Health Science

HS 4995 Research Seminar in Health Science 2


HS 4995: Research Seminar in Health Science 2


Prerequisites: As this is the final course in the Health Science program, all required courses must be completed before taking this, and no other courses can be taken concurrentlyFinal Term of Study 


Course Description: This course is the second of a two-course capstone sequence intended to allow students to demonstrate what they have learned throughout the Health Science program in an applied context. In this course, students will use the knowledge gained during their coursework across the areas of the social and biological causes of illness, determinants of mental health and psychopathology, and disease prevention and health promotion to identify a topic in the health sciences. Using the identified topic, students will develop and pilot a research proposal that frames the research question(s), discusses the rationale for the question(s), includes a review of the literature on the topic, and describe the planned data collection and analysis activities. 


Required Textbook and Materials: UoPeople courses use open educational resources (OER) and other materials specifically donated to the University with free permissions for educational use. Therefore, students are not required to purchase any textbooks or sign up for any websites that have a cost associated with them. The main required textbooks for this course are listed below and can be readily accessed using the provided links. There may be additional required/recommended readings, supplemental materials, or other resources and websites necessary for lessons; these will be provided for you in the course's General Information and Forums area, and throughout the term via the weekly course Unit areas and the Learning Guides.

  • There is no required textbook for this course. All reading resources are located within each Unit.

Software Requirements/Installation: No special requirements.


Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

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

1.      Evaluate and critique research articles to identify and support a health science research topic using credible supporting evidence.  

2.      Apply the scientific method to develop one or more research questions that identify a problem in the health sciences. 

3.      Synthesize knowledge across the areas of the social and biological causes of illness, determinants of mental health and psychopathology, and disease prevention and health promotion to develop and pilot a research proposal that addresses a problem in the health sciences.  

4.      Demonstrate effective teamwork by collaborating to evaluate data collection strengths and weaknesses. 

5.      Analyze the ethics of a research project in relation to human subject rules and regulations. 


Course Schedule and Topics: This course will cover the following topics in eight learning sessions, with one Unit per week. The Final Exam will take place during Week/Unit 9 (UoPeople time).

Week 1: Unit 1 - Research Project Foundations

Week 2: Unit 2 - Annotated References and Literature Review

Week 3: Unit 3 - Methods 

Week 4: Unit 4 - Instrument Development

Week 5: Unit 5 - Data Collection

Week 6: Unit 6 - Data Analysis

Week 7: Unit 7 - Discussion of Findings

Week 8: Unit 8 - Assembling the Final Report

Week 9: Unit 9 - Course Review and Final Exam


Learning Guide: The following outlines how this course will be conducted, with suggested best practices for students.

Unit 1: Research Project Foundations

  • Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
  • Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)
  • Complete and submit the Written Assignment

Unit 2: Annotate References and Literature Review

  • Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
  • Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)
  • Complete and submit the Written Assignment

Unit 3: Research Methods

  • Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
  • Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)
  • Complete and submit the Written Assignment

Unit 4: Instrument Development

  • Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
  • Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum) - Non-graded
  • Complete and submit the Group Project - Instructor Graded
  • Complete and submit the Written Assignment

Unit 5: Data Collection

  • Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
  • Complete the Data Collection Assignment 
  • Complete and submit the Written Assignment

Unit 6: Data Analysis

  • Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
  • Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)
  • Data Assignment - Instructor Graded - pass/fail
  • Complete and submit the Written Assignment

 Unit 7: Discussion

  • Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
  • Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)
  • Complete and submit the Written Assignment
  • Make entries to the Learning Journal

Unit 8: Assembling Your Final Research Project

  • Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
  • Participate in the Discussion Assignment (post, comment, and rate in the Discussion Forum)
  • Complete and submit the Final Research Report

Unit 9: Course Review and Final Exam

  • Complete the Capstone Experience Evaluation Form

Course Requirements:

Discussion Assignments & Response Posts/Ratings
Some units in this course require that you complete a Discussion Assignment. You are required to develop and post a substantive response to the Discussion Assignment in the Discussion Forum. A substantive response is one that fully answers the question that has been posed by the instructor. In addition, you must extend the discussion by responding to at least three (3) of your peers’ postings in the Discussion Forum and by rating their posts. Instructions for proper posting and rating (out of a 10 point scale) are provided inside the Discussion Forum for each week. Discussion Forums are only active for each current and relevant learning week, so it is not possible to contribute to the forum once the learning week has come to an end. Failure to participate in the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum and responding to peers as required may result in failure of the course.

Written Assignments & Assessment Forms
Some units in this course require that you complete a Written Assignment. You are required to submit your assignments by the indicated deadlines and, in addition, to peer assess three (3) of your classmates’ assignments according to the instructions found in the Assessment Form, which is provided to you during the following week. During this peer assessment period, you are expected to provide details in the feedback section of the Assessment Form, indicating why you awarded the grade that you did to your peer. Please note that each assignment grade is comprised of a combination of your submission (90%) and your peer assessments (10%). Failure to submit Written Assignments and/or Assessment Forms may result in failure of the course.

Learning Journals
Your instructor may choose to assign specific topics and/or relevant questions as a weekly Learning Journal entry for you to complete, but you are still encouraged to also use it to document your activities, record questions/problems you may have encountered, reflect on the learning process, and draft answers for other course assignments. The Learning Journal must be updated on a weekly basis, because its entries will be assessed by your instructor directly as a part of your final grade. The Learning Journal will only be seen by your instructor.

Course Forum
The Course Forum is the place to raise issues and questions relating to the course. It is regularly monitored by the instructors, and is a good place to meet fellow students taking the same course. While it is not required to participate in the Course Forum, it is highly recommended.


Course Policies:

Grading Components and Weights
Each graded component of the course will contribute some percentage to the final grading scale, as indicated here:

Discussion Assignments 30%
Written Assignments 30%
 Group Project 10%
 Data Assignment 5%
 Final Report 20%
Final Evaluation 5%
TOTAL 100%


Grading Scale
This course will follow the standard 100-point grading scale defined by the University of the People, as indicated here:

Letter Grade
Grade Scale Grade Points
A+ 98-100 4.00
A 93-97 4.00
A- 90-92 3.67
B+ 88-89 3.33
B 83-87 3.00
B- 80-82 2.67
C+ 78-79 2.33
C 73-77 2.00
C- 70-72 1.67
D+ 68-69 1.33
D 63-67 1.00
D- 60-62 0.67
F Under 60 0.00


Grade Appeal

If you believe that the final grade you received for a course is erroneous, unjust, or unfair, please contact your course instructor. This must be done within seven days of the posted final grade. For more information on this topic, please review the Grade Appeal Procedure in the University Catalog.

Participation
Non-participation is characterized by lack of any assignment submissions, inadequate contributions to the Discussion Forums, and/or lack of peer feedback to Discussion/Written Assignments. Also, please note the following important points about course participation:

  • Assignments must be submitted on or before the specified deadline. A course timeline is provided in the course schedule, and the instructor will specify deadlines for each assignment.
  • Any student showing non-participation for two weeks (consecutive or non-consecutive) is likely to automatically fail the course.
  • Occasionally there may be a legitimate reason for submitting an assignment late. Most of the time, late assignments will not be accepted and there will be no make-up assignments.
  • All students are obligated to inform their instructor in advance of any known absences which may result in their non-participation.

Academic Honesty and Integrity
When you submit any work that requires research and writing, it is essential to cite and reference all source material. Failure to properly acknowledge your sources is known as “plagiarism” – which is effectively passing off an individual’s words or ideas as your own. University of the People adheres to a strict policy of academic honesty and integrity. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in sanctions by the University, including dismissal from the University or course failure. For more information on this topic, please review the Academic Integrity Policy in the University Catalog.

Any materials cited in this course should be referenced using the style guidelines established by the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA format is widely used in colleges and universities across the world and is one of several style and citation formats required for publication in professional and academic journals. Purdue University’s Online Writing LAB (OWL) is a free website that provides excellent information and resources for understanding and using the APA format and style. The OWL website can be accessed here: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html

Code of Conduct
University of the People expects that students conduct themselves in a respectful, collaborative, and honest manner at all times. Harassment, threatening behavior, or deliberate embarrassment of others will not be permitted. Any conduct that interferes with the quality of the educational experience is not allowed and may result in disciplinary action, such as course failure, probation, suspension, or dismissal. For more information on this topic, please review the Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog.