Title

A Look at CSAL's Research Requirement

Author

William D. Bricher, Concordia University, St. Paul

Date

1992

Document Type

Capstone

Degree

Bachelor of Arts

Project Coordinator (Advisor 1)

Charlotte Knoche

Abstract

The purpose of this project has been to determine why some CSAL students do not complete the program's requirements and to determine to what extent the requirement for writing a research paper has affected the students' progress. The results of this research are used to make a "Policy Decision" recommendation as opposed to an actual "intervention." The objectives of this research are to assess the reasons why these "stalled" students have not completed their program requirements, to determine a workable plan to assist them, and make appropriate recommendations. Different possible alternatives have been developed concerning these students and course policies related to future students. Recommendations have been made according to these alternatives.

It has been recommended that one additional class session per week (until project completion) should be scheduled solely for students to work on the research project. This would provide the students with regular access to instructors for assistance with their projects and would ensure that they are spending enough time on it and are not getting behind.

A group research approach (with four or five students in each group) is suggested as a means to better enable every student to choose a research topic and to provide an environment which helps the students to keep each other motivated. This approach, along with the additional class session per week, is intended to help prevent students from falling behind on their research projects.

A final alternative suggests that the college should make additional contact with the "stalled" students (i.e. those who have already fallen behind). It is hoped that something could be worked out that would enable at least some of those students to complete their requirements.

Data, for this project, was collected by means of a two page questionnaire. The questionnaire was composed of 22 questions and included demographic questions, family questions, research paper questions, and questions about the students' project coordinators. Though only 10 percent of the questionnaires (five out of 50) were returned, the author is confident that enough insight was gained to support the recommendations which have been mentioned above.

Comments

Concordia School of Accelerated Learning

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