The document provides instructions for a presentation assignment for a humanities course on "The Human Struggle." Students must prepare a presentation, which can be a PowerPoint or written account, further detailing some aspect of "The Human Struggle" discussed in class. During the presentation, other students can post questions via an online chat function, and presenters must answer up to five questions. Students who ask questions that are selected will receive extra credit. Presenters can choose a topic discussed in class or a new relevant topic. Past presentation topics included significant historical events and social issues.

1. HUMANITIES 105 - THE HUMAN STRUGGLE
PRESENTATION ASSIGNMENT:
Prepare a presentation (you may use PowerPoint or just a
written account) in which you inform
the class about further details of some aspect of AThe Human
[email protected] During the class,
students watch/read your presentation and may post questions
about it on the [email protected] function B
you may answer up to five of those questions. Each student
whose question is chosen will
receive an extra credit point.
FOR PRESENTERS:
You may choose to expand on a topic that has caught your
interest in class, or you may choose a
topic we haven=t touched upon, but which you see as part of
Athe human [email protected] B this is a very
broad category; if you have doubts about whether your choice
qualifies, just check with me
about it. (Past topics students presented ranged from the signing

2. of the Magna Carta, the French
Revolution, the Armenian Genocide, the modern media=s
influence on body image, the abuse of
opiate drugs, the struggle for LBTQ rights, etc.)
FOR THOSE ASKING QUESTIONS:
When you post a question about a presentation on AChat,@
address the presenter by name (AHello,
Susan B why do you [email protected]) and sign your name to
the question. I have to keep track of extra
credit points from this B please make it easy for me! Similarly,
when you=re a presenter and
responding to a question someone has asked, address that person
by name (AGeorge B the reason
[email protected]), as there may be a flood of questions all at
once. Each presenter may respond to only
five questions.
This table lists criteria and criteria group name in the first
column. The first row lists level names and includes scores if
the rubric uses a numeric scoring method.Criteria
0 - Not Present
1 - Needs Improvement
2 - Meets Expectations
3 - Exceeds Expectations
Learning Objective 1.1: Describe the types of qualitative
research.
Description is not present.
Descriptions of the types of qualitative research is vague,
incomplete, or inaccurate.

3. Descriptions of the types of qualitative research are clear,
complete, and accurate.
Demonstrates the same level as “2” plus the following:
Provides detailed information about the types of qualitative
research.
Criterion Feedback
Narrative and case study are mixed up here and each needs a
more specific and clear definition.
Learning Objective 1.2: Define grounded theory.
Definition is not present.
Response includes an unclear or incomplete definition of
grounded theory.
Response includes a clear and accurate definition of grounded
theory.
Demonstrates the same level as “2” plus the following:
Response includes a thoughtful analysis of the importance of
each principle in terms of early childhood research.
Learning Objective 2.1: Describe characteristics of good
qualitative research and their importance.
Response is not present or is inaccurate.
Response includes an unclear or incomplete description of five
characteristics of good qualitative research, or response
includes a clear and accurate description of fewer than five
characteristics of good qualitative research.
Response includes a clear and accurate description of five
characteristics of good qualitative research.
Response thoroughly explains the importance of each of the five
identified characteristics of good qualitative research.
Response is supported by references to the professional
knowledge base.
Demonstrates the same level of achievement as “2,” plus the
following:
Response thoroughly explains the importance of more than five
characteristics of good qualitative research.
Learning Objective 3.1: Describe semi-experimental studies.
Response is not present.

4. Response identifies an incorrect study or provides an illogical
rationale.
Response identifies the correct study and provides a logical
rationale.
Demonstrates the same level of achievement as “2,” plus the
following:
Response provides an example from a peer-reviewed research
article illustrating a semi-experimental research design and a
rationale supporting the example.
Learning Objective 4.1: Describe correlation and causation and
their significance in research.
Response is not present.
Response provides an unclear or inaccurate description of
correlation and causation.
Response provides an illogical explanation of the significance
of the concepts in research.
Response provides a clear and accurate description of
correlation and causation.
Response provides a logical explanation of the significance of
the concepts in research.
Demonstrates the same level of achievement as “2,” plus the
following:
Response provides a clear explanation of why it is difficult to
prove causation in early childhood research.
Learning Objective 4.2: Describe characteristics of good
quantitative research and the importance of the characteristics.
Response is not present.
Response includes an unclear or incomplete description
Response includes a clear and accurate description of five
characteristics of good quantitative research.
Response thoroughly explains the importance of each of the five
identified characteristics of good quantitative research.
Response is grounded in the professional knowledge base.
Demonstrates the same level of achievement as “2,” plus the
following:
Response thoroughly explains the importance of more than five

5. identified characteristics of good quantitative research.
Learning Objective 4.3: Explain the differences among
dependent, independent, and extraneous variables.
Response is not present.
Response includes an unclear or incomplete description of the
differences among all three types of variables.
Response includes a clear and accurate description of the
differences between dependent, independent, and extraneous
variables.
Demonstrates the same level of achievement as “2,” plus the
following:
Response provides an example of a dependent and independent
from a peer reviewed research article.
Learning Objective 5.1: Explain the common characteristics of
mixed methods research.
Response is not present.
Response includes a partial explanation of the common
characteristics of mixed methods research.
Response provides an unclear or illogical explanation of how
mixed methods approaches can be beneficial.
Response includes a clear and accurate explanation of the
common characteristics of mixed methods research.
Response thoroughly explains how mixed methods approaches
can be applied to research studies, including the benefits of
using a mixed methods design.
Demonstrates the same level of achievement as “2,” plus the
following:
Response includes a citation from a research article that uses a
mixed methods approach and describes which characteristics the
study exemplifies.
Overall Score
Overall Score
0 - Not Present
1 - Needs Improvement
2 - Meets Expectations
3 - Exceeds Expectations

6. Academic Writing Expectations Checklist
The faculty Assessor will use this checklist to evaluate whether
your written responses adhere to the conventions of scholarly
writing. Review this checklist prior to submitting your
Assessment to ensure your writing follows academic writing
expectations. Click the links to access Writing Center
resources:
Sentence-Level Skills
|_|Constructing complete and correct sentences
Note:See an explanation of sentence components and how to
avoid sentence fragments and run-ons.
|_|Using and spelling words correctly
Note:See a list of commonly misused words and information on
MS Word’s spell check.
|_|Using punctuation appropriately
Note:See the different types of punctuation and their uses.
|_|Using grammar appropriately
Note: See a Grammarly tutorial to catch further errors.
Paragraph-Level Skills
|_|Using paragraph breaks
Note:See a description of paragraph basics.
|_|Focusing each paragraph on one central idea (rather than
multiple ideas)
Note:See an explanation of how topic sentences work.
Use of Evidence
|_|Using resources appropriately
Note:See examples of integrating evidence in a paper.
|_|Citing and referencing resources accurately
Note: See examples of citing and referencing resources in a
paper.
|_|Paraphrasing (explaining in one’s own words) to avoid
plagiarizing the source

7. Note:See paraphrasing strategies.
Formatting Written Assignments
|_| Using appropriate APA formatting, including title page,
margins, and font
Note:See APA overview and APA template from the Writing
Center.
Comments:
©2014 Walden University 1
CECS RC002:Research Methodologies
Short-Answer Response Assessment Submission FormContact
Information
Please provide your contact information and date of submission
below.
Your Name: First and Last
Your E-mail address: Your e-mail here.
Date: Click here to enter a dateInstructions
This Competency includes aShort-AnswerResponse Assessment.
Writeyour response to each prompt below—in the space
provided. Beneath the prompts is the Rubric, which will be used
by the Competency Assessor to evaluate your responses.
Carefully review the Rubric rows associated with each prompt
to provide a complete response.
When writingyour response, begin typing where it reads “Enter
Your Response Here.” Write as much as needed to satisfy the
requirements of the prompt.
Note:Save this file as RC002_firstinitial_lastname, and upload
it to this Assessment within the learning platform. For example,

8. RC002_B_Smith.
Short Answer 1
Read the descriptions of research studies below. Indicate the
type of qualitative study and provide a 2- to 3-sentence
rationale for your selection. Choose from the following types of
qualitative research:
· Phenomenological study
· Case study
· Ethnographic study
· Narrative analysis
Study A
A researcher decides to compare an early reading lesson in a
public school that starts reading instruction in kindergarten with
a reading lesson in a Waldorf school that begins reading
instruction in second grade. She carefully notes her
observations of each teacher’s methods and materials along with
the students’ questions and learning.
Your Response
Enter Your Response Here
Study B
A group of researchers observe play periods at a school as a
way to address the concept of how teachers can balance the
need to provide adult guidance with the need to allow child
independence. The researchers initially set aside their own
beliefs and attitudes about discipline, freedom, and play, and
thencollect data. They analyze the data from the points of views
of both teachers and children and gradually cluster themes in
order to identify the essential issues.Your Response
Enter Your Response Here
Study C
A researcher uncovers the autobiography of a kindergarten

9. teacher from the early 20thcentury and analyzes this document
in order to identify common themes related to the teacher’s
professional concerns.
Your ResponseEnter Your Response Here
Study D
A researcher is studying the cultural attitudes of recent
immigrant groups to the United States and how these attitudes
affect female students in early childhood. The researcher
focuses on immigrants from Romania and researches and
analyzes their traditions, beliefs, and cultural practices in many
areas as a lens through which to interpret parental attitudes
toward, and children’s experiences of, American early
childhood education.
Your Response
Enter Your Response HereRubric
0
Not Present
1
Needs Improvement
2
Meets Expectations
3
Exceeds Expectations
Sub-Competency 1: Describe the types of qualitative research
designs.
Learning Objective 1.1:
Describe the types of qualitative research.
Description is not present.
Descriptions of the types of qualitative research is vague,
incomplete, or inaccurate.
Descriptions of the types of qualitative research are clear,
complete, and accurate.
Demonstrates the same level of achievement as “2,” plus the

10. following:
Provides detailed information about the types of qualitative
research.
Short Answer 2What is a grounded theory study? (1–2
paragraphs).Your Response
Enter Your Response HereRubric
0
Not Present
1
Needs Improvement
2
Meets Expectations
3
Exceeds Expectations
Sub-Competency 1: Describe the types of qualitative research
designs.
Learning Objective 1.2:
Define grounded theory.
Definition is not present.
Response includes an unclear or incomplete definition of
grounded theory.
Response includes a clear and accurate definition of grounded
theory.
Demonstrates the same level of achievement as “2,” plus the
following:
Response provides an example from a peer-reviewed research
article that illustrates grounded theory and a rationale
supporting the example.
Short Answer 3Describe at least five characteristics of good

11. qualitative research and explain why each characteristic is
important. Your response should be 3–5 paragraphs in
length.Your Response
Enter Your Response HereRubric
0
Not Present
1
Needs Improvement
2
Meets Expectations
3
Exceeds Expectations
Sub-Competency 2: Explain the common characteristics of
qualitative research methods.
Learning Objective 2.1:
Describe characteristics of good qualitative research and their
importance.
Response is not present or is inaccurate.
Response includes an unclear or incomplete description of five
characteristics of good qualitative research, or response
includes a clear and accurate description of fewer than five
characteristics of good qualitative research.
Response includes a clear and accurate description of five
characteristics of good qualitative research.
Response thoroughly explains the importance of each of the five
identified characteristics of good qualitative research.
Response is supported by references to the professional
knowledge base.
Demonstrates the same level of achievement as “2,” plus the
following:
Response thoroughly explains the importance of more than five
characteristics of good qualitative research.

12. Short Answer 4
Which of the following is an example of a quasi-experimental
study?Provide a rationale for your choice.
Study A:A researcher wants to study the effects of napping on
preschooler behavior. The researcher has access to teachers at a
number of preschools where most students take a daily nap, but
students are allowed to opt out and play quietly during naptime
if they wish. The researcher asks the students’ teachers to rate
the students’ behavior after naptime on a number of scales to
determine if those who nap have fewer behavior problems in the
afternoon than those who do not nap.
Study B:A researcher hypothesizes that a particular behavioral
management system will reduce the amount of time preschool
teachers must spend dealing with student behavior problems.
From the 32 preschools in a city, the researcher randomly
selects three. Half of the teachers in the school are trained on
how to use the new behavior management system and half are
not. The researcher thenquantifies the amount of time each
group of teachers spends dealing with behavior problems and
determines that the management system reduces time spent by
28%.
Study C:A researcher has access to a small group of
preschoolers who have been identified as having mild to
moderate anxiety disorders and whose parents and teachers are
open to new methods to help these children cope with anxiety-
producing situations. The researcher trains the teachers in the
implementation of an intervention for reducing the students’
anxiety and then rates the students’ anxiety on a known scale
after implementation has been underway in the classroom for

13. 3months. Your Response
Enter Your Response HereRubric
0
Not Present
1
Needs Improvement
2
Meets Expectations
3
Exceeds Expectations
Sub-Competency 3: Describe the types of quantitative research
designs.
Learning Objective 3.1:
Describe quasi-experimental studies.
Response is not present.
Response identifies an incorrect study or provides an illogical
rationale.
Response identifies the correct study and provides a logical
rationale.
Demonstrates the same level of achievement as “2,” plus the
following:
Response provides an example from a peer-reviewed research
article illustrating a quasi-experimental research design and a
rationale supporting the example.
Short Answer 5Define the concepts of correlation and causation
and explain how they are different.Explain the significance of
these concepts within the context of research.Your Response
Enter Your Response HereRubric
0
Not Present
1

14. Needs Improvement
2
Meets Expectations
3
Exceeds ExpectationsSub-Competency 4:Explain the common
characteristics of quantitative research methods.
Learning Objective 4.1: Describe correlation and causation and
their significance in research.
Response is not present.
Response provides an unclear or inaccurate description of
correlation and causation.
Response provides an illogical explanation of the significance
of the concepts in research.
Response provides a clear and accurate description of
correlation and causation.
Response provides a logical explanation of the significance of
the concepts in research.
Demonstrates the same level of achievement as “2,” plus the
following:
Response provides a clear explanation of why it is difficult to
prove causation in early childhood research.

15. Short Answer 6Identify at least five characteristics of good
quantitative research and explain the importance of each. Your
response should be 3–5 paragraphs in length.Your Response
Enter Your Response HereRubric
0
Not Present
1
Needs Improvement
2
Meets Expectations
3
Exceeds Expectations
Sub-Competency 4: Explain the common characteristics of
quantitative research methods.
Learning Objective 4.2:
Describe characteristics of good quantitative research and the
importance of the characteristics.
Response is not present.
Response includes an unclear or incomplete description
Response includes a clear and accurate description of five
characteristics of good quantitative research.
Response thoroughly explains the importance of each of the five
identified characteristics of good quantitative research.
Response is grounded in the professional knowledge base.
Demonstrates the same level of achievement as “2,” plus the
following:
Response thoroughly explains the importance of more than five
identified characteristics of good quantitative research.

16. Short Answer 7Explain the differences among dependent,
independent, and extraneous variables. Your Response
Enter Your Response HereRubric
0
Not Present
1
Needs Improvement
2
Meets Expectations
3
Exceeds Expectations
Sub-Competency 4: Explain the common characteristics of
quantitative research methods.
Learning Objective 4.3:
Explain the differences among dependent, independent, and
extraneous variables.
Response is not present.
Response includes an unclear or incomplete description of the
differences among all three types of variables.
Response includes a clear and accurate description of the
differences between dependent, independent, and extraneous
variables.
Demonstrates the same level of achievement as “2,” plus the
following:
Response provides an example of a dependent and independent
from a peer reviewed research article.

17. Short Answer 8
Define mixed methods research and explain its applications and
benefits. Your response should be 1–3 paragraphs in
length.Your Response
Enter Your Response HereRubric
0
Not Present
1
Needs Improvement
2
Meets Expectations
3
Exceeds Expectations
Sub-Competency 5: Explain the common characteristics of
mixed methods research.
Learning Objective 5.1:
Explain the common characteristics of mixed methods research.
Response is not present.
Response includes a partial explanation of the common
characteristics of mixed methods research.
Response provides an unclear or illogicalexplanation of how
mixed methods approaches can be beneficial.
Response includes a clear and accurate explanation of the
common characteristics of mixed methods research.
Response thoroughly explains how mixed methods approaches

18. can be applied to research studies, including the benefits of
using a mixed methods design.
Demonstrates the same level of achievement as level “2,” plus
the following:
Response includes a citation from a research article that uses a
mixed methods approach and describes which characteristics the
study exemplifies.
©2014 Walden University 12
Quantitative or Qualitative
First let me clarify something. In a previous announcement
here, it was stated that qualitative data was "just any other kind
of information such as socioeconomic status, religious
preference, sexual orientation." That is actually wrong. This is
what we call descriptive data and it is quantitative because it
can be coded by number; it can even be used in multiple
regression statistics (which we won't even get into here).
Now, let's go over a few differences. If you're just looking at
the ways in which data is analyzed, you can say that
quantitative research is numerical and qualitative research is
language-rich. Put another way, quantitative research uses
statistics for analysis, while qualitative research uses content or
discourse analysis, typically. That's more language-rich and
involves identifying specific themes. It's much messier and
time-consuming than stats, but quite informative. This is a
simple explanation, but the differences go deeper than that.
· One important difference is the type of logic that is used -
quantitative uses deductive reasoning, while qualitative uses

19. inductive reasoning. This informs the way we ask questions as
well as what we expect to find out in our research. Quantitative
designs have a hypothesis going in; qualitative does not.
· Let's also look at methods to collect data. Quantitative
research is perfect for clinical or laboratory settings because
these researchers want to maintain control of the environment.
They are very much about accuracy and reliability. We see
experiments here, with independent and dependent variables,
and consideration of possible extraneous variables, too. (more
on that in the resources). Qualitative research tends to happen in
more natural environments (that is, where people are and what
they're doing on a normal day, like kids in preschool classes -
you can still use quantitative measures here, too, but you would
want more control of what's going on). Qualitative utilizes a
more flexible process for gathering data, too, and these
researchers are "WILLING TO BE SURPRISED." Quantitative
researchers don't like surprises.
· And finally, you can see differences in the tools used to
collect data. In educational research, quantitative will have
questionnaires or surveys where answers have already been
proposed by the researcher (e.g., multiple choice). Sometimes
they sneak in an "other" as a possible answer with a blank
beside of it for people to write in a short-answer, but that's still
quantitative because it can be easily coded. Qualitative designs
use interviews or focus groups where the researcher asks
questions and then allows the participants to answer however
they wish, often providing very long (but meaningful) answers.
· OBSERVATIONS: This method can be quantitative OR
qualitative depending upon HOW you collect data. Quantitative
observations are things like checklists, where you go in with a
list of behaviors you think you will see and you make a mark
every time it happens. Qualitative observations involve going in
with a blank sheet of paper and writing down everything that
you see, without assuming what you will see before you get
there.
I hope these brief explanations help clarify how these two

20. methods differ. Keep in mind that they also work very well
TOGETHER, and we call that design "mixed methods."
things I want you to keep in mind, based on my recent reviews
of previously submitted assessments.
There are several types of qualitative research, and there are
specific keywords you can use to identify which is which. Make
note of what some of those keywords are as you look through
the resources. Beyond that, you’ll want to critically analyze a
study’s description in full before determining what type it is.
Semi-experimental and quasi-experimental designs are the same
thing. They are like experimental except there is not any
random selection of participants and, in many cases, there is no
control over the independent variable. This makes it much
easier to explore real-world scenarios without changing things
or unethically engaging with participants.
When the rubric says that you “included an example from a
peer-reviewed research article,” that doesn’t mean one of the
articles or resources that are provided, but one that you have
found on your own.