Report of Self-led RiNA Project - University of Toronto · Report of Self-led RiNA Project ......

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ONTARIO INSTITUTE FOR STUDIES IN EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO GRADUATE STUDIES CTL 1223 (Sept. - Dec. 2016) Summative Assignment #1 Instructor: J.L. Bencze Report of Self-led RiNA Project Introduction This assignment requires you to design and implement a research- informed and negotiated action (RiNA) project that addresses a problem in relationships among fields of science and technology and societies and environments (STSE) relating to a for-profit product or service of your choice. In association with a report of that project, you also are required to provide a scholarly ‘meta-analysis’ of the nature of such projects using references to refereed publications drawn mostly from this course. In line with the concept of the spiral curriculum, this project is being conducted after only one apprenticeship cycle (with me as teacher). As we proceed into teaching approaches regarding such projects, your expertise, confidence and motivation regarding them may evolve/improve. Detailed Description of the Assignment This assignment requires each student to submit two major items; i.e., i) a RiNA project report (which may be written individually or with up to 3 other classmates); and, ii) a ‘meta-analysis’ of that project (written separately by each student). Details for each of these components are given in the table below. The submissions can be set up in a table format or in tandem. RiNA Project Report (This is similar to a science ‘lab’ report.) Meta-analysis of Project Report (This is a scholarly analysis of the project.) Title: This should concisely refer to the STSE problem and actions. Introduction: Written in ‘prose’ style, this short section should provide a brief description of at least one major STSE issue relating to a for-profit product or service (‘commodity’) of your choice/interest, why you chose it, secondary and primary research conducted and actions developed. Background: Written in ‘prose’ style, this section should provide a summary, from your secondary research, of STSE relationships involving the commodity you explored. Emphasis should be placed on controversial positions of different ‘stakeholders’ (e.g., companies vs. activities). Very brief mention should be made of need for a social correlational study to learn more about the problem and possible actions. Citations (not, necessarily, refereed) should be given in the References section below. Methods: This section should provide a recipe-like description of your primary research (social correlational study) in the RiNA project (e.g., age and/or gender vs. nicotine consumption). The sample size should include at least all other members of the CTL 1223 class, although you are welcome to (optionally) use other sources to increase your sample size to perhaps about 100 people. Use of qualitative descriptions of variables also is encouraged. Results: This section should provide a summary of quantitative — and, maybe, qualitative — findings from the social study. Findings should be provided in easy-to-read tables and graphs (x-axis = independent variable; dependent variable = y-axis). Discussion: This section should include a discussion of implications of findings from your study and, in light of your background knowledge and information in your secondary research, a discussion of appropriate action(s) developed to address the STSE issue you have explored. Your actions (perhaps provided in an Appendix) should at least include an 8.5” x 11” poster and a slide show (e.g., PowerPoint™ [perhaps given as a pdf file]) with at least seven slides (including the title slide and slides about the STSE issue; research; and actions). References: Citations used in the body of the report (again, not, necessarily, refereed) should be listed in alphabetical order, using APA Style. Meta-analysis: This is meant to be a scholarly discussion, in prose style, of the ‘nature’ of STSE relationships and RiNA projects. In other words, it is a discussion of general characteristics of STSE/RiNA — most of which are abstractions. You might, for instance, suggest that choosing a topic is ‘complex’ (or some other descriptor) because of the wide range of choices (or for some other reason). There also may be certain limitations of research that you notice. This meta-analysis should describe characteristics for each of the three main parts of the project (with numbers of required characteristics in brackets): i) STSE (7); Research (6); Actions (7). In association with your descriptions of ‘characteristics’ of the various parts of the STSE-RiNA project, you should integrate references to refereed publications — mainly using those provided in this course (to date), but also possibly (optionally) using references you have found useful from your searches of the research literature. [Note: If you worked on the project as part of a group, you should consult with group members about characteristics they identified. After completing the project, you should independently write the meta-analysis based on your journal notes.] Bibliography: Provide a list of references to refereed publications used in your meta-analysis, using APA Style. The number of references can vary, but the total word count for this section should be about 200 words — as specified below. To supplement the above descriptions, pay close attention to the assessment and evaluation criteria below.

Transcript of Report of Self-led RiNA Project - University of Toronto · Report of Self-led RiNA Project ......

ONTARIO INSTITUTE FOR STUDIES IN EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO GRADUATE STUDIES CTL 1223 (Sept. - Dec. 2016) Summative Assignment #1 Instructor: J.L. Bencze

Report of Self-led RiNA Project Introduction This assignment requires you to design and implement a research-informed and negotiated action (RiNA) project that addresses a problem in relationships among fields of science and technology and societies and environments (STSE) relating to a for-profit product or service of your choice. In association with a report of that project, you also are required to provide a scholarly ‘meta-analysis’ of the nature of such projects using references to refereed publications drawn mostly from this course. In line with the concept of the spiral curriculum, this project is being conducted after only one apprenticeship cycle (with me as teacher). As we proceed into teaching approaches regarding such projects, your expertise, confidence and motivation regarding them may evolve/improve. Detailed Description of the Assignment This assignment requires each student to submit two major items; i.e., i) a RiNA project report (which may be written individually or with up to 3 other classmates); and, ii) a ‘meta-analysis’ of that project (written separately by each student). Details for each of these components are given in the table below. The submissions can be set up in a table format or in tandem.

RiNA Project Report (Thisissimilartoascience‘lab’report.)

Meta-analysisofProjectReport(This is a scholarly analysis of the project.)

Title: This should concisely refer to the STSE problem and actions. Introduction: Written in ‘prose’ style, this short section should provide a brief description of at least one major STSE issue relating to a for-profit product or service (‘commodity’) of your choice/interest, why you chose it, secondary and primary research conducted and actions developed. Background: Written in ‘prose’ style, this section should provide a summary, from your secondary research, of STSE relationships involving the commodity you explored. Emphasis should be placed on controversial positions of different ‘stakeholders’ (e.g., companies vs. activities). Very brief mention should be made of need for a social correlational study to learn more about the problem and possible actions. Citations (not, necessarily, refereed) should be given in the References section below. Methods: This section should provide a recipe-like description of your primary research (social correlational study) in the RiNA project (e.g., age and/or gender vs. nicotine consumption). The sample size should include at least all other members of the CTL 1223 class, although you are welcome to (optionally) use other sources to increase your sample size to perhaps about 100 people. Use of qualitative descriptions of variables also is encouraged. Results: This section should provide a summary of quantitative — and, maybe, qualitative — findings from the social study. Findings should be provided in easy-to-read tables and graphs (x-axis = independent variable; dependent variable = y-axis). Discussion: This section should include a discussion of implications of findings from your study and, in light of your background knowledge and information in your secondary research, a discussion of appropriate action(s) developed to address the STSE issue you have explored. Your actions (perhaps provided in an Appendix) should at least include an 8.5” x 11” poster and a slide show (e.g., PowerPoint™ [perhaps given as a pdf file]) with at least seven slides (including the title slide and slides about the STSE issue; research; and actions). References: Citations used in the body of the report (again, not, necessarily, refereed) should be listed in alphabetical order, using APA Style.

Meta-analysis: This is meant to be a scholarlydiscussion,inprosestyle,ofthe‘nature’ofSTSErelationshipsandRiNAprojects.Inotherwords,itis a discussion of general characteristics ofSTSE/RiNA—mostofwhichareabstractions.Youmight,forinstance,suggestthatchoosingatopicis‘complex’(orsomeotherdescriptor)becauseofthe wide range of choices (or for some otherreason).Therealsomaybecertainlimitationsofresearch that you notice. This meta-analysisshould describe characteristics for each of thethreemainpartsoftheproject(withnumbersofrequired characteristics in brackets): i) STSE (7);Research(6);Actions(7).Inassociationwithyourdescriptions of ‘characteristics’ of the variousparts of the STSE-RiNA project, you shouldintegrate references to refereedpublications—mainly using those provided in this course (todate), but also possibly (optionally) usingreferences you have found useful from yoursearchesoftheresearchliterature.[Note:Ifyouworked on the project as part of a group, youshould consult with group members aboutcharacteristics they identified. After completingtheproject,youshould independentlywrite themeta-analysisbasedonyourjournalnotes.]Bibliography: Provide a list of references torefereedpublicationsusedinyourmeta-analysis,using APA Style. The number of references canvary, but the total word count for this sectionshouldbeabout200words—asspecifiedbelow.

To supplement the above descriptions, pay close attention to the assessment and evaluation criteria below.

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, CTL 1223 Assignment: RiNA Project Report. …………………………… 2 of 2 Assignment Evaluation

NAME: _____________________(with [group members])___________ Criteria for Assignment Value Clarity & Logic of Writing Your RiNA report (individually or with a group) and meta-analysis should be easy to read and comprehend, due to clarity and logic of writing. They should be divided into sections, with headings as given in the ‘Length’ section, below. Citations in the body of the text and the Reference list should use APA Style1.

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Length Your full report should consist of about 2,700 words of text, with general requirements for lengths of parts of the report are: Title (~20); Introduction (~200); Background (~500); Methods (~200); Results (~200); Discussion ~500); References (~100); Meta-analysis (~800); Bibliography (~200). There should be little evidence of unnecessary duplication of concepts, topics, points, etc. — unless this is crucial to your arguments.

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Research-informed & Negotiated Action Project Report The RiNA project part of your report indicates you/your group has sufficient expertise (acknowledging the early stage of this course in which this project was conducted) regarding each of the three major components of the project (with some indicators provided below): STSE Relationships • A breadth of kinds of entities in an STSE relationship is adequately described. • At least one controversy or problem among entities in the STSE relationship is adequately described. • Secondary research to generate the above appears to be derived from valid sources. Primary Research • Variables for your study are well identified and appropriate to the issue/problem. • Methods allow for collecting relevant data. • Your data are clearly displayed in tables/graphs. • Findings are adequately summarized and explained. • You adequately discussed some limitations of your study. Social Actions • Your poster seems to have a good balance between being attractive and informative. • Your slideshow seems to have a good balance between being attractive and informative. • Your poster and slideshow are research-informed (not, necessarily, determined), realistic and specific.

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RiNA Project Meta-analysis Your analyses of your (or your group’s) RiNA project draw well from a balance of characteristics from your reflections relating to each of the three parts of the project (i.e., STSE Relationships; Primary Research; Social Actions) and refereed publications mostly (≥ 70%) provided by this course. Related to this, you provided the required number of characteristics for each part of the three main parts of the project (STSE = 7; Research = 6; Actions = 7). Your discussion is sufficiently self-critical of your claims, depending on available evidence and theory from refereed sources.

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TOTAL __/50 TOTAL VALUE __/25%

Due: Oct. 30, 2016 (sent to: [email protected]; and, if you choose to do so, posted on the course PeppeR site. Please send your completed assignment as an MS-Word file; e.g., not as a .pdf or .pages file.)

Additional Comments

1https://library.concordia.ca/help/howto/apa.php