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Using a formal systems diagramming approach, analyze Baria’s performance and develop a robust “effect-cause-effect logic” tree diagram using the 5-Whys tool, as in Part One.

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SP004 Directions

Read the scenario as well as the Introduction and Chapter 1 of the Meadows text, the Cathon article on the Learning Organization, the Zemke article on Systems Thinking, and the other material required, and then respond to the prompts that follow.

Scenario

As an expert in systems analysis, you’ve received an e-mail from the chief financial officer (CFO) of XYZ Manufacturers to discuss a potential consulting project. The CFO is vaguely familiar with the concept of systems thinking but isn’t sure it could be successfully applied to her fast-paced, global business.

  • Based on your knowledge of systems thinking and the learning organization, reply to the CFO’s enquiry by explaining at least three challenges of managing complex organizations and how and why effective systems thinking can help improve their performance. Support your response and reasoning with explicit and appropriate references to the readings and with at least two other theoretical frameworks or academic references about systems thinking and practice. (2 -3 paragraphs)
  • Having learned about systems thinking and the learning organization, and reviewed at least one other theoretical framework or academic reference about general systems thinking and practice, give at least two examples, from your experiences in organizations, in which the application of systems thinking could have helped the organization become more effective. Be clear in explaining which specific principles and concepts from systems thinking could have helped in the examples you choose, and explain how and why. (4 – 5 paragraphs)

Part II: Gap Analysis Using the 5-Whys

Read the “Opportunity Consultants, Inc., Case Study” and then respond to the following prompts:

  • Using a systems approach, analyze the performance of Opportunity Consultants, Inc. and develop a case-specific “effect-cause-effect logic” tree diagram using the 5-Whys analytic tool. See the Rubric for details on what this diagram should contain.
  • Write a summary description of your diagram with specific recommendations for improving the club’s performance that are linked to your diagram analysis. (1–2 pages)

Part III: Gap Analysis With Causal Loop Modeling

Read the “Baria Planning Solutions Case Study” and “Facilitating Systemic Thinking in Business Classes” documents, and then respond to the following prompts:

  • Using a formal systems diagramming approach, analyze Baria’s performance and develop a robust “effect-cause-effect logic” tree diagram using the 5-Whys tool, as in Part One.
  • Create an appropriate, simple causal loop diagram (CLD) that incorporates relevant and logical feedback loops to capture the fundamental system behaviors, outcomes, and causes in the “Baria Planning Solutions Case Study.” See the Rubric for details on what this diagram should contain.
  • Write a summary description, including specific recommendations, that links directly to your 5-Whys and CLD analyses for improving Baria’s sales support operations and organization as a whole. (1–2 pages)

Part IV: Robust Causal Loop Modeling

Read the “Bayonne Packaging, Inc., Case Study” and “The System Archetypes” documents, and then respond to the following prompts:

  • Using a formal systems diagramming approach, analyze Bayonne’s organizational performance and develop a robust “effect-cause-effect logic” tree diagram using the 5-Whys tool, as in Part One.
  • Create a robust causal loop diagram (CLD) that incorporates appropriate causal loop logic in the analysis and that also identifies common system archetype patterns within the diagram. This diagram should describe fundamental system behaviors and outcomes.
  • Write a summary description, including specific recommendations, that links directly to your CLD analysis (which includes embedded archetype relationships) for improving the packaging company’s operations and the organization as a whole. (1–2 pages)

What will be involved in getting your product from country of production to country of sale?

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Instructor Notes;

You provided some good info on why you selected McDonald’s and the Nigerian market. You did not have any headings or subheadings to identify some of the other parts of the final paper that are required. Eg. Strategy you will employ to launch your product.

• Organizational structure you select to support the launch. o Within the organizational structure you choose, explain how you will handle management, marketing, operations, finance, internal controls, etc…

• Sales and marketing aspects • Logistics aspects o What will be involved in getting your product from country of production to country of sale?

• Financial management considerations of the launch, etc. You should also discuss the different business environments that will need to be considered with a launch in Nigeria. Eg. Political, Fiscal, Cultural, etc.

 

Describe the circumstances of the following case study and recommend a course of action. Explain your approach to the problem, perform relevant calculations and analysis, and formulate a recommendation.

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Unit #5 – Reading

  1. Heisinger, K., & Hoyle, J. B. (n.d.). Accounting for Managers. Retrieved from https://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/accounting-for-managers/index.html
  • Chapter 9 – How Are Operational Budgets Created?
  • Chapter 10 – How Do Managers Evaluate Performance Using Cost Variance Analysis?

This text explains the budgeting process and how managers use budgets to evaluate performance. It describes flexible budgets and introduces standard costs, which are used to calculate budget variances. Illustrations using applied examples are also provided.

Optional Video

  1. Chegg. (2016, April 5). Static and Flexible Budgets[Video File].

Assignment – Case Study Unit #5

Submit a paper which is 2 pages in length (no more than 3-pages), exclusive of the reference page. Paper should be double spaced in Times New Roman (or its equivalent) font which is no greater than 12 points in size. The paper should cite at least three sources in APA format.  One source can be your textbook.

Describe the circumstances of the following case study and recommend a course of action. Explain your approach to the problem, perform relevant calculations and analysis, and formulate a recommendation. Ensure your work and recommendation are thoroughly supported.

Case Study:

Papaya Partners is a distributor of papayas. They purchase papayas from individual growers and package them in 10-pound cartons for delivery to their various customers, generally supermarkets. Last month, they budgeted to sell $500,000 worth of cartons at a price of $25 each. Actual sales met a budget of $500,000 at $25 per carton.

Management has received cost information based on actual performance and needs to understand the drivers of the overall variance from the budget. They have asked you, as an analyst in their management accounting department, to calculate and explain the variances. The following data has been provided:

Budget
Cost of fruit @ 10 pounds per carton    $      200,000
Cost of packaging @ 1 pound per carton    $        10,000
Labor costs @ .5 hours per carton    $        90,000
Total Cost    $      300,000
   
Actual 
Cost of fruit @ 10 pounds per carton    $      244,200
Cost of packaging @ .55 pound per carton    $        11,000
Labor costs @ .75 hours per carton    $      150,000
Total Cost    $      405,200
   
Unfavorable variance    $105,200.00

 

Specifically, management needs to know the:

  • Standard cost per unit (carton)
  • Actual cost per unit
  • Direct materials price variances
  • Direct materials usage variances
  • Direct labor rate variance
  • Direct labor efficiency variance

In addition, they would like to understand how the variances are calculated and what caused them. They would also like a recommendation on what might be done to improve the variances.

For this assignment, compute all required amounts and explain how the computations were performed. Describe whom you would work with to determine the causes of the variances and hypothesize on what caused the variances. Based on your analysis, recommend actions that management could take to improve the variances.

Superior papers will:

  • Perform all calculations correctly.
  • Articulate how the calculations were performed.
  • Assess the variances computed and evaluate the operational results (i.e., is performance better or worse than budgeted?).
  • Explain with whom you would work to identify the root causes of the variances.
  • Propose well-thought-out causes for each variance.
  • Conclude on which variances require management’s attention and recommend courses of action.

Assignment will be grade on each of the following:

  • Provides correct values for computations. 30%
  • Articulates the approach to solving the problem and how the calculations were performed. All formulas are correct for the 6 variances. 20%
  • Assesses the variances computed and evaluates the operational results as having favorable or unfavorable variances. Explains with whom one would work to identify the root causes of the variances. 15%
  • Proposes well- thought-out causes for each variance. Concludes on which variances require management’s attention and recommend courses of action. 15%
  • Writing Clarity and Quality 10%
  • APA Formatting 10%

 

Analyze and debate professional values, ethical and legal frameworks which impact on holistic care delivery in different clinical settings.

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Assignment Brief

Please, use journals (Evidence) Less than 5 years old and UK Based avidence

Learning Outcomes:

  1. Demonstrate the ability to systematically appraise and clinically apply a range of evidence including research.
  2. Examine strategies to facilitate personal and professional development.
  3. Formulate collaborative and holistic nursing care that safeguards and empowers the public, whilst maintaining comfort, dignity and human rights.
  4. Analyze and debate professional values, ethical and legal frameworks which impact on holistic care delivery in different clinical settings.

Module: Professional Values and Evidence Based practice

Word Limit: 2000 words

Assignment Guidance

You must write a 2000 word essay, incorporating the requirements of the different sections as set out below. Please refer to the frequently asked questions sheet regarding word count. The sections reflect the content of specific themes and case studies taught/referred to within in the module.

Assignment Content

  • Introduction (200 words).

Write a brief introduction to the essay. Describe how you are going to answer each section of the essay, and refer to your field specific case study.

  • Section 1- Nursing Care (500 words).

Identify one nursing problem and analyze why that poses a risk to the comfort or dignity of the patient. This is in reference to your field specific case study (Theme 1 or 5). Choose one nursing care intervention, and analyze why that intervention would promote the comfort or dignity of the patient.

To answer this section successfully you must:

  • Define and analyze- the concept of comfort or dignity, and how this relates to your case study (Theme 1 or 5), by Identifying and analyzing an actual or potential nursing problem.
  • Choose one nursing intervention and analyze how this could reduce the risk of the patient/service user, comfort or dignity being breached. The intervention needs to be specific, with analysis of the arguments for and against the implementation of your chosen intervention.

Section 2 – Empowerment and Collaborative Care (500 words)

Identify one collaborative initiative, and analyze how this could empower the patient/carer to increase their self-management within your field specific case study (Theme 2).

To answer this section successfully you must:

  • Define and analyze the concept of empowerment, and discuss how this relates to the case study (Theme 2), by identifying and analyzing a situation that demonstrates disempowerment.
  • Choose one collaborative intervention, and analyze how the initiative could increase a patient/carers/services user’s level of empowerment within your case study. The analysis needs to consider the possible barriers to implementation, and how they can possibly be overcome.

Section 3 – Law and Ethics (600 words)

Critically analyse one hospital, or community based situation, from your field specific case study, which has legal and ethical implications within the delivery of care to the patient/ service user (Theme 4 or 5).

To answer this section successfully you must:

  • Identify one situation that relates to the patient/service user, and analyse the legal and ethical implications of the situation.
  • Choose one of the ethical principles shown below, and analyse how it relates to your field specific case study.
  • Beneficence, 2) Non-maleficence, 3) Autonomy or 4) Justice
  • Identify and analyze the legal frameworks that exist, and apply them to your case study situation.

One of the legal frameworks must be Human Rights Act (1998)

  • Conclusion (200 words) Provide a summary of the main points in the essay. Demonstrate an awareness of what you have learnt and how this will influence your future practice.

Structure and Presentation

The assignment should be structured so that each section and the required content is covered in a systematic and logical manner. Each section should be linked to ensure a clear flow to the next topic and part of the case study. It should be grammatically correct with clear use of appropriate paragraphing.

Sub-headings

The assignment may have sub-headings. If used, these will be: Introduction, Section 1 – Nursing Care, Section 2 – Empowerment and Collaborative Care, Section 3 – Law and Ethics, and Conclusion.

 Referencing

The essay must be referenced following the Harvard referencing system.

Marking Criteria

The essay will be marked according to the published university level 5 criteria. The module team would encourage attempts at analysis and debate in the essay.

Assignment – basic plan

Note: this is the assignment stripped right back to the bare essentials.  You will need to justify (provide an argument, substantiated by evidence) for the things you put below.

Theme 1

Nursing Care  Adult Scenario

Jeremy’s sleep habits had started to change and he often slept during the day and would then be awake in the early hours of the morning. He would wander around the house and try the doors to see if they were open. This worried Shirley as she was afraid he would get out of the house one day. Unfortunately Jeremy went out late at night unnoticed by his sister. He already had a bit of a cold and having got lost on a rainy night he fell and was unable to get up and get home. He was found the next morning by the postman. On admission to hospital it was found he had a chest infection and a urinary tract infection. It was impossible to get Jeremy to take part in an assessment of his memory as he found it very difficult to answer the questions and kept saying his mother would be looking for him and he had to get home.

 

Jeremy is charming in the mornings and tries to be helpful on the ward. He has been found adjusting the rate of flow of his neighbours drip. In the mornings he can usually understand that he is a patient who is ill and in hospital, but come mid-afternoon he becomes very agitated, repeats words (usually Mama and Shirley over and over again and tries to leave via the fire escape. He has urinated in the waste paper basket and tried to get into bed with a female patient in an adjoining bay. This has caused other patients to be frightened of him and some relatives have complained. In addition Jeremy is very reluctant to take his medication and staff have found some of his tablets tucked under his pillow. When questioned about his behaviour Jeremy becomes very angry with the nurses, some of whom feel it is only a matter of time before he lashes out and hurts someone.

 

In addition to these issues Jeremy is not taking adequate diet and fluids. He is reluctant to sit for any length of time at a table or in a chair to eat a meal. He becomes agitated at times and tends to wander off. Staff are concerned he will become dehydrated and malnourished.

Theme 2

During his hospital stay, Dr Armstrong’s condition improves to a point that Shirley feels that she will be able to cope with him at home. She is seen by all the members of the hospital social care team. However, she refuses offers of help at home as she feels Jeremy would not like “strangers” in his house. She also does not want to be a burden on the state especially as everyone is short of money and she has read in the news that the NHS is facing cuts.

She also feels that she can get some help from Claire and hopes that his son, James will be more accepting of his father’s condition and offer some more help. They had a family discussion last week and James said that he would do more.

2 weeks later, Shirley comes to the ward in a very upset state. She now realises that she is unable to cope at home. Jeremy is still wandering and is sometimes aggressive although this has improved.

The main problem is that Jeremy is now not sleeping at night. He tends to sleep for periods during the day and spends some of the night knocking on her door, calling out his wife’s name, pacing around the house and talking. She is able to settle him back down so that he gets some sleep. The main problem is that this occurs at around 2 – 4 o’clock in the morning when Shirley should be getting most of her sleep. She thinks the hospital admission altered his sleeping patterns.

The promised increased help from Jeremy’s son has not happened and Claire, his wife can only do so much. Shirley is now asking for care to be put in place so she can cope at home. She says she has the advantages of a large (£500,000) house. Jeremy has £40,000 in savings and a good NHS pension. Shirley herself only has a state pension. However, she has lasting power of attorney for property and financial affairs.

Theme 3

The recent admission to hospital has not helped Jeremy’s confusion and when he returns home he finds it difficult to settle, even though the surroundings are familiar.

Shirley asks for support to adapt the house so it will be safer and more befitting to Jeremy’s needs thus empowering her to continue caring for Jeremy at home. The changes also help empower Jeremy to remain in a more familiar environment.

Small changes are made such as improved lighting and the removal of rugs to help prevent falls. Hand rails are installed on the stairs so Jeremy can climb the stairs more safely. The use of a nightlight is suggested to help with disorientation in the dark.

Pictures and signs were put on the toilet door so Jeremy knew where the toilet was which helped to prevent some of the accidents he was having. Cupboards were labelled with pictures also to help Jeremy identify where things were in the kitchen.

Theme 4

 Law and Ethics Scenario

Dr Armstrong has had a stroke and has been readmitted to hospital, his speech and swallowing have been affected and he can only communicate via hand gestures and nods.

The speech and language therapists have assessed him as being unsafe to take diet and fluids orally due to the risk of inhalation, consequently he has had a naso-gastric tube passed and the medical staff are discussing the need for a PEG to be inserted, his son is keen for this to happen.

Dr Armstrong has pulled his naso – gastric tube out on several occasions and he is indicating in gestures that he wants to have a drink orally. When you check in his patient record you find he has written an advanced decision 10 years ago stating that he does not want any unnecessary procedures or interventions if he ever becomes a ‘cabbage’.

What are the legal, ethical and professional issues involved and how would you address this situation?. What say does his son have in this matter?

Theme 5

Towards End Of Life Care

Two weeks ago Jeremy was admitted to hospital. Jeremy had noticeably lost weight over the previous month, become increasingly disinterested in food and increasingly agitated. Shirley finally became unable to cope when he developed a urinary tract infection which caused incontinence.  James, Claire and Shirley all felt anxious about his hospital admission though relieved that this would give them some respite and his care would be reviewed.

During his admission to a care of the elderly medical ward Jeremy’s urinary infection responded well to antibiotic treatment. On re-assessment however his MMSE was noted to have declined further to a score of 8, due to having a further stroke. Nursing staff observed that he frequently coughed with the small amounts of oral intake he took. He was referred for a Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) assessment and was found to have mild dysphagia. A soft diet was recommended but both nursing staff and Jeremy’s family all found supporting him to meet his nutritional needs very challenging. Naso – gastric feeding was started but this caused further care and legal and ethical difficulties.

Jeremy developed in his second week on the ward an increasing tendency to spend more hours than normal asleep. Towards the end of that week he developed a fever, his respiratory rate increased, his respiratory pattern become shallow and he appeared to be dyspneoic. Shirley, James and Claire could see clearly that Jeremy looked increasingly unwell. A chest x-ray identified that he had a right lower lobe pneumonia. A MDT meeting was called and it was concluded that it was highly likely that he had developed pneumonia due to aspiration of food (aspiration pneumonia).

The care of the elderly consultant conveyed her opinion to Shirley, James and Claire that Jeremy is unlikely to survive this condition. Discussion was held regarding the possibility of fast track discharge to facilitate his death to occur in the more familiar surroundings of home. Consensus was reached however that in Jeremy and his particular families’ circumstances the most appropriate option was that he stay in hospital for this critically important stage in his life.

We will be looking in the field session, and through the supporting learning resources, at how best to care for Jeremy’s physical, psychological, social and spiritual care needs at this challenging and special time.

Describe and discuss the cultural, social, personal, and psychological factors that influence the purchase of the product/service.

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Q1. Describe and discuss the cultural, social, personal, and psychological factors that influence the purchase of the product/service. (Ch. 6)

Q2. Explain the needs that are met for each of the firm’s target markets. (Ch. 6)

Q3. Explain how potential global markets will be evaluated for potential entry. Discuss the most likely mode or modes of global market entry (Ch. 8)

Q4. Describe the variables (demographic, psychographic, and behavioral) used to segment the firm’s target markets. Explain how the firm evaluates the attractiveness of each identified market segment. (Ch. 9)

Q5. Should the firm pursue full market coverage, multiple segment specialization, single-segment concentration, or individual marketing? (Choose one and omit the others) (Ch. 9)

PS. The firm to be discussed above is UNITED RENTALS. Also you are going to need this text book to complete this paper.
Kotler, P. T., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing management (Custom 15th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, Inc. ISBN: 9780133856460If you have any questions you can reach me anytime

Demonstrate an understanding of a particular case related your own work place, its implications for the educational institution, and its link to theory.

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A critical incident analysis 3,500 words related to staff development and/or leading teams in a work place setting most relevant to the student. The incident will come from either from the student’s professional experience or from established case literature. It will enable students to demonstrate a critical understanding of theory and to apply this to their own current and/or future practice in staff development and/or leading teams.The assignment should:
• Demonstrate an understanding of a particular case related your own work place, its implications for the educational institution, and its link to theory.
• Demonstrate a critical mindset.
• Evaluate the impact of upon your professional practice.
• Demonstrate appropriate study skills for postgraduate level.
• Demonstrate an appropriate academic writing style.

Was the diet appropriate, what changes to the food intake would you make if your client is to continue following a vegan diet?

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2000 words
This assessment asks you to consider a practical case where you have a client who is currently happy with their weight but wants to follow a vegan diet. How will you approach this to ensure your client does so in a healthy way? (Please note your client is you!). The specific aim is therefore to design and carry out an assessment to evaluate the current energy balance status of a vegan client using methods taught on this and on previous modules.
Writing up the Report

The report should be written using the following guidelines –
Please ensure your work is anonymous and the name of the client is confidential.
2000 words

Introduction;
Describe the reasons for nutrition assessment including the importance of measuring body composition, energy intake, energy expenditure and energy balance.

Aim;
Nutritional assessment of a healthy person (you) who wants to follow a vegan diet.

Methods;
Give a detailed and concise description of the methods you used and if necessary the instructions provided to the client.

Results;
Present your findings from the body composition, energy expenditure, and energy intake measurements using text and tables as necessary.
Raw data can be put in an appendix.

Discussion
Points to consider:
Did the body composition assessment provide useful information?
Was the diet appropriate, what changes to the food intake would you make if your client is to continue following a vegan diet?
Did you measure BMR or RMR or total energy expenditure?
Is your participant in energy balance, what are the long term implications for this?
Does your participant need to be referred to another health professional e.g. a GP or a physio
How could your assessment be improved for greater accuracy?

Conclusion;
Summarise your findings and put them in into the vegan context, what was the overall outcome?

References;
Association for Nutrition (2020) http://www.associationfornutrition.org/. Accessed 8 Jan 2020.
British Dietetic Association (2019) Plant based Diets. https://www.bda.uk.com/food-health/food-facts.html. Accessed 17.1.20
Elia M, Ljungqvist O, Stratton RJ, Lanham-New S (2012) Clinical Nutrition. Wiley Blackwell: London.
FAO/WHO/UNU (1985). Energy and Protein Requirements. WHO
Gibson RS (2005) Principles of Nutritional Assessment, OUP: Oxford.
Weir, J.B. d. V. (1949). New methods for calculating metabolic rate with special references to protein metabolism. Journal of Physiology 109, 1-9.

Instructions if you are measuring BMR or energy expenditure;
Prepare the participant by ensuring they are in thermoneutral conditions, rested and are familiar with the mouthpiece. After approx. 5 mins of acclimatisation to the mouthpiece, the measurement may begin.

Analyse the contents of the Douglas bag using the Servomex Gas Analysers to measure O2 and CO2 content. And the Harvard Dry gas meter to measure the volume of air the Douglas bag contains.

At the end of the measurements, the data can be used to determine energy expenditure using the following equation by Weir (1949).

21 – r CF
BMR (kJ/min) = V * * *20
100 t

Where:
V = Volume of expired air (l) CF = correction factor (to account for temperature and pressure)

r = O2 content of expired air (%) 20 = energy equivalence of O2 (kJ/l)

21 = O2 in inspired air (%) t = time (min)
If calculating BMR state which specific equation (Schofield, Mifflin St Jeor or Oxford)

How are you going to collect data relevant to your research question(s)? In other words: What research methods are you planning to use?

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Contemporary Research 2

Research proposal 2000 words 50% of module mark

The research proposal will include an introduction, research questions, and identification and consideration of the methodology to be used for the research project which you the student intends to undertake at Level 6 in SOC 6044 Professional Research Project, as well as annotated bibliographies of primary and secondary sources.

Assignment – Research Proposal

You must write a proposal for a piece of research on a topic of your choice. YOU WILL NOT CARRY OUT this research, although you should use this assignment as an opportunity to develop your ideas for research to carry out for your dissertation.

Structure of the Research Proposal

The below structure is for guidance on how to structure your research proposal. You should follow this, though the following deviations are acceptable:

  • Merging sections 3 and 4;
  • Merging sections 5 and 6
  • Depending on your project there may not be a need for section 6.

These sections are separated in the outline below to ensure that they are not overlooked when you write your proposal and to indicate approximately how much time should be spent discussing them.

Note – depending on your project, these sections will differ. For example, a content analysis of newspapers will likely have a shorter ethics section than interviews conducted with a vulnerable group.

For those doing a library based dissertation you still need to establish research questions and be explicit about your intended aims and purpose of the research. Whilst your methodology section will be shorter, there still needs to be some consideration of why you will use certain theories and texts, and how you will gain access to those texts.

1)  INVESTIGATOR ID

[Enter your Student ID Number in the space below.]

2) TITLE OF THE RESEARCH

Enter up to 100 characters in this space [To check the character count, highlight the relevant text and click on the tab at the bottom-left border of the Word window which shows the word count – this will open up the Word Count dialogue box which shows the character count.]

3) BACKGROUND/ LITERATURE REVIEW

Guideline word count – this will differ between sections depending on what your topic is.

[600 words]

[1000 words for a literature-based project]

This section will set out the context for your research. You will review the literature on your chosen research topic, in order to establish what we already know and what YOU hope to add to the current knowledge base.

Bryman (2017) Chapter 5 – ‘Getting started: reviewing the literature’, pp.90-119

 

4) RESEARCH QUESTION(S)

 

[400 words]

The literature review should have identified a gap in current knowledge/ an issue we want to know more about. From this, you will derive your research questions.

Bryman (2017) Chapter 4 ‘Planning a research project and formulating research questions’, pp. 90-119
   

 

5) RESEARCH METHOLOGY

[700 words]

  • How are you going to collect data relevant to your research question(s)? In other words: What research methods are you planning to use?
  • (Why) Are the research methods/ sources you have selected the appropriate ones for your research question(s)?
  • How do these methods promise to deliver on the research questions?
  • How will you analyse your data?

 

Depending on your chosen research method you should begin by reading the relevant section from Bryman that relates to that method. Following this you should then engage with further sources focussed on your chosen approach.

 

6) ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

[300 words]

  • What, if any, ethical issues do you believe are relevant to the proposed research project?
  • How do you aim to address these?
  • If you believe that an ethics review is not necessary, please explain your view.
Bryman (2017) Chapter 6 ‘Ethics and Politics in Social Research’, pp. 120-146

 

7)  BIBLIOGRAPHY

[The bibliography is not included in your word count.]

We use APA to reference for Criminology and Sociology in the School of Social and Health Sciences.

For more information on how to format references please see:

https://lib.leedstrinity.ac.uk/iguana/www.main.cls?surl=ReferencingLTUAPAGuide#contentitem=b3c3ff31-56bd-4ada-8c2d-46c592121ca1^2

Appendix 1 – Research Question: What should the project be about?

This assignment is your opportunity to pick a research area and topic that are of interest to you. Indeed, you will get the most from this proposal by choosing something you want to understand in greater depth. A good starting point if you are unsure about your area is to read the following from Bryman (2017)

 

Chapter 4 – ‘Planning a research project and formulating research questions’ (pp. 73-89).

 

Make use of the workshops to ask questions and explore issues relating to social research.

How well does the article satisfy generic conventions? In other words, is it structured in a way that appeals to its  specialized readership?

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For this assignment, you will write an essay (750-1250 words) for a general academic audience that evaluates a professional disciplinary science article from your field of study (i.e., your major).
In evaluating the article, you should consider its rhetorical effectiveness. That means your essay should work to answer the question, “How persuasive is this article for members in my field? Why?”
To make this claim you’ll need to consider the expectations of your focusing article’s audience:
• What do they want to see in a piece of writing? What are the field’s unique conventions?
• What kinds of evidence and analysis must be included, and what form must it take, for a scientific audience to  recognize an article’s value? Have the authors provided enough such evidence?
• How well does the article satisfy generic conventions? In other words, is it structured in a way that appeals to its  specialized readership?
• Does the article “tell a compelling story”? Does it include clear characters, a plot, and so on?To complete this assignment, you will:
• Introduce your article by summarizing its main claims and methods to provide your audience with a baseline for  understanding your evaluation.
• Lay out clear criteria for judging the effectiveness of your chosen article and show that your article meets those criteria by analyzing direct quotations from it.
• quote and draw explicitly on our rhetorical and theoretical course reading attached Value Arguments in Science by Carter.
• Presume your readers are familiar with the terminology we’ve taken up in class; your audience consists of your  class peers.

1. Make sure your main claim is clearly stated at the beginning of your paper as a thesis.
2. Organize your paper coherently with focused paragraphs, clear topic sentences and transitions.
3. Provide evidence in the form of quotations and paraphrases from the text you are evaluating.
4. Identify the major claims of your focus article in the process of articulating the fitness of its persuasive strategies.

Describe your methodology, including participants, materials, dependent and independent variables, and data collection.

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Mild-Moderate

It has been determined that one of your Mild-Moderate students, Jose, has a need for Assistive Technology to assist with his writing. Even though Jose is 13 years old, his handwriting is still at the beginning writing level. He can’t write on the lines, his letter formation is poor and difficult to read. Although Jose can read at a 5th grade level, he still struggles with spelling.

Design an Action Research project investigating the effectiveness of the Assistive Technology to meet the needs of this student.

  1. Determine your objective or research question.
  2. Describe low, medium and high AT options to meet these needs. Include your consideration of home use of the AT as well as school and how that will impact the family.
  3. Identify one AT option and provide a justification for why you chose this for your student.
  4. Describe your methodology, including participants, materials, dependent and independent variables, and data collection.
  5. Describe your plan for analyzing your data and presenting your data to the IEP team.

Introduction

  1. Objective/Research Questions:
    1. Is a Speech-to-Text an effective Assistive Technology (AT) tools for Jose to use in order to improve his spelling and writing?
  2. AT Options:
    1. Low: A low AT option is a technology that is intended to be as a straightforward as possible. For example, Graphic organizers are not technologically advanced but will keep Jose’s thoughts and work organized. This can also be done in a simple handout form for Jose. For example, thinking maps, teacher modified thinking maps, teacher pre-led activities paper, etc.) Jose will be able to take the graphic organizer home with him and get assistance from his parents.
    2. Medium: Moderate- or mid-tech assistive technologies are typically tools or devices that are battery operated; the technology is more sophisticated and requires more training than the low-tech assistive technologies (Blackhurst, 2005). For example, a calculator or a handheld device. Jose will have the opportunity to check his spelling using a dictionary or a handheld dictionary that is user friendly for Jose. Jose can transport the dictionary from school to home.
    3. High: Speech-to-text: A high tech assistive technologies are sophisticated devices or tools that are commonly associated with computer-based technology such as speech-to-text (Blackhurst, 2005). A high tech AT option is a technology that incorporates advanced features for Jose to use. The speech to text is a tool that Jose can easily use anywhere (e.g. home or school). The main benefit of the speech to text is that it will improve Jose’s quality of writing because it will allow Jose to be more independent in his writing. Speech-to-text will allow Jose to compose more fluently, and according to some studies, produce higher quality writings, especially Jose who has academic difficulties (MacArthur & Cavalier, 2004).
    4. Jose will be able to take the speech-to-text installed Chromebook home to complete work that he started at school. His parents can assist him with his assignments that have already been started.
  3. Identify one AT option and provide one justification for why it was chosen:
  4. Justification: Research indicates that speech-to-text for students with writing difficulties, may improve Jose’s writing skills, and according to some research it produces higher quality text (Quinlan, 2004).
    1. Reading- Because Jose is able to read well, he should be able to use the STT feature independently and once he has used it, he could go back and read his work to make sure it flows and that it has the correct spelling. Jose should make the corrections necessary to correct his spelling.
    2. Handwriting- students with Learning Disabilities (LD) experience handwriting difficulties, producing letters at a rate significantly below their classroom peers, and generate papers, that are considerably less legible and low quality (Adams, 2017).
    3. Research: When teachers understand the basic struggles with written expression, it empowers the educators to support de development of wiring in a manner that is least restrictive for students (Santangelo, 2014)
    4. MacArthur and Cavalier, (2004) indicated in their research that STT is valuable in providing a valid assessment of a student’s ability to generate and organize ideas, use coherent sentences, and gives them the opportunity to revise the content.
    5. Research also indicates that struggling writers who use STT technology were less focused on the mechanics of writing and therefore increased their quality of writing (Gardner, 2008).
  5. At home Jose will have access to the speech-to-text device to complete any assignments that he did not complete at school.
    1. The speech-to-text device will assist Jose at home as well. The speech-to-text will increase his independence of writing at home.
    2. The speech-to-text will increase Jose’s fluency and self-efficacy in writing (Adams, 2017).
    3. Under the related services therapies, handwriting difficulties continue to be one of the most difficult areas for individuals with learning disabilities and it is one of the main reason’s students are referred to OT (Case-Smith, Holland, & Bishop, 2011).
  6. Methodology:
    1. Participants
      1. Jose: Student with a learning disability who struggles with writing.
      2. Parents: Jose’s parents
  • General education Teacher: Service provider
  1. Special education teacher: Service Provider
  2. School administrator: district representative
  3. Occupational Therapy: Service Provider for Jose’s writing
  • School psychologists: IEP team member
  1. Materials:
    1. Chromebook that has the MS Word installed that Jose will use.
    2. Speech-to-text option (dictation) installed MS Word.
  • Jose’s writing samples with STT vs. without STT
  1. Home Survey
  1. Dependent/Independent Variable:

Independent Variable:

  1. The intervention (introduction of AT/STT) feature installed on Microsoft Word is used to assist Jose with his writing.

Dependent Variable:

  1. Percentage of words that Jose spelled correctly without the STT
  2. The percentage of words spelled correctly with the STT.

Data Collection:

  1. Collect data before the intervention
  2. Intervention
    1. Teach Jose how to use the SST on MS Words
  • Collect data with the use of STT
    1. Collect samples from Jose’s writing before and after the word processor from school and home
      1. The teacher will collect the data
        1. Data from home and schoolwork that Jose produces on the Word processor
        2. The teacher will effectively teach Jose how to use the STT feature in Microsoft Words.
          1. Observations of Jose using the STT feature and provide immediate feedback as needed.
        3. The data should be collected in a qualitative form.
          1. Observations in the classroom
          2. One on one interviews with Jose about his writing
  • Writing samples to monitor growth, areas of improvement, and weaknesses
  1. Data Analysis & Presentation to IEP team:
  2. Present the evidence of the intervention effects of Jose’s data
  3. the interpretation of the results on Jose’s data

-Data collected in bar graph form based on Jose’s speech-to-text (stt) percentage of correct words before and after the STT.

  1. Discussion on Jose’s data and what to do with it regarding his spelling.
  2. for 30 minutes periods based on the collected data.
  • Graphs will be bar graphs comparing his pretest to the intervention from the STT and teacher collected data,
  1. Conclusion

 

References

Adams, Jennifer.  (2017) The effectiveness of using speech-to-text technology to support writing of students with learning disabilities. Theses and Dissertations. 2481.

Blackhurst, A. E. (2005). Historical perspectives about technology applications for people with disabilities. In D. Edyburn, K. Higgins, & R. Boone (Eds.), Handbook of special education technology research and practice (pp. 3-31). Whitefish Bay, WI: Knowledge by Design.

Case-Smith, J., Holland, T., & Bishop, B. (2011). Effectiveness of an integrated handwriting program for first-grade students: A pilot study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65, 670–678. http://dx.doi.org/10.5014/ajot. 2011.000984

Gardner, T.J. (2008). Speech Recognition for Students with Disabilities in Writing. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 26(2), 43-53.

MacArthur, C.A. (2009). Reflections on Research on Writing and Technology for Struggling Writers. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 24(2), 93-103.

MacArthur, C., & Cavalier, A. (2004). Dictation and Speech Recognition Technology as Test Accommodations. Exceptional Children, 71(1), 43–58.

Quinlan, Thomas (June 2004). Speech Recognition Technology and Students with Writing Difficulties: Improving Fluency. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96(2), 337-346.

Santangelo, Tanya. (2014). Why is Writing So Difficult for Students with Learning Disabilities? A Narrative Review to Inform the Design of Effective Instruction. Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, 12(1), 5-20.

Adams, Jennifer.  (2017) The effectiveness of using speech-to-text technology to support writing of students with learning disabilities. Theses and Dissertations. 2481.