Applied Sciences "Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies" (PALS) Evidence-Based Practices Assignment (Synthesis Matrix)

EEX 6051 – Evidence-Based Practices Assignment

This assignment is designed to help you develop skills in analyzing and synthesizing current research evidence on a specific instructional strategy or intervention. It is also designed to help you further develop your skills related to searching the library databases, concise writing, and APA formatting. (6 articles are referenced in APA 7th edition format and are MANDATORY REQUIRED!!!!!!!!!)

This assignment is used to assess student performance related to the following program-level learning outcome:

· Explain and analyze evidence-based instructional strategies designed to reduce learning barriers and increase engagement and learning for students with diverse learning needs.

Assignment Steps

1. Select a research-based instructional strategy or intervention designed to serve students with exceptionalities and conduct a review of peer-reviewed research studies investigating its effectiveness using the UWF library databases. You must select a specific technique/strategy and not a comprehensive program or broad group of strategies. If you are unsure of your selection, please check with the instructor before finalizing your decision.

Non-Example/Example

· Inappropriate topic (too broad) – “Effective communication techniques”

· More appropriate topic (more specific, but still needs to be refined) – “Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). ( NOTE: PECS is off limits, please choose other strategies.)

· When I searched “PECS” in the library database for peer-reviewed articles, I had 100 results (too many). I added “speech” to narrow the focus and locate articles that researched PECS to improve speech (results were 24 articles). While this is better, I still narrowed by adding “autism” (results were 22 articles). After reviewing the returns, I noticed that there were 4 articles that were meta-analyses (reviews of multiple studies). I decided to narrow my topic to ”the use of PECS to increase speech for individuals with autism”. I could focus on the 4 meta-analyses and include other appropriate research articles as needed to support my thesis and main discussion points in the synthesis matrix.

2. Develop a thesis and 2-3 main ideas based on the research articles related to your strategy

a. A thesis is more than just a presentation of the professional literature about the topic. It is a one-sentence statement that is an argument or claim about the research findings on the strategy/technique based on a thorough level of analysis of the professional literature. Before finalizing your thesis, be sure that there is enough research in the professional literature to support it.

b. Your main ideas are two to three ideas or conclusions represented across the studies you have reviewed. If desired, it is appropriate to focus one of your main ideas on critical gaps or points of disagreement in the research. The main ideas must be supported by at least three of the studies you have selected.

3. Complete the synthesis matrix using the format provided in the assignment area. Please be sure to review the grading rubric (a separate document found at the eLearning assignment link) prior to completing the assignment. This synthesis matrix includes:

a. The name of the selected strategy and a detailed description based on the professional literature

b. A one-sentence thesis statement

c. Main ideas and corresponding notes describing the findings related to the main idea in each research article. It is best to write these notes in your own words so that you can avoid plagiarizing the authors’ works.

d. Summary paragraphs are written in your own words describing the support for each main idea. In your summary paragraphs, you need to present common conclusions/findings across the research studies as well as go into some depth about individual studies to support the main idea you have identified (thus supporting your thesis). if relevant, you may want to identify any points of disagreement across the articles.

Submission guidelines:

· Your assignment must be formatted in the Synthesis Matrix Template (provided at the end of this document)

· Your strategy description and summary paragraphs must be written in APA 7th edition format (including in-text citations and a reference page). You do not need a title page or abstract for this assignment. Use the Synthesis Matrix Template. (6 articles are referenced in APA 7th edition format and are MANDATORY REQUIRED!!!!!!!!!)

· Use peer-reviewed research studies that investigate the effectiveness of your selected strategy/intervention from the library databases to support your thesis and main ideas. (6 articles are referenced in APA 7th edition format and are MANDATORY REQUIRED!!!!!!!!!)

· NO direct quotes are allowed. Summarize in your own words.

· Submit your assignment and a pdf copy of all articles referenced in the paper to the appropriate assignment links in the course. There are separate links for the assignment and the supporting articles. Continue below to the synthesis matrix template that you will use to develop your assignment.

Synthesis Matrix Template/ (Example of what the final paper will look like)

Student Name:

Strategy Name:

Strategy Description:

· Indicate the specific strategy for which you are conducting this research review and describe the strategy (e.g., specific steps, process, etc.) in paragraph format. Be sure to use in-text citations within this paragraph(s) to credit ideas to the authors of the works you used.

Thesis:

· Write your thesis here. This is a specific claim or argument related to research findings on the strategy, and it should be written as a one-sentence statement

Main Idea #1 (required) Write your main idea here as a complete sentence. Remember, this can either be a common conclusion across articles or a point of disagreement across articles.
Source A	Source B	Source C	Source D
You must have 3-4 research studies to support your main idea (minimum of 3). For each source, list: -Last name(s) of author and year -Participants studied -Intervention studied -Findings related to the main idea (include the specific findings related to the main idea)	Include the same type of information as Source A	Include the same type of information as Source A	Include the same type of information as Source A

Summary Paragraph(s) for Main Idea #1:

You are to write a summary paragraph that begins with your main idea and includes the research findings from the professional literature that supports the identified main idea. Be sure you are synthesizing the information you have found (discussing common ideas across articles instead of discussing each article individually).

Main Idea #2 (required) Write your main idea here as a complete sentence. Remember, this can either be a common conclusion across articles or a point of disagreement across articles.
Source A	Source B	Source C	Source D
You must have 3-4 research studies to support your main idea (minimum of 3). For each source, list: - Last name(s) of author and year -Participants studied -Intervention studied -Findings related to the main idea (include the specific findings related to the main idea)	Include the same type of information as Source A	Include the same type of information as Source A	Include the same type of information as Source A

Summary Paragraph(s) for Main Idea #2:

Follow the instructions from above (Summary for Main Idea #1)

Main Idea #3 (optional) Write your main idea here as a complete sentence. Remember, this can either be a common conclusion across articles or a point of disagreement across articles.
Source A	Source B	Source C	Source D
You must have 3-4 research studies to support your main idea (minimum of 3). For each source, list: - Last name(s) of author and year -Participants studied -Intervention studied -Findings related to the main idea (include the specific findings related to the main idea)	Include the same type of information as Source A	Include the same type of information as Source A	Include the same type of information as Source A

Summary Paragraph(s) for Main Idea #3:

Follow the instructions from above (Summary for Main Idea #1)

References

These should be on a separate page and written using APA 7th edition formatting.