Research

1. Week 1-
Introduction
to research
Matt DeCarlo
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2. Agenda
• Stuff about me
• About this class
• Syllabus
• Course Calendar
• Stuff about you
• Individual research project
• Worksheet 0 (extra credit)
• Invitation to collaborate
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3. Open textbook
• My friends and I wrote a
textbook together
• You can access it for free at:
• https://pressbooks.rampages.us/
msw-textbook/
• Links to specific chapters and
PDFs will be posted to D2L
• You can print out the book,
copy it...use it however you like
• We are very open to feedback
on the textbook!
Plus Kate
And Dalia, our editor

4. How to use the
textbook
• Use the link on D2L
• Bookmark that link for easy
access
• Download the PDFs of each
chapter you post
• PDFs will be posted about two
weeks in advance
• We're still working on a few things
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5. This classroom is
upside-down
• Independent study +
interactive classroom
• Class exercises and
individual worksheets
are designed to help
you create a research
proposal
• The goal is to leave
class with the next step
(worksheet) complete
• Just ask if you need
a 1-week extension.
• These stack up neatly
into your major
assignments
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6. Activity 1:
Attitudes towards research
• On your own, write down some
notes on what attitudes and
expectations you have about
research methods (this class)
• Discuss them in pairs or small
groups
• Share them with the class
• https://padlet.com/profmattdeca
rlo/aq2pa2eq5cdo

7. Why is this class like
this?
• Students don't like research
• There's an entire body of research
tells us this.
• Anxiety-provoking
• Useless in practice
• Difficult to understand
• Not for me
• Applied/active learning: learn by
doing
• Open learning: create something
other people will use
• Scaffolding: little pieces, big project
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8. How can we support each other's learning?
FOR YOU
• Come to class prepared by
reading the textbook and
completing assignments
• Be present
• Participate and share
• Be nice to each other and me
• Do your own work
• Dedicate time each week
FOR ME
• Come to class prepared every
day by writing the exercises and
lecture and completing grading
• Be present. Be available.
• Facilitate. Give lots of feedback.
• Be nice to you. Give you the
benefit of the doubt.
• (I'm also here to learn)

9. Syllabus &
Calendar

10. Let's learn about you
• Who are you?
• What else do you do besides
school?
• What aspects of social work
interest you?
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11. Let's cluster
• Form groups of between 2-6,
loosely based on your areas of
interest
• You're going to get to know
people's proposals pretty well
• This helps ensure you're hearing
about something that's of interest
to you week after week
• Membership is not fixed
• Gimme a list of you, so I can
group you on my attendance
sheet
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12. Chapter 1 •Intro to research
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13. Learning check:
Chapter 1
• https://create.kahoot.it/shar
e/share/d24b2041-2d84-
4f1f-b103-4a6d3c6a4275
• I'll email this link

14. Activity 2: Research
orients practice
• Look at the case studies in 1.1
• Pick the micro, meso, or macro
case study
• And write down what you
would do in that situation
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15. Social science is founded on rationality.
Rationality is flawed.
• Intuition vs. Practice wisdom
• Cognitive biases
• Errors in logic
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16. Activity 3: Errors in
thinking/reasoning
• Using a list of cognitive
biases or logical
fallacies...
• Apply them to your
group's areas of interest
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For example, what are some myths/stereotypes
about the classroom, grad students, teaching, social
workers, etc. are common?

17. Education myths: Learning styles
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18. Measuring the
impact of Learning
Styles
• How might we measure learning
styles...
• Quantitatively?
• Qualitatively?
• Mixed methods
• We're planning a mixed methods
evaluation of this class!
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19. Activity 4: Objective
and subjective truths
• What is objectively true about
your group's topic area?
• What are some subjective truths
people hold about your topic
area?
• How are these different? This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.

20. Evidence-
based
practice
process
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Can you share an example from your practice?

21. Worksheet 0:
Evidence-
based practice
• 1. Think about a social work topic you might want to
study this semester as part of a research project. How do
individuals commit specific errors in logic or reasoning
when discussing his specific topic, similar to the Louis
Cuff example?
• 2. Using a social work practice situation you have
experienced, walk through the four steps of the
evidence-based practice process and how they informed
your decision-making.
• Step 1
• Step 2
• Step 3
• Step 4
• 3. What are some of the difficulties applying EBP in the
real world?

22. My
Worksheet 0
• Bandwagon fallacy: learning styles
• Confirmation bias, hasty generalization: technology
interferes with learning
Errors in logic and reasoning
• Client needs: anxiety and antipathy
• Research evidence: meta-analyses on OER, flipped
classrooms, active learning
• Client values and preferences:
You tell me: what do you value/want?
• Practitioner expertise: I feel okay-ish...enough to pilot
EBP process
• Resources, time, expertise, functionalist assessment
EBP challenges

23. Where should I be?
• Playing with different topics and ideas
• Worksheet 0 complete and submitted via D2L for
extra credit
• If you need to finish it up after class, come
talk to me and you can submit it next class
• Next week:
• Getting to a working question, project
scoping
• Read chapter 2