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11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference June 2008

11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference June 2008. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework. Jack L. Rozdilsky, Ph.D. Assistant Professor

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11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference June 2008

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  1. 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference June 2008 Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Jack L. Rozdilsky, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Emergency Administration and Planning Program Department of Public Administration University of North Texas Title Slide 01.

  2. Introduction to Speaker Jack L. Rozdilsky • Professor at University of North Texas • Teaching Duties in Emergency Management & Public Administration • Research Area in Disaster Recovery • Background: • Ph.D. Michigan State University Resource Development & Urban Studies • M.A. University of Illinois Springfield Environmental Studies • B.S. Bradley University Environmental Science • B.S. Bradley University Geology University of North Texas Department of Public Administration Po Box 310617 Denton, Texas, USA 76203-0617 Phone: 940.565.3786 Email: jack.rozdilsky@unt.edu Introduction Slide 02.

  3. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Agenda for Presentation Premise for Presentation The Disaster Research Methods Course The Greensburg, Kansas, Study Site Pedagogy Conclusions Implications 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 03.

  4. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Agenda for Presentation Premise for Presentation The Disaster Research Methods Course The Greensburg, Kansas, Study Site Pedagogy Conclusions Implications 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 04.

  5. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Premise for Presentation • Doctoral Course in UNT Public Administration – “Disaster Research Methods” • The Course Incorporated Disaster Field Research into the Semester’s Work • Disaster Field Research for Graduate Students is not New • Work of Disaster Research Center • Research Dissertations • Univ. of Colorado NHC/ NSF Quick Response Projects • EERI Post-Event Investigations • However, Fieldwork is Not Often a Part of Coursework • Incorporating Disaster Field Research Into Coursework is New • This Presentation Comments on Results of An Innovative Teaching Method 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 05.

  6. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Agenda for Presentation Premise for Presentation The Disaster Research Methods Course The Greensburg, Kansas, Study Site Pedagogy Conclusions Implications 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 06.

  7. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework The Course • Grounding in Qualitative Methods • “The studied use and collection of a variety of empirical materials – case study; personal experience; introspection; life story; interview; artifacts; cultural texts and productions; observational, historical, interactional and visual texts – that describe routine and problematic moments and meanings in individuals lives.” (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005) • Applied Rapid Appraisal Techniques in the Field • “A flexible method that is a tool that allows for collecting information, organizing the information so that it can be understood, interacting with community members, and quickly making initial interpretations of the data.” (Townsley, 1996) • Specific Qualitative Techniques Applied • Case Study • Physical Reconnaissance Surveys • Primary Informant Interviews • Additional Snowball Sampling Interviews 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 07.

  8. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Semester Schedule • Weeks 1-7: • Introduction to Qualitative Methods • Introduction to the Post-Disaster Field Work Field Project • Preparation to Enter the Field • Week 8: • Field Excursion • Weeks 9 – 15: • Introduction to Disaster Research • Post-Field Debriefings • Final Project, Report for Community 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 08.

  9. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Textbook #1: The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005) 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 09.

  10. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Textbook #2: Disaster Research Methods {R.A. Stallings (ed.), 2002} 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 10.

  11. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Agenda for Presentation Premise for Presentation The Disaster Research Methods Course The Greensburg, Kansas, Study Site Pedagogy Conclusions Implications 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 11.

  12. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Study Site: • Greensburg, Kansas • Disaster on May 4, 2007: • EF-5 Tornado, With Winds >200 mph • City Catastrophically Destroyed • 11 Causalities • Complete Rebuilding of City Needed • Recovery In Early Phases • For the Recovery, Greensburg has Decided to Rebuild as a Green Community • Field Study • March 2008 • Ten Months After Initial Disaster 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 12.

  13. Greensburg Tornado May 4, 2007 • Line 1 • Line 2 • Line 3 • Line 4 • Line 5 • Line 6 Slide Source: Umscheid & Lemmon . “Historic Greensburg Supercell of May 4, 2007.” National Weather Service http://www.crh.noaa.gov 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 13.

  14. Greensburg Tornado Damage May 14, 2007 • Line 1 • Line 2 • Line 3 • Line 4 • Line 5 • Line 6 Slide Source: Greg Henshall. FEMA Photo Library. http://www.photolibrary.fema.gov/photodata/original/30066.jpg 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 14.

  15. Greensburg Disaster Recovery March 2008 • Line 1 • Line 2 • Line 3 • Line 4 • Line 5 • Line 6 Slide Source: Dr. Jack Rozdilsky 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 15.

  16. Greensburg Disaster Recovery March 2008 • Line 1 • Line 2 • Line 3 • Line 4 • Line 5 • Line 6 Slide Source: Dr. Jack Rozdilsky 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 16.

  17. Greensburg Disaster Recovery March 2008 • Line 1 • Line 2 • Line 3 • Line 4 • Line 5 • Line 6 Slide Source: Dr. Jack Rozdilsky 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 17.

  18. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Field Study Based on the Question: What are the threats and opportunities that Greensburg faces for its green (or environmentally friendly) disaster recovery? 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 18.

  19. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Agenda for Presentation Premise for Presentation The Disaster Research Methods Course The Greensburg, Kansas, Study Site Pedagogy Conclusions Implications 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 19.

  20. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Pedagogy Conclusions: 1 of 4 Course Logistics for Field Research • Need a Small Course Size • Students Will Need Human Subjects (IRB) Certification • Funding for Transport, Lodging, and Field Expenses • Designing Course for Active Participation (Student Researcher) • Avoiding Taking Students on a Passive Tour (Field Trip Participant) • Need for Alternative Course Evaluation Methods (Grading) • Failure of Field Projects May Be a Good Learning Experience 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 20.

  21. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Pedagogy Conclusions: 2 of 4 The Necessity of Limiting the Scope of the Field Research • Matching Scope of Field Project to Scope of the Course • This Means Having a Limited Scope • Typical Semester is 14 to 16 Weeks • Exploratory-Type Field Study at Most • Need to Find a Specific Aspect of the Disaster on Which to Base the Question 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 21.

  22. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Pedagogy Conclusions: 3 of 4 The Question of Individual Student’s Readiness for the Course • Nature of the Course is Different from Other Courses • Travel, Working on Disaster Sites, Interactions with Disaster Victims, etc. • These Efforts Take Additional Time and Effort • Certain Student’s Lives Do Not Allow for the Extra Commitment • These Students May Feel They Are ‘In Over Their Head’ • Better to Find that Out in a Class Rather than During One’s Dissertation • However, Students Dropping the Class Creates Course Management Difficulties 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 22.

  23. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Pedagogy Conclusions: 4 of 4 Course Closure With a Field Research Report • Produces a Record of What Was Observed • Writing Forces Students to Think Through a Debriefing Process • Provides for Course Closure • The Important Act of Sharing Results With the Community Under Study 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 23.

  24. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework End of Semester Project: Greensburg Rapid Appraisal Study: Report of Findings 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 24.

  25. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Agenda for Presentation Premise for Presentation The Disaster Research Methods Course The Greensburg, Kansas, Study Site Pedagogy Conclusions Implications 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 25.

  26. Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Implications • There is a Gap in Incorporating Disaster Field Research Into Coursework • Example of UNT ‘Disaster Research Methods’ Course & Greensburg Study Site • Pedagogy Challenges in Bringing Field Research to Coursework • Need to Make Adaptations to Standard Coursework Setting • Disaster Field Research can be an Innovative Method for Graduate Teaching 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference: June 2008 26.

  27. 11th Annual FEMA Higher Education Conference June 2008 End of the Presentation Engaging Graduate Students in Disaster Field Research as Coursework Jack L. Rozdilsky, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Emergency Administration and Planning Program Department of Public Administration University of North Texas Conclusion Slide 27.

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