5570 (Year 1) You may want to complete a directed study as an elective course with your supervisor. The directed study is an opportunity to read in your area of interest and lay the groundwork for your literature review. It is also an opportunity for your supervisor to determine whether you will need writing guidance. A directed study might comprise reading 20–25 journal articles in your research area and writing six page summaries for each. These summaries allow you to gain an understanding of the field and your supervisor to read and assess your understanding of the literature. This can serve as the beginning of your literature review. You should be using bibliographic software (e.g. Bookends or Endnote) in order to build your database. See the library for further suggestions. Other formats for the directed study can also be agreed upon by the student and supervisor and proposed to the Chair.

Students must complete the application for a directed study form that may be requested from Diana Mason. The registration deadline in August 15th for a fall course, October 30th for a winter course, and April 15th for a summer course.

Foundations and Electives (Year 1) In addition to the Introduction to Research course and Research Methods course, you may need to do a foundations course (if you are enrolled in the Education for Change field) and then three more electives (one of which could be the directed study). Wherever possible, you should enroll in courses that will contribute to your knowledge of your thesis area. Students in one of the specializations in the Education for Change field must choose some of their electives from specific groups (Appendix B).

Committee Member (Year 1) As you are ending your coursework and beginning your thesis work, creating a thesis proposal, you will need to discuss possible committee members with your supervisor. Committee members must have Faculty of Graduate Studies status (core master’s or non-core) with the Faculty of Education and be a full-time faculty member or an adjunct professor. In exceptional circumstances, your supervisor may propose Lakehead faculty members who do not meet these criteria to the Chair for consideration.

Once you have reached agreement, your supervisor will approach the faculty member to sit as committee member on your thesis committee (after you’ve reached agreement, some supervisors may request that you approach the potential committee member).

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Your supervisor and the committee member will have a discussion about how they want to proceed. Regardless of how often the committee member wishes to see the proposal, they1 should be aware of the methods to be used and be in agreement before the proposal is fully written. The committee should meet to agree upon the central components of the proposal, including the research question(s), literature review, and methods. The supervisor should let Diana Mason know who is serving on the committee.

Developing a Research Question You should meet with your supervisor during the last half of your coursework to narrow your focus and agree upon your research question. Your question must be specific enough that it can be answered with the 100 pages maximum of a master’s thesis. Furthermore, it must be answerable. Finally it should be a question that has not been answered repeatedly in the research literature. Focus your research as soon as possible in the program. Although you cannot settle on the research question before you have explored the literature, you can use the readings you are undertaking for courses and assignments (where this is possible) to begin to review the literature in your area of interest. This strategy will enable you to make the best use of your courses.

Attend student/faculty presentations and the Graduate Education Students’ Conference. Evaluate ideas that you find interesting and follow up the leads from the literature. Build a file of references, articles, and papers that might be useful in developing your proposal. Consult faculty members about ideas for the thesis. Talk with other students. Before thinking about writing your proposal, you will need to find a faculty member with expertise in your area of interest to supervise. Be prepared to revise your idea and, quite possibly, to narrow your topic or problem further. Develop a realistic plan that can be accomplished in a reasonable time frame.

Developing a Plan Once you and your supervisor have agreed upon a research question and the question has also been approved by your committee member, you should develop a backwards timeline (see Appendix C). The timeline will lay out when you need to complete the different aspects of your thesis. The following headings give a general outline of the steps.

1 The gender indefinite “they” is used here to challenge the he/she gender binary.

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Writing a Proposal The Proposal typically2 comprises the first three chapters of your thesis: the introduction, including the research question (and sometimes sub-questions); the literature review; your methods chapter; and references.

Proposal Introduction. The introduction to your thesis is a brief introduction to the topic giving the context of your thesis, sometimes your theoretical framework, the purpose of your work, research questions, significance of the thesis, and limitations. Many students also position themselves in the introduction.

Proposal Literature Review. The literature review is the foundation of your thesis. You will review the general research literature in your area. This will include a broad summary of what is known about your topic generally and then increasingly narrowing it to the very specific question you intend to research. The literature review should not simply be a list of article summaries; instead, it should be a synthesis as well as an argument. It positions your research in the field and is an argument, using the literature, to delineate why it is important to conduct the research you intend to conduct.

Proposal Methodology. The methodology chapter outlines your approach to the research and the methods – how you will go about carrying out your research. It should begin with your research questions, justify your approach, and then lay out the plan. The chapter should be very specific, rather than vague, as it is a blueprint for what you plan to do. Some students include a chart of their research questions and the data they will gather in order to answer the questions. Any instruments to be used should be included. Wherever possible, make use of instruments and methods that have already been used in the literature.

The proposal must follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition) in matters of style, except where a compelling case can be made to diverge (e.g., some arts-based research might break some conventions; this must be cleared with your supervisor, committee member, and the Chair).

Supervisor Feedback on the Proposal You should have negotiated with your supervisor to agree upon when you will meet and how you will obtain feedback. After each meeting with your supervisor, it is good practice to send a brief email to confirm the next steps you have agreed upon. In this

2 Some approaches to research may differ significantly in important respects from the model presented here. Students are encouraged to do work that resonates with their research question, and should always be prepared to support their choices with relevant references to appropriate literature. Some supervisors’ expectations may also differ somewhat; discussing expectations helps to keep progress smooth.

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way you will both know you are on the same track. The Faculty of Graduate Studies suggests a turnaround time of 10 working days for student work once it goes to your supervisor or a committee member. Staying in frequent communication helps to facilitate this, as it would be unreasonable to expect this turnaround for work delivered just prior to a planned holiday. There is almost always something else to work on while waiting for feedback!

Developing your question and writing your literature review will take time and a number of draft exchanges with your supervisor. While your supervisor will do some minor editing, it is not their role to copy edit (though it is their responsibility to not approve the work until the writing is very good). Unless your work is very clean you will need to find someone to read your first drafts before sending them to your supervisor.

Sending the First Clean Draft to the Committee Member Once the proposal is clean and ready to go (usually after three or four drafts), the supervisor asks the student to send it to the committee member. The committee member should be informed about when it is coming, and will endeavour to get you feedback within 10 working days.

Once the draft is returned with comments, the student and supervisor should speak and discuss the work involved in addressing the committee member’s comments. The edited draft may need to be returned to the committee member one or more times, depending on the comments.

Signing Off on the Proposal When the supervisor and committee member are both satisfied that the proposal is clean and the proposed research feasible, they will sign off on the proposal using a form supplied by Diana Mason. Some students experience difficulty during the external (final) examination of their thesis, either because the methodology chapter was not sufficiently detailed, or, alternatively, because it was not enough work to be considered thesis-level research. Your supervisor or the Chair can direct you to good quality theses to help you gauge your own work. Diana Mason can direct you to an online exemplar.

Ethics Application (4-5 weeks) If your research involves human subjects, you must apply for an ethics review by the Lakehead Senate Research Ethics Board (REB). You apply through the Romeo site (via myInfo). Instructions on completing your application can be found at https://www.lakeheadu.ca/research-and-innovation/research-services/resources/romeo. Your application must be approved before you can begin to gather data. Although you will write your ethics application and upload it to the system, your supervisor is the designated Principal Investigator (PI) in the system. They will need to approve it (sign off on it) and submit to the Chair for approval. Once the Chair approves it, it will be

https://www.lakeheadu.ca/research-and-innovation/research-services/resources/romeo

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submitted to the REB for a full review.

Plan on one week for the Chair approval process for very clear and complete submissions, and an extra week under consideration for each time a resubmission is required. The REB usually takes three weeks.

We are working on posting exemplars and a YouTube instructional video online to assist you in applying. Please check with Diana Mason for the current web addresses.

Data Gathering Before going out to gather data, you need to have thought about how you will analyze the data. If you are going to use qualitative or quantitative software it will help to label your data (audio recordings, student work, survey data, etc.) in a way that will support your analysis. Either your supervisor will help with this part or, alternatively, all students are entitled to two free hours of support from the Department of Graduate Studies. To access the latter, see Diana Mason who will put you in touch with our data analysis instructor.

Analysis You may need to be in touch with your supervisor at this time, for advice and to help confirm your procedures. Your supervisor may need to have access to your data and coding if you are doing qualitative research, and to your data, tests, and analysis if you are doing quantitative research.

First Draft of Analysis Once you have completed your analysis and written your results, send them to your supervisor. After some discussion and back and forth, you can move on to your final chapter(s).

Discussion and Conclusion Once this/these are drafted and have gone back and forth with your supervisor until they are polished – and your supervisor agrees that the whole thesis is complete and polished – your supervisor will ask you to send it to your committee member. As always, it will be appreciated if you or your supervisor gives them advance notice that the draft is coming. There will be at least one round of revisions and there may be a number of rounds. All revisions should be read by your supervisor and agreed upon before the work goes back to the committee member. The supervisor and committee member will sign off on the “MEd Thesis Report form” that the Department will prepare when they believe your thesis is sufficiently complete and clean to be put forward for examination.

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Examinations

Internal Examiner. The supervisor is responsible for finding an Internal Examiner who is “arm’s length3” from the student. Typically this is someone with expertise in the area and Faculty of Graduate Studies core or non-core status. The Internal Examiner must be a faculty member at Lakehead University. The Department will communicate the examiner’s preference in format, and the student will send the Department a PDF, Word, or hard copy of the thesis to be forwarded to the Internal Examiner for examination. The thesis must be free of typographical and grammatical errors. The formatting should conform to APA guidelines.

The Department handles the examination. The student may not contact the Internal Examiner during this time. The Department supplies the Internal Examiner with a copy of the “Examiner’s Report on Thesis/Dissertation,” and a copy of the thesis. When assessment of the thesis is complete, this form is returned to the Department with the examiner’s copy of the thesis.

The Internal Examiner has one month to complete the examination. Once the form and thesis have been completed and returned, the exam findings are sent by the Department to the supervisor who sends the report on to the student and the committee member. The examiner will check off one of the following four categories [words in brackets do not appear on the form]:

Accepted. [The thesis is accepted as is and may be submitted as a clean copy for examination by the external examiner].

Accepted subject to revisions: Please indicate suggested revisions. [Minor revisions are required. Students requiring minor revisions can typically complete these within a few days or weeks. The supervisor and student will meet to discuss how the student will undertake the revisions. The supervisor is responsible for approving the changes.]

Appreciable revisions required: If you choose this category please indicate the revisions required before you would find the thesis acceptable. If ranked in this category, the revised thesis will be returned to you for final acceptance. [Students who require major revisions to their thesis should expect a few more months of intensive work. Typically this means that at least one if not more chapters require a return to the literature and substantive rewriting. Once the student addresses the revisions, they resubmit through the Department to the Internal Examiner for a second review. The Internal Examiner completes a second examination. This process continues until the

3 “Arm’s length” means no established social or professional relationship.

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Internal checks either “Accepted subject to [minor] revisions” or “Accepted.” The Internal Examiner must sign off before the thesis can be submitted for external examination.]

Thesis Rejected: A choice of “Rejected” means that the thesis is of insufficient worth to be counted as credit towards a master’s degree. [Students who fail at the internal examination level are deemed to have a thesis that requires more than major revisions. Typically this is a thesis that requires new data to be gathered and therefore a more substantive analysis. It may also require an altered research question. Students who wish to continue at this time must meet with their supervisor to discuss and delineate next steps. Students who wish to continue and rework their thesis must resubmit the thesis to the Internal Examiner. Students and supervisors may contact the Internal Examiner for advice in the interim.]

When any corrections required by the Internal Examiner have been made, the thesis supervisor and the Chair sign the “Confirmation for External Review” form.

External Examiner. While the thesis is being examined internally, your supervisor will be locating a potential External Examiner. The External Examiner has expertise in the area and must be at “arm’s length” from both the supervisor4 and the student. You may discuss potential External Examiners with your supervisor. The supervisor typically contacts the potential External, often sending the thesis abstract, to determine willingness and availability, then completes the proposed external examiner form (https://www.lakeheadu.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/56/docs/Forms/ThesisMaster/Masters-Proposed_Examiner.pdf). Diana Mason then contacts the proposed External for a CV (curriculum vitae), and the Chair reviews the application for suitability. If satisfied, the application is sent to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for a second review. It the External is approved at both levels, the proposed candidate can serve as examiner. The student may not contact the External Examiner at any time. After initial contact, the supervisor must have no contact with the External Examiner.

External Examination. Once all parties have signed off on the thesis, the Chair reviews it before it is sent out to the External. If the Chair is satisfied with the thesis it is sent to the External in the format requested (PDF, Word, or hard copy – provided by the student on request by Diana Mason). The Department supplies the External Examiner with a copy of the “Examiner’s Report on Thesis/Dissertation.”

Similar to the Internal Examiner, the External has four categories that they can check off, and upon which they can comment. The categories have the same repercussions as

4 “Arms-length” from a supervisor means not a personal friend and no recent (previous seven years) or current professional collaborations. The External Examiner should not be the supervisor’s former supervisor or thesis student.

https://www.lakeheadu.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/56/docs/Forms/Thesis

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those outlined above under Internal Examination, except that the if “Thesis Rejected” is checked the student may fail the thesis and be removed from the program.

Final Thesis When the External Examiner’s report has been received and any required changes are made to the satisfaction of the supervisor, committee member, and Chair, the student shall submit a minimum of three paper copies of the thesis to the Faculty of Graduate Studies to be hardbound (the student is invoiced), and a PDF for distribution. The distribution of the hardbound copies is as follows:

• 1 copy – supervisor • 1 copy – student • 1 copy – Lakehead University Paterson Library

As well, the student must also prepare three more copies of the thesis. These copies may be hardbound or softbound. The distribution of these copies is as follows:

• 1 copy – for the committee member (unless an electronic copy is preferred) • 2 copies – Education Library

Students will not be able to graduate until all copies are received.

The Department of Graduate Studies and Research in Education will prepare the following forms for inclusion with the final copies of the thesis before binding.

• Recommendation of Thesis • Master’s Thesis Top Sheet

Students shall submit the following forms to the Faculty Graduate Studies • License to the University • Non-Exclusive Licence to Reproduce Theses – What You Should Know • Non-Exclusive License to Reproduce Theses – Form • Exit Survey

These forms can be found at https://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/academicinformation/degree-completion/thesis (Steps 13 and 14).

Paper and Print Quality. The final copy must be printed on good quality bond paper not less than 20 lb weight. Laser-quality printing or the equivalent is required for the final version.

Saving Paper. The Faculty of Education requires that all dissertations, theses, and portfolios be printed double-sided to reduce the amount of paper used. However, for theses and dissertations only, to facilitate the reproduction of the document on microfiche, one copy (the copy that goes to Paterson Library) must be printed singled-sided.

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MEd Portfolio Route

Why Undertake a Portfolio? Undertaking a portfolio is typically more intensive than doing course work but is less work than a thesis. The portfolio is a collection of conceptually connected creative, scholarly, and technical products for professional use. The strength of the portfolio option is that it allows students to connect theory and practice by producing authentic resource materials in order to contribute to classrooms and other work sites. The portfolio route is considered to be a terminal degree.

If you undertake a portfolio, it often stems from a professional interest in contributing in a practical way to the field. A portfolio should be “authentic.” Archbald and Newman (1992) suggest that the authenticity of tasks can be judged on the basis of three components: 1. it is a result of disciplined inquiry; 2. it builds upon prior knowledge; and 3. it is of personal and professional value once completed.

Overview Both students and faculty should keep in mind that a portfolio is worth one (1) Full Course Equivalent (FCE) and this weighting should be reflected in the amount of work required for completion of a portfolio.

The final portfolio must be approved by the committee. There is no internal or external reader/examiner. It is recommended that there be a final meeting of student, supervisor, and committee member to assist with the process of critical self-reflection.

Aligning Your Course Work to Support Your Portfolio (Year 1) If you enter the program knowing you want to embark on a portfolio, you are well advised to meet with your supervisor and tailor your courses toward your portfolio. You should complete your eight courses in the first four terms. In many courses it will be possible to focus extra readings and major assignment topics on areas that will support your portfolio work.

Finding a Supervisor (During Year 1) You will need to find a supervisor who is working in your area of interest and willing to supervise your portfolio. Look online for potential supervisors, speak with the Chair, and speak with your fellow students. Set up a meeting with potential supervisors and meet with them to discuss supervision. You will not likely know the exact topic but should have a general idea of the area. You may want to wait until you have completed your first two courses (Introduction to Research and Qualitative or Quantitative Research Methods) before seeking a supervisor. Please inform the Graduate Office once a faculty

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member has agreed to be your supervisor, and see the Chair if you need guidance in selecting a supervisor.

Students may, in rare instances, encounter difficulties in working with their supervisor, which may lead them to consider changing supervisors. Because of the potential significance of a change of supervisor, students should carefully consider their options if they are encountering difficulties in working with their supervisor. In such cases, the student should first consult with the supervisor in order to discuss the nature of the problem and to determine what steps might be taken to remedy the problem. Students are encouraged to consult with the Chair, who will work with both the student and supervisor towards a resolution. A student wishing to change supervisors must submit a request to the Chair. Once approval of the Chair has been obtained, the Chair will notify the original supervisor and committee member.

Directed Study Course ED 5570 (Year 1) You may want to complete a directed study course with your supervisor. The directed study is an opportunity to read in your area of interest and lay the groundwork for your literature review. It is also an opportunity for your supervisor to determine whether you will need writing guidance. A directed study might comprise reading 20–25 journal articles in your research area and writing six page summaries for each. These summaries allow you to gain an understanding of the field and your supervisor to read and assess your understanding of the literature. This can serve as the beginning of your literature review. You should be using bibliographic software (e.g. Bookends or Endnote) in order to build your database. See the library for further suggestions. Other formats for the directed study can also be agreed upon by the student and supervisor and proposed to the Chair.

Students must complete the application for a directed study form that may be requested from Diana Mason. The registration deadline in August 15th for a fall course, October 30th for a winter course, and April 15th for a summer course.

Foundations and Electives (Year 1) In addition to the Introduction to Research course and Research Methods course, you may need to do a foundations course (if you are enrolled in the Education for Change field) and five more electives. Students in one of the specializations in the Education for Change field must choose some of their electives from specific groups (Appendix B). Wherever possible, you should enroll in courses that will contribute to your knowledge of your portfolio area.

Committee Member (Year 1) As you are ending your coursework and beginning your portfolio work (writing a portfolio proposal), you will need to discuss possible committee members with your supervisor.

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Committee members must have Faculty of Graduate Studies status (core master’s or non-core) with the Faculty of Education and be a full-time faculty member or an adjunct professor. In exceptional circumstances, your supervisor may propose Lakehead faculty members who do not meet these criteria to the Chair for consideration.

Once you have reached agreement, your supervisor will approach the faculty member to sit as committee member on your committee (after you’ve reached agreement, some supervisors may request that you approach the potential committee member). Your supervisor and the committee member will have a discussion about how they want to proceed. Regardless of how often the committee member wishes to see the proposal, they should be aware of the methods to be used and in agreement before the proposal is fully written. The committee should meet to agree upon the central components of the proposal, including the research question(s), literature review, and methods. The supervisor should let Diana Mason know who is serving on the committee.

Developing a Proposal You should meet with your supervisor during the last half of your coursework to narrow your focus and agree upon your overarching theme, the scope of your literature review, and your main task or tasks. You can use the readings you are undertaking for courses and assignments (where this is possible) to begin to review the literature in your area of interest. This strategy will enable you to make the best use of your courses.

Attend student/faculty presentations and the Graduate Education Students’ Conference. Evaluate ideas that you find interesting and follow up the leads from the literature. Build a file of references, articles, and papers that might be useful in developing your proposal. Consult faculty members about ideas for the portfolio. Talk with other students. Before thinking about writing your proposal, you will need to find a faculty member with expertise in your area of interest to supervise. Be prepared to revise your idea and, quite possibly, to narrow your topic or problem further. Develop a realistic plan that can be accomplished in a reasonable time frame.

Diana Mason may be able to provide you with a link to an online portfolio exemplar.

Deciding on Your Tasks The portfolio must include a minimum of an introduction, literature review, and one task from the list that follows. The literature review must reflect the student’s knowledge of scholarship relevant to the subject of their portfolio. What is selected for inclusion in the portfolio is at the discretion of the committee, guided by general principles of the program. For example, a video produced by a student which demonstrates an inquiry-based teaching method might be supported by a relevant literature review and a glossary of terms. It is recommended that portfolios include a variety of components (creative, technical, and scholarly) such that a portfolio could include one creative

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component, one technical contribution, and one scholarly contribution, but this depends on the breadth and depth of the tasks. A list of suggested portfolio tasks follows: • resource manual • illustrated or non-illustrated children's story book • proposal for a new curriculum - overview • proposal (model) for a new approach to teaching • position paper ready for submission for consideration for publication to a field-

based or scholarly journal • policy manual on some administrative or other school matter, for example, a

policy manual on school safety • glossary of terms for a subject area • proposal for a conference presentation • application for funding (for example, research, school project, district-wide

project, etc.) • a play that teaches something • a rebuttal or critique paper • a collection of physical resources for teaching a specific topic within a discipline

area • an annotated bibliography of physical resources and artifacts for teaching a

particular topic • a policy analysis suitable for submission to a legislative body (for example,

government, school board, etc.) • an organizational analysis (for example, of a school board) • a job shadow analysis of an administrative position • a curriculum plan for a new subject area or particular topic • a video or multimedia production as a teaching tool or policy resource • development of a website • a series of paintings accompanied by a research journal, all focused on a

particular theme • a music composition • a resource kit on First Nations art/literature/music and so on • a resource kit on teaching an ethnically diverse class • a resource kit for the special education teacher or teacher with special education

students in the class • a comparative education analysis

Planning Your Proposal Once you and your supervisor have agreed upon an overarching theme, the scope of the literature review, and the other two tasks, it will need to be approved by your committee member. You should develop a backwards timeline (see Appendix C). The timeline will lay out when you need to complete the different aspects of your portfolio. The following headings give a general outline of the steps.

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Writing a Portfolio Proposal The portfolio proposal must provide: 1. a summary of the portfolio tasks; 2. an overview of the area of specialization; 3. identification of the overarching theme/question the portfolio tasks address; 4. brief description of the tasks; 5. a compelling rationale for how the various tasks will make an original contribution

to the specified field; 6. detailed description of the process (e.g., organization of final portfolio, timeline,

budget, etc.); 7. the definition of terms 8. the literature review (which is your first task) 9. references; and 10. any other content considered by the committee to be important. As well, a vehicle

for critical self-reflection should also be identified in the proposal; this might involve a self-assessment rubric or a reflective report on the effectiveness of the portfolio in achieving purposes, the effectiveness of the various processes engaged in, and questions or issues left unanswered.

The proposal and the portfolio tasks, where appropriate, must follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition) in matters of style.

It is recommended that the proposal be no longer than 30 pages.

If any of the tasks of the portfolio involve the collection of data on human subjects, the student must prepare a submission for the Research Ethics Board.

Supervisor Feedback on the Proposal Agree with your supervisor on when you will meet and how you will obtain feedback. After each meeting with your supervisor, it is good practice to send a brief email to confirm the next steps you have agreed upon. In this way you will both know you are on the same track. The Faculty of Graduate Studies suggests a turnaround time of 10 working days for student work once it goes to your supervisor or a committee member. Staying in frequent communication helps to facilitate this, as it would be unreasonable to expect this turnaround for work delivered just prior to a planned holiday. There is almost always something else to work on while waiting for feedback!

Writing your proposal will take time and a number of draft exchanges with your supervisor. While your supervisor will do some minor editing, it is not their role to copy edit (though it is their responsibility to not approve the work until the writing is very good). Unless your work is very clean you will need to find someone to read your first drafts before sending them to your supervisor.

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Sending the First Clean Draft to the Committee Member Once the proposal is clean and ready to go (usually after two or three drafts), the supervisor asks the student to send it to the committee member. The committee member should be informed about when it is coming, and will endeavour to get you feedback within 10 working days.

Once the draft is returned with comments, the student and supervisor should speak and discuss the work involved in addressing the committee member’s comments. The edited draft may need to be returned to the committee member one or more times, depending on the comments.

Signing Off on the Proposal When the supervisor and committee member are both satisfied that the proposal is clean and the proposed tasks feasible, they will sign off on the proposal using a form supplied by Diana Mason.

Ethics Application (4-5 weeks) If your research involves human subjects, you must apply for an ethics review by the Lakehead Senate Research Ethics Board (REB). You apply through the Romeo site (via myInfo). Instructions on completing your application can be found at https://www.lakeheadu.ca/research-and-innovation/research-services/resources/romeo. Your application must be approved before you can begin to gather data. Although you will write your ethics application and upload it to the system, your supervisor is the designated Principal Investigator (PI) in the system. They will need to approve it (sign off on it) and submit to the Chair of the Graduate Department for approval. Once it is approved by the Chair, it will be submitted to the REB for a full review.

Plan on one week for the Chair approval process for very clear and complete submissions, and an extra week under consideration for each time a resubmission is required. The REB usually takes three weeks.

We are working on posting exemplars and a YouTube instructional video to assist you in applying. Please check with Diana for the current web addresses.

First Draft of Your Portfolio Once you have completed your tasks, send the full first draft to your supervisor. Once this has gone back and forth with your supervisor until it is polished – and your supervisor agrees that the whole portfolio is complete – your supervisor will ask you to send it to your committee member. As always, it will be appreciated if you or your supervisor gives them advance notice that the draft is coming. There may be one round or more of revisions. All revisions should be read by your supervisor and agreed upon before the work goes back to the committee.

https://www.lakeheadu.ca/research-and-innovation/research-services/resources/romeo

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Length of Portfolio A portfolio should not exceed one hundred (100) pages in length, inclusive of tasks, references, and appendices.

Style Requirements for Portfolios In preparing theses or portfolios, students should follow the standards of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition) (Washington, American Psychological Association, 2009). For questions concerning style requirements not covered here, consult this publication.

Approval of Portfolio When the supervisor and committee members are satisfied that a portfolio is complete, the Department of Graduate Studies and Research will prepare the “MEd Portfolio Report Form,” for signature by the supervisor and committee member(s).

The student shall prepare a minimum of five copies of the completed portfolio. The student is responsible for binding all copies. Copies may be hard-bound or soft-bound, at the discretion at the student. The distribution is as follows:

• 1 copy – student; • 1 copy – supervisor; • 1 copy – committee member (if requested); • 2 copies – Education Library.

Paper and Print Quality. The final copy must be printed on good quality bond paper not less than 20 lb weight. Laser-quality printing or the equivalent is required for the final version.

Saving Paper. The Faculty of Education requires that all dissertations, theses, and portfolios be printed double-sided to reduce the amount of paper used.

Regulations and Forms During Your MEd

These forms are subject to change without notice. Graduate students should familiarize

themselves with the General Graduate Regulations found on the website as well as the

Master of Education Regulations

http://navigator.lakeheadu.ca/~/Catalog/ViewCatalog.aspx?htmllink=true&pageid=viewc

atalog&LoadUserEdits=true&topicgroupid=7077

Ontario Visiting Graduate Students Plan [to take a graduate course at another Ontario

university)

https://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/resources/ovgs

Research’s Agreement Form http://outdoorrec.lakeheadu.ca/student-researcher180s-agreement-form/

Request for Leave of Absence

https://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/resources/leave

Request for Time Extension

https://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/resources/time-extension

Final Thesis Process https://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/academic-information/degreecompletion/thesis

• Binding of Thesis memorandum – Word document • Department Recommendation of Thesis Student • Non-Exclusive License to Reproduce Thesis • Graduate Studies Exit Survey

Graduate Conference Forms (see under “Forms for Graduate Students”) http://education.lakeheadu.ca/graduate/

Travel Authorization Form and Travel Expense Statement https://www.lakeheadu.ca/faculty-and-staff/departments/services/finance/accountspayable/travel

Forms from the Office of the Registrar (now Enrolment Services) https://www.lakeheadu.ca/faculty-and-staff/departments/services/enrolment-services

https://www.lakeheadu.ca/faculty-and-staff/departments/services/enrolment-serviceshttps://www.lakeheadu.ca/faculty-and-staff/departments/services/finance/accountshttp://education.lakeheadu.ca/graduatehttps://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/academic-information/degreehttps://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/resources/time-extensionhttps://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/resources/leavehttp://outdoorrec.lakeheadu.ca/student-researcher180s-agreement-formhttps://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/graduate/resources/ovgshttp://navigator.lakeheadu.ca/~/Catalog/ViewCatalog.aspx?htmllink=true&pageid=viewc

FACULTY PROFILES

NAME: Seth Agbo OFFICE: Orillia RANK: Associate Professor EMAIL: [email protected] DOCTORAL DEGREE: PhD PHONE: UNIVERSITY: The University of British Columbia YEAR: 1996

UNDERGRADUATE COURSES EDUC 3239 Teaching in an Isolated Community EDUC 4413 Foundations & Issues in Education EDUC 3237 Teaching Multicultural Setting

GRADUATE COURSES EDUC 5010 Introduction to Research Approaches in Education EDUC 5414 Issues in Lifelong Learning EDUC 5419 Comparative and International Education EDUC 5414 School & Knowledge-Based Society

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Lifelong learning and higher education policy • Comparative and international education with emphasis on education in developing countries • Intercultural teaching and educational administration • University/school partnerships for school improvement • Professional development and teacher effectiveness • Community-school relationships

RECENT PUBLICATIONS Agbo, S.A. (2011). Conformity and rationality in indigenous schooling: The education situation on First

Nations reserves. Interchange, A Quarterly Review of Education, 42(4), 1-30.

Agbo, S. A. (2010). The university-based researcher in indigenous communities: Participatory research as a dialogue for redefining the “Other” in university-community relations. In Inman, P. & Schuetze, H. (Eds.), Community Engagement and Service Mission of Universities (pp. 181-196). Leicester, U.K.: NIACE Publications

Agbo, S. A. (2010). The cultural politics of educational Inequality: Discarding the prevailing Eurocentric formulations of academic failure. In T. Claes, & D.S. Preston, (Eds.), Frontiers in Higher Education (pp. 7-23). Rodopi: Amsterdam/New York.

COMPLETED THESES/PORTFOLIOS/DISSERTATIONS Pearson, Krista. (2014). Social justice and equity: Exploring the perspectives of senior administrators on

whiteness and racism in post-secondary education. PhD, Lakehead University. D

MacKenzie, J. (2007). Educational experiences of aging nontraditional undergraduate students. MEd, Lakehead University. T

Wang, F. (2006). A comparative study of the lived experiences of Canadian-born and foreign-born Chinese Canadian students in Northern Ontario. MEd, Lakehead University. T

NAME: Philip Allingham OFFICE: BL 2013 RANK: Profess

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