Hands-on Sociology: Teaching Quantitative Research Methods By Incorporating Ongoing Research

1. Debra Schleef University of Mary Washington Hands-on Sociology: Teaching Quantitative Research Methods By Incorporating Ongoing Research

2. Quantitative Research Methods and Analysis 2 sections, 30 students 4 credit course SPSS laboratory Writing Intensive Experiential Learning Sociology 364:

3. Pre-testing Scheduling interviews / telephone Survey sampling Face to face interviews Coding data Data entry Research reports Latinos in dixie project

4. Fredericksburg Continuum of Care PIT count United Way community needs assessment Community service board’s drug court Bragg Hill Family Life Center Probation and Parole Office First Nations Development Institute Rappahannock Area Office on Youth Farmers’ market vendors and customers Recent community service projects

5. First assignment – Initial Literature Review and Theoretical Model (Group, 5%) 9/23 Second Assignment – Assessment of Sample (Individual, 5%) 10/24 Third Assignment – Completion of IRB Unit and IRB Application (Group, 11/7 Fourth Assignment – Data Entry and Reliability Checks (1 page, Group, 10%) 10/15 Fifth Assignment – Rough Draft of Project Report, including data (not graded) 11/21 Final Assignment – Project Report (Group, 20%) no later than: 12/14 Portfolio Assignments

6. For teaching / learning For careers, graduate school For the organizations Benefits of students as researchers

7. Time Student Limitations Limitations to the Pedagogy of Survey Methodology Limitations to Organizations Drawbacks of using students

8. Importance of flexibility • TBA assignments • Prepare for contingencies • Alternative data sets (e.g., ICPSR) • Student frustration Concluding remarks