competencies

Research and Study Competencies to develop before the final Required Courses

CCT expects students early in their program of study to develop competencies in the areas below. Make use of self-study guides and workshops to assist your development. Print out and use the left margin to take stock of what you already do well and what your priorities are for next steps.

• Computer use
  • Establish how you’ll use email, so that you can keep school work separate from personal and work emails (including deciding if you’ll regularly check your UMB student email account, or have messages sent to it automatically forwarded to a personal email account)
  • Establish a filing system for email and attachments downloaded to your own computer
  • Establish a system on your computer of folders/directories and folders/directories inside folders/directories, so that all files are inside folders/directories and can be easily backed up or synchronized (Examples: Courses; Email; Bibliographic records; Work/Organizations; Correspondence;...)
  • Establish a system using flash drives/online file-sharing/online backup services to synchronize files from one computer to the next
  • Use of email mailing lists and online discussion boards in support of your academic work
  • Use of online systems for collaborative knowledge generation
  • Use of social network sites (to extend the experiences that we value in face-to-face and person-to-person interactions and to spark other kinds of generative interactions that hadn't been happening off-line, e.g., those listed under Reflective Practice below)
  • Become familiar with the facilities and professional development opportunities provided by Information Technology
  • Install an up-to-date internet browser and set your preferences on it
  • Download Acrobat Reader to read PDF files and install pdf reader plugin to your browser
  • Combine the above into a sustainable set of computer-use practices (see guide to a virtual office)
• Library use and Research
  • Get your student ID card and then a library bar code
  • Access to on-line reference material and internet searching via on-line tutorials or workshops
  • Establish a bibliography database for references (recommended software, Endnote or RefWorks, available to students for free through your Healey Library account)
  • Understand that using material you did not write without citing the source is plagiarism and unacceptable (see the library’s Research Guide on this topic).
  • Establish a system of bookmarking and annotating webpages relevant to your current or future projects (e.g., diigo.com , Mendelay, Zotero
  • Establish a system of files to organize research materials that you have on paper (complementing the electronic filing system).
• Writing and Editing
  • Arrange peer and/or professional editorial assistance (which frees professors to interact with you around your ideas)
  • Explore writing assistance if needed (e.g., Graduate Writing Center/Academic Support)
  • Establish preferred citation style and prepare a guide for yourself to use it consistently (see the library’s Research Guide on this topic)
  • Spelling and grammar check using a word processing program
  • Standard, consistent use of commas and other punctuation (use Turabian or other reference to create a checklist)
  • Formatting documents, using your word processor’s ruler, table layout, page breaks, indents (minimize the use of tabs/spaces to align and position text)
  • Phases of developing research writing, which are adaptable to any project.
• Reflective Practice
  • Personal/professional workbook, including notes, journaling, information you want to refer back to
  • Reflective Practice (or Metacognitive) Portfolio
  • Use of social network sites to extend the experiences that we value in face-to-face and person-to-person interactions and to spark other kinds of generative interactions that hadn't been happening off-line, e.g., CCT and SICW social networks
  • Hidden diversity ("underlying differences that shape who we are in unique ways...allow[ing] us the opportunity to contribute to society in very individual and productive ways")
  • The Rs of the CCT experience (personal, professional, and intellectual development through the CCT Program)
  • Developing as a Reflective Practitioner (designed for reviewing the synthesis project, but adaptable to any project)

Last update 14 Nov. 2014