Human and social services professionals are both consumers and producers of research. While having a thorough understanding of the meaning of research for professional practice is essential, it is also important for you to have a basic understanding of how to conduct research. Surveys can be one form of research used for all areas of your practice, but they are especially useful in needs assessment. You can use surveys to determine unmet client needs or the degree to which clients are satisfied with your current services. They may also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a particular program offered by a school, hospital, organization, or agency.

For this Application, you develop a survey instrument and describe your procedures for analyzing the data. These experiences will help you to develop a foundational knowledge of survey methodology.

To Prepare

Imagine that you are creating a needs assessment for the professional issue or interest you identified in this week’s Discussion. Develop an operational definition for the construct you will need to measure (e.g., “job satisfaction”). Then, construct a 10-item survey to measure this construct. Your survey questions should be measurable and based on one of the designs in the Learning Resources (i.e., Likert scale, indexes, etc.).

The Assignment (2–3 pages):

Submit your 10-item survey and a brief explanation of the survey design used to construct it. Be sure to include the operationalized definition of the construct you wish to measure. Briefly explain your rationale for including the items and describe how you would collect and analyze data from the survey. Finally, explain at least one challenge in constructing a survey of this nature. Be specific and provide examples.

Assignment:

Exercises: 

1. What competitor information categories are useful in competitor analysis? Are these categories appropriate for health care organizations? How can these information categories provide focus for information gathering and strategic decision making?
2. Why is it important to clearly define the service area? How does managed care penetration affect service area definition?

Professional Development: 

Conduct a service area competitor analysis within your community. Keep it fairly small in scope (i.e. laser hair removal business, extended care facility for ventilator-dependant patients, etc.) so that it is manageable. Begin by introducing the macro issues (general and health care) and then use this outline as an initial guide:

1. Specify the Service Category
2. Delineate the Service Area. 
   1. General
   2. Economic
   3. Demographic
   4. Psychographic
   5. Health Status
3. Perform a Service Area Structure Analysis 
   1. Threat of New Entrants
   2. Intensity of Rivalry
   3. Threat of Substitutes
   4. Power of Customers
   5. Power of Suppliers
4. Do a Competitor Analysis/Identify Service Category Critical Success Factors
    
   1. Competitor Strengths and Weaknesses
   2. Critical Success Factors
   3. Strategic Groups
   4. Map Competitors
   5. Likely Responses of Competitors
5. Identify and Map Strategic Groups
6. Provide a Synthesis.

Ginter, P.M., Duncan, W.J., & Swayne, L.E. (2013). Strategic management of health care organizations (7th ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

In this course, we discuss the importance of integrating sales and  operations. This idea of integrated management is indeed a key tenet of  supply chain and operations management practices today.

ASSIGNMENT:

Summarize  the ways through which sales and operations planning can be integrated.  

Then, extend your findings to additional supply chain management processes that you feel could be better integrated.

Which two (or more) processes did you integrate? Why and how?  

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapters 9 and 10 from your course textbook, the required article from Film Genre Reader IV, and the Week 5 Checklist. The ENG225 Research Guide in the Ashford University Library will be particularly helpful in locating required sources.Also, be sure to review course required resources that will assist with the writing of this Final Paper.

Considering that this is the final writing assignment, you will want to review all previous class materials, including all chapters read and discussion board responses. You are encouraged to incorporate writing from your Week 2 and Week 3 assignments only after you have reflected on your instructor’s feedback and revised the relevant parts of the essays accordingly. Refer back to the outline template in the Week 4 Learning Activity. However, you must also consider the broader requirements and context of this assignment when integrating previous work; you cannot simply cut and paste material in but may use it as a building block to make a new comprehensive whole.

Throughout this course, you have written essays and participated in discussion forums in an effort to analyze various elements of film, using different theoretical lenses. This Final Film Analysis is your opportunity to combine those elements into a comprehensive analysis of one movie.

Please choose a film from this list of approved choices.
Note: You should watch your chosen film twice—once to ensure that you have grasped the storytelling and once to take more specific notes on aspects of the film you wish to discuss. If you would like to write about a film that is not on this list, you must email your professor for approval in advance or you may not receive credit on this assignment.

Your paper should be organized around a thesis statement that clarifies what you will attempt to accomplish in your paper, and how you will proceed. Review the Final Film Critique sample, which provides an example of a well-developed analysis as well as insight on composition.

In your paper,

• Identify your selected film, including writer, director, year of release, and genre.
• Briefly summarize the film in which you apply your knowledge of the difference between the film’s story and its plot.
• Describe one of the broad theories you have learned about in class (auteur theory, genre theory, formalist theory) and analyze your selected film through that lens.
• Evaluate the use of three specific techniques and design elements employed in the film as they contribute to the overarching narrative and theme of the film. This can include elements of mise-en-scène (e.g., lighting, sound, composition of frame, costuming, etc.) and editing (e.g., cuts and transitions, shots used, angles, etc.).
• Describe the connection between this film and society (i.e., politically or culturally, positive or negative) and draw conclusions about its impact.

The Final Film Analysis paper

• Must be five to six double-spaced pages (1500 to 1800 words) in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style (Links to an external site.) resource.
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted

For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.).

• Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.
• Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.
  • For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.) as well as Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.), refer to the Ashford Writing Center resources.
• Must use at least three scholarly sources in addition to the course text.
  • The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
  • To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, view this Ashford University Library Quick ‘n’ Dirty (Links to an external site.) tutorial, which introduces the Ashford University Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips.
• Must document any information used from sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.) guide.
• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.

2-3 Pages in length. At least three sources cited in APA format.

Based on this module’s readings and your own independent research:

Develop a listing of what you believe are the most important metrics for operations managers. (Hint: Be sure to consider the triple bottom line.)

1. How does each metric support the overall financial performance of the organization? 
2. What data would be used to support this metric and how would you ensure that the data are of sufficient quality? 
3. How does data analytics support your metrics? 

Be sure to fully explain your rationale for selecting these metrics.

In a paper (750‐1,000 words), summarize your analysis of this exercise and discuss the overall value of learning styles. Include the following:

1. Provide a summary of your learning style according the VARK questionnaire.
2. Describe your preferred learning strategies. Compare your current preferred learning strategies to the identified strategies for your preferred learning style.
3. Describe how individual learning styles affect the degree to which a learner can understand or perform educational activities. Discuss the importance of an educator identifying individual learning styles and preferences when working with learners.
4. Discuss why understanding the learning styles of individuals participating in health promotion is important to achieving the desired outcome. How do learning styles ultimately affect the possibility for a behavioral change? How would different learning styles be accommodated in health promotion?

For this Assignment, you will apply your knowledge and skills relative to experimental, quasi-experimental, and correlational research approaches to the development of a presentation for community members.

To prepare:

· Review all module Learning Resources. Pay particular attention to the characteristics of experimental, quasi-experimental, and correlational research designs. Think about how you might communicate the similarities and differences of each design to community stakeholders.

· Consider the following scenario:

A special education committee in your school district is interested in studying the effectiveness of a particular intervention. You have been asked to create a presentation to provide the committee with background information on the three types of quantitative studies they could use to study this intervention. Additionally, your presentation needs to compare the approaches for the committee in a concise, accurate, and meaningful way.

Create a 12–15 slide presentation (e.g., PowerPoint, Prezi, etc.) to inform a special education committee at your school district that is interested in studying the effectiveness of an intervention about the three quantitative research designs (i.e., experimental, quasi-experimental, and correlational). Consider the following as you develop your presentation:

· How do the designs differ?

· What elements do the designs share?

· What does each design contribute to the field of special education?

· How could validity threats be minimized for each of the designs?

Cite and compare experimental, quasi-experimental, and correlation study examples that further highlights each of these methodologies for your audience.

Support your presentation with specific reference to the Learning Resources, outside resources, and personal experience.

Note: For this Assignment and all scholarly writing in this course and throughout your program, you will be required to use APA style (6th edition). Please use the Walden Writing Center as a resource as you complete assignments.

Note: Since you will not be presenting your work in class, you may use the Notes feature to script out commentary for each slide or develop a narrated presentation.

Learning Resources

Note: To access this module’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Florian, L. (Ed.). (2014). The SAGE handbook of special education (2nd ed.). London, England: Sage.

• Chapter 22, “The Applied Science of Special      Education: Quantitative Approaches, the Questions They Address, and How      They Inform Practice”(pp. 369–388)

  Focus on quantitative designs and why they are key for      research in the field of SPED

Rumrill, P. D., Cook, B. G., & Wiley, A. L. (2011). Research in special education: Designs, methods, and applications. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

• Chapter 6, “Quantitative Research Designs”      (pp.136–152)

  Focus on the spectrum of relationship and descriptive studies.      Note correlational designs and causal comparative studies. Develop an      understanding of surveys, case studies, program evaluation, archival      research, longitudinal studies, empirical literature reviews, and      meta-analysis.

Consult the following readings for work on your Course Project Component Assignment during this module:

O’Neill, R. E., McDonnell, J. J., Billingsley, F. F., & Jenson, W. R. (2011). Single case research designs in educational and community settings. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

• Chapter 6, “Withdrawal and      Reversal Designs” (pp. 79–98)

  Focus on the range of designs, beginning with the A-B and      progressing to reversal designs. Pay particular to the various adaptations      to reversal designs. Review approaches when comparing two or more      interventions, or two or more groups.

• Chapter 7, “Multiple Baseline and Multiple      Probe Designs” (pp. 99–116)

  Focus on approaches to design that support measuring the      acquisition of new skills. Reflect on options when returning to a baseline      rate may be unethical. Consider the characteristics of multiple baseline      and multiple probe designs.

Aditional Resources

Although every Additional Resource is not required reading, it is highly recommended that you read all of the Additional Resources. Be sure to make note of the Additional Resources which align with the content and focus of Discussions and Assignments.

Note: The resources were selected for the quality of the information and examples that they contain and not the date of publication.

Experimental/Quasi-Experimental

Iftar, E. T., Kurt, O., & Cetin, O. (2011). A comparison of constant time delay instruction with high and low treatment integrity. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 11(1), 375–381.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Focus on the description of the time delay procedure. Compare procedures for comparing treatments. Review the adapted alternating treatment design.

Thurston, L. P., & Navarette, L. A. (2011). Rural, poverty-level mothers: A comparative study of those with and without children who have special needs. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 30(1), 39–46.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Focus on the differences in demographics, school experience, social support, and school involvement. Review differences by marital status. Reflect on differences in retention, special needs reports, homework, and writing notes to teachers.

Wehmeyer, M. L., Shogren, K. A., Palmer, S. B., Williams-Diehm, K. L., Little, T. D., & Boulton, A. (2012). The impact of the self-determined learning model of instruction on self-determination. Exceptional Children, 78(2), 135–153.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Focus on the approach to this group-randomized, modified equivalent control group design. Note the use of multiple measures. Pay specific attention to the interpretation of findings.

Wei, X., Blackorby, J., & Schiller, E. (2011). Growth in reading achievement of students with disabilities, ages 7 to 17. Exceptional Children, 78(1), 89–106.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Focus on reading growth trajectories. Consider the extent to which reading achievement increased with age. Recognize the characteristics of a longitudinal study.

Correlation

Mautone, J. A., DuPaul, G. J., Jitendra, A. K., Tresco, K. E., Junod, R. V., & Volpe, R. J. (2009). The relationship between treatment integrity and acceptability of reading interventions for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Psychology in the Schools, 46(10), 919–931.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Focus on the relationship between treatment integrity and acceptability. Note the two consultation models. Pay particular attention to the relationship between reading interventions and ADHD.

Williamson, R. L., Robertson, J. S., & Casey, L. B. (2010). Using a dynamic systems approach to investigating postsecondary education and employment outcomes for transitioning students with disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 33(2), 101–111.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Focus on the interacting variables. Study the correlating characteristics. Read about the links to employment and postsecondary education.

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2012). The multiple baseline design [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 6 minutes.

In this media program, Dr. Terry Falcomata explains the Multiple Baseline Design.

Accessible player  –Downloads– Download Video w/CC Download Audio Download Transcript