Project Instructions Introduction What is the Action Research Project? The Action Research Project is an opportunity to apply those things you are learning in the classroom into a work-type setting and to test the theories you are learning in that environment. During the Project, you will take an actual problem that exists in the setting and develop a solution or solutions for it as you examine and analyze each of the dimensions and factors that affect successful implementation of your solution. It is a combination of spending time in the work-setting to accomplish your learning goals – a cooperative experience, applying a learning agenda while there, performing research work to solve an organizational problem, and presenting your findings and solutions in a written format. The Action Research Project is a carefully monitored work or service experience in which an individual has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is learning throughout the experience. The important element that will distinguish your Action Research Project from a short-term job or volunteer work is the intentional "learning agenda" that you bring to the experience. It is essential that your learning agenda be considered and defined before you begin. In conjunction with your site supervisor and instructor you will need to balance your learning goals with the specific task to be done at the worksite. Why do the Action Research Project? An Action Research Project can provide a valuable learning experience for you in several ways. It can contribute to your: • career development as you explore interests and employment opportunities and demonstrate competencies in a work setting, • intellectual development as you test theories and learn new information about your field of study, • capacity to be an active member of your community as you participate in addressing local or societal situations, • ethical development as you face or observe the dilemmas inherent in making decisions in complex situations, • personal and social growth as you discover and reinforce skills and interests in a new environment, • awareness and appreciation of other cultures as you interact with other ethnic groups and new environments, • understanding and concepts of organizational analysis, • ability to research an organization through interviews and literature reviews, • improve oral and written communication skills, • integration and application of skills and concepts learned in the HCM program. HCM Action Research Project Design The Action Research Project is a valuable part of the HCM program in which learners earn four quarter hours of credit. There are four major requirements to be fulfilled in earning this credit: 1. completion of weekly status updates, 2. discussion of a summary of your project to classmates, 3. successful completion of the cooperative experience requirements and, 4. presentation of a final written report. Support is provided by the instructor and classmates. Action Research Project Requirements 1. General Requirements ▪ Though the Action Research Project allows for a great deal of flexibility to accommodate diverse learner interests, there are some general requirements: ▪ The Action Research Project must be in a field related to the course of study (HCM). ▪ A minimum of 80 hours must be spent working on the Action Research Project (including reading, interviewing and volunteer work, but does not include writing the paper). ▪ In order to receive a passing grade for the experience, the learner must submit an approved proposal form, written report, a Summary Report, weekly status updates, participation in class discussions, journal, project survey and verification that the 80 hours were invested. 2. Agency/Organization Selection The Action Research Project is individually tailored to fit the interests and needs of each learner. The organization chosen may be in the field of health care, but the project itself must be related to health care. Learners are encouraged to consider sites such as area agencies on aging, social service offices, advocacy groups, hospitals, medical clinics, mental health departments, and similar agencies for their cooperative experience. Learners may complete their project at their place of employment by taking on an assignment outside of or in addition to their normal job descriptions, perhaps in another department. Caveats to this arrangement include turf issues, limited access to sensitive information and potential difficulties related to change in employment status. 3. Area of Specialization The Action Research Project must specify a project in an area such as program development, case management, quality assurance, training, public relations, or general management. Additional project areas may be suggested to the instructor for approval. 4. Organizational, Administrative, Management Analysis The Action Research Project involves identifying an organization that will serve as a laboratory. The student will observe/participate in both the internal and external environment of the organization. Learners are to examine the mission, goals and objectives and structure of the organization. Management concerns, dynamics and responsibilities should be observed. Techniques for funding and budgeting will be important issues. Marketing, public relations and community/client relations are also areas of concern. Political and regulatory influences also need to be considered. Much of this information will come from the Site Contact Person. 5. Journal A log or journal must be kept throughout the Action Research Project. The journal must clearly show the hours spent volunteering, reading, interviewing, etc. In addition to time records learners are required to record specific activities, experiences and insights gained. There should be an entry for each day of Action Research Project activity. Entries should include: ▪ Description of activity and analysis of its value (what was learned and how it can be applied in the future). ▪ Description of activities of others in the organization as they relate to the Action Research Project. ▪ Description of discussions with Site Contact Person, meetings attended and/or special projects. The journal is the only part of the final report that need not be typed. The Site Contact may request review of the journal before signing the Action Research Project experience completion form. 6. Weekly Status Updates Students are required to submit a brief status update each week informing the instructor of their progress. 7. Summary Report Students will submit a Summary Report to the instructor, which is an executive summary about your project. Report requirements are described in the Summary Report section at the end of these guidelines. 8. Discussions Learners are required to complete two discussions regarding their project. One discussion will be towards the beginning of the class describing their project and organization overview and the second at the end of the term about the outcomes of their project. 9. Written Report Learners will complete a written report covering the Action Research Project. Report requirements are described in the “Text of the Report” section of these guidelines. Learners are expected to present the proposal detailed in the written report to the Site Contact Person. 10. Required Forms Learners are required to complete necessary forms throughout the course. The first of which is the approved proposal form signed by the learner and site contact person. The second of which is the projection completion from, which is signed by the learner and the site contract person to validate the numbers of hours accumulated on the project. The third of which is the completed action research project survey completed by the learner’s site contact person. The final form is the completed action research project survey which is complete by the learner’s site contact person. The Action Research Project Process Ideally, the learner should have already selected the worksite and topic idea for the Action Research Project with the approval of the instructor prior to the commencement of the course. Otherwise, students should immediately begin considering possible choices. During weeks 1 and 2, the learner should discuss and confirm with the instructor the desired project outcomes and the preferred worksite. The instructor will decide if the student’s plan meets course criteria. The next step is to contact the organization at which the Action Research Project may be completed. It is expected that a meeting of the learner and Site Contact will be held to confirm the Action Research Project arrangements and project scope. The learner should provide a telephone number and best time of day for the instructor to call the Site Contact and an email address. The learner and instructor will complete the Action Research Project arrangements by telephone, mail or email. The learner should make a follow-up contact with the site contact to work out specific arrangements. Immediately following this, the learner should have the Action Research Project Proposal Form signed by the Site Contact and return it to the instructor. This form signed by the learner, Site Contact and instructor confirms that satisfactory arrangements have been made and the learner may begin the Action Research Project. The learner will be required to report progress in the Action Research Project by submitting weekly status updates and periodic drafts of portions of the final written report. The learner should participate in a discussion regarding the summary of the project to the class in Week 11 sharing his/her experience with fellow classmates. The learner should provide the action research project survey to the site contact and return it to the instructor. The learner is also encouraged to send a thank you note. A final written report covering the Action Research Project will be submitted in Week 11. Text of the Report The text of the report is divided in parts with each part having its own title. Each part should begin with an introductory paragraph describing the contents of the part. Parts should also conclude with a summary paragraph relating the contribution of that part to the whole report. The body of the report should be at least 12-16 pages in length (excluding title page, table of contents, reference page, and appendices). The first page of Part I of your report begins the text of the report. All pages in the text of the report are consecutively numbered and centered at the bottom of the pages. Each part of the report must begin on a new page. The title of each part must be centered at the top of the first page of each new part, typed in capitals, and have a Roman numeral preceding the title to indicate the part number. (ex. PART I INTRODUCTION) The sections should have appropriate headings to indicate the important and logical divisions. These section headings should be entered as free-standing side headings, underlined and have the first letters of each word capitalized. (ex. Project Planning) The text of the report is written in past/future tense, except for Part II, which is written in present tense. All introductions are written in present tense also. (Suggestion: For ease of writing first drafts, you may write in present tense and change to past tense for the final draft.) The entire text should be written in the third person. Personal pronouns are not used. Keep in mind that technical language, terms, and situations will need clear and careful explanations and descriptions. Assume the reader knows little about the subject you are presenting. (See definition of terms in Part I.) The following outline, divisions and their components shall be used for the necessary contents of the report. These items shall be inclusive but not exhaustive. In no way is this outline meant to limit the learner from including additional important items unique to his/her project. The outline is as follows: PART I INTRODUCTION Introduction Project 1. Briefly describe project and its significance to you and the organization (why you chose it) 2. Relationship to management 3. Overview of responsibilities, assignments, tasks, etc. 4. Review of purpose Setting 1. Participating organization and brief description 2. Location(s) and significant general information 3. Site contact person(s) and field instructor(s) with titles and significant identification 4. Definition of terms. (List and define all terms that may be unfamiliar to the reader.) Project Planning 1. In-depth review of the considerations in selecting the project and site 2. Stated personal goals and objectives regarding the project 3. Stated organization goals and objectives regarding the project 4. In-depth complete description of the anticipated project (scope, responsibilities and tasks) 5. Strategy/tools used to accomplish goals/responsibilities Summary PART II ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS Introduction Comprehensive Analysis of Agency/Organization 1. Analysis of mission statement, goals, and/or objectives 2. Organizational structure (design) 3. Environments — macro-environment (including legal-political, sociocultural, economic, and technological factors, labor market, competitors, customers, and suppliers), healthcare and internal environment (including employees and corporate culture), and stakeholders 4. Management principles practiced (such as Theory X / Y, Total Quality Management, ethics and social responsibility, leadership styles, motivation theories or tools used, formal communication channels, and control systems) Summary PART III THE COMPLETED PROJECT Introduction Description of Action Research Project 1. Full detailed description of the project as it was carried out 2. Techniques, strategies, tools used 3. Programs, materials, reports, etc., generated 4. Satisfaction of goals/objectives met (personal, project, and agency goals) 5. Project shortcomings — disappointments, roadblocks, etc. 6. Ethical, legal, moral considerations 7. Analysis of value to agency/organization and its clients Recommendations 1. Do any policy recommendations come from the project? 2. Is further research or activity needed? 3. Should project be continued? 4. Suggestions to the agency/organization based on your experience Summary REFERENCE LIST APPENDICES · Appendix A. Journal · Appendix B. Action Research Project Proposal Form (signed) · Appendix C. Completion Form (signed) · Appendix D. Project Materials · Appendix E. Related pamphlets/brochures, etc. · Appendix F. Any additional material Now that you have completed the outline and all required parts, the contents should be put in a notebook and organized in the following order: Title Page Abstract Table of Contents Text of the Report (PART I-III) Reference list APPENDICES · Appendix A. Journal · Appendix B. Action Research Project Proposal Form (signed) · Appendix C. Completion Form (signed) · Appendix D. Project Materials · Appendix E. Related pamphlets/brochures, etc. · Appendix F. Any additional material Title Page The title page includes the title of the report, the institution to which the report is submitted, the learner’s name, the instructor's name and the date submitted. The first page of the report is the title page. It is not numbered and includes the title of the work, the institution to which the report is submitted, the learner's name, the instructor's name, the group designation, and the date submitted. The exact location of this information and the spacing to be used is shown in the example included below. Your title should be brief, but it should express a description or overall impression of the Action Research Project. Sample Title Page (Title) An Action Research Project Report Presented to the Faculty of National American University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science by (Learner's Name) (Instructor's Name) (Date) Abstract The abstract is the next component of the report. It provides a brief summary of your report to assist the reader in deciding whether reading the whole report will be helpful in his / her own research. For that reason, the abstract should be no more than 120 words. The word abstract is centered at the top of the page. Use lower case Roman numerals (ii.) to number the abstract page. (For a sample abstract, refer to the example to follow.) The APA Publication Manual (2001) specifies that the abstract “should describe: · The subject and relevant characteristics of the individual or organization presented; · The nature of or solution to a problem; and · The questions raised for additional research or theory.” (p.15). It further advises to “begin the abstract with the most important information (but do not waste space by repeating the title) … Include in the abstract only the four or five most important concepts, findings, or implications.” (p. 13). Sample Abstract Abstract This study analyzed the content of 624 letters to the editor in two newspapers—one published in a city of over 500,000, the other in a city of about 15,000—to explore the relationship between community size and subject matter of letters. A researcher read all of the letters printed in the newspapers on the learning-plan days of three nonconsecutive months in late 1987 and early 1988 and then classified them according to whether they dealt with local or national issues and recorded the findings on a category sheet. Results indicate a significant difference: Letters in the smaller community concentrated almost entirely on local issues, whereas those in the larger community concentrated more frequently on national than on local issues. Table of Contents The table of contents is the next division following the abstract. It lists the major divisions of the report and section headings into which the text is formally divided; it also includes the beginning page number of each section. The table of contents provides the reader with an outline of the material covered by the cooperative experience report. The relationship between the parts and sections is indicated by the appropriate use of capitals and indentation. The part headings listed in the table of contents are numbered consecutively with capitalized Roman numerals. The section headings of each part are indented two spaces from the first letter of the part heading. Only the first letter of the major words in the heading is capitalized. The titles Abstract, Reference List, and Appendix are included as major divisions in the table of contents. These titles are not numbered with Roman numerals. If your report contains more than one appendix, each appendix should be labeled with a letter or number; for example, Appendix A, Appendix B, or Appendix 1, Appendix 2. The title of each appendix should be included in the list. All titles and headings in the table of contents should correspond exactly with the titles and headings as they appear in the body of the report. The title, Table of Contents, should be centered at the top of the page. The pages of the table of contents are numbered with lower case Roman numerals. In spacing the entries in the table of contents, you should leave three lines between the title, Table of Contents, and the first entry. You also leave one blank line between each entry in the table. Page numbers in the table of contents should be located at the right-hand side of the page, each following a line of dots from the last word of the heading. Only the beginning page number of each division, chapter, or section is given. Sample Table of Contents PART I — INTRODUCTION Introduction .....................................................................................................1 Project .............................................................................................................1 Setting .............................................................................................................4 Project Planning ..............................................................................................6 Summary ........................................................................................................13 PART II — ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS Introduction ....................................................................................................15 Comprehensive Analysis of the Organization ................................................15 Summary ................................................................................... .....................27 PART III — THE COMPLETED PROJECT Introduction .....................................................................................................28 Description of Action Research Project...........................................................28 Recommendations ............................................................................................42 Summary ..........................................................................................................43 REFERENCE LIST .........................................................................................44 APPENDICES Appendix A. Action Research Project Journal/Hours ......................................50 Appendix B. Action Research Project Proposal Form ......................................66 Appendix C. Completion Form .........................................................................67 Appendix D. Project Materials/Products ..........................................................68 Appendix E. Seminar Program Information .....................................................71 Appendix F. Corporate Management Structure ................................................77 Appendices Appendices follow the Reference List and pages are numbered continuously with the body of the report. A separate division sheet precedes the appendices with the word Appendices at approximately the middle of the page. Each appendix should be titled; this title should include the word "appendix" and the appendix number or letter plus the actual title. Brochures and newsletters should be included in an appendix, rather than in the body of the report. Small booklets, brochures, etc. may be submitted in plastic sheet protectors. Any product of the Action Research Project, e.g. program survey, teaching plan, report, manual, brochure, proposal, handbook, etc. must be included in the report as an appendix. The appendices will contain a minimum of three exhibits. The first of these is the original of the learner journal documenting the hours (80 minimum) spent in completing the cooperative experience. The second is a copy of the signed Action Research Project Proposal Form. The third is the original signed copy of the Action Research Project Completion Form. Additional exhibits may be added as appropriate. Discussion Summary The summary report provided in the discussions will briefly outline the entire project. The following are minimum requirements for this summary: • Name and describe the agency/organization at which the Action Research Project was completed. • Expectations and goals identified in the planning process (where possible, also compare to actual outcomes). • Description of the Action Research Project responsibilities. • What was most significant about the organizational analysis? • What was learned from the experience? • Correlations between the literature search and the Action Research Project Other suggestions that can be included: • "On the job" anecdotes (most memorable, most embarrassing moments, etc.). • Job or professional opportunities presented by the Action Research Project (for student or others) • Suggestions for other learners in the area of the Action Research Project. • A look to the future in the area of the Action Research Project.
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