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Hint: Take good notes from the textbook to help you in a couple of months when you start researching your project and start writing your own literature review. 
Weekly Overview:
This week, we move on to Parts 2 and 3 of Patten & Newhart’s text this week. Part 2 covers literature reviews and notes the importance of creating a synthesis of the research. Part 3 covers research design, hypotheses, and research questions.
Once again, the links under “Activities” will help you with the reading. The bookstore link was in last week’s overview. This week, I’ve included a Kindle Sample of the text on Amazon, just in case you are awaiting a hard copy to come in. I think it will allow you to review the first three chapters of the text.
Powerpoints of Parts 2 and 3 are also linked below. There are no instructional videos related to these readings. Last Fall I asked students to create study guides on the material.  If you’d like that to help you along, please let me know.
Also this week, I want to bring your attention to an opportunity on February 3. The library is holding two research refresher workshops this semester. The first is Wednesday, February 3.
The link will be in next week’s overview, but I’m letting you know this week so you can add the event, at 3:30 pm Central, to your calendar. The Zoom workshop will cover “Developing a Research Project.” I’m sure you’ll find it helpful this semester if you are able to attend.
Finally, you’ll also read a Wikipedia article on a theory that can be very helpful in Informatics. I learned about the Diffusion of Innovations as it relates to new communication technologies, like radio, television, and social media. The theory applies to how we begin using a lot of things, the use of filters to prevent viruses that travel in drinking water, the use of masks in a pandemic, the use of smartphones, laptops, refrigerators. Essentially, the list is endless.
Once you’ve read the article, you’ll post to the blog to discuss how the theory has worked in your life. Instructions are under the “Week 2 Blog Post” subheading for this unit. Hopefully, introducing you to this theory will help you become more comfortable with theory in general. I hope the assignment will also help you better understand how theory helps us to explain and better understand real-world events.
Additionally, I will be reviewing your initial blog posts this week and using them to create discussion groups. Once the groups are set, I hope they will help you better understand the class and the course materials. Hopefully, we can start some group discussions next week.
Hint:  You have specific questions in two different general areas for the blog post. Be sure you clearly address each question for full credit.
Wikipedia Clarification: Some students seem to misunderstand the assignment even after reading the article.  To clarify:

• The adoption process, discussed in Wikipedia, is the process you go through as you adopt or reject a new thing.
• The categories of adopters are how we discuss various groups of people who make the decision to adopt a new thing.

The Week’s Learning Objectives:

1. Develop plans to find scientific literature.
2. Describe the basic concepts in quantitative research.
3. Apply one theory to your personal experiences.

Week 2 Learning Tasks:

A. Activity Checklist:

1. Finish the first three parts of the current text, Patten and Newhart (2018).
2. Read the Wikipedia article on Diffusion of Innovations
3. Lecture Slides Two – Reviewing and Citing Literature
4. Lecture Slides Three – Basic Concepts in Quantitative Research

B. Assignments

1. See Instructions Post: Discuss some of your personal experience with new or old innovations.
2. Look over the initial post of your classmates. Reply to at least two classmates to express common interests. Your replies may help me better group everyone into solid topical groups as the semester continues.

Due: Tuesday, February 2 at 2 pm Central.