Community-Based Research

Curriculum Guideline

Effective Date:
Course
Discontinued
No
Course Code
THRT 3710
Descriptive
Community-Based Research
Department
Therapeutic Recreation
Faculty
Applied Community Studies
Credits
3.00
Start Date
End Term
201820
PLAR
Yes
Semester Length
Flexible delivery ranging over 2 to 15 weeks
Max Class Size
30
Contact Hours
60 Hours
Method(s) Of Instruction
Lecture
Learning Activities
  • Lecture and class discussion
  • Small group work and workshops
  • Community experiences
  • Student dialogue/presentations
Course Description
This course provides guidelines and skills to enable neophyte practitioner researchers to move comfortably through a process of scientific inquiry. Students will learn the methodological, technical, and ethical demands of doing community-based research (CBR). The course is structured in an interactive workshop format including lectures, class discussions, student-led discussions, and small group work. Students will conceptualize and design a community-based research project and learn specific research skills that will enable them to deal effectively with many of the research issues that confront them as they work with multi-disciplinary health and recreation teams.
Course Content

Define research and community-based research (CBR)

  • Research as a daily human activity
  • CBR and links to practitioner research, action research, and participatory action research
  • Theoretical foundations of CBR

Epistemological and methodological underpinnings of CBR

  • Define ontology, epistemology, theory, framework, methodology and methods
  • Quantitative and qualitative research methods
  • Role of literature
  • Orientation of CBR and links to recreation and therapeutic recreation

Research ethics

  • Informed consent, confidentiality, and anonymity
  • Familiarity with Tri-Council Ethics processes
  • Complete research ethics forms at Douglas College

Ask an “answerable” research question

  • Construct meaningful and important research
  • Understand contribution the research question makes and the gap it fills in the literature

Operationalize the research question

  • Write a short literature review on chosen topic
  • Design effective research
  • Determine the appropriate research methodology and research methods to answer the question
  • Create inclusion and exclusion criteria for research participants
  • Determine “when” and “where” research will occur

Conduct student research projects                

  • Data collection
  • Organize and  manage research data
  • Analysis and interpretation I – descriptive coding and identification of major themes
  • Analysis and interpretation II – structural coding and linkages between themes
  • Analysis and interpretation III – linking analysis to literature

Communicate research findings

  • Generate recommendations for various stakeholders
  • Write a research report
  • Present research findings in symposium format
Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  1. idefine research and community-based research (CBR)
  2. understand the epistemological and methodological underpinnings of CBR
  3. explain when and how quantitative and qualitative research methods would be applied in the field of therapeutic and general community recreation
  4. describe the ethical considerations of any CBR project
  5. determine the research methodology and methods required to answer a particular research question;
  6. construct an effective research plan
  7. apply strategies for collecting, managing and analyzing data
  8. recommend a range of actions that may result from a particular study.

Means of Assessment

This course will conform to Douglas College policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations. Typical means of evaluation would include a combination of:

  • Research proposal
  • Off-campus activities
  • Research report
  • Symposium presentation

This is a letter graded course

Textbook Materials

T.B.A.

Prerequisites

60 credits of coursework

Which Prerequisite