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Research Methods
SYLLABUS
COURSE INFORMATION:
NATS 4390
T/R 8:30am – 10:30am
MSET 1.214
Pre/Co-requisites: NATS 3341 & NATS 3343
TA CONTACT INFORMATION:
Amiee Wilkerson
Office Location
MSET 1.214 or FN 3.410
Office Hours
T/R 10:30 to 11:30 or by appt.
E-mail
amw066000@utdallas.edu
Instructional Emphasis
Research Methods is primarily a laboratory course, and most of the topics covered are developed
with four independent inquiries that UTeach students design and carry out. Students design
experiments to answer scientific questions and to reduce systematic and random errors. They
incorporate statistics to interpret experimental results and deal with sampling errors, and do
mathematical modeling of scientific phenomena. They present their scientific work orally. Thus,
the course content is organized into five units that correspond to the development of their
inquiries and a presentation on a scientific topic of choice:
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• Experimental Design and Analysis
• Statistics & Modeling
• Presenting Scientific Information
Research Methods is also a substantial writing component class, and the written inquiries
students produce are evaluated as examples of scientific writing.
Course Description
Research Methods is a one-semester three-hour course in the required UTeach sequence. It is one
of several content courses specially designed to meet the needs of future teachers (others include
Perspectives on Science and Mathematics and Functions and Modeling). It also fulfills multiple
degree requirements. At UTD, the course fulfills both a science and a university substantial
writing component requirement. Sections are limited to 25 students, who meet four hours per
week for non-traditional, interactive lectures and labs. The course is cross-listed between
Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics.
Students design and carry out four independent inquiries, which they write up and present in the
manner that is common in the scientific community. Because the inquiries incorporate math and
the various science disciplines, it is essential to build a team of instructors who have expertise in
different disciplines and are available to supervise students as they work on their inquiries in the
lab. Teaching Assistants (TAs) and Master Teachers are members of the instructional team.
The combination of Research Methods and Perspectives on Mathematics and Science provides
prospective science and mathematics teachers with an in-depth understanding of how the
scientific enterprise works. Students imbed their understanding of the nature of science and
mathematics into their Project-Based Instruction curriculum unit.
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Assessment
The majority of a student's grade, roughly 80%, is based on four independent inquiries that are
designed and carried out by the student. The final inquiry must be related to the student’s major.
For example, if a student is majoring in Chemistry, his or her final inquiry must be a Chemistry
inquiry. Research Methods is a Substantial Writing Component course. Therefore, inquiries are
evaluated both on content and the quality of written expression. There are no formal
examinations. Student participation is tracked and accounts for 20% of a student's grade.
Detailed information on the grading policy can be found in the table below.
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Semester Overview
UTeach Research Methods - Fall 2010 Calendar
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8/19 8/20
LAB: Skulls
8/23 8/24 8/25 8/26 8/27
Intro to RM LAB: Balloons Inquiry 1 Due
8/30 8/31 9/1 9/2 9/3
EHS Training I2 Work Day
9/6 9/7 9/8 9/9 9/10
LABOR DAY IRB/NIH Training I2 Work Day I2 Proposal Due
9/13 9/14 9/15 9/16 9/17
I3 Work Day LAB: Spiny Fish I3 Proposal Due
9/20 9/21 9/22 9/23 9/24
I2 Checkpoint I3 Work Day I3 IRB Due
9/27 9/28 9/29 9/30 10/1
Statistics LAB: Rubber Bands I2 Draft Due
10/4 10/5 10/6 10/7 10/8
I2 Presentations I2 Presentations I2 Final Due
10/11 10/12 10/13 10/14 10/15
I3 Checkpoint I4 Work Day I4 Proposal
10/18 10/19 10/20 10/21 10/22
Statistics LAB: Beads I3 Draft Due
10/25 10/26 10/27 10/28 10/29
Modeling I3 Work Day I3 Final
11/1 11/2 11/3 11/4 11/5
LAB: Dinosaurs
11/8 11/9 11/10 11/11 11/12
I4 Checkpoint I4 Work Day
11/15 11/16 11/17 11/18 11/19
Modeling I4 Work Day I4 Draft
11/22 11/23 11/24 11/25 11/26
I4 Work Day THANKSGIVING BREAK
11/29 11/30 12/1 12/2 12/3
I4 Presentations I4 Presentations
12/6 12/7 12/8 12/9 12/10
I4 Final Due
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Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law
and University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities.
Information regarding these rules and regulations may be found at the website address
http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional
information is available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any
travel and/or risk-related activity associated with this course.
The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the
Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1,
Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the
university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations
are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are
available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602,
972/883-6391).
A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of
citizenship. He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the
Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to
discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or
off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.
Academic Integrity
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty.
Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work
done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high
standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related
to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s
own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty
involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying
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academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary
proceedings.
Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from
any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on
plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of
turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.
Email Use
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication
between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises
some issues concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange.
The university encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a
student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from
students official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the
university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individual
corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each
student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university
personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.
Withdrawal from Class
The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level
courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog.
Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle
withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any
student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final
grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.
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Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic
appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.
Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations.
Disability Services
The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational
opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in
room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to
6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30
p.m.
Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable
adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example,
it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals
(in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment
requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral presentation
for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students with mobility
impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college or
university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or
mobility assistance.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty
members to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations.
Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class or
during office hours.
These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.
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