The University of Texas at Dallas

Course Syllabus

Course Information
Course number: CLDP 3394.001 & 3194.001 www.turnitin.com
Course title: RESEARCH & EVALUATION METHODS & LAB Class ID: 3048587
Term: SPRING 2010 Password: development
Meeting times: Tues & Thurs 1-2:15pm, GR 4.204
Fri 12:30-2:30pm, GR 3.206 (be aware that this may change, sometimes)

Professor Contact Information

Professor’s name: Dr. Huxtable-Jester
Phone number: 972-883-6434 (no caller ID, so please leave a local number)
Email: drkarenhj@utdallas.edu
Office location: GR 4.714
Office hours: Tues & Thurs 11:30am-12:45pm, Fri 10am-12pm, and by appointment (or just stop by!)
Other information: The fastest and best way to reach me is direct email. If you use regular email, please put the
course name in your subject line [REM] and sign your message with your first and last
name. Even if your name automatically appears next to your email address in your email
system, it will not appear in mine.

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

Required prior knowledge or skills: Statistics for Psychology (PSY 2317) or STAT 1342. Must co-enroll in both
CLDP 3394 and 3194.

Course Description
Research and Evaluation Methods serves two primary purposes in the CLDP curriculum; it provides students
with knowledge about research methods in the behavioral sciences, including study design, measurement, sampling,
data collection and analysis, and it fulfills the advanced writing requirement. This course will help you learn how to
understand, conduct, and write about research in child development. Specifically, you will learn how to: 1) become
better consumers of research, 2) design and conduct research studies, and 3) effectively share research findings with
others. We will explore fundamental concepts of the psychometrics of measurement and testing, as well as
foundations of experimental and non-experimental designs in developmental and educational research and program
evaluation. Additional course goals include promoting independent and critical thinking, developing your abilities
to communicate more effectively orally and in writing, and giving you greater appreciation for statistics, research
methods, and Psychology as a science.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences Learning Objectives
After completing the course, students will be able to:
2.1 Identify and explain different research methods used by developmental psychologists, educators, and other
researchers.
2.2 Explain and apply basic statistical analyses and employ critical thinking to evaluate the appropriateness of
conclusions derived from their use.
2.3 Gather, accurately summarize, incorporate, and interpret source material in their writing.
2.4 Use critical thinking to design and conduct basic studies to address research questions using appropriate
methods.
2.5 Demonstrate proficiency in writing research reports following APA Style Guidelines that include an
abstract, introduction, method, results, and discussion sections.

CLDP 3394/3194 Syllabus ● Last revised 1/11/10 Page 1

2.6 Describe and apply basic methods used in program evaluation.
3.2 Use critical thinking to construct effective written arguments.
3.3 Engage in creative thinking in identifying research questions and designs.
4.1 Write effectively using appropriate organization, mechanics, and style.
4.2 Demonstrate effective oral communication skills.
4.4 Demonstrate effective collaboration with others.

Course Textbooks and Materials (please be aware that I may add to or change this list at any time)
1. Cozby, P. C. (2007). Methods in behavioral research (9th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
An online study guide is available at www.mhhe.com/cozby9. Click the “Student Edition” link under
“Online Learning Center” at the left of the page.
2. American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Please note: your APA manual MUST be the 6th edition, because it has changed
considerably from the 5th.
3. You will need a flash drive to store your data and other information. Bring it every day, just in case. You
should be ready to do some printing and/or photocopying in the library and computer labs also.
4. A stapler is required for this course. For your protection, papers submitted for a grade or for review must be
stapled. Keep a copy of every paper and assignment you submit for a grade. If something happens to it,
YOU will be responsible for replacing it.
5. Create a user profile at www.turnitin.com using your Class ID and password. Submit your papers to the
website 1-2 days ahead of time so that you can check your originality report in time to make changes, if
needed. You do not need to attach your originality reports to the papers you give me to grade.
6. We will be using eLearning throughout the semester.

Assignments & Academic Calendar

Topics, Reading Assignments, Due Dates, Exam Dates: See calendar on next page.

IMPORTANT: I want to help you do well in this class! To get the most benefit from your time in this class, read
the material to be discussed before we discuss it in class. You will find classes to be much more interesting and
involving if you come prepared to discuss each day's topic.

Notice that there may be times when you have more than one assignment due on a particular day. You will need to
plan ahead so that you do not fall behind.

Please do not make video and/or audio recordings of class sessions without my explicit
permission. Video and/or audio recordings of class sessions made with or without
permission may not be distributed in any way. This includes but is not limited to
postings on the internet, websites, WebCT, or email.

Remember, what follows is a preliminary course calendar. It is going to change as

we progress through the semester. Changes will be discussed in class.

CLDP 3394/3194 Syllabus ● Last revised 1/11/10 Page 2

CLDP 3394.001 & 3194.001  RESEARCH & EVALUATION METHODS  SPRING 2010

TUES THURS FRI

JAN 12 JAN 14 JAN 15 LAB 1
Course overview Discussion of scientific method, Beginning the research process
basic & applied research

JAN 19 JAN 21 JAN 22 LAB 2

Scientific method Developing hypotheses Library session with Susan
Ch 1 Quiz Ch 2 Quiz Kutchi—meet at the UTD
Library information desk

JAN 26 JAN 28 JAN 29 LAB 3

Article reviews due today IRB Certificate & Plagiarism tutorial
Reading & writing about research quiz due today
Read Appendix A Reading & writing about research
FEB 2 FEB 4 FEB 5 LAB 4
Research ethics & Institutional Defining, controlling, & measuring
review variables
Ch 3 Quiz Ch 4

FEB 9 FEB 11 FEB 12 LAB 5

INTRO LIT REVIEW DUE in Measurement concepts
class and at turnitin.com Ch 5 Quiz
Defining, controlling, & measuring
variables
Ch 4 Quiz

FEB 16 FEB 18 FEB 19 LAB 6

Observing behavior Survey research
Ch 6 Quiz Ch 7 Quiz
Introduction returned

FEB 23 FEB 25 FEB 26 LAB 7

PROPOSAL DUE in class and at Conducting experiments
turnitin.com Ch 9 Quiz
Experimental design
Ch 8 Quiz

MAR 2 MAR 4 MAR 5 LAB 8

Complex designs Complex designs
Ch 10 Ch 10 Quiz
Proposals returned

A note on the timeline for completing your project: you should be ready to begin collecting data
by March 2, and should be ready to begin analyzing your data by March 23.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 

CLDP 3394/3194 Syllabus ● Last revised 1/11/10 Page 3

 TUES THURS FRI
MAR 9 MAR 11 MAR 12 LAB 9
More complex designs More complex designs Read Appendix B
Ch 11 Ch 11 Quiz

MAR 15-20

NO CLASSES
Enjoy your spring break

MAR 23 MAR 25 MAR 26 LAB 10

Descriptive statistics & correlation Descriptive statistics & correlation Data analyses
Ch 12 & Appendix B Ch 12 Quiz

MAR 30 APR 1 APR 2 LAB 11

RESULTS DUE Drawing inferences from results Writing Results workshop
Drawing inferences from results Ch 13 Quiz
Ch 13

APR 6 APR 8 APR 9 LAB 12

Generalizing from results Generalizing from results
Ch 14 Ch 14 Quiz
Results returned

APR 13 APR 15 APR 16 LAB 13

APR 20 APR 22 APR 23 LAB 14

DRAFT OF FINAL REPORT DUE Class presentations Class presentations
in class and at turnitin.com

APR 27 APR 29 APR 30 meet in GR 4.204

Class presentations Class presentations Class presentations
Final reports returned

MAY 4 (reading day—no classes

May 4-5)

REVISED FINAL REPORT DUE

at my office and turnitin.com

I want to help you be successful in this course in every way I can BEFORE the end of the semester.
After April 30, the course is OVER, and I can NOT give you extra credit.
Course grades will be ready May 19.

CLDP 3394/3194 Syllabus ● Last revised 1/11/10 Page 4

Grading Policy
The basis for assigning grades in this course will be as follows:
Points % of final grade
Quizzes (10 best @ 10 pts each) 100 25%
Lab activities/homework (10 best @ 5 pts each) 50 12.5%
Statistics review 30 7.5%
INDEPENDENT PROJECT
Proposal draft 20 5%
Revised proposal 30 7.5%
Results draft 20 5%
Final report draft 30 7.5%
Poster/presentation 20 5%
Revised final report 100 25%
TOTAL 400 100%

Assignment of letter grades is as follows:

Points earned Percent Letter grade
371-400 93-100% A
359-370 90-92% A-
351-358 88-89% B+
331-350 83-87% B
319-330 80-82% B-
311-318 78-79% C+
291-310 73-77% C
279-290 70-72% C-
271-278 68-69% D+
259-270 65-67% D
0-258 0-64% F

Midterm grades will be calculated by dividing the total number of points earned by the total possible
points that could have been earned as of March 2, 2009 (probably the first 9 quizzes, 7 labs, and
proposal draft and revision, for a total possible of 175 points).

Course & Instructor Policies

Extra credit: Absolutely no individualized extra credit will be available. If you are concerned about your grades,
come see me. I am always available to answer questions about grades and assignments. Please come to see
me early to clear up points of confusion rather than waiting, which may simply add to your frustration and
decrease your learning efficiency.
Late work: All assignments must be handed in when class begins on the day they are due. Late assignments will
not be accepted. Please note that in-class work and quizzes, lab work, and homework may not be submitted
early and can NOT be made up for any reason.
Class attendance: Class attendance is required. Class attendance and participation are an important
indication of your commitment and professionalism, and are critical to your success in this course. Missing
classes is very likely to impact your grade negatively. If you must miss more than three class sessions, come
talk to me about whether or not it will still be possible for you to pass the course.
Classroom citizenship: Please come to class on time and stay for the duration of the class session. You should be
seated and ready to begin on time. Coming in late or leaving early is disruptive and distracting. Cell phones
must be turned OFF and PUT AWAY during class time! Use of cell phones for ANY purpose during
class will result in your expulsion from the class for the rest of that day (and of course, you forfeit that
day’s attendance). Similarly, the use of laptops for any purpose other than taking notes for the current

CLDP 3394/3194 Syllabus ● Last revised 1/11/10 Page 5

 class session will result in your expulsion from the class. Basically, if I have to compete for your attention
with any object you have brought to class, the object goes.
Etc.: Course requirements are described in detail later in this syllabus. You are responsible for all of the
information included here and all additional information presented throughout the semester.

Because your learning is my principal concern, I may make changes to this syllabus—assignments,
exams, timelines, etc.—if it will facilitate your learning. All changes will be discussed in class.

NOTE: It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to acquire missed lecture notes, assignments, handouts,

and announcements from a classmate—NOT from me. You are responsible for all
information given in class. This includes any changes to the syllabus, content and format
of exams, and details given regarding assignments.

Detailed Descriptions of Course Assignments

Quizzes
1. Quizzes focusing on the assigned readings and lecture material will be given to assess your mastery of the
material in each section of the course. Quiz format will be multiple-choice and short answer, based on
materials from the readings, lectures, videos, and class discussions.
2. See me or a TA early if you need help preparing for a quiz. It is helpful (but not required) to study first, and
then come with a list of specific questions or areas of concern. Also, if you feel that you worked hard
studying for a quiz, but received a much lower grade that you anticipated, come see me so that we can
diagnose where your study strategies went wrong. Coming to ask me what you can do to improve your grade
makes sense if you come early in the semester, but is pointless if you come late in the semester (e.g., after the
last class)—at that point there is nothing you can do.
3. Preparing for a quiz is an important part of the learning process. Learning and understanding the material are
the best preparation for the quizzes. Keeping up with the readings pays off. This is a 4 credit course, so plan
to spend at least 12 hours per week outside of class on reading and writing assignments for this course.
4. Make-up quizzes: You must be present for quizzes. Your four lowest quiz grades will be dropped, so if you
must miss a quiz, just consider that one of your dropped grades. PLEASE NOTE: you may drop only TWO
zero grades on the quizzes. If you have more than two zeros (because you were absent or late) the other zeros
WILL COUNT.
5. Students who are not already sitting down and ready for class when the quizzes are distributed may not take
the quiz on that day. To receive full credit for this assignment, you need to arrive for class prepared and on
time 10 times, with no excuses.

Lab activities & Homework

1. You will have 10-14 opportunities to complete assignments in class, in lab, or at home (these will not
necessarily correspond to each of the 14 Friday sessions, so be sure to keep up with what I tell you about this
in class). These exercises are designed to develop your skills to achieve the objectives of the course. Unless I
clearly specify otherwise, all assignments completed outside of class must be typed.
2. You must be present in class to receive and/or complete the activity. Lab activities and homework cannot be
made up. Your four lowest lab grades will be dropped, so if you must miss a lab, just consider that one of
your dropped grades. PLEASE NOTE: you may drop only TWO zero grades on the labs. If you have more
than two zeros (because you were absent or late) the other zeros WILL COUNT.

Turnitin.com
You will upload your paper several times throughout the semester as you continue to revise and expand your work.
In order to avoid appearing to plagiarize yourself, however, you should over-write your paper with each new
revision. Thus, only one assignment appears in turnitin.com, even though you will upload your paper at least four
times (introduction, proposal, full report, final report). Please remember, I cannot grade any paper until the version
I am grading has been uploaded to turnitin. Even though you are uploading your paper to turnitin, you must still
bring a paper copy to class for me to grade.

CLDP 3394/3194 Syllabus ● Last revised 1/11/10 Page 6

Independent Project
Details will be discussed in class throughout the semester. All of these assignments should be in APA format, as
described in your publication manual. Please notice also that NONE of these assignments may be skipped—all must
be completed, in order and on time. You do NOT need to (and should not) wait for feedback on the previous section
of your paper to begin working on the next section. I will make getting feedback to you a top priority. Here are a
few reminders:

1. Introduction
Your introduction will include your title page, introduction (with hypotheses), references, and an
appendix with copies of any materials you have so far. You will have at least 5 relevant articles from
peer-reviewed journals (Please note: your proposal and final report will have more than five!). The
title page and the appendices should not be uploaded to turnitin. Although the number of pages you write
is not particularly important in and of itself, you can expect that your introduction probably will be about
4-5 pages long, not including references. Completeness is more important than length (short enough to be
interesting, long enough to cover what’s important).

2. Proposal
Your formal proposal will include your IRB forms, title page, introduction (with hypotheses), method, a
section on how you will be analyzing your data, references, and an appendix with copies of all of your
materials (solicitation script, consent form, questionnaire, stimulus materials, etc.). The IRB forms, title
page, and the appendices should not be uploaded to turnitin. The combined introduction and method
sections of your proposal probably will be about 7-8 pages long. Again, actual number of pages is not
important, but I want you to have a rough idea of what to expect.

3. Results
You’ll only need to give me your title page, hypotheses, and results section. The subtitle “Results”
should appear at the beginning of this section. You do not need to upload your Results section to
turnitin.com on November 3, but this section should be included in the later versions of your paper that
you will upload. Don’t be surprised if your results section is only about 1-2 pages long.

4. Full report
Your report will include your title page, abstract, introduction (with hypotheses), method, results,
discussion, references, and appendix. You can expect that your full report, from abstract through
discussion, is likely to be about 12-15 pages long.

5. Class Presentation
Create a poster or powerpoint presentation to share your project with the class in a 15-20 minute oral
presentation. Attendance is required for all of the class presentations. Each student’s ratings of others’
presentations will count toward his or her own presentation grade. You do not need to upload your class
presentation to turnitin.com.

6. Revised final report

Your final full report will include your title page, abstract, introduction (with hypotheses), method,
results, discussion, references, and appendix. You may write as many revisions as we can make time for.
I will make getting feedback to you a top priority.

Remember, this syllabus is only a starting point. Details will be discussed in class
throughout the semester and significant changes in procedures, deadlines, and
requirements are likely!

CLDP 3394/3194 Syllabus ● Last revised 1/11/10 Page 7

Field Trip Policies
Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities
Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are
subject to state law and University policies and procedures
regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information regarding
these rules and regulations may be found at the website address
http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.ht
m. Additional information is available from the office of the school
dean.
No travel and/or risk-related activity is associated with this course.
Student Conduct & Discipline
The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at
Dallas have rules and regulations for the orderly and efficient
conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student
and each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules
and regulations that govern student conduct and activities. General
information on student conduct and discipline is contained in the
UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered
students each academic year.
The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline
within the procedures of recognized and established due process.
Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations,
Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter
VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and
Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.
Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in
the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are
available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations
(SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).
A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the
responsibilities of citizenship. He or she is expected to obey
federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules,
university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are
subject to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether
such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or
criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.
Academic Integrity
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility
and academic honesty. Because the value of an academic degree
depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the
student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a
high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements,
acts or omissions related to applications for enrollment or the
award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or
material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic
dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating,
plagiarism, collusion, and/or falsifying academic records. Students
suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary
proceedings.
Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for
other classes, and from any other source (including your own work
for other past or current classes) is unacceptable and will be dealt
with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see general
catalog for details). This course will use the resources (among
others) of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible
plagiarism and is over 90% effective.
Email Use
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and
efficiency of communication between faculty/staff and students
CLDP 3394/3194 Syllabus ● Last revised 1/11/10
through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues
concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email
exchange. The university encourages all official student email
correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email
address and that faculty and staff consider email from students
official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This
allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the
identity of all individuals corresponding and the security of the
transmitted information. UTD furnishes each student with a free
email account that is to be used in all communication with
university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at
U.T. Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T.
Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.
Please note that privacy regulations prohibit me from emailing
your grades to you. Grades will be returned in class on designated
days. If you miss one, please come to my office.
Withdrawal from Class
The administration of this institution has set deadlines for
withdrawal from any college-level courses. These dates and times
are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration
procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to
handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I
cannot drop or withdraw any student, even though your paperwork
may require my signature. You must do the proper paperwork to
ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if
you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.
Student Grievance Procedures
Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on
Student Services and Activities, of the university’s Handbook of
Operating Procedures.
In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades,
evaluations, or other fulfillments of academic responsibility, it is
the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to resolve
the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or
committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called
“the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain primary
responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter
cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be submitted in
writing to the respondent with a copy to the respondent’s School
Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response
provided by the respondent, the student may submit a written
appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the
School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to
the Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the dean
will appoint and convene an Academic Appeals Panel. The
decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the
academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.
Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in
the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are
available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations.
Incomplete Grade Policy
As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only
for work unavoidably missed at the semester’s end and only if 70%
of the course work has been completed (that’s everything but ONE
exam). An incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8)
weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the
required work to complete the course and to remove the
incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the
incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.
Page 8
Disability Services
The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with
disabilities educational opportunities equal to those of their non-
disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the
Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m.
to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and
Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:
The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)
Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make
those reasonable adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination
on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary to
remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals
(in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind.
Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for
example, a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student
who is hearing impaired). Classes of enrolled students with
mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible
facilities. The college or university may need to provide special
services such as registration, note-taking, or mobility assistance.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of
the need for such an accommodation. Disability Services provides
students with letters to present to faculty members to verify that
the student has a disability and needs accommodations.
CLDP 3394/3194 Syllabus ● Last revised 1/11/10
Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the
professor after class or during office hours.
Religious Holy Days
The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class
or other required activities for the travel to and observance of a
religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are
exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas
Code Annotated.
The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity
sponsor as soon as possible regarding the absence, preferably in
advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be
allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a
reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of
the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies
the instructor in advance and completes any missed exam or
assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who
fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed
period may receive a failing grade for that exam or assignment.
If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the
absence [i.e., for the purpose of observing a religious holy day] or
if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has been
given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or
examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a
ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or
her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take
into account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the
student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief
executive officer or designee.
Page 9