Week 5: June 8

• Chat with the Owner
• Appetizers this Week
• Setting the Table
• This Week's Menu: Analyzing Research for your Research Project
  • Read and Respond to Week 4 Discussions
• Proceed to the Checkout Counter
• Next Week's Specials

Chat with the Owner

Please take time this week to check out the June/July Specials list to make sure I have assigned you the correct chapter. Those of you who did not submit a chapter choice by the due date I have assigned you a chapter. Also, please note the due dates according to the week your open mike performance will be held.

Your posts from week 3 were very engaging.  Lots of interesting jobs but it seems a few of you want them to be next door instead of having to move :-) The sites and opinions everyone had on the digital divide were great for thought and discussion.  Many of you found sites I had never seen. Many of you were also able to identify some possible research resources for your article analyses (see how nicely I try to make assignments assist you in future projects :-). 

I have been reading your feedback from week 3. It seems that so far most of you are enjoying the course. A few have been given some suggestions which I am trying to implement. A few have found some links that did not work.  I check the links each week before I post so I hope that link rot is at a minimum, but things sometimes change fast and human error (mine) is always a factor.  If you find a broken link please let me know so I can fix it. 

For those wondering "exactly what is she looking for in this research project", I will post my own analysis to the "Power of Two.." article everyone analyzed this past week. Instead of providing individual feedback to everyone on that thread- the best way I have found is to provide a model of what I would have said about this article. For your benefit I analyzed all the categories instead of just 2. Also, please remember that you are allowed to have a different opinion than I do within your analyses. The key is to address the different criteria within your analysis. Also, within your own project you will provide a much better summary of the article. In the case here, we had all read the same article. Remember, those reading your analyses will not have read the article itself so be sure to provide enough description and detail so the reader (especially me - the one who gives the grade:-) can make their own judgments about the research. If anyone has any further questions about their analyses after reading my response, please feel free to email me.

Given this week is a "reply" week I expect many of you to make some headway on both Monthly Specials. If you have not already decided on a research topic NOW is the time to do it. You MUST approve your topic with me before you begin identifying your articles.  If you still have no idea what your research topic is going to be then your strategy might be to review the table of contents of some of the research journals in our field and see if anything peaks your interest and you can find 4 articles on a similar topic. As a reminder I have reposted some of the material from last week to remind you what types of questions you will need to answer for your analyses.

Next week we will begin our first week of open mic nights at the cafe.  If you are leading a chapter next week do not forget that your submission is due this Friday.

This week I would like for you to read and respond to peers on last week's 3 menus. This week I will also provide you with a bit of additional information that will assist you with completing your research project.  Your main task this week in relation to your research project is to identify 4 empirical, refereed articles and send them to me for approval.

Appetizers this Week

• read and respond to at least 3 peers on each of the 3 menus from last week
• ask any questions you may have related to your research project
• continue your search for empirical, refereed articles for your research project and send your final list to me

Setting the Table

• Week 4 Comment Card

Call on the Cafe Crew

• Email Dr. Curda
• Email Melissa
• Email listserv and see if a peer knows the answer