Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Practitioner Research Thesis Writing (Online)

EDUC 6650-72I

Course: EDUC 6650-72I
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: TED
CRN: 30480

Course Description

This course builds upon the practitioner research proposal begun in EDUC 6030 - Principles of Practitioner Research by applying action research tools to classroom study. Candidates finalize research questions, conduct a literature review, determine their research methodology, and obtain IRB approval. [Pass/Fail] Prerequisite(s): EDUC 6030 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: B-

Required Texts

McNiff, Jean. Action Research: All You Need to Know (p. iv). SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition. 

APA Manual 7th Edition: https://apastyle.apa.org/ (note: much/most of the manual is searchable online). Please know, that it's your responsibility to learn and use APA 7 appropriately.

Purdue Online Writing Lab: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/index.html

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Complete draft of Chapter 1
  2. Complete a Review of Literature (Chapter 2)
  3. Draft Chapter 3 (Method)
  4. Obtain IRB Approval

Course Requirements

 Course Assessment Table

Course AssessmentsCourse Outcomes
Chapter 1 Introduction1
Chapter 2 Lit Review2
Chapter 3 Method3
IRB Approval4

 Major Assignment Outline

These assignments must be completed in order to "pass" this course and be registered for EDUC 6933

Course Outline

  1. Chapter 1, overview
  2. Chapter 3, methodology
  3. Institutional review board, processes in for
  4. Chapter 2, literature review
  5. Chapter 4, findings (looking ahead)

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

 Instructor's Response Time & Feedback

Online classes provide unique challenges for interaction. For messages sent to me, I will respond in the specified amount of time. Feedback is an important part of learning please look for feedback on your assignments that I provided in the specified amount of time, to find feedback look at this tutorial 

How do I view assignment comments from my Instructor?

How do I view annotation feedback comments from my instructor?

It is my goal to:

  • Respond to student messages within 1 business days. Text me at chat.google.com for the fastest response.
  • Provide grades and feedback within 1 - 4 days from the due date. This is dependent on the scope of the assignment.

 Student Responsibilities

All assignment have due dates. These are intended to help you progress through the course and complete it on time. However, there is no penalty for missing a due date. Your instructor may require a halt in your work and a one-on-one meeting if your progress is slow, incomplete or otherwise of poor quality.

There is no extra credit offered

Attendance Policy

Attendance: this is an asynchronous class. However, viewing and completing video quizzes (including Zoom recordings) are required.

Artificial Intelligence and Plagiarism

Note on artificial intelligence (A.I.):

  • Proceed cautiously with the use of artificial intelligence. Please first see SUU Academic Integrity Policy 6.33Links to an external site.. Passing off any writing that is not your own may be considered a violation of this policy.
  • For any written assignment, I recommend first completing your work in Google Drive. That way the drafts will be easily identifiable that the original words were yours which will reduce suspicion or concern about the use of artificial intelligence. You want the evolution of your paper to be clear so that it is obvious that the content and thinking are clearly yours. If a paper emerges out of nowhere in final draft form it will be flagged as potential plagiarism or A.I. generated. Your thinking and writing evolution should be clear from beginning to end. Your voice matters.
  • Artificial Intelligence (e.g., ChatGPT, Grammarly) can be a real help. But it should never supplant your own thinking or words. Use it like a consultant or advisor. Pretend you're discussing your concerns or questions with me or the Writing Center. We would give you insight and advice that you then consider and put into your own words in a way that reflects your understanding, thinking and expression. Do not defer to A.I. generated information or text assuming that it is good or better than your own. No one in this program wants to read what the robots wrote. 
  • Do not copy/paste anything from A.I. into your document(s). Just like you wouldn't copy/paste notes from the Writing Center or from your instructor into your doc, neither should you do that from any A.I. generated text.
  • We regularly screen documents for A.I. generated material. If it appears that your document has been plagiarized from A.I. sources, you may be referred to the Dean of Students for violation of SUU Academic Integrity Policy 6.33.
  • When in doubt, ask your instructor.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.