Yearlong Individual Research Project: Conducting Biographical Research and Interviews - Pr, Study notes of School management&administration

Download Yearlong Individual Research Project: Conducting Biographical Research and Interviews - Pr and more Study notes School management&administration in PDF only on Docsity! DISCOVERY: READING A LIFE Overview As an Integrative Studies student, you will take four interdisciplinary courses this year, each of which involves a different set of perspectives and themes. In keeping with New Century’s emphasis on active learning, you will be making connections between and among courses and integrating what you’ve been learning. One of the primary ways you’ll do so is through an individual yearlong research assignment called, “Discovery: Reading a Life.” In this project, you will be learning about an individual from a previous generation in order to consider how your own discoveries about sense of self, ways of learning and ways of knowing might compare with the experiences of your subject. You will also conduct research to determine the contexts of this person’s life, such as the social and historical forces that influenced the times in which she or he lived, and the groups—cultural, ethnic, economic, or even medical—of which s/he was a part. In this way, you will consider your subject not only individually but as one among many different groups, some relatively narrow in membership (e.g., a religious movement) and other broader categories (e.g., cancer survivor, immigrant). Because this is a year of transition and change in your own life, we hope you will find it interesting to consider how another person in a previous generation has responded to and coped with transition and change. In addition, at this particular historical moment—the beginning of a new century—we hope your examination of these issues will help you learn more about the events and social and cultural fabric of the twentieth century. Throughout the year, you will be asked to keep a research log, detailing your discoveries and evaluating the research process. Yearlong Objectives  Demonstrate skill in gathering information from a variety of sources appropriate to academic research, including oral, printed, and on-line sources, and utilizing both primary and secondary sources.  Evaluate, analyze, synthesize, and organize research findings in order to examine your subject’s life from multiple perspectives and create new knowledge based on your analysis.  Develop an understanding of how personal, cultural, social, scientific, and political events create symbiotic relationships between individuals and the broader environment.  Frame interesting original arguments and positions about your subject’s life in clearly written essays supported by appropriate use of carefully documented source material.  Demonstrate the ability to be self-reflective and self-evaluative during the research process and at the conclusion of the project by connecting and integrating what you have learned in an essay for the year-end portfolio. Year at a Glance In each of the four courses of your first-year curriculum, you will be writing a “chapter” of your project, beginning with a research proposal in NCLC110. In this first course, the emphasis of the assignment is on choosing a subject, writing a biographical essay, and developing a research proposal. In order to make a good choice of a yearlong subject, you will need to look ahead and think carefully about how your person will fit with the contexts and issues of the Discovery chapter for each of the following three courses. (Note: as you go through the year, your seminar professors may ask to see your previous Discovery chapters in order to understand your project more fully.) Unit I: NCLC110, Fall 2002 Discovery: Reading a Life In NCLC120, The Natural World, you will focus less on your subject’s life and more on a population of which your subject is or has been part. By “population,” scientists refer to group of individuals with like characteristics. You will need to find quantitative information about this group, so it is best to identify a population that is neither vast nor quite small. As an example of membership in various populations, you may interview a relative who is one among many high school teachers who received Masters degrees in Biology or English in the 1970s. Or you might learn about a medical issue (e.g., diabetes, cancer, heart disease, etc.) that leads your subject to identify with a national or international health risk population. In NCLC130, The Social World, you will be examining the social world in which your subject lives or lived. For example, what changes has society undergone during this person’s life? What social roles were most important to your subject? To which local, regional and global groups or communities does this person belong and what beliefs and values do members of these groups share? How have the relationships among these multiple communities shaped his or her attitudes? What cultural boundaries and borders shape his life? How has your subject’s life differed from that of her parents? In NCLC140, Self as Citizen, you will be asked to come back to your subject’s life and examine what he has done in the context of effective citizenship. In addition, you will be asked to consider the actions and values of your subject in regard to citizenship. Does she meet your definition of an effective citizen? What has he contributed to the common good? Has she made sacrifices for others either within or outside her own family or immediate group? If, for example, you believe that effective citizenship involves taking a stand against discrimination or injustice, what evidence can you find of your subject’s doing so? Choosing a subject: Because you will be spending a lot of time examining this person’s life and circumstances, you will want to make a wise selection. As with most other research topics you will select as a college student, you will need your professor’s agreement on your choice. The selection criteria require that your subject must be: 1. At least one generation (25 years) older than you. 2. A living acquaintance (e.g., mentor, neighbor, teacher) or a relative of yours. 3. Someone you regard as a positive figure or role model. This will become especially important toward the end of the academic year when you will be asked to consider your subject’s positive contributions, whether in a family, neighborhood, community, public office, etc. 4. Someone who is willing and able to meet or talk with you periodically since you will be asked to conduct interviews about 6-8 times throughout the year, in addition to completing other research activities. Unit I: NCLC110, Fall 2002 Discovery: Reading a Life 2 RESEARCH LOG As part of your yearlong research project you are required to keep a research log. This log is both an analytical and reflective document written for yourself and shared with your faculty members. You should use it as a place to keep records, take notes, and record ideas, questions, concerns, frustrations, insights, and new realizations. This is the place for comments that do not find expression elsewhere and for recording your plans for future work. Each time you work on your yearlong project you should develop an entry (1) recording the progress you are making on your research topic, (2) any problems you might be having, and (3) what you plan to do next. In addition to keeping your overall notes and ideas here, be sure to detail the specific work you have undertaken. For example, record how long you worked, where you searched for information, individuals/experts with whom you spoke, data you recorded, and decisions you have made regarding interview questions and bibliographic sources. You should also include entries that reflect on how your work is proceeding (e.g., what you are discovering, questions you might like to pursue, ways in which the course readings and other source materials are influencing your thinking, what you find puzzling, and reflections on classmates' contributions to your project). As faculty review and evaluate your research log, they will be looking for evidence of this kind of “thinking on paper.” TIPS:  You will need to keep your research log all in one place. Purchase a folder to keep all of your entries organized in one place, as you will turn in your complete research log periodically throughout the unit for feedback and grading.  You should also develop a standardized heading for each research log entry that notes the date and entry number. This will be particularly helpful for keeping your folder in order and reviewing previous entries.  When researching or considering a source, be sure to get the complete bibliographic data. This will save you precious time when you want to locate a particular source for future use.  You should leave space on each page so that you can re-read and make comments on previous entries. This kind of ‘double-entry’ work helps you to reflect back on the development of your ideas throughout the research process. Unit I: NCLC110, Fall 2002 Discovery: Reading a Life 5 INTERVIEW TIPS  A good interview requires preparation. Spend adequate time planning the interview before beginning.  Formulate specific goals for the interview.  Make a specific appointment with your interviewee, even if s/he is a family member, asking them to plan on at least one hour for each interview.  Do some background research. If, for example, you plan to discuss the Vietnam War era, consult an encyclopedia (several are on reserve in the Johnson Center library for the use of NCLC 110 students) to review basic information.  Prepare and write out questions focusing on the goals of your project. Be thoughtful about the order of the questions.  Frame most questions in such a way that your interviewee can’t answer merely "yes" or "no," for example, by beginning with "how", "why" and "what." Don't be afraid of asking obvious questions. Most people enjoy talking about their experiences.  Thank your interviewee for his/her time as you begin, and confirm how much time is allotted for the interview.  Be clear with your interviewee about the purpose of the interview. If you plan to quote this individual, be sure to tell her/him about your intentions.  Take copious notes. If possible, tape record the interview (if your interviewee agrees).  Listen actively. Pay close attention not only to what the interviewee says but also to the implications of what s/he is saying.  Be sure to ask follow-up questions whenever you want more detail, or you are unclear about what your interviewee means, for example, by asking, "What did you think about…?" or “I’m not sure what you mean. Could you explain further?” Remember that your interview will flow more smoothly if you think of it (and frame your questions) as a conversation (see below for some examples of followup questions).  Pay attention to nonverbal clues from your interviewee.  Be tactful.  Observe the agreed-upon time limits.  Thank your interviewee and ask about the possibility of calling back for follow-up questions that arise as you process the information from the interview. (Adapted in part from Professors Sara Looney and Lesley Smith – 1998) Sample questions to stimulate your thinking: 1. Where did you grow up? 2. What is your occupation? How did your education prepare you for what you do now? If you were starting your education or training now, what might you do differently in order to be better prepared for your occupation? How has your job field changed recently? What new skills are required in this area and why? 3. Describe some of your goals when you were 18. How did those change as you matured? What are your most important goals now? 4. What do you think is the major challenge facing your generation now? What major challenge faces the generation which has just graduated from high school in this country? 5. As you reflect on your upbringing (including your education, your cultural identity, the place and time you grew up), what is a particular value or strength you’ve taken with you through life? 6. What change(s) in your lifetime have surprised you most? 7. As you reflect on your education, what was your most interesting learning experience (for example, lesson learned, inspiring mentor or teacher, etc.)? Unit I: NCLC110, Fall 2002 Discovery: Reading a Life 6