Goal 2: Front-End Analysis and System Evaluation
(student) I developed critical and analytical skills for data collection and evaluation and can reflect and apply these skills to assess and evaluate learning systems.
Goals: To provide students with experiences to develop skills in data collection, analysis and evaluation for reflecting on and applying to the design/development of learning opportunities and systems.
Objectives:
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Objective 1.1: Students are able to conduct analysis in order to translate and use theoretical frameworks and existing research to design/develop learning opportunities and systems.
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Objective 1.2: Students are able to manage and optimize analytics collected by learning and performance systems to develop criteria to measure learning impact and talent development.
Grant writing
Summary: In this course, I was tasked with developing a grant. Through the course, students were assigned to create a grant that would be usable in our current occupation. I chose to write a grant proposal to assist True North, a domestic abuse shelter in Columbia Missouri.
Process: The course began by having all students determine a purpose for their grant and to create a one page proposal template. I chose to have my grant be designed to help people who have been victims of domestic abuse through the creation of a self-defense course entitled WISH, Women in Self Help. Funding for WISH would be provided by this grant. Throughout the rest of the course, I created parts of the grant (applicant information, background, goals/objectives, etc.), evaluated past grants and what made them successful (or unsuccessful) and attempted to emulate their good qualities in my work. During the final two weeks of the course, the class was asked to read and peer review each other’s grants. After taking the responses into consideration, I made my final revisions and sent in the final proposal for the class.
My Role: In this course, I was to take the role of the grant writer. I had no experience with writing grants up to this point and found some parts to be rather challenging and other parts to be quite simple. I had to come up with a good reason for my grant proposal that would be applicable to my current occupation. As a security guard and police officer I had recently worked on a domestic assault case. This being so fresh in my mind gave me a good source of motivation for this endeavor. Finding an appropriate grant/funding source was rather difficult. With a bit of assistance finding funding sources from other students, I came across the Petit Family Foundation. From there, I completed research regarding the funding foundation and my cause. I found a wealth of information with respect to crime in the local area and data from True North. Regarding the Petit Family Foundation, the important information I found was concerning their grant requirements, and ensuring that what I would propose and bring to fruition would be acceptable to the granting agency. The peer evaluations that I completed for my fellow classmates was invaluable to my own proposal as I saw exemplary models that I could incorporate, as well as deficits that I needed to revise in my own work. The critique I obtained on my own proposal greatly benefited my final proposal.
Artifact: The important sections begin with the background. This is where I conducted and summarized major research that supported the grant, both in showing the importance of why I was requesting the grant, but also for solidifying my ideas so they aligned with those of the granting agency. The project description was very time consuming, as I developed an in-depth breakdown of the goals and outcomes that would be produced by the grant if I were to receive it.
Artifact - Petit Family Foundation Grant Proposal
Reflection: Grant writing requires a great deal research, evaluation, preparation and a unique set of writing skills. Determining a reason for a grant and having a rough idea of what I would like to do with the allocated funds was the easiest part. My current occupations provided an insight into a need in our community. Finding a granting agency that has a similar vision to myself and would fit the parameters of my proposal proved to be difficult. Analyzing all potential agencies available and selecting the best one proved to be crucial to ensuring my proposal has the best chance of being selected. After determining the granting agency, researching their history, the requirements for a grant proposal and ensuring that I produce all of those elements required substantial data collection and evaluation. Finally, integrating all of the data, determining the most effective delivery for that information and organizing it in a way that the granting agency required was exhaustive. I know that grant writing is not exactly a learning system, but funding is always needed for any learning system created. Being able to write and apply for grants in order to provide funding for a company (or myself) as needed will be a skill that would be seen as a valuable asset to any future employer.
Research Proposal
Summary: In this course, I was tasked with creating a research proposal. We were to pick a topic that we are passionate about and find a way to incorporate that with our proposal. In this course we did not conduct the proposed research.
Process: The first week of the course provided insight into the purpose and scope of a research proposal, as well as all aspects that need to be included in a successful proposal. Developing a strong rationale for the research, identifying the problem and giving purpose for the study, conducting a literature review, and creating the methodology for the research were all elements of this endeavor. After learning all aspects of a proposal, I selected my topic. My proposal was in regards to safety on college campuses and the connection between the perception and reality of fear at different locations on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus. The next assigned task was to perform a literature review on my topic and to create annotated bibliographies of the useful information that was discovered. The ensuing weeks were focused on differentiating the types of research methods to be used for the proposal which included qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. I chose mixed methods as I proposed the use of surveys, focus groups and statistical data. After determining what type of research would fit best with the proposal, I was introduced to and learned to use bibliometrics and research paradigms. After all the research, discovering tips and tricks, and intensive planning, it was time to write the proposal. The next to the last week of the course, a peer review was conducted of two fellow student’s papers. The final week was revising any issues noted in the peer reviews, adding the changes suggested (or not if they did not fit) and after a final edit, submitting the final research proposal.
My Role: This course had little teamwork involved, outside of the peer review and any assistance we received from the group messaging boards on Canvas. Like most students, I spent hours reading journals and papers that covered my chosen topic. My original topic was to include the geographic origin of students attending the University of Missouri-Columbia campus to determine if their geographic origin had an impact on their perceptions of safety. This topic ended up being too specific and I could find no significant literature regarding that aspect of the topic. I realized I had to broaden my proposal’s topic and goals to safety on college campuses and the connection between fear, perception, reality and location on the University of Missouri campus. Applying the literature in logical and thoughtful ways was not as difficult as I anticipated, but proved to be very time consuming. After gathering all the data from the literature review, I determined the type of research methodology best suited to the proposal, created the surveys, and developed the focus group questions. The final result was a proposal I am proud of, and exemplifies the in-depth analytical skills that were developed during the course.
Artifact: The first two pages of the file are in regards to some of the reviewer suggestions that were given to me during the peer reviews. The title page for the proposal begins on the third page of the file. All major sections are identified by bold headings. The references begin on page seventeen and appendix on page twenty-two.
Reflection: I found the idea of a research proposal very daunting, but after sifting through all the data, discerning the important parts, making notes of specific data and integrating that into my proposal, I realized the impact this process would have and how much stronger my work would become once I implemented it. This was one of the most impactful courses on understanding the idea of “where do I go from here”. Ideas and concepts are great, but actually digging deep into the numbers, checking to see if what I am trying to research and develop is possible, and creating a strong proposal was enlightening. Through process of writing my proposal I have developed a deeper understanding of measuring potential learning impacts by coherently analyzing data, systematically evaluating its impact on a chosen topic and developing a cohesive plan that would further inform other interested parties of relevant and critical information.