Independent Study and Honors Project Syllabus
©D.D.VonDras 2005
Independent Study and Honors Projects are student-centered learning activities. They provide an opportunity for a deeper understanding in a specific area or topic. The syllabus is personalized to the student's interests and concerns, and thus is modifiable so as to create an exceptional learning experience. Specific learning goals are to be listed in the student's Independent Study form application. Course credit is available, and usually equates into 40-45 hours of research activity per credit hour. The Independent Studies and Honors Project activities and goals are flexible and may include the following activities:
Developing the ability to conduct literature searches through the library and internet
Developing a bibliography of research articles pertinent to the area or topic of focus
Development of a portfolio of research article and their summaries
Developing a comprehensive understanding of a specific aspect of the topic
Developing capacity to pose effective research questions and hypotheses
Developing understanding of statistical analyses and interpretations
Developing and improving technical writing and oral presentation skills, as well as research proposal writing
Developing and pursuing your unique research question(s)
Maintaining a research journal
Preparation of research report for submission to professional meeting
Preparation of article for submission to journal
Meeting Schedule:
Meetings usually on a weekly/bi-weekly basis throughout the project.
Honors Project Requirement:
The Honors Project requires a 3.75 G.P.A., along with the development and pursuit of a unique research question that may take the form of a literature review and reorganization (e.g., meta-analysis), a position paper, or an empirical project.
Evaluation:
Independent study and Honors projects are evaluated based on successful completion of, (A) all goals listed in syllabus; (B) development of a bibliography/portfolio comprising research articles and their brief summarization; (C) submission of a full-length research report (25 pages or more).