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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. When you review Part 3, it should help you better define your hypothesis or research question for the topic you developed last week.

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.

When it comes to assignments, your primary task is focused on the Diffusion of Innovations theory.  You’ll read a Wikipedia article related to it and explore its connection to how you have adopted various innovations in your life. I learned about the theory as it relates to new communication technologies, like radio, television, and social media. It 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, and refrigerators. Essentially, the list is endless.

You’ll explore its relation to your life through a blog post. Instructions are linked below and in our blog events. 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, everyone will review Week 1 posts from their topic/discussion group members and post brief replies to at least two of them. You might provide them with your take on their research ideas, your opinion of their group name suggestions, or just a note of something you both have in common. I’ll use these to name your groups in Bb and hope the replies help you better get to know one another.

Finally, two groups will post presentations related to Topics 2 and 3. Most of the initial Week 1 Presentations post is copied into a new post for Week 2 and it will have the assignments for this week’s groups. While I’ve had to delay an in-person meeting a little longer, I do intend to remain flexible if anyone wants to use class time for an in-person or real-time Zoom presentation. If you would prefer that, be sure to let me know at least two days in advance so we can work something out.

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 in your group to express common interests or ideas. Your replies will help me rename your groups and, hopefully, get you started on comfortable conversations throughout the semester.
3. Two groups of students have presentations this week.
   • Head’s Up! You’ll have a quiz next week on all three chapters, and also next week, all three groups will be expected to add some replies to group members’ posts on the chapters.

Because of the Labor Day Holiday on Monday, you do have a couple of extra days for this assignment. However, the week three deadline will be on Monday again. In the meantime, Week 2 assignments are due…

Due: Wednesday, September 8 at 2 pm Central.