Course Details

After successfully completing this course, you will be able to

• LO-1: Consider what research is and why we study it in Fire Science.
• LO-2: Locate, evaluate and analyze fire-related research.
• LO-3: Demonstrate the application of fire research to a research problem related to one of the course topics.
• LO-4: Conduct a literature review of current literature on a fire-related topic.
• LO-5: Define fire-related research objectives.
• LO-6: Write a fire-related research proposal.
• LO-7: Design a research plan using one or more qualitative/quantitative or mixed methods methodologies.
• LO-8: Observe the rules for ethical research.
• LO-9: Summarize research findings using an abstract, executive summary, and technical

Reading Assignments:

There are reading assignments each week from the required text and articles of interest. Check the syllabus and the announcements at the start of the course and at the start of each week.

Supplemental Readings:

Supplemental readings will be offered in the Forum and included in the Resources Section.

Forum Assignments:

There is a Forum assignment in each of the 8 weeks of the course. Each week, you will be asked to comment on a topic proposed by your instructor and to respond to at least one other student. Forum posts are carefully composed statements supported by citations from the literature. This is NOT a chat room. Posts should be directed to the issues posed by the instructor and the posts of other students. I require APA source referencing for all quotes and paraphrased materials.

Pay particular attention to the Week 1 Introduction Post. It is a 250-word introduction containing your specific learning goals for this course in addition to you brief bio.

Forum posts are due by Sunday night, midnight, with replies to other students no later than Wednesday of the following week. Be certain to review the Forums often and regularly to capture the discussion among class members.

Homework Assignments:

Homework consists of reading, researching, written assignments and reviewing the instructor feedback on you work. All written assignments must adhere to APA 6th Edition style guidance and must be submitted by Sunday midnight to receive full credit.

Exams/Quizzes:

Exams are listed in the syllabus and available to you in the Test & Quizzes tab.

Field Experience Assignments:

As assigned by your instructor or as necessary for your development.

Final Project:

Please see your final project description in your Assignments area.

Required Readings

Web sites and weekly lesson power point presentations

Additional Resources

As assigned by your Instructor

Web Sites

In addition to the required course texts, the following public domain web sites are useful. Please abide by the university’s academic honesty policy when using Internet sources as well. Note web site addresses are subject to change.