Assembling Your LA and KAM: The Nuts and Bolts of Formatting With Heidi Marshall, MFA Writing Specialist

Session Outline

• Overview of LA • Overview of KAM • LA & KAM formatting • Common mistakes to avoid • Resources available • Questions

Purpose of LA

LA:

Contract in which you indicate the subject area objectives, resources, and demonstration of mastery for your KAM.

Overview of LA

• The LA summarizes your main objectives for each section • The LA identifies the sources you will use in each section • The LA acts as a contract between you and your mentor – That does not mean, however, that you can’t deviate from that contract once you start writing your KAM

LA Components: Overview

• Provides an overview of the KAM • The overview should be 1-3 paragraphs (usually less than a page) • The overview is just a general summary of your goals for each section • The overview should be grounded in the curriculum guidelines for that particular KAM.

•

LA Components: Objectives

The objectives for each section should be specific

Say this: Analyze the social change theories of Marx, Blumer, Durkheim, and Toffler in terms of their underlying assumptions about human nature and destiny.

Not this: Analyze several social change theories.

•

The objectives should demonstrate what you have learned, not what you hope to understand

Say this: Differentiate between open and closed systems in terms of organization, purpose, and effect.

Not this: Understand the difference between open and closed systems.

•

The objectives should demonstrate higher order thinking.

Use verbs like synthesize, compare and contrast, analyze, integrate, evaluate Do not use verbs like list, understand, identify

LA Components: References

• References need to be scholarly • Have as many primary sources as possible (don’t read about Freud in Marshall) • Include only those references you can access and will read • Follow APA style rules

Questions About the LA?

• For questions about content, ask a faculty member!

Purpose of KAM

• A KAM is a comprehensive, independent unit of study in a social science area.

• A KAM is a

demonstration

. So what are you demonstrating?

-Your knowledge about a topic that interests you -That you know what you are talking about and that it matters to your audience

KAM Overview

A KAM is a paper about 90 pages long You first write what you know about theory You then write about recent scholarly research You then apply that research to a real-life situation

What is the purpose?

• To develop your independent research skills and confidence so that you can meet your personal and professional interests and goals.

• • To help you understand how you can contribute to social change at some level in your profession.

To allow you to demonstrate your ability to connect theory, research, and practice.

Organizing a KAM Breadth • Select the texts you will use • Take notes and organize them into themes that interest you.

*Note: You do not always need to read an entire book, but you do want to have a good enough understanding of the theories so you do not take anything out of context

• Make an outline based on your themes

*Try not to organize by theorists because you’ll end up with a Breadth that reads like a biography or book report

Breadth Organization, continued In the Breadth, you should:

• Indicate the section’s purpose • Present a critical discussion of theories • Critique the theories and methods used to form them • Synthesize the theories • Evaluate the theories • Provide a preview of the Depth: How the theories might inform current research

Organizing KAM Depth

• • • • • First, conduct preliminary research and narrow your search down to at least 15 articles on a your topic.

Accuracy:

Is the information error free?

Authority:

so?

Who is supplying the information and are they qualified to do

Objectivity: Currency:

topic?

Is the information bias free? Is the currency of the information appropriate for your field or

Coverage:

Are all aspects and details of the subject covered?

Your task is NOT to just summarize each one; you must conduct a critical analysis.

Once you Have your Top 15

• Was the research question well framed and significant? • How well was the research related to the existing body of knowledge? • Did the article make an original contribution to the existing body of knowledge? • Was the theoretical framework for the study appropriate? • Has the researcher communicated clearly and fully? • Was the research method appropriate? • How else might answer the research question? • Was the sample size sufficient? • Were there adequate controls for researcher bias? • Is the research replicable? • What were the limitations in this study? • How easily can you generalize the findings? • Are the conclusions justified by the results?

Take Notes!!!

While reading, make sure that you're taking notes on what interests you.

Be sure to include a citation for your notes so you don’t have to go back later and look it up. (Author, year, p. x)

Write the Annotated Bibliography

• Includes at least 15 articles that are no more than 5 years old (aim for no more than 3 years) • Begin with the full APA reference followed by -a summary -a critical analysis (use those questions that guided you through your research -a statement of value (how will this article help you?)

Write a Critical Review Essay

• Take the birds-eye view • Try to organize thematically or methodologically • Compare and contrast purpose statements • Indicate strengths and limitations in research designs • Construct trends or recurring issues • Speak to the relationships among studies • State the relationship of the articles to your interests or area of inquiry • Note where there are gaps in the literature (this could be a dissertation topic)

Organizing an Application

In the Application, you will be designing or examining a particular project that connects with the theories and research of the earlier components of the KAM.

– Your goal is to initiate social change in your field based on what you learned in the Breadth and Depth – You want to test the theories you learned in a real-life situation

Application Breakdown

• Begin with a full description of your project – What was the project’s purpose?

– Who was involved in the project?

– Was the project successful?

– Why was the project important?

• Reflect on the project – How was the project informed by the theories?

• This is where you connect the entire KAM – What are the future implications of/developments for the project?

– How will the project help change your professional field?

Develop a practical Application that is reflective of your theory and research Create a project that shows you can translate theory and research into practice

•

Explains how the project connects with the theory and/or research analyzed in the earlier parts of the KAM Select a topic that grows out of the theories or theorists of the Breadth section.

Explore current research around that topic Journals should be peer reviewed or referred. Books may supplement and aren’t annotated.

Research from last 3 - 5 years.

Write Literature Review Project on Findings of Research Application Depth Learning Agreement Title Page-Identification-KAM number, title, your name) Overview Breadth Objectives References Demonstration of Mastery Depth Objectives References Demonstration of Mastery Application Objectives References Demonstration of Mastery Breadth Classical or Contemporary Theorists

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Select theorists around a particular theme

•

Write an essay to develop the theme

•

Demonstrate higher-order thinking throughout Three Tiered KAM Model 1

1Shepard, M. (2007, May).

Mentoring the KAM process

. (Available to Walden Faculty from Walden University). Adapted from slide originally created by Joe Ann Hinrichs.

Questions about the KAM?

LA and KAM Formatting

Check the KAM Guide and Templates Often

Formatting guidelines might change slightly over time to make KAMs easier to compile, so use the online versions of the Guidebook and Template as your sources for information!

Check Your Document

Make sure you’re using: • 12 point, serif font (Walden prefers Times New Roman) • 1-inch margins all around • No bold or underlined text with the exception of Level 1, 2, 3, and 4 headings, which are bold • American English language

Template Review: LA

• http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/393.htm

Template Review: KAM

• http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/395.htm

Most Common Writing Mistake

Wordiness (i.e., trying to sound smart)!

While scholarly writing has style conventions,

it does not have to be wordy, stuffy, or dispassionate.

You should avoid colloquialisms and slang, but

do not strive to sound academic

.

Sentences should not be long and complex.

Your convictions about what you are writing, dynamic evidence, and honest voice should not be lost in tedium. Crispness, curiosity, honesty, and enthusiasm are ingredients of impassioned scholarship (KAM Guidebook, p. 36)

.

Other Common Mistakes

• Students don’t see the KAM as a whole document • Students self-format at the end of the process • Students don’t keep track of sources • Students don’t use Walden resources • Students don’t use information from their LAs in compiling their KAMs • Students become overwhelmed by not focusing on one task at a time

Use Format Help!

• Templates: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/57.htm

• MS Word Formatting: [email protected]

Helpful Web Sites

• KAM: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/395.htm

• LA: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/393.htm

• KAM Curriculum and Resources: http://inside.waldenu.edu/c/Student_Facult y/StudentFaculty_941.htm

Writing/Research Resources

• Walden Writing Center: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu

• Library Resources: http://library.waldenu.edu