Professional Documents
Culture Documents
May 3, 2013
IDSL 840
Unit 12
Assignment 1
Directions:
Read the material in the Merriam text pages 265-270 and answer
the following questions below. After completing these questions save
questions and answers and upload them into Blackboard. After the
homework has been uploaded, respond to the discussion question for
the week.
Assessment/ Homework from Merriam, Unit Notes and the Internet:
This assignment should be completed in the following format as it
aligns with your DCCL ePortfolio dissertation materials requirement.
If you follow this format, you will complete your first attempt toward a
portion of your Dissertation Proposal.
1. General topic / Area of interest.
Provide supporting narrative in relation to the nature and importance
of the question. (Example: Learner-centered classroom settings)
Topic: Community college growth through community arts
engagement.
I am going to use a Positivist approach to predict, control, generalize the
experimental, survey or quasi-experimental data in objective or external
realities since I anticipate there will be enough plausible data available.
2. Specific area of interest.
Focus the topic more clearly (Example: Evaluating the features and
effectiveness of learner-centered classrooms)
B. Data Collection
I will want to collect the numbers of community arts engagements I
can currently identify, and compare them to model collaborations
around the nation. I will seek to maximize research, discovery and
interpretation by doing rich data collection. I will review ephemera in
the culture, literary manuscripts, primary resources on the internet,
public records (of events and collaborative programs), personal
documents of key community people in arts engagement, visual
documents and artifacts from artistic events and endeavors, and
popular culture documents in the local community.
C. Data Analysis
I am not sure at this time if I will seek to utilize software to help me in
analyzing the culled information as I proceed. As mentioned earlier, I
will do phenomenological data analysis, ethnography, narrative analysis and
case study research, and then coding.
D. Pilot Study
I will want to do a pilot study in Lansing and East Lansing, Michigan,
involving the Lansing Community College, Michigan State University,
the local K-12 schools, and community partners. I would be seeking
to expand upon the premise that engagement is part of the
organizational culture. I will do interviews and tape recordings as a
participant in some settings, and a non-participant in others.
E. Validity and Reliability
I will want to do a literature review to determine what similar projects
exist in Michigan or other states so that I can gage the validity and
reliability of my findings.
F. Research Bias and Assumptions
Sometimes organizations interpret community engagement as
collaboration, marketing to diverse audiences, or developing
programs for underserved groups. While those are all worthy and
necessary activities, an engaged community arts education provider
does more. It promotes consistent community interaction that is a