This capstone course is designed for Allied Health Concentration and Sports Nutrition concentration exercise science students. Each student will design and implement individual or small-group in-depth research projects. The course requires extensive exploration of current literature, composition of scholarly writing, and presentation of research project findings.
Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
Contact Information
Upon successful completion of this course…
1. The student will be able to explain the basics of research design and methodology within Physical
Activity/Exercise Science.
2. The student will be able to define important terms related to research methodology and statistical
analysis.
3. The student will be able to differentiate various forms of research.
4. The student will be able to determine various aspects of a literature review, reference gathering,
structure of a scientific paper.
No text required for this course.
TENTATIVE STUDENT LEARNER OUTCOMES (SLOs):
Throughout the lecture portion of the course, the students will be expected to:
1. Learn the basics of research design and methodology within Physical Activity/Exercise Science
2. Define important terms related to research methodology and statistical analysis
3. Discuss diverse forms of research; equitable time will be given for complete inclusion of different methodologies
4. Determine various aspects of a literature review, reference gathering, structure of a scientific paper.
Tentative Schedule
Subject to change during the semester. Adequate notice of changes will be given.
8/25 Syllabus
Topic Brainstorming/Ideas
9/1 IRB
Intro to Research
Explaining Behavior
9/8 Developing the Problem
Reading Scientific Literature
Topics Due
9/15 Research Design
Methodology
Subjects/Participants (Between vs. Within)
9/22 Observations, Variables
Survey Research
Non-Experimental Research
9/29 Statistics and Data
IRB Paperwork Submission
10/6 Qualitative vs. Quantitative
10/13 In Service-Professor Development Day – Academic Outreach in schools and Fall Fest, No Classes – (Classes in session for Prison Education Program) First Draft Due
10/20 Completing the Research process / Writing, Drafts, Publication, Presentation, Dissemination
10/27 Individual Meetings
11/3 Individual Meetings
11/10 Individual Meetings
11/17 Individual Meetings
11/24 Individual Meetings
12/1 Presentations
12/8 Presentations (FINAL) 6:00-8:00PM
Professor has the right to change the tentative course schedule and will notify the student if changes are made.
Last Day to Drop is October 27th 2026.
Literature Review Guidelines: Inclusion of the following is the minimum
- 25 pages (excluding title page and references)
- 22 scholarly sources at minimum
- Double-spaced, 1 inch margins on all four sides
- Calibri, Times New Roman, or Cambria font 12pt font for body
- Title page
- Introductory section detailing the importance of the topic.
- The review of the critical research in the literature dealing with the specific topic.
- The organization of the body of the review is up to the student, but it is probably best to organize around central themes in the topic.
- References within the body of the review should be formatted according to APA guidelines (or other referencing guidelines…keep it consistent)
- Section summarizing the reviewed research.
- Reference list (all references must have been cited in the body of the review)
Research Projects Guidelines
- Literature Review (Chapters 1-2 basically)
- 8 page minimum (double-spaced, 1 inch margins, Calibri/TNR/Cambria)
- 10 source minimum
- Hypothesis
- IRB form completed and approved for Research on Human Subjects
- Methodology section including all details related:
- Subject Population, Subject Safety
- Testing Procedures
- Equipment
- Data Analysis
- Results section stating the statistical findings of the study
- Discussion Section explaining the findings of the study and the impact on the current knowledge
- Reference section with all references from the Literature Review as well as Methods and Discussion sections.
I will work with you to get your IRB approved. We will have meetings to work on your paperwork. If doing a project you have 2 meetings required prior to IRB submission.
Guidelines for Both Paths:
Weekly informal or formal writing assignments must be included as a part of course requirements. These may include:
Short (1-2 page) essay responses
Questions for class discussion
Reflections upon course content
Annotated bibliography
Summaries of research articles
Critiques of research articles
Draft paragraphs
Discussion boards
They may also be directed towards stimulating class discussion and building the skills necessary for a longer, sustained writing project.
Lit Review/Project Presentation: Everyone
• 10-15 minute presentation
• Introduction-Why are you interested? Why should we be interested?
• Methods- IRB approval process; search process for finding papers; methods completed for experimentation. Those doing surveys will put their survey here.
• Results- What did you find?
• Discussion- Talk about your paper; your project; how does what you found fit into the current literature?
METHODS OF EVALUATION AND GRADING PROCEDURES:
Performance Evaluation (Research Paper in the form of a scientific study or Literature Review with presentation).
Literature Review 300
(Draft 50)
(4 Meetings 50)
(References 50)
(Org/Punc. 50)
(Final Draft 100)
(Weekly Writing 150)
Presentation 50
TOTAL 500 points
Study 300
(IRB/Lit Review 50)
(4 Meetings 50)
(References 50)
(Org/Punc. 50)
(Final Draft w/ 100)
Data Analysis)
(Weekly Writing 150)
Presentation 50
TOTAL 500 points
A = 90-100% of 350 points
B+ = 86-89% of 350 points
B = 83-85% of 350 points
B- = 80-82% of 350 points
C+ = 76-79% of 350 points
C = 73-75% of 350 points
C- = 70-72% of 350 points
D+ =66-69% of 350 points
D = 63-65% of 350 points
D- = 60-62% of 350 points
F = 0-59% of 350 points
Grading
Percentage grades will only be rounded to the nearest whole number and the cutoff is 0.5% which is the widely accepted procedure for rounding numbers. For example, a grade of 89.5% will be rounded to 90% (letter grade of an A) and a grade of an 89.4% will be rounded to 89% (letter grade of a B). Only three significant digits will be used in grade calculations. For example, a grade of 89.45% will be round to 89%.
Instructor Course Policies
Attendance Policy
- Excused absences include: 1) activities in which the student serves as an official representative of the College (e.g., musical performance, athletic contests, field trips)l; 2) Personal illness, with documentation by the College nurse or a physician, if possible; 3) Family or personal emergencies; and 4) When severe weather makes travel to campus dangerous.
- Other than figures and tables, the lectures will not be available on Blackboard. If you are absent it is your responsibility to get the notes from a classmate.
- This class meets once a week and an absence from class counts as a week of absences. Missing a class may result in a grade of “F” with unexcused absences.
- The professor’s lecture notes will not be made available to the student, regardless of the reason for the student’s absence.
- Audio/video recordings of lectures will not be permitted except in special situations approved by the professor.
The use of cellphones or headphones in class will not be permitted without instructor permission. Using a cellphone or headphones during class may be considered an absence. The instructor reserves the right to ask the student to leave in the event they become a distraction.
Sleeping in Class
Students sleeping in class are a distraction to the professor and to the students in class who have a sincere desire to learn. Therefore, this behavior is deemed to be a form of nonacademic misconduct (see below) and will not be tolerated.
Cellular Phones
Cellular phones are to be turned off during class. A student’s cellular phone ringing is a distraction to the
professor and to the students in class who have a sincere desire to learn. Therefore, failing to comply with this policy is deemed to be a form of nonacademic misconduct (see below) and will not be tolerated. Cell phones are not allowed to be used during the exams. Use of cell phones during exams will result in an “F” for that exam.
Academic misconduct statement:
You are expected to adhere to the highest academic standards of behavior and personal conduct in this course and all other courses. Students who engage in academic misconduct are subject to College disciplinary procedures.
Forms of academic dishonesty:
1) Cheating: Using unauthorized notes or study aids, allowing another party to do one’s work/exam and
turning in that work/exam as one’s own; submitting the same or similar work in more than one course without permission from the course instructors; deception in which a student misrepresents that he/she has mastered information on an academic exercise that he/she has not mastered; giving or receiving aid unauthorized by the instructor on assignments or examinations.
2) Aid of academic dishonesty: Intentionally facilitating any act of academic dishonesty. Tampering with
grades or taking part in obtaining or distributing any part of a scheduled test.
3) Fabrication: Falsification or creation of data, research or resources, or altering a graded work without
the prior consent of the course instructor.
4) Plagiarism: Portrayal of another’s work or ideas as one’s own. Examples include unacknowledged
quotation and/or paraphrase of someone else’s words, ideas, or data as one’s own in work submitted
for credit. Failure to identify information or essays from the Internet and submitting them as one’s own work also constitutes plagiarism.
5) Lying: Deliberate falsification with the intent to deceive in written or verbal form as it applies to an
academic submission.
6) Bribery: Providing, offering or taking rewards in exchange for a grade, an assignment, or the aid of
academic dishonesty.
7) Threat: An attempt to intimidate a student, staff or faculty member for the purpose of receiving an
unearned grade or in an effort to prevent reporting of an Honor Code violation.
Other Forms of Academic Misconduct:
1) Failure to follow published departmental guidelines, professor‘s syllabi, and other posted academic policies in place for the orderly and efficient instruction of classes, including laboratories, and use of academic resources or equipment.
2) Unauthorized possession of examinations, reserved library materials, laboratory materials or other course related materials.
3) Failure to follow the instructor or proctor‘s test-taking instructions, including but not limited to not setting aside notes, books or study guides while the test is in progress, failing to sit in designated locations and/or leaving the classroom/ test site without permission during a test.
4) Prevention of the convening, continuation or orderly conduct of any class, lab or class activity. Engaging in conduct that interferes with or disrupts university teaching, research or class activities such as making loud and distracting noises, repeatedly answering cell phones/text messaging or allowing pagers to beep, exhibiting erratic or irrational behavior, persisting in speaking without being recognized, repeatedly leaving and entering the classroom or test site without authorization, and making physical threats or verbal insults to the faculty member, or other students and staff.
5) Falsification of student transcript or other academic records; or unauthorized access to academic computer records.
6) Nondisclosure or misrepresentation in filling out applications or other college records.
7) Any action which may be deemed as unprofessional or inappropriate in the professional community of the discipline being studied.
8) All work (essays, test answers, homework answers, etc) that you submit in this course must be originally produced by you and not by artificial intelligence. Failure to comply with this policy will result in penalties for academic dishonesty.
Non-academic misconduct:
The college respects the rights of instructors to teach and of students to learn. Maintenance of these rights requires campus conditions that do not impede their exercise. Campus behavior that interferes with these rights will not be tolerated; examples include
1) interfering with the instructor's ability to conduct the class,
2) causing inability of other students to profit from the instructional program, or
3) any interference with the rights of others.
An individual engaging in such disruptive behavior may be subject to disciplinary action. Such incidents will be adjudicated by the Dean of Students under non-academic procedures.
Ongoing behaviors or single behaviors considered distracting (e.g., coming late to class, performing a repetitive act that is annoying, sleeping or reading a newspaper in class, etc.) will be addressed by the faculty member initially either generally or individually. Cases in which such annoying behavior becomes excessive and the student refuses to respond to the faculty member‘s efforts can be referred to the Dean of Students. In the case of serious disruptive behavior in a classroom the instructor may first request compliance from the student and if it is not received, an instructor has the authority to ask the student to leave the classroom. If the student fails to leave after being directed to do so, assistance may be obtained from other college personnel, including Campus Safety. An individual engaging in such disruptive behavior is subject to disciplinary action. Such incidents will be adjudicated by the Dean of Students under non-academic procedures to determine if the student should be allowed to return to the classroom.
Institutional and Program-Level Policies
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.
Undergraduate: FA26 Final Exam Schedule
Out-of-class Work Expectation A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week. |
Instructional Course Delivery Definition of Courses |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. Academic Integrity Policy |
Class Attendance Policy Institutional Class Attendance Policy |