Nichols College Best Assignment Project Spring 2016-Submitted by the Nichols College Faculty
Digital Exhibit Assignment: The Digital Exhibit assignment is designed to allow students the opportunity to produce more substantial work on a topic of interest, and present their findings in a multi-media platform that differs from the written and oral components of the other course assignments. To earn full credit the PowerPoint presentation must be between 10-20 slides, including a title slide at the beginning and a bibliography at the end. The substance of the presentation should be an original argument that is informed by course reading which may be enhanced by outside research. Citing a mixture of at least three primary sources and three secondary sources from across at least three chapters of the textbook is required.
Digital Exhibit Rubric: Argument
Makes a clear point about a relevant topic
/ 10
Content
Includes accurate and appropriate information to substantiate the argument
/ 10
Presentation
Utilizes multi-media to create a compelling Powerpoint
/ 10
Sources
Adheres to assignment guidelines and properly cites all sources of information
/ 10
Style
Submitted on time without egregious errors or omissions
/ 10
TOTAL
/ 50
Outcomes: The Digital Exhibit is my best assignment for students because it is creative and cumulative: they can take their favorite topics from the semester and integrate course material with independent research to build something original by the end of the semester. For the purpose of measuring outcomes it is my best assignment because it contains multiple elements that can be traced via the rubric to different course and program level outcomes. For example, the first category fits course outcome #1 and HIST PLO #4, the second measures course outcome #2 and PLO #1, the third adheres to course outcome #3, and the fourth maps to PLO #2 (see course and program level outcomes below). Although this assignment is currently used in a 100-level course and therefore not useful for assessing History majors, it could be utilized to measure the Introduction of outcomes that will be assessed in upper-level courses, or adapted to fit a 300/400-level history course that is suitable to assess. Course Level Outcomes for HIST 118: Sport and the Making of America 1. Demonstrate a working knowledge of the content and concepts presented in this course throughout the semester 2. Evaluate evidence presented in primary and secondary sources 3. Present reasoned analysis in an organized, coherent manner, both orally and in writing 4. Utilize course material to engage with the academic community of sports studies History Program Level Outcomes H1. Demonstrate a basic understanding of the major eras, events, controversies, and ideas about the history of the world and the United States. H2. Demonstrate a detailed familiarity with basic methods and techniques used by modern historians for research and in the assessment of evidence, including primary and secondary sources. H3. Demonstrate knowledge and comprehension in depth about several topic areas in history and government through completion of advanced electives. H4. Demonstrate a capacity to read, write and speak intelligently about topics in history and government as well as possess the ability to analyze critically historical materials, ideas, and controversies.
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project: Best Assignment
Course: Mgmt. 482 Management Capstone – Art Duhaime
The Assignment: Professional Networking Why ? The successful transition from being a “Student of Management” to a “Management Professional” requires a shift in thinking. Too often, the shift in thinking doesn’t come soon enough and critical time is lost in getting the professional footholds so important to career success. You will need other people to make your career a success. Think about it: Professionals network. Professionals attend professional society events. Professionals support their profession after graduation. Professionals read business books and current industryspecific materials and attend industry-specific trade shows and pursue industry-specific certifications. Professionals stay in touch with each other, they breakfast, they lunch, they dinner, they play and they socialize together. Professionals reach out to those people who may some day be an integral part of their next career move. As a key component of this last semester’s work as Management majors and students in the Management capstone course, you will be asked to begin the shift into your profession. You must complete 5 of the following options during the assigned timeframe. One of these 5 is a required event where you must be attendance at the Nichols College Career Fair. Attend a trade show or a professional seminar Go on a Job Interview. ( you may only use this option once ) Attend a local town meeting Attend a Professional society breakfast, luncheon or dinner Take someone ( not from Nichols College ) who can impact your career to a business meal Attend a Chamber of Commerce meeting ( or similar business oriented organization ) Share a sport ( golf, etc. ) or hobby or interest event with a business contact The Nichols College Career Fair. Professional Business attire / business cards / res To complete each one of the 5 required, you must write up and submit an Event Report for each activity.
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project: Best Assignment
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Course: Mgmt. 482 Management Capstone – Art Duhaime
The Assignment: Professional Networking
Why is it the Best ? This assignment address the importance of transitioning into a professional networking environment and provides experiential opportunities for students to test their wings outside of the safety of the Nichols College community. Of all the assignments in this course this is the only one which forces students outside of their comfort zones and into the business world they are about to enter. The assignment provides many acceptable forms of networking opportunities, so students have the option of selecting from encounters they might be able to arrange, yet the one required event is the Nichols College Career Fair. The Career Fair event is the lead off event for most students and since I am at the Fair and encourage and guide students around the “floor” of the Fair, the initiation into professional networking is less threatening for many. Event reports reinforce the need to maintain professional contacts and require follow up communications or action plans. Feedback is provided by me, the Event Reports typically initiate some discussions in class and a learningby-doing environment develops.
How Do I know It Is The Best ? While most students are reluctant to get started with this assignment due to shyness, students tell me afterwards that they are glad that they had to get out into “the real world” ( their words, not mine ) and that in many instances they have established contacts that have evolved into referrals or opportunities that they may never have know about. Students are observed in action at the career fair and are mentored by me into how to initiate conversations and how to target opportunities.
From:
Nicholas Barnes
Re:
My Best Assignment: Real-world Supervillain Lairs
One of my favorite assignments is a simple one on Risk Management. The goal of the assignment is to allow students to take the content, which they read for homework and was reinforced in class, and apply it. I find that application is more successful, and more memorable, when used with real life examples. Risk Management centers around identifying risks, determining their likelihood and potential cost, and deciding what course of action to take in response. After doing some “warmup” examples like a supermarket, and Nichols College, I challenge the students with something more “outside of the box.” Cracked.com has a list of “Real World Supervillain Lairs” linked here. The examples range from a massive underground marijuana growing operation in Tennessee to Saddam Hussein’s bunker to Carlos Lehder’s “Cocaine Island.” The details of each story are fascinating to the students, but for learning purposes provide both a memorable example as well as an actual location which can be researched further. I sincerely hope that students will never be in a position where, as part of their occupation, they must determine the likelihood and costs of the dangers inherent to a drug empire. That said, the lesson absolutely helps reinforce the steps and strategies of risk management which I want them to master.
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project: Best Assignment Course: BCOM316 Mass Media & Public Relations – Jean Beaupre The Assignment: Mock Press Conferences In this course, the group project is a public relations plan for a nonprofit organization (of the students’ choosing). Immediately following the team presentations, I give them an additional assignment – to manage a crisis for their nonprofit organization. The element of surprise is meant to mimic the pace of real-life public relations, and that sometimes professionals have to deal with fallout from circumstances beyond their control. I give each team a fabricated crisis that has just happened to their organization, and tell them that in the next class, they will have to hold a press conference about it. In addition, each student will also serve as a member of the media, asking questions of another team. So the assignment has a few facets:
Prep sheet for the conference (I give them things they should think about ahead of time) In-class participation as a member of their organization’s crisis team, answering questions from the media In-class participation as a member of the media, asking questions of another organization in crisis Brief reflection paper
Why is it the best? The assignment is experiential, and underscores how the field of public relations is fast-paced, with many aspects outside of your control. It also shows the role of the media, and how the media and public relations professionals typically have differing objectives: the media seek newsworthiness and scandal, while PR professionals seek to control the image of their organization. The various elements allow students to be active participants in most of the class, and also observe the other teams “under fire” in their press conferences. It also allows for practice of public speaking, listening, and responding in a controlled and effective manner, using communication to achieve organizational goals. How do I know it is the best? It is one of my favorites to observe and to read, because the students are very engaged and it feels like they both enjoy and learn from it. The students are clearly energized and a little nervous for the actual press conference. There is energy in the air as we set up for the class, and as they get ready for their turn in the hot seat. As members of the media, they don’t shy away from asking challenging questions of their classmates. They also pay very close attention when they are the observers. The students gain insights into the best practices of managing
public relations crises, the role of the media, and their own communication skills, as evidenced in the reflection assignment. What program and course outcomes does the assignment address? BCOM 316 Course outcomes: Explain the role media and public relations play in an organization; and demonstrate competent oral and written communication skills, individually and working in a group. BCOM program outcomes: (1) Effectively communicate via oral and written methods, applying principles of communication theories, and recognizing the impact of tone, language and nonverbal cues; and (3) Assess and resolve communication problems in interpersonal, intercultural, team, organizational and public contexts. Sample student reflection on the assignment: I thoroughly enjoyed the press conference assignment and I feel strongly that it broadened my understanding of public relations. I was surprised that the exact same conversation could interpreted and construed differently depending on an individual’s role. I also found some roles particularly challenging. For example, I struggled with my preparation to be the interviewee. It was difficult to anticipate what the media was going to ask and to formulate a response that was comprehensive and satisfied the question without making the company appear uncooperative, defensive, or guilty. Additionally, though I put a lot of thought into my anticipated questions, I felt blindsided by a couple questions asked by the media. [Student name] asked a question about our company caring more about money than dogs and this caught me particularly off guard‌. This was definitely the most difficult part of the assignment and it taught me that a company can go into a press conference feeling fully prepared and still end up completely stumped by a question. In the future I would likely better prepare for unusual or antagonistic questions and keep my answers on the shorter side. There were certainly times in which I rambled to buy time to formulate thoughts and I would have appeared more professional if I had made the same points using fewer clutter words. [‌] I feel I learned the most from this assignment during my role as an observer. It was really helpful to be able to see both sides of the argument without having the bias associated with having a role. I was able to listen to questions and responses without any preconceived notions, and I got a much better feel for what is and is not appropriate for a company to say in a press conference. For example, I feel that the companies that performed the best in this assignment were the ones that did not appear defensive, did not get angry, did not openly blame anyone, proposed solutions, admitted their fault,
and offered genuine apologies. The companies that appeared transparent and cooperative seemed to be the most likeable and believable. Overall, I was really nervous about this assignment because the media can be unpredictable and blood-thirsty […]. However, I think that by sticking to some crisis response basics like acknowledging the crisis, sticking to the facts, being honest, demonstrating learning from the crisis, expressing sympathy (hopefully without accepting liability), and/or offering compensation, we were able to make the best out of the situation and satisfy the media without providing them with ammunition to use against us.
Final Exam New Religions & Religious Movements Spring 2015 W-D Berard
Imagine the following scenario: Every ten years, your town (city, village) sponsors an interfaith service at New Years time, to kick off the new decade. You have volunteered to be a member of the Organizing Committee. The Committee gives you the important task of inviting a representative from all the local religious/spiritual communities to take part in the service. You look over the list from ten years previous; it is filled with representatives from traditional religions. However, you know that times have changed; there are a considerable number of people now living locally who belong to newer religions or religious movements, ones not even on the radar-screen, so to speak, ten years earlier. Among these are an LGBTQ church (like MCC Boston), a Rastafarian community, a Voodoo community, and a community of Scientologists. Your choices are to: invite some, but not all of these groups; invite all, or invite none. The sensitivities of these groups and of the town (city, village) as a whole need to be considered. You make your choice, and then need to defend it to the Committee. In essay form, state and defend your choice. In doing so, you must include at least one specific element of each of these four religions/movements that was instrumental in your choice concerning that group. This is not a take home exam; you are being given the assignment in advance to ponder. The exam will be taken by seniors on Tuesday, May 5, by all other members of the class on Thursday, May 7. No notes will be allowed. No make-ups will be possible.
Best Assignment: BUS 620-Cultural Awareness in Global Business The assignment name and details/instructions: Comparative Analysis of Cross Cultural Leadership In this course, Cultural Awareness in Global Business, you will be writing a “classic� comparative analysis paper in which you will compare and contrast selected elements or sub- systems of country’s business structure with those of the US businesses. Why do you think it is the best? It allows the students to do an in-depth comparison of many different aspects of global business, not just the cultural aspect of the business. It also always up to the student to select a country of his/her choice that can benefit them with their own company. Very few positions today do not have some international element to them. How do you know it is the best? Based on student feedback, quality of the papers that are submitted, and overall tone of the class as we work towards the final paper. The other assignments are building blocks to the final comparison
MBA 710-Managerial Finance Case Study
1. Obtain the 10K of two publicly held companies of your choice. Please make sure that these are listed companies. Money Central, EDGAR, the company’s web site, or Yahoo Finance have these statements available. 2. Summarize all of your findings in an Executive Summary. 3. Do the following: a. Using the common size template on Moodle spread financial results for the company using a separate template for each companies set of financials (i.e. IBM will have one template for the FYE and EMC will have another template.). b. Calculate the ratios from the spreadsheet and insert a column for each template labeled Industry Averages (these can be found on Money Central key ratios or performing a Google search). c. Find the industry averages on Money Central or on Yahoo Finance (On Money it is under financial statements key ratios) and insert them into the column. d. What is EBITDA for this company? e. Is EBITDA sustainable? f. What areas of the P&L are impacting EBITDA? 4. Pull the most recent 10Q and explain any significant changes between the FYE and the quarterlies. You do not need to spread the numbers just explain the major differences in a paragraph. 5. Analyze 3 C by reading the footnotes to the financials. Why did key ratios go up or down? a. Be very specific and answer the question WHY? b. Analyze each line on the P&L and Balance Sheet and explain SIGNIFICANT changes that impact the FS and ratios. Focus on Liquidity; debt; capital, and P&L items.
6. Analyze the 3 components of the statement of cash flows and explain: a. The major items that impacted operating activities. b. The major items that impacted investing activities. c. The major items that impacted financing activities. 7. How is the company accounting for pension liabilities and is there an unfunded liability? 8. What is the company’s bond rating and is it justified given their debt levels? Back up your answers with details from the financials. 9. What is the company’s dividend policy and is it sustainable? If they do not pay a dividend then explain what the company is doing with their excess cash.
Why do you think it is the best?
This case ties together the first two weeks of class with a real life example that has students research critical areas of a financial statement which is built on in subsequent weeks in class.
How do you know it is the best? Faculty and student feedback. Example from FA2015: I just wanted to reach out to you and give you some feedback on the class. I am not a finance guy in any sense of the word but the way you taught the class, with the cases (especially the first case) and class discussions, I was able to not only learn the information but I am able to put it to use in my small business. I thank you for the experience!
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MBA 730 – Critical Thinking: Student TedTalk The Assignment: Critical thinking can be defined as, “thinking explicitly aimed at well-founded judgment, using appropriate evaluative standards in an attempt to determine the true worth, merit, or value of something. Critical thinking, then, has three dimensions: an analytic, an evaluative, and a creative component.”1 For this assignment, the students are asked to produce or deliver a TEDTalk style presentation on the topic of critical thinking and how it relates to their everyday life. This should be a fun and inspiring 7-10 minute video or in-class presentation aimed at capturing the attention and emotion of the audience. Students should be familiar with TEDTalks and the specific presentation style associated with TED. Students are provided a link2 to a document which provides further insight into the rules of TED.
Why is it the best? This video assignment is the culmination of seven weeks of discovery on the subject of critical thinking. Critical thinking is about the basic thinking process, where the individual uses reasoning and logic to make decisions. In this assignment, the student is encouraged to take their classmates on a journey of reflection on what critical thinking is and how it can be applied in their personal and professional lives. It is the journey from unfamiliarity to understanding that makes this assignment effective. Creating a video project requires the student to analyze, evaluate, plan, create, remember, understand and apply which are all vital components to critical thinking. As a bonus, student videos can be shared online via the learning management system which gives students the opportunity to watch their classmate’s videos outside of in-class time and at their own pace. Having this flexibility ensures that students not only learn from their own projects, but that they also learn from their classmates. Lastly, the presentations are to be short and concise which helps the student to sharpen their overall communication skills.
How do I know it is the best? Nichols is training the leaders of tomorrow. While a student’s ability to effectively analyze a situation, look at things constructively and problem solve is important, it won’t make a significant impact in their organization and life unless they can teach and coach others to do the same. That’s why we know our 1
Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2012). Critical thinking: Tools for taking charge of your learning and your life. Boston: Pearson.
2
http://www.ted.com/participate/organize-a-local-tedx-event/before-you-start/tedx-rules
TEDTalk assignment is the best project for this class. Not only do students need to master a critical thinking skill, but they also need to figure out the best way to educate and motivate others to look at a situation differently. By giving students an opportunity to open the eyes of others, they are learning the true meaning of leadership and how to best keep the concepts of critical thinking alive in their everyday life. In addition to challenging our students to become more effective thought leaders and information sharers, this assignment also sparks creativity and collaboration. Students are encouraged to focus on a topic they are passionate about and are given the chance to support others with their assignment. Feedback from end of class satisfaction surveys also highlight why this project is effective. Some notable student reflections include:
“The TED Talk video made me step out of my comfort zone and ended up being my favorite assignment…” “The final video was the most useful. I pushed past my fears to accomplish the end result…” “The process of creating a TED Talk for the class was both fun and informative.”
What Program and Course Outcomes Does the Assignment Address? Course: Develop an enhanced ability to identify critical questions when exploring a new business issue Analyze, communicate, and debate fundamental issues that arise in organizations Program: Develop cultural awareness and communication skills to interact with global issues. Apply an ethical decision framework to business problems to evaluate alternative solutions to address ethical concerns. Critically analyze business problems to find creative solutions.
Examples from recent students: Alyssa Phillips https://youtu.be/JZt9SpLaX8E David Barnard http://youtu.be/-UXbPH8e3nc Nicole Payne https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnyTh_INfFE Jason Destratis https://youtu.be/8pAFwmo1h_s Matt Chapman http://youtu.be/PhZs8vj_P38
Best Assignment MBA 742-Advanced Six Sigma Business Case Presentation. In MBA 742, students have the opportunity to work with an actual business to analyze a real world problem. The students present a Business Case scenario to seek approval for resources on the group project. The Business Case includes the following:
- Project Charter - Business Case assessment - SIPOC, etc. - Return on Investment/Financial Analysis - Project Scope - Resource allocation.
This assignment is the best because it requires: - The ability to analyze a complex problem, and understand the true business case - The team to build a charter which can be used in any industry specific projects - The group to define a problem, and why the business needs to solve the issue - A financial analysis to justify resource allocation - Presenting to management to seek approval to move forward
I know this is the best because these exact project plans are used in many businesses around the globe. They require a short, concise project plan with all of the key components outlined. The business plan states the problem being solved, and why it is critical to the business. What happens if the business does nothing? The true ROI is calculated to show management why they WANT to do the project.
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project Best Assignment Project Course: PSY209, Sex Matters – Gender Awareness and the Future of Work Instructors: Professors Moore & McCoy What is your best Assignment? Final Oral Exam & Reflection Describe the Assignment: As a final assessment of student learning, each student participates in a one-on-one exercise with one of the course instructors of the same gender (specifics attached) Why is it the best? 1. The oral final and reflections is designed to give the student the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and insights into the subject matter of the course. 2. It is an opportunity for the collection of student feedback about the course experience. 3. Finally, it provides a one-on-one consultation with the student in regard to their future goals. How do I (we) know it is the best? Student evaluated this as one of the most unique and beneficial assignments of the course as it allowed them to express themselves in an alternative way. Likewise – it was very meaningful for us as instructors to connect with students on a different level.
SEX MATTERS FINAL ORAL EXAM & REFLECTION As a final assessment of your learning from this course, you will participate in a one-on-one exercise with a professor, designed to give you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and insights into the subject of this course. Time, date, location: Meetings scheduled during our class retreat on April 30 – May 1 at the Cape Cod Retreat Center. Meetings scheduled for 25 minutes each. Format: One-on-one conversations with either Prof. McCoy (males) or Prof. Moore (females). Part I: (2/3 of the assessment) consists of student oral responses to Part I questions on semester readings.( See attached) Part II: (1/3 of the assessment) consists of an informal interview conversation, of student responses to Part II questions. (See attached.) Preparation: Prepare responses to both sets of questions, by reviewing class readings and course materials presented through the semester. Readings are found on Moodle and in the book, The Loudest Duck. You may bring as many notes as you want to the session, so that you can refer to specific points, facts, and examples in the readings. You should be very familiar with your notes so you don’t rely on reading them to the professor. Prepare thoughtful, reflective responses to the second interview set of questions as well. Grading: Think of this as pass/fail. According to the rubric, your performance will be assessed primarily with a minimum score of 90 (a pass, if you do well); or a score of 50 (a fail, if you do not fulfill the criteria in the rubric to a sufficient degree). However, outstanding performance may receive a 95; and better than failing performance may receive a 70. This grade comprises 15% of your grade for the course. Rubric: We will be assessing your performance, based on the following rubric: Max points 35
35
10 10
10 100
Your Points
Criteria and explanation Content: Responses contain specific references to and examples from course readings. Facts and statistical evidence are provided that are relevant and accurate. A variety of references are used, from at least 4 different reading assignments. Content refers specifically to gender. Understanding and insights: Responses demonstrate a clear understanding of and key insights from the readings. Responses show the connections between topics discussed and some larger implications of topics discussed. Understanding and insights refer specifically to gender. Structure: Responses and ideas show organized, logical thinking as they are presented. Engaging, interesting: Responses demonstrate an interest in the material (whether or not there is agreement with the material) and in discussing the topic. Prompting: Responses are prepared, developed, and require little prompting from the professor. (Some prompting is fine.) Total points
SEX MATTERS FINAL ORAL EXAM & REFLECTION QUESTIONS PART I: QUESTIONS ON SEMESTER READINGS AND MATERIALS
1. To what extent should attention to gender diversity be an important focus for business today? Explain using your own opinion, but also supported with references and/or examples from the readings/class lectures. 2. What are some of the “challenging areas” of business interactions between men and women, where gender differences inhibit effective team work, or the effective use of everyone’s talents? Explain using your own opinion, but also supported with references and/or examples from the readings/class lectures. . 3. How can businesses and company managers ensure that gender relations are a positive feature of the work environment? How can companies address these challenges from #2? Explain using your own opinion, but also supported with references and/or examples from the readings/class lectures.
PART II: QUESTIONS FOR PERSONAL INTERVIEW 1. What is your personal background, in terms of gender socialization when you were young? (Childhood experiences, tomboy, siblings, parents, etc.) 2. What are your strengths and talents, in your school work, team work, job, other? o How do you intend to bring these into your professional life? How are they advantages for you? 3. What are your weaknesses? o How might these affect your success professionally? 4. In relation to the 3 questions noted above in Part II and based on what you learned this semester - to what extent might these qualities of yours be related to gender. Are there some connections? And, if so, what are they?
My best assignment: I’ve had a hard time selecting one assignment to represent the “best’. Different assignments in different classes and course levels can have similar results. The result has been I’ve wrestled between an assignment I use for my first year LEAD-101 class and my senior CJM-480 class. Ultimately, I went with the seniors. The senior seminar in CJM explores the linked topics of wrongful convictions, the death penalty, and the Innocence Project. The students write four papers. The papers are broken down so they will write a short paper about The Innocence Project, the history of the death penalty, and an opinion paper about their stance on the death penalty. For the final paper, they have to select one of the nearly 200 people who served on death row, but were later exonerated. The paper is accompanied by a class presentation about the exoneree that the chose to write about. It is this final paper/presentation combination that I feel is my best assignment. I feel this way for a number of reasons. First, the progression through the paper topics inevitably means that the papers build, one upon the other. Students end up using their previous papers as sources for their final papers. It always makes me grin a little when I see a student cite themselves. Secondly, and more importantly, I think this assignment is among my best because of the way I can actually see the students thought process grow over the course of the semester. I am careful, at the start, to avoid discussing my opinion on the death penalty, because I do not want students to feel pressured to have a similar view. And what I do see is that, regardless of how they feel about the death penalty when they enter the class (and some of them have no strong feelings one way or another), their thoughts evolve in the class, and is reflected in their writing. I’ve had classes where more people favored the death penalty at the end of the semester than had at the beginning, and I have had classes where there were more people opposed by the end of the semester. And I have had classes where more people are on the fence. But in every one of those classes, the students have demonstrated an ability to support their opinions, often in ways they could not at the beginning, and a lot of that thought is reflected in their final papers.
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project: Best Assignment Course: HSP 211 Introduction to Hospitality Management-Maryann Conrad The Assignment: Mystery Shopper With a goal of being able to evaluate service delivery and the guest experience, student teams assume the role of Mystery Shoppers at a local hospitality establishment. Although most students choose to observe a full service restaurant for the assignment, it can be done at any type of hospitality establishment chosen by the group. Prior to their venture as “mystery shoppers,” students are given an example of an actual mystery shopper report identifying the key guest experience factors of a wellknown restaurant. The report examines factors such as server knowledge and accuracy, customer engagement, quality and appeal, staff behavior, advertising, cleanliness and atmospheric effects, and is complete with scores and comments. Students must develop their own service checklist that includes the “Three T’s” of the guest experience – Task (the job to be done), Treatment (courtesy and customer engagement), and Tangible (physical and sensory features of the environment), and are required to observe a minimum of 10 of these elements. They also compare their own experience to other customers’ reviews on social media sites, the establishment’s website, videos, and advertising. The assignment results are communicated in a written report to the instructor, coupled with a visual presentation to the class that highlights the observations of their mystery shopping experience.
Why is it the best? This is an experiential assignment that all students can relate to – going out to eat at a restaurant. The assignment is done at the end of the semester, allowing students a chance to experience, observe, analyze, and reflect on the underlying themes examined throughout the course – service delivery and the guest experience and perception. Given that both large establishments and smaller independent restauranteurs or hoteliers hire professional mystery shopper companies and individual consultants to assess service standards, students are able to tangibly connect the importance of the service process and customer experience with the ultimate success of the hospitality establishment. Moreover, students do this assignment as part of a group, allowing for shared critique and a diverse viewpoint discussion of their experience. Students conclude with a simulated written “report to the management” identifying strengths and recommendations for improvement.
How do I know it is the best? The class presentations are engaging as the students enjoy relating their restaurant experiences, observations and pictures – often times posing with a good-natured server. They recognize first-hand the value of the guest experience as it is related to them throughout the course, not only from the perspective of the guest, but more importantly from the perspective of the establishment. In fact, several groups, at the end of their engagement, have identified themselves to their server as doing a school project and have had them ask for feedback. Some management have even requested a copy of their mystery shopper report – further solidifying the importance of the service concept within the hospitality industry and adding value to the assignment outcome.
End of semester survey feedback from students consistently indicates that not only was this their “favorite” assignment, but they also now can’t go into a restaurant or service setting without analyzing the delivery process and guest experience. Lastly, the experiential nature of the assignment and the social group interaction suggests a potentially deeper and longer lasting effect that extends beyond the classroom environment and the semester. Though not explicit goals, students are enhancing their collaboration/communication skills, and many have gotten to know their classmates on a more personal level and formed friendships, promoting enhanced awareness in and satisfaction with the hospitality course and the program major.
What Program and Course Outcomes Does the Assignment Address? HSP 211 Course outcome: Students will be able to evaluate service delivery and the guest experience in a hospitality setting. Program outcome: Demonstrate a basic knowledge of the fundamental principles of Hospitality Management. A few sample slides from a student presentation…
To: Mauri Pelto From: Cynthia Saari, NC Adjunct Date: 22 Feb 2016 Re: Best assignment for “Jewelry and Jewelry Making” Best Assignment The best class is perhaps “open studio” when the assignment is to design and create a project independently. This follows several weeks of low tech projects which are structured as “stepping stones” to more complex jewelry pieces. The beginning of a semester covers instruction in basic techniques so that students can produce simple earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings. From these basic lessons, a goal is for the student to expand and explore ideas in jewelry making, based on classroom samples, discussions, and everyday observations. (Another goal is to be able to make simple repairs.) In open studio class, all materials are made available and students are charged with creating pieces of their own design. There is no lesson or project per se—rather, students are to use what they have learned to plan and construct at least one original piece of jewelry, usually working toward part of a semester-end body of work. Why I think this a best assignment because it requires students to independently integrate fabrication methods and design concepts they have learned with their own ideas and taste. A fair amount of problem solving goes into a successful piece of jewelry so that it has proper balance, durable construction, and an appealing appearance. Students discover first hand in open studio sessions that this takes some deliberation. It challenges them to “connect the dots” and provides freedom of expression at the same time. How do I know this is a successful assignment? Projects are generally quite good and approached with enthusiasm. From direct student feedback (at semester’s end) I have learned that this is consistently a favorite assignment. Also, questions/conversations during this particular class period demonstrate extra motivation and curiosity, as well as insight into aspects of running a small business. I have observed that students are apt to wear their “open studio” pieces and are particularly proud of them. Questions also indicate levels of absorption from previous classes. Outcomes achieved include: Completion of project(s) Integration of creative thought with concrete technique Problem solving (how to create/connect components, working with the physics of a piece) Moving from concept through finished product; students experience gathering materials, determining manufacture, conceptualization of marketing strategies. Progress toward development of an aesthetic Relate historical and cross-cultural work to contemporary jewelry Sharpen observation skills and improve understanding of cost of goods.
Spring Assessment Project PSCI 204: Introduction to Political Science For this spring assessment activity, I am submitting two assignments. The first assignment, the Taking Sides brief, is an assignment I use on a weekly basis in my course and the second assignment, Primary/Caucus Presentation, is a higher-stake assignment I use specifically in the context of political elections. I enjoy both assignments for their differing goals – one is a low-stakes, consistent assignment and the other is a higherstakes, once a semester assignment. They achieve different goals in the classroom, but each assignment also effectively achieves the goals of my teaching philosophy. Assignment #1: The Taking Sides Brief What is it? The purpose of this assignment is to help students develop critical reading and critical thinking skills. I measure their ability to read and analyze primary and secondary sources, as well as connect our course themes to current events. Each Taking Sides reading assignment will provides the student with two perspectives on a central issue or question. Students are required to read these materials and prepare a short brief explaining the central arguments presented by each author. Once students have completed this portion of the assignment, they are to search for a news story, blog, article, or video about a current event that highlights the central argument of the reading. They then bring this brief and the current event information to class, where they are divided into small groups for discussion. We analyze the current events media, interpretation of the readings, and work toward understand the relevance of these debates in contemporary politics, society, and economy. Students are provided with a sample brief (next page) to use as a template in formatting their own work. What is being assessed? SLO: Students will be able to read analytically -- identifying underlying assumptions, “dissecting” texts to construct their own interpretations, arguments or positions. PLO: Students will read, write and speak intelligently about topics in history and government as well as possess the ability to analyze critically historical materials, ideas, and controversies. College Outcome: Critical Thinking and Quantitative Analysis – Utilize qualitative and quantitative problemsolving skills to analyze and interpret information. Why I think it is the best? On a consistent basis, the assignment allows me to hold students accountable for completing (at least a portion of) the reading. It prepares students to engage effectively in class discussion by ensuring they have some familiarity with the topic (knowledge). They took time to think independently about the topic when finding a relevant current event, even in a limited capacity. The student has also begun to process and critique the ideas put forward in the text and explain his or her thinking in the analysis section of the brief. Combined, these elements raise the level of course discussion and engagement.
Sample – Current Event Brief Name (Dr. Erika Cornelius Smith) Topic (Environmental Policy: Global Warming) PSCI 204 – Section Number
Commented [EC1]: Include your name, the topic of the week (see syllabus or Moodle), and the section number for your PSCI 204 course
Part I. The Current Event Jill Carle, “Global Climate Change Seen as Top Global Threat,” Pew Research Center (July 14, 2015) http://www.pewglobal.org/2015/07/14/climate-change-seen-as-top-global-threat/ Global attitudes about addressing climate change differ across the world. A recent Pew Research Center study found that Latin American and African states expressed global climate change as a “greatest concern,” while Americans, Europeans, and Middle Eastern countries focused on global instability and ISIS as the greatest threat. Global climate change was still considered a top priority in those countries, but not rated as highly. Part II. Chapter Summary -- “Is President Obama’s U.S. Global Warming Policy Wise?” Yes: Barack H. Obama, from “Remarks at the League of Conservation Voters Capital Dinner” (2014) We know more about the threat of climate change today than in the past (175) Protecting our environment our environment and promoting economic growth are compatible goals (175) The Recovery Act was the largest investment in green energy and technology in U.S. history (175) Working through cabinet departments (Defense, Environmental Protection), individual consumers, and investors (176) Opposition to climate change reform is politically motivated, not really a question of science (176) 7/10 Americans acknowledge global climate change is a problem (176)
Commented [EC2]: Include the author, title, date, and URL for your current event article
Commented [EC3]: Summarize the article in 2-3 sentences in your own words. If you use the language of the article, use quotes.
Commented [EC4]: Provide a bullet-pointed summary of significant arguments or figures from the chapter. Use page numbers so you can reference the content in the book.
No: James Inhofe, from “Speech on the Floor of the U.S. Senate,” Congressional Record (2014) The administration is ignoring the most recent science on global warming (178) Global warming policies cost between $300 billion and $400 billion a year; when added to EPA regulations, they cost millions of jobs (178) Falling temperatures and unusually cold weather contradict evidence of global warming (anecdotal, 178) Most predictions of global climate change have not been born out – ice caps melting, etc. (180) Unemployment and job creation should take greater precedence over climate change initiatives and regulation (180) We should develop restricted Federal lands to achieve energy independence and create more jobs (180-181) Part III. Analysis The fact that the United States ranks global climate change comparatively lower than global security is not surprising given its mixed history of support for environmental protection and green energy. Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe there is solid evidence for global climate change, but that leaves one third of the country uncertain, and possibly unwilling to support efforts to regulate industry or emissions, invest in green technology, or engage in international treaties to promote global reform. These divisions, partisan in nature, become apparent in the speeches by Obama and Inhofe (above). In speaking to the League of Conservation Voters, Obama is speaking to an audience that warmly welcomes and endorses his position on global climate change. Inhofe’s speech to the Senate, however, echoes the divisions within his conservative party and the attitudes by some voters that job creation and employment are of greater concern than global climate change. Returning to the current event article, it might be interesting to research attitudes of average voters versus the attitudes of political leaders on issues related to climate change in Latin America and Africa. These regions expressed the strongest concerns about global warming – do these opinions represent political leadership or the concerns of average citizens? Are similar debates about the science of climate change taking place within these states (as in the United States)? Is climate change a political or partisan issue within these regions?
Commented [EC5]: The analysis section should be written in your own words, and use quotes to refer to direct language from the current event or chapter. Your analysis should address two points: (1) how your current event article connects to the chapter content; (2) your position on the public policy issue or question of the chapter; you can talk about how the current event informs your understanding of the content or challenges your thinking
Assignment #2: Follow the Campaigns: 2016 Primary and Caucus Outcomes What is it? The U.S. will hold a presidential election in November 2016. Prior to that election, the two major political parties in our country will hold preliminary votes and meetings to select delegates, and their respective nominees, for the ballot. These nominations take place through the process of a primary or a caucus. For this project, students will select one state (from the list below) and analyze the results of the primary or caucus (or both) for students in the PSCI 204 class. Each student will deliver his or her analysis in the form of a short, written blog (500-750 words) and brief in-class presentation (PPT, Prezi, etc.). Blogs will be posted to Dr. Smith’s website for students to review and comment. Due dates are listed alongside the scheduled primary/caucus dates for each state. Presentations will take place on a rolling basis, on the next class period following the primary/caucus returns. The written blog will be worth 20 points and the presentation will be worth 10 points, for a total of 30 points. A rubric for each component is included below. What is being assessed? SLO: Students will explain political outcomes (i.e. legislation, regulation, elections) from a variety of different perspectives on U.S. politics. PLO: Students will read, write and speak intelligently about topics in history and government as well as possess the ability to analyze critically historical materials, ideas, and controversies. College Outcome: Communication – Effectively express and accurately comprehend concepts and facts using a range of appropriate and current communication methods. College Outcome: Critical Thinking and Quantitative Analysis – Utilize qualitative and quantitative problemsolving skills to analyze and interpret information. Why is the best? The assignment allows me to assess student learning in a variety of capacities: communication skills, writing ability, and fundamental knowledge and understanding of election processes in the United States. Students enjoy and benefit from consistent updates on what is happening in the national election. They are not only learning about the process, but also about the candidates and current issues for debate in American politics. Students are engaged in the process by choosing a state of interest. Many select their home states and bring personal stories into our conversations about political efficacy, and feel more engaged in our national political process. Ultimately, it is a meaningful experience for the individual student, as well as the classroom community.
Background Caucuses: Caucuses were the original method for selecting candidates but have decreased in number since the primary was introduced in the early 1900's. In states that hold caucuses a political party announces the date, time, and location of the meeting. Generally any voter registered with the party may attend. At the caucus, delegates are chosen to represent the state's interests at the national party convention. Prospective delegates are identified as favorable to a specific candidate or uncommitted. After discussion and debate an informal vote is taken to determine which delegates should be chosen. Primaries: In the early twentieth century there was a movement to give more power to citizens in the selection of candidates for the party's nomination. The primary election developed from this reform movement. In a primary election, registered voters may participate in choosing the candidate for the party's nomination by voting through secret ballot, as in a general election. There are two main types of primaries, closed or open, that determine who is eligible to vote in the primary. In a closed primary a registered voter may vote only in the election for the party with which that voter is affiliated. For example a voter registered as Democratic can vote only in the Democratic primary and a Republican can vote only in the Republican primary. In an open primary, on the other hand, a registered voter can vote in either primary regardless of party membership. The voter cannot, however, participate in more than one primary. A third less common type of primary, the blanket primary, allows registered voters to participate in all primaries. In addition to differences in which voters are eligible to vote in the primary, there are differences in whether the ballot lists candidate or delegate names. The presidential preference primary is a direct vote for a specific candidate. The voter chooses the candidate by name. The second method is more indirect, giving the voter a choice among delegate names rather than candidate names. As in the caucus, delegates voice support for a particular candidate or remain uncommitted. In some states a combination of the primary and caucus systems are used. The primary serves as a measure of public opinion but is not necessarily binding in choosing delegates. Sometimes the Party does not recognize open primaries because members of other parties are permitted to vote.
Sample Presentation Slides:
State
Tentative Date
Iowa
Feb. 1
Tuesday, Feb. 2
New Hampshire
Feb. 9
Thursday, Feb. 11
Nevada Caucus (D) South Carolina Primary (R) Washington Caucus (R)
Feb. 20
Tuesday, Feb. 23
Nevada Caucus (R)
Feb. 23
Thursday, Feb. 25
South Carolina Primary (D) Feb. 27
Tuesday, March 1
Alabama Arkansas Colorado (D) Georgia Massachusetts Minnesota* North Dakota Caucus (R) Oklahoma Tennessee Texas Vermont* Virginia Wyoming Caucus (R)
March 1
Thursday, March 3
Kansas Kentucky Caucus (R) Louisiana Maine Caucus (R) Nebraska Caucus (D)
March 5
Tuesday, March 8
Maine Caucus (D)
March 6
Tuesday, March 8
Hawaii Caucus (R) Idaho Primary (R) Michigan Mississippi
March 8
Thursday, March 10
Florida Illinois* Missouri North Carolina Ohio
March 15
Tuesday, March 22
Arizona Idaho Caucus (D) Utah
March 22
Thursday, March 24
Student Responsible
Presentation Date
Alaska Caucus (D) Hawaii Caucus (D) Washington Caucus (D)
March 26
Tuesday, March 29
Wisconsin*
April 5
Thursday, April 7
Wyoming Caucus (D)
April 9
Tuesday, April 12
New York
April 19
Thursday, April 21
Connecticut Delaware Maryland Pennsylvania* Rhode Island
April 26
Thursday, April 28
State New Hampshire Alabama Minnesota Texas Kansas Nebraska Mississippi North Carolina Wisconsin Maryland
Nevada Arkansas North Dakota Vermont Kentucky Hawaii Florida Ohio New York Pennsylvania
South Carolina Georgia Oklahoma Virginia Louisiana Idaho Illinois Arizona Connecticut Rhode Island
Washington Massachusetts Tennessee Wyoming Maine Michigan Missouri Utah Delaware
Written Blog Rubric (20 points) Category Content and Creativity
Exemplary - 4 Posting provides comprehensive insight, understanding, and reflective thought about the topic by ...building a focused argument around a specific issue or ...asking a new related question or ...making an oppositional statement supported by personal experience or related research. Posting presents a focused and cohesive viewpoint that is substantiated by effective supporting examples or links to relevant, up-to-date websites or documents that enhance the information presented. Posting is creatively and fluently written to stimulate dialogue and commentary.
Citations
All images, media and text created by others display appropriate copyright permissions and accurate citations.
Quality of Writing and Proofreading
Written responses are free of grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. The style of writing facilitates communication.
Proficient - 3 Posting provides moderate insight, understanding and reflective thought about the topic.
Limited - 2 Posting provides minimal insight, understanding and reflective thought about the topic.
Unsatisfactory – 1 Posting shows no evidence of insight, understanding or reflective thought about the topic.
Posting presents a specific viewpoint that is substantiated by supporting examples and links to websites or documents, but not all links enhance the information presented.
Posting presents a specific viewpoint but lack supporting examples or links to websites or documents, but not all links enhance the information presented.
Posting is generally well written with some attempts made to stimulate dialogue and commentary. Most images, media or text created by others display appropriate copyright permissions and accurate, properly formatted citations.
Posting is brief and unimaginative, and reflect minimal effort to connect with the audience. Some of the images, media or text created by others does not display appropriate copyright permissions and does not include accurate, properly formatted citations. Written responses include some grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors that distract the reader.
Posting presents no specific viewpoint and no supporting examples or links to websites or documents are provided, or the links selected are of poor quality and do not add any value to the information presented. Posting does not stimulate dialogue and commentary and does not connect with the audience. No images, media or text created by others display appropriate copyright permissions and do not include accurate, properly formatted citations. Written responses contain numerous grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. The style of writing does not facilitate effective communication.
Written responses are largely free of grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. The style of writing generally facilitates communication.
TOTAL
Score
Presentation Rubric (10 points) Poor PRESENTATION SKILLS
Excellent
1
2
3
4
5
Were the main ideas presented in an orderly and clear manner? ..................................
Did the presentation fill the time allotted? ...................................................................
Was proper background information on the topic given? ............................................
Was the material selected for presentation appropriate to the topic? .......................... Was enough essential information given to allow the audience to effectively
evaluate the topic? ........................................................................................................
Was irrelevant or filler information excluded? ............................................................
Did the presenter have a clear understanding of the material presented? ....................
,
The visual aid was appropriate, professional, and supported presentation content .......................................................................................................................... KNOWLEDGE BASE
CRITICL THINKING Were the main issues in this area clearly identified? ................................................... Did the main conclusions of the presentation follow from the material presented? ....................................................................................................................
OVERALL IMPRESSION ...................................................................................... _______ /5 = ________ COMMENTS
Spring Assessment Project My Best Assignment
To: From: Date: Subject: Enclosed:
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Mauri Pelto Erin Casey-Williams March 11, 2016 Spring Assessment Project: My Best Assignment (1) Analytic Response Assignment; (2) Analytic Response Grading Rubric; (3) Sample Student Analytic Response; (4) Introduction to Literature Syllabus
I have included information for my best writing assignment; I believe that the best assignment I give to my students is to read material in order to prepare for every class (but I gave you information on the reading last year). I assign a number of assignments, including the following: • Daily Reading • Quizzes and In-Class Activities • Formal Analytic Papers • Analytic Research Papers • Presentations/Lead Class Discussion • Creative/Critical Projects • Analytic Responses Below follows information about my Analytic Response writing assignment, used in Introduction to Literature this semester (for the first time). There is a response due every two weeks in this course for the first ten weeks of the semester, although I allow students to miss one without penalty. Description of Assignment Students are asked to write 2-3 typed, double-spaced pages in which they respond analytically to literature we read in the most recent two weeks. Students must use quotes from the literature and raise questions about meanings and interpretations of the material; they are asked to work with and acknowledge the complexity of human experience, as portrayed through literature, rather than finding easy answers. For more, see the attached Assignment Sheet and rubric. Why it is Best As a professor, I appreciate this assignment because I am not distracted by the formal elements of student writing like thesis statements or paragraph organization, and am instead able to more directly engage students’ critical thinking, encouraging them to notice and point to specifics rather than make generalizations. I believe students find this assignment more appealing because it does not trigger the trauma or carry the baggage of a traditional “paper,” and thus they are freed to think in new and different ways. How I Know I have been pleased with the original thinking found in these Analytic Responses. Because of their brief nature, students are able to dig into a passage and interrogate a theory without including unnecessary summary. They tackle issues we may have touched on in class, using them as a springboard to achieve their own original insights. I have students free-write for 10-15 minutes of class a few days before the Analytic Response is due, then collect these materials, and respond individually to students’ ideas; students are always very appreciative of the feedback and go out of their way to collect it if they are not going to be in class the day before a response is due. This tells me that they are able to sustain a study of a particular text or maintain focus on a particular idea that they find valuable and worthwhile. I use rubrics as a way to communicate my expectations regarding an assignment to my students, and grades as a way to communicate how closely students met my expectations (see second page of Analytic Response
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Assignment). For the first Analytic Response assignment, I received twelve (12) submissions (our of 18 people in the course; several used their free miss for the first submission), a high response rate since we were dealing with Shakespeare’s Othello, one of the most difficult texts of the semester. The grades for those 12 submissions are as follows: The high number of As and Bs, especially for a first assignment, shows how well students performed and how many of them were able to meet or exceed my expectations. **Note: I suspect this assignment is more beneficial to content- or coverage-based courses (like Introduction to Literature, World Literature I, World Literature II) rather than more skills-based courses like the writing courses that I teach.
Grade A B C D
Number of Students that Receive that Grade 4 5 2 1
Program and Course Outcomes Because the English Department is still clarifying its program learning outcomes, I will focus on how this assignment fulfills my course objectives and the college’s learning outcomes. The three course learning objectives are for students to: 1. become familiar with literature from around the world written by people of various cultures; 2. understand how people who have been marginalized found their voice through literature; and 3. analyze and interpret texts, using them to spark ones own creative and critical insights. In this assignment, students demonstrate their familiarity with literature from around the world by writing about it for 2-3 pages; because they are able to draw on and use their personal responses, they are able to empathize with people who have been marginalized and understand how these people find their voice in literature; and finally students have been relatively sucessful at analyzing and interpreting text and using them to spark creative and critical insights in these assignments (as discussed above). All three objectives are integrated in this assignment. The college learning outcomes that I see this course fulfilling are as follows: • I. Communication • II. Critical Thinking • III. Ethics and Personal Accountability • IV. Civic and Social Engagement Because students are composing written texts, as well as working with and attempting to understand complex words and sentences, they are improving their communication skills in the Analytic Responses. Because I ask them to raise and wrestle with difficult questions, and see issues from multiple perspectives, they are improving their critical thinking skills in the Analytic Responses. Because they are being exposed to texts written by people of color, women, and other oppressed groups, they are (peripherally) improving their empathy and personal accountability in these responses. Although we discuss how we should behave towards people who are different from us in class, that is seldom explored (nor is it assigned) in this project, and thus the Analytic Response does not fulfill this fourth college learning outcome. Mostly the first two college learning outcomes are integrated in this assignment.
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Introduction to Literature: Voices from the Margins Analytic Response Assignment Look at a particular text (or two texts) we have read (either since the beginning of the semester, or since you have written your last response). Find something from the text you think is • interesting, • revealing, • especially significant, and/or • difficult. You may decide to start with a particular theme or focus, but you must (also) find a particular passage that guides your analytic response/exploration. Analyze how you responded to this theme/passage/idea; think in particular about: • what made you respond in this way (point to a specific passages/lines)? • why might you have responded in this way (did the writer want you to? what does this show you about your own cultural perspective)? • what does this passage have to do with voices/silence/erasure/invisibility (or what does this passage mean)? If you are stuck, some other strategies are to A. Focus on One Text by 1. tracing your responses back to the details from the reading that caused them; 2. assuming you have missed the point of the reading and suggest other/alternatives points of view that help you make sense of the reading; 3. using your response to get some perspective on your own position regarding voice/silence/erasure and/or race/gender/sexual identity/culture/nationality/etc.; B. Compare and Contrast Two Texts by 4. imagining how the writer of one might respond to the writer of another; 5. thinking about what one might show/help us understand about another; 6. finding similarity within what appears to be difference or difference within what appear to be similar Avoid • asserting your personal opinions unreflectively, • focusing only on your own experiences and neglecting to analyze the text(s), or • judging the characters, writers, or texts (avoid like/dislike language). Due Dates and Submission Your analytic response should be typed, double-spaced and 2-3 pages (500-750 words). Submit your analytic response via Moodle by midnight on the day it is due. Remember you only need to submit 4 responses (so you can miss one of the dates listed below). See the next page for the grading rubric. Analytic Response 1 Due: Analytic Response 2 Due: Analytic Response 3 Due: Analytic Response 4 Due: Analytic Response 5 Due:
Monday, February 8th by 11:59pm Thursday, February 25th by 11:59pm Thursday, March 10th by 11:59pm Thursday, March 31st by 11:59pm Monday, April 11th by 11:59pm
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Introduction to Literature: Voices from the Margins Analytic Response Grading Rubric Section Anlaysis: • Includes analysis of themes, passages, or strands • Includes explained quotes (makes implicit explicit) • Avoids judgement or personal narrative • Makes an original insights Other: • Makes sense and is readable • Shows complex thinking and development • Meets length requirements • Fulfills assignment • Submitted correctly with all required elements
Needs Improvement (F/D) Does not use citations or quotes from the text. Poor or no transitions. A wandering and unfocused paper, based only on personal experiences or judgement, with little or no textual engagement. Insights lack originality.
Satisfactory (C)
Good (B)
Exemplary (A)
Uses quotations, but does not analyze them; quotes seem to float and there is no connection to reaction. Includes some judgement and too much attention to personal expereinces. Unoriginal but compelling insights.
Most quotations are analyzed, although some may be floating or confusing. Good focus on the text, with minial personal experiences or judgement, although there may be problematic tangents. Insights are relatively original.
All quotations are analyzed and reveal compelling complexity of thought. Uses personal reaction as a way into analysis; avoids judgement and personal narrative completely. Breaks new ground in its original insights about the text, culture, etc.
The reaction is confusing or incoherent. The paper does not show evidence of development, meet the page length requirements, or address the assignment. Is not submitted correctly/does not include required elements.
The reaction is readable but very often confusing or incoherent. Show evidence of minimal development. It is too short or only peripherally addresses the assignment; style is problematic. Is submitted correctly, but does not include some required elements.
There are still some confusing sections, but overall, the reaction is put together well and make sense. Shows development. The paper meets page, style and assignment requirements. Is submitted correctly and includes most required elements including name, date, course number, title, and work cited.
The reaction shows evidence of substantial development in ideas and form. Meets page length, style and assignment requirements. Submitted correctly, includes few typos, and the formatting and style are flawless.
Spring Assessment Project My Best Assignment
xxxxxxx Intro to Literature Dr. Casey-Williams February 11, 16 Love or Death In the tragedy, Othello, Shakespeare tells a love story about a black war general Othello, and a beloved, white women Desdemona. Their love is controversial because in this time period racism was very prevalent. Initially, their love seemed strong enough to conquer all, but Othello’s insecurities lead to their demise. Both said they wouldn’t trade their love for the world. But, if they had traded the world of racism their love would have survived. At the start of the play, Othello and Desdemona are newlyweds who are able to block out society’s disapproval of their marriage because their love is so strong. Othello, when in front of the Duke, said, “Of my whole course of love- what drugs, what charms, what conjuration, and what mighty magic I won his daughter”(Act 1, Scene 3, Line 107-111). At this time of the play Othello is stating this as oh how lucky I am to have received Desdemona. Othello’s insecurities showing his thinking that it is a miracle that Desdemona loves him. This little sense of doubt that Desdemona could ever love a black man is why Iago was easily able to convince Othello about Desdemona’s infidelity. Ironically, in Act 4, Scene 3, Desdemona is speaking with Emilia about if they would trade their husbands for the world. Desdemona says, “Beshrew me if I would do such a wrong for the whole world!”(Act 4, Scene 3, Lines 88-89). She would never cheat on her husband under any circumstance. Eventually in Act 5, Desdemona dies because Othello thinks that she has cheated on him with Cassio. Othello believes that he has no choice, but to kill her out of love. He says, “Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kiss thee and love thee after”(Act 5, Scene 2, 20-21). Desdemona barely fights back against Othello, and even still defends him to Emilia after his first attempt at murdering her. Shakespeare is showing that she still wants to choose Othello even when he took her whole world from him.
5
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Othello begins to gather all the information and find out that Desdemona’s transgressions were not true. Othello begins to realize what he has done and decides he must kill himself because he would rather die than have this world without her love. Othello says, “If heaven would make me such another world of one entire and perfect chrysolite, I’d not have sold her for it“(Act 5, Scene 2, 175-176). Othello then kills himself while claiming another death for the purpose of love. In my opinion, Shakespeare did this to show that love is the most important phenomenon. Othello had internal insecurities about being black because of the worldly conception of blacks being lesser than whites. Shakespeare perfectly showed Othello’s love to be strong and abundant while secretly foreshadowing his insecurities in his love. In my opinion, Shakespeare did this to show that love can be damaged from worldly matters like racism. But even at the most extreme type of damage, death, his characters still both hold their love for each other deeply in their hearts. Shakespeare is saying that if we can block out all of our insecurities our love could thrive enormously.
Works Cited Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. New York: Washington Square, 1993. Print.
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Introduction to Literature: Voices from the Margins Instructor: Erin Casey-Williams, Ph.D. Monday & Thursday, 12:15 – 1:30pm Academy Hall, Room 302; Spring 2016 Contact Information: Office: Conant Hall, Room 405 Office Hours: MTh 1:45-2:45, T 12:15-1:30 Office Phone: (508) 213-2256 Email: erin.casey-williams@nichols.edu
Course Information: Catalogue Number: ENGL 213 Section Number: 01 (26536) Grading Scheme: A-F; 3 credits Prerequisites: NA
Course Description This course will examine works of literature written by people who have been marginalized by their culture or society because of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, psychosocial or emotional differences, or for other reasons. We will specifically examine the ways in which certain genres of literature like poetry, fiction, memoir, graphic novels, and drama have provided individuals who might have otherwise been silenced with a voice to speak their own personal and individuals truths, and the truths of their experiences. As the course proceeds we will ask and attempt to answer the following questions: • • •
How are individuals of particular cultures silenced? What is the justification for such erasure of individuals and experiences? How does literature provide these individuals with an avenue for thought? With the ability to challenge the dominant culture in which they exist? What elements of literature and—or which specific writers—allow us to consider both how we have been silenced by our own culture, and how we silence/erase others within our society?
Course Objectives and Outcomes Course Objectives
Assessment
1. Become familiar with literature from around the world written by people of various cultures 2. Understand how people who have been marginalized found their voice through literature 3. Analyze and interpret texts, using them to spark ones own creative and critical insights
Written Assignments, Oral Assignments Written Assignments Oral Assignments Written Assignments Oral Assignments
Related College & Program Outcomes NCI, NCIII NCIII, NCIV NCII, NCV
Required Materials: William Shakespeare’s Othello (Folger Library Edition) Sylvia Plath’s Ariel edited by Frieda Hughes (HarperPerennial) Art Spiegelman’s Maus I: My Father Bleeds History Consistent Access to a Working Computer, Printer, and Stapler Folder or 3-ring Binder to gather quizzes, exercises, and writing feedback Additional Readings—Print and Bring Hardcopies to Class when assigned There will always be reading or writing assigned; bring the text with you to each class, whether it is a hard copy of a short story/poetry, an electronic copy, or a physical book.
Spring Assessment Project My Best Assignment
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Course Requirements Preparedness and Professionalism…………………………………………………………………….30% Preparedness: At the beginning of class every day, you will take a short quiz over the assigned reading to evaluate your understanding and encourage your retention of the material. • Should you miss class, you will receive a zero on the quiz for that day. • If you arrive late, you will not receive extra time. • I do not administer make-up quizzes. • If you leave class after taking the quiz I will count your quiz as a zero. Each quiz includes bonus questions. This will allow you to bank quiz points for days you are absent, days you are unable to finish the reading, or days you do not fully understand the material. During final grade calculations, your preparedness and professional-ism grade will be capped at 100% (you cannot get over 100% for this or other portions of your grade, despite what Moodle might indicate). The quizzes evaluate your attendance and preparedness; I do not take a separate attendance grade. If you are having trouble understanding or retaining the assigned material, you are welcome to stop by my office to discuss strategies. Professionalism: In-class participation and professionalism will be evaluated through daily writing activities in which you implement the theory and strategies you read to prepare for class. If you are an excellent participator and complete all in-class activities, you will receive extra points. Conversely, if you do not pay attention or are disruptive, you will lose points (see more about this on page 4). Analytic Responses………….………….……………………………………………………………...30% Over the course of the semester, there will be five (5) opportunities to submit a 2-3 page (500-750 words) analytic response to something we are reading or have read; however you only need to submit four (4) responses total. This means you can skip one (but only one) at some point in the semester. In these analytic responses, you can go in-depth about a particular text, make comparisons/contrasts between texts, etc. However, keep the focus on the material we are reading, only peripherally drawing on your own experiences. Presentation/Class Discussion………….………..…….………...…………………………………...10% One day this semester, you will lead discussion for the first 15 minutes of class (after the quiz is over) on the assigned reading for the day. During this presentation, you will provide historical background that helps us understand the material, thoughtful and provocative discussion questions about the material, and your own analysis of the text (or a section of it). You will be responsible for getting your classmates involved and discussing the ideas at stake within the day’s assigned reading. Final Project………………………….…………………………………………………………………30% At the end of the semester you will submit a final creative/critical project engaging the material we discussed throughout the course. This formal project must address voice from the margins, but it can be either creative (music, creative writing, art, etc. with artists statement), or traditional (a, analytic 4-6 page essay). Along with this final project you must submit a 2-page personal reflection about the course, how it changed your perspective of speech, silence, voice, erasure, and invisibility. **A more detailed assignment sheet for the critical responses, presentation, and final project/paper will be passed out later in the semester.**
Spring Assessment Project My Best Assignment
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College Policies Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty All assignments you turn in must be your own, original work. I will report any cases of plagiarism or academic dishonesty and you will automatically fail any plagiarized assignments. Additional consequences may range from failure of the course to expulsion. The Nichols College Catalog states: The College expects all academic work submitted by a student (papers, exams, projects, computer programs, etc.) to be the student’s own. Plagiarism (as defined below), cheating during examinations [this includes daily quizzes], and assisting others in the acts of plagiarism or cheating, are expressly prohibited by the policy. In sum, a student’s academic performance must be an honest representation of the student’s ability. The following are detailed descriptions of some possible Academic Honesty Policy violations: 1. Plagiarism, as defined as the un-credited use of words or ideas which are the result of other persons’ creative efforts. Examples of plagiarism include the following: a. copying of other persons’ work during examinations, with or without their permission; b. duplication of other persons’ homework, themes, essays, reports, research papers, computer code, spreadsheets, graphics, etc. with or without their permission; c. use of specific passages or detailed use of specific ideas as set forth in books, journals, magazines, etc. without proper citations (footnotes, bibliography); d. use of materials provided by term paper services. 2. Complicity in plagiarism by condoning copying of one’s own work including homework, themes, essays, reports, research papers, computer code, spreadsheets, graphics, etc. 3. Use of notes or ‘crib sheets’ during examinations (unless the instructor specifically authorizes use of such materials or an ‘open book’ examination format). (pg. 30) For more information about plagiarism and academic dishonesty, talk to me at any time and/or consult pages 18 and 30 of the Nichols College Catalog (http://www.nichols.edu/academics/academics/Catalog/). Credit Hour Policy A 3-credit course requires 37.5 contact hours, which does not include time spent on homework assignments or studying. A traditional full-semester course fulfills this requirement by meeting in class for 2.5-3.5 hours per week. Students should expect to dedicate an additional 6 hours per week to homework and studying for a 15-week course. Support Services If you need accommodations because of learning differences, speak with me at the beginning of the semester and contact Dr. Edward J. Kolek, the Assistant Dean for Learning Services at (508) 213-2293. If you do not have a documented learning difference but need assistance, the Academic Resource Center is at your disposal: drop by the Currier Center or call the office at (508) 213-2200 to schedule an appointment. Appointments are available on a one-time, weekly, or regularly scheduled basis and can last from half an hour or an hour. Nichols College Catalogue All other college policies are applicable to this course and can be found in the Nichols College Catalogue, available online. You can access the Catalogue by going to the Nichols College homepage (http://www.nichols.edu/), going to the “Academics” drop down menu (don’t click, just hover your mouse
Spring Assessment Project 10 My Best Assignment
over “Academics”), and clicking on the “College Catalogue” link (bottom right). Familiarize yourself with the Catalogue and Nichols’ general policies.
Course Policies Attendance While the college requires professors to take attendance (and thus I will take attendance at the beginning of class every day), there is no separate attendance grade in this class. Instead, you will be evaluated on your writing and your daily preparedness and professionalism grade. If you bank enough quiz points, you may take a day off without penalty (and thus be absent for that day). These days should be used for athletic commitments, emergency situations, unforeseen circumstances, etc. You will not succeed in this class if you are absent too often and/or do not do the assigned reading. You are responsible for maintaining your quiz grade by attending regularly. Remember, I do not administer makeup quizzes, nor are you able to score over 100% in this preparedness and professionalism portion of your grade so plan accordingly. Late/Make-Up Work All writing will be submitted electronically by a certain time; you will lose a third of a letter grade (an A becomes an A-, an A- becomes a B+) for every day an assignment is late (please note: a day is not a class period). There is no way to make up an in-class workshop; if you are not in class for the workshop, you will receive a zero for preparedness and professionalism that day. Athletes should pay special attention to the schedule of course meetings, compare them with their schedule of athletic commitments, and make sure they are in class often enough—and can score high enough on the quizzes—that their overall grade for the course does not suffer. Classroom Courtesy Please turn your cell phones to silent at the beginning of every class period and use them and any other electronic devices responsibly. You are allowed to have an electronic device in the classroom only to facilitate your learning; if I feel your device is distracting you rather than facilitating your learning, I will ask you to put it away. Getting up and leaving the room once class has begun—either for bathroom breaks, or to leave for the day— is disruptive and should be limited to emergencies only. You may drink beverages and eat in the classroom (unless otherwise specified by signs), but make sure your food is not distracting or loud (chips, loud plastic bags, etc.) Professional and Ethical Behavior I expect you to always behave professionally in the classroom and adhere to the Nichols College codes of conduct. Think of the classroom as a professional space in which you practice workplace behaviors, including: • • •
being punctual, arriving prepared, being an active participant.
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All opinions deserve to be expressed and respected. Avoid insensitive and/or inappropriate remarks, statements, or actions regarding race, ethnicity, disability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and political preference. Be sensitive and respectful of what your classmates choose to share in this course and think of the classroom as a safe space to express ideas, find your voice, and examine new worldviews. Internet Resources/Moodle You can find a copy of the syllabus and links to all the assigned reading on our Moodle page (they are not on the syllabus, only on Moodle). You also need to turn in all assignments through Moodle’s TurnItIn feature. You can also monitor your Preparedness and Professionalism Grade, as well as your Writing Assignment Grades, on Moodle; however, keep in mind Moodle only gives you a rough estimate of your current grade, not an exact calculation. I will give you an exact calculation of your grade at midterms. Email and Meetings I am available to you via email. I will use email to answer questions about assigned readings, assignments, extensions, and due dates. I will also use email to make announcements. Email me any time you are feeling lost or struggling in class; we can set up an appointment to discuss strategies for success. I am on campus most days until 3:30pm; please know that I am here to facilitate your success and will meet as often as you need to. I will not accept student papers/writing assignments through email, nor will I look at emailed drafts (although we can set up an appointment to talk about a draft face to face). All drafts should be submitted via Turn It In, and you need to bring 3 hardcopies to class. Grading This course will include both number and letter grades: number grades are provided for quizzes; letter grades are provided for writing assignments. The number and letter grade equivalencies are as follows: A AB+ B
= 93+ = 90-92.99 = 87-89.00 = 83- 86.99
BC+ C C-
= = = =
80-82.99 77-79.99 73-76.99 70-72.99
D+ D DF
= = = =
67-69.99 62-66.99 60-63.99 59.99 and below
Please note that there is no extra credit offered in this course (unless you count the bonus questions offered on the daily quiz). All grading is based on the terms of the course syllabus and no exceptions will be made to this document. Syllabus as Contract The syllabus acts as a contract for the terms and conditions of this course. If, after reading this syllabus, you are unclear about, do not agree with, or feel you are unable to comply with the terms of this course, please contact me privately and/or withdraw from the course.
Snow Day Contingency In the event of the college being closed for a snow day, you will be assigned to complete some online assignments that will be available on the course Moodle page. You will take an online short response quiz on the reading (through the app Socrative), watch and participate in an instructional video from me, and complete an activity based on the reading. You can complete this activity at any time before our next meeting; it will prevent us from losing days and having to make up material through an increased workload.
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Please Note: I reserve the right to change this syllabus and/or the reading schedule at any point during the semester. Please check the course website to keep updated.
Reading and Assignment Schedule Week 1: Introduction to Course Thurs. 1/21
Introduction to Course
Week 2: Race, Age and Love in Shakespeare’s Othello Mon. 1/25
Shakespeare, Voice, and Drama For today, read and be ready to discuss the introduction to Othello, pages xiii- and Act 1 or pages 3-55.
Thurs. 1/28
Marriage and Adventure at the Beginning of Othello For today, read and be ready to discuss Shakespeare’s Othello Act 2 or pages 58-107.
Week 3: The Green-Eyed Monster and Othello’s Vulnerability Mon. 2/1
Iago’s Motives and Othello’s Vulnerability For today, read and be ready to discuss Othello Act 3, or pages 110-167.
Thurs. 2/4
The Green-Eyed Monster For today, read and be ready to discuss Othello Act 4, or pages 170-219.
Week 4: Othello’s Transformation and the Consequences of Jealousy Mon. 2/8
Domestic Violence and Women’s Voices; Analytic Response 1 For today, read and be ready to discuss Othello Act 5, or pages 222-265. Analytic Response 1 Due by 11:59pm on Moodle.
Thurs. 2/11
Marriage and Violence in America For today, read and be ready to discuss Susan Glaspell’s short play, “Trifles” (on Moodle).
Week 5: Masculinity and Violence in America Mon. 2/15
No Class
Thurs. 2/18
Violence, Race, and Invisibility in America For today, read and be ready to discuss Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal” and Mos Def’s “Hip Hop” (on Moodle).
Week 6: Family, Fatherhood, and the American Dream Mon. 2/22
Class, Race and the American Dream For today, read and be ready to discuss Sherman Alexie’s “Flight Patterns” and selection of Louise Erdich’s poetry (on Moodle). Analytic Response 2 Due by 11:59pm on Moodle.
Thurs. 2/25
The American Dream and a Jewish Legacy; Analytic Response 2 For today, read and be ready to discuss pages 1-35 in Art Spiegleman’s Maus I: My Father Bleeds History.
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Week 7: Art, Silence and the Holocaust Mon. 2/29
Capture, Violence, and Survival For today, read and be ready to discus pages 36-70 in Maus I.
Thurs. 3/3
Family and Speaking the Atrocity For today, read and be ready to discuss pages 71-103 in Maus I.
Week 8: Escape and America in Maus Mon. 3/7
Escape and Deception For today, read and be ready to discuss pages 104-129 in Maus I.
Thurs. 3/10
Mouse Trap; Analytic Response 3 For today, read and be ready to discuss pages 130-160 in Maus I. Analytic Response 3 Due by 11:59pm on Moodle.
Week 9: Spring Break Week 10: National Margins and Finding One’s Voice Mon. 3/21
South African Voices and Post-Colonial Silence For today, read and be ready to discuss Nadine Gordimer’s “The Moment Before the Gun Went Off,” and selections of poems about Africa (on Moodle).
Thurs. 3/24
South American Flight For today, read and be ready to discuss Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” and Judith Ortiz Cofer’s “Volar” (on Moodle).
Week 11: American Violence, Hope, and Madness Mon. 3/28
Harlem Renaissance Voices For today, read and be ready to discuss Zora Neale Hurston’s “Gilded Six Bits” and selection of Langston Hughes’ poetry (on Moodle).
Thurs. 3/31
Madness, Gender, and Silence; Analytic Response 4 For today, read and be ready to discuss Hisaye Yamamoto’s “The Legend of Miss Sasagawara.” Analytic Response 4 Due by 11:59pm on Moodle.
Week 12: Mothers and Daughters in Poetry Mon. 4/1
Sisters, Violence, and Protection For today, read and be ready to discuss May-Lee Chai’s “Saving Sourdi” (on Moodle).
Thurs. 4/7
The Power of Speech between Women For today, read and be ready to discuss selection of Adrienne Rich’s poetry and Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” (on Moodle).
Week 13: First Half of Ariel Mon. 4/11
Emily Dickinson and Unconventional Speech For today, read and be ready to discuss a selection of poetry by Emily Dickinson (on Moodle).
Spring Assessment Project 14 My Best Assignment
Thurs. 4/14
The Fraught History of Sylvia Plath; Analytics Response 5 For today, read and be ready to discuss Frieda Hughes’ introduction to Ariel, pages xi-xxi and the following poems in Ariel: “Morning Song,” “The Couriers,” “The Rabbit Catcher,” “Barren Woman,” “Lady Lazarus.”Analytic Response 5 Due by 11:59pm on Moodle.
Week 14: Poems that Were Silenced Mon. 4/18
“Tulips,” “Cut,” “Ariel,” “Death and Co.” and Others For today, read and be ready to discuss the following poems in Plath’s Ariel: “Tulips,” “The Jailor,” “Cut,” “Elm,” “The Night Dances,” “Ariel,” “Death & Co,” “The Other,” “Stopped Dead,” “Poppies in October.”
Thurs. 4/21
“Daddy,” the Bee Poems an Others Proposal Due For today, read and be ready to discuss the following poems in Plath’s Ariel: “Medusa,” “Purdah,” “The Moon and the Yew Tree,” “The Rival,” “Daddy,” “Fever 103,” and pages 81-90. Also work on and be ready to turn in your 1 paragraph final project proposal by the end of class.
Week 15: Final Texts and Projects Mon. 4/25
Plath’s Process, Excised Poems; Meetings For today, read and be ready to discuss pages 175-194 in Plath’s Ariel; also remember to attend your meeting with Prof CW.Schedule one-on-one meetings with Prof CW.
Thurs. 4/28
Final Project Due; Final Presentations For today, finalize your creative project or traditional paper engaging with the texts we read over the course of the semester. Make sure which ever you choose, you write about voices from the margins, silence and culture.
Week 16: Make-Up Day Mon. 5/2
Personal Reflection Due; Final Presentations For today, finals your personal reflection about the course and what you have learned from reading literature, and specific from reading some voices from the margins.
Jeff Halprin Best assignment Spring, 2016 The “Haircut” paper in my Expos class is a “best assignment.”
It is their first writing assignment. I hand out the attached assignment sheet It asks them to consider a subject which, though they don’t know it yet, will be relevant to their reading. It is kind of a stumper for them because there is no clear correct response. They don’t know how to use their previous school writing experience as a pattern to tell them what to say. They struggle and write not very effectively, usually. I meet with each student one-on-one and ask them about the content. It will turn out they have something very different, or much more, that they actually want to say. I have them write a new version. It creates the foundation for the entire class.
I see evidence of its effectiveness in three ways:
Students use the vocabulary of our discussion to approach the rest of the course work. Their revised versions, often totally changed from the original, exhibit the quality of inquiry which I believe defines the difference between high-school and college writing. Narrative evaluations call those meetings one of the most important part of the course.
Expository Writing First Paper Assignment
Subject: Barbershop, salon, haircut experience In Losing My Cool, Williams describes how he learned to be the kind of kid he wanted to be – a “black” kid -- at his barbershop. Not everybody's barbershop or salon has that big an impact on them. But what every salon/barbershop does have is its own culture. They exist to create a look. Salons/Barbershops are places where we let somebody we don't know get into our physical space and design how others are going to see us. Or maybe we never go to a salon and we cut our own hair, or a friend cuts it. All of that is a little bit about who we are. We may like getting a haircut, we may find it annoying, or it might just be something we get through as quickly as possible. But either way, how we feel about it shows a little window into us. Our choice in where we get our hair cut or styled shows a little of what we are interested in, care and don’t care about, and how we relate to people. Describe you own experience. It usually works best to focus on ONE visit. Consider the environment – the atmosphere of your salon/barbershop and how you feel when you are there. There are lots of things you could choose to focus on: the look of the place, the stylists, the customers, how the look of your cut is decided and how you feel afterward, if there are things like in Williams' book that you learned about how you are expected to act, or think, or be. if the experience is a meaningful part of your life or just something you pass through. If your feelings about the haircut/salon/barber shop are the same as the other people there or different. Don’t touch on all those points; they are just ideas to get started. For this first paper, there are just two guidelines: Use as much detail as you can (it helps to think of specific events rather than generalizing many visits together) Use paragraphs
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project: Course:
ENGL 105 Expository Writing
Instructor:
Kellie Deys
What is your best Assignment? Rhetorical Analysis of a Visual Text.
Describe the Assignment: A Rhetorical Analysis asks students to analyze a text by 1.) examining the strategies of persuasion used with the text (Ethos, Logos, and Pathos), 2.) making a claim about the text, and 3.) supporting the claim using evidence from the text. For this assignment, students must choose a visual text. I ask students to choose a smaller text so that they can analyze the text as a whole with attention to its many components. Smaller visual texts include (but are not limited to): A television (or YouTube) commercial An advertisement (in print or on the web) A political campaign poster or commercial A promo or movie trailer A music video Packaging for a food item—cereal box, snack bar box, etc. Packaging for a personal hygiene/ toiletry, beauty product A billboard A fashion spread In 4 pages, students must do more than just explain the text or present the advertiser’s strategy: They must answer “What?” “How?” and “Why?”, through an explicit thesis. In other words, students must develop a position/argument about what they see the text doing, how it is doing, and why it has chosen this particular strategy. I provide the following questions for students to help develop analysis, emphasizing that they should not simply answer these questions in list-like fashion. Rather, they should develop a position on the text and use these (and their own) questions as a means of thinking about and explaining their positions.
How is the text organized? How does formatting influence the presentation of the writer’s ideas? How does the author appeal to the reader’s feelings, intellect, and sense of self? What rhetorical strategies discussed in class does the writer use to affect the way that the message of the text is received? How do color, size, and the simplicity/complexity of the visual affect the text? Who is the intended audience? How do you know? How does the written component of the text affect the meaning? (if there is a written component) How is the text accessible to people (where can it be found)? How does this influence your understanding of the text?
Why is it the best? This assignment is not the one students necessarily receive the highest grades on nor is it one that they necessarily excel at easily. However, I believe that this assignment is one of my most important and effective assignments. On one level, the assignment is valuable because it helps students to develop their
critical thinking, analytical, and close reading skills. On another level, it’s important because it asks students to examine our culture, particularly the elements that infiltrate our lives, but whose effects often go unquestioned (or are often thought of as unquestionable). We live in an extremely visual culture, so I hope to help students learn how to turn a critical eye to visual texts—and why it is valuable to do so. I incorporate some fun activities to help build their skills as they prepare to write these papers. In class, we analyze Super Bowl commercials, cereal boxes, movie trailers, and social media sites. I also use Adbusters as a model for students to create their own spoof advertisements. I believe it encourages inclass participation by including texts that students are familiar with (even as we defamiliarize them). Thus, I aim to make students better thinkers and writers, but also more culturally critical citizens and consumers.
How do I know it is the best? While there is no easy answer to how I know the assignment is best, I can offer several reasons that indicate the strength of this assignment. Every time I teach this assignment, I always hear from students how they can no longer watch commercials or movie trailers in the same way. They note that they now look for the meaning, try to think of marketers’ motivations, and question what they are being sold. In other words, they are critically thinking and analyzing (whether they want to or not). One student this semester reflected on his Rhetorical Analysis, addressing the value of this assignment. He wrote: “I see a lot of value in this type of paper because it allows a deeper understanding of culture and advertising as a whole. They [advertisements and commercials] start to become more than videos and pictures.” Thus, I find the assignment effective in meeting my primary goals. Additionally, I find that students often improve this paper most significantly (as compared to other papers) when they revise it for their final portfolio. This tells me that they are building their skills, and, with my feedback and suggestions, they are able to deepen their skills—in more tangible and immediate ways than some of the other paper assignments.
What Program and Course Outcomes Does the Assignment Address? This assignment addresses all of the course outcomes:
Personally engage with your own writing and with the ideas of others Develop and maintain a focus throughout an essay Develop and support positions Develop clear, logical sentences Demonstrate reading comprehension and analytical skills
This assignment addresses two of our program outcomes: Graduates will be able to interpret texts and to analyze the impact of the context in which texts were written. Graduates will be able to demonstrate effective writing skills, incorporating their own voice, analysis, and creativity.
Sample Assignment Below:
Proactiv: Reliable Acne Product or Sales Gimmick? As a viewer watches television, they’ll see numerous commercials for a variety of services and products that use their own unique style to pull the viewer in as a potential new customer. Almost ninety percent of the time one of those commercials is going to be for Proactiv, a brand of acne treatment and skin care products. The viewer will see the gorgeous Julianne Hough casually sitting on the ground, promoting the all new Proactiv+ (plus), while an image of her six years earlier with one blemish on her forehead appears. One blemish. That’s it. This is followed by before pictures of women with no makeup on, their hair not done, who look miserable with an acne covered face. They are then miraculously transformed after using Proactiv+, now with big smiles, makeup, and a completely new hair style. While these pictures are shown, Julianne and a Proactiv narrator explain the new ingredients in Proactiv+, the benefits of them, and of course the cost of this wonderful new product. Proactiv uses Julianne Hough, price gimmicks, and high quality filming techniques to promote their product, so they can attract teenage girls who are prone to acne, but also distract their parents and other older viewers from the unrealistic results they portray and the hidden fees that come along after purchasing. Julianne Hough is an actress, singer, and dancer. She was on Dancing with the Stars in 2007, but is widely known for her role in the famous love story, Safe Haven. This movie, along with all other love stories, was a huge hit amongst teenage girls. Coincidentally, teenage girls are also very susceptible to acne and Proactiv uses this to their advantage. They use Julianne Hough to promote Proactiv+ because they know many teenage girls will do anything possible to emulate her beauty, like begging their parents to buy them Proactiv+. Julianne draws her audience in by
saying she too struggled with acne, until she discovered Proactiv. She’s also sitting cross legged on the ground as she says this, in a serene and down to earth manner, pulling her audience in further to trust and believe that she is a normal person, just like everyone else. This distracts the audience from realizing that the only picture shown of Julianne with acne, is with one tiny zit on her forehead and at least five years old from when the commercial was shot. This skews the viewer’s anticipated results. If Proactiv can help Julianne who has one tiny zit, then it must definitely be able to help those viewers who suffer from severe acne. We also don’t see Julianne again until the very end of the commercial. After all of the details and prices are told to the viewer, Julianne appears again to remind the viewer that they deserve to have beautiful skin, just like her. Proactiv does this to hopefully seal the deal with one more customer, in case they weren’t convinced otherwise. Julianne is then shown dancing around and making goofy faces to portray how happy she is in her new skin, and that the viewer too can feel like this if they just pick up the phone and order Proactiv+. Proactiv continues to try and distract their audience from factual results, by using different filming techniques such as emphasizing Julianne’s happiness to make viewers focus on anything but the real results of the product. The commercial shifts from Julianne to different real life stories of women who have used Proactiv+. We hear how the product has benefited their skin and we see their outstanding results as they look like completely different people after using the product. To enhance the clarity of their skin, Proactiv puts a clear focus on the subject. In every shot, whether it’s of Julianne Hough or one of the Proactiv+ women, the back ground is blurred and there is a strong focus on the women’s faces. Almost all of the women, including Julianne, are wearing shades of
blue and green that resemble Proactiv’s packaging colors. These colors and clear focus create a sense of clarity and freshness for viewers. These attributes brighten every shot and enhance the quality of the commercial and the skin of each woman, creating a false vision of practical results from the Proactiv+ product. Proactiv also draws in a wider audience by having women of all different races tell their personal story. This shows the product is reliable for all different skin types, now opening the eyes of some viewers to Proactiv who may have not at first showed interest in the products. Proactiv does not just portray exaggerated results either, but they also use a price gimmick to trick viewers in to ordering Proactiv+ immediately. To keep the customer engaged in the commercial, Proactiv states that these products would cost over $200 somewhere else. Not to worry though, the narrator continues to say that Proactiv customers will not pay $200, not even $100, but only $29.95! Then the word “free” appears in big bold letters, promoting the extra products they’re going to send you for no extra cost. This is such a huge wow factor for the viewer, that they already have a phone in hand to place an order, failing to recognize the tiny print on the screen that reads “includes auto-delivery”. The Proactiv+ customer becomes so stunned by the cheapness of the product, they didn’t realize Proactiv was now going to charge their credit card every month for not $30, but $60. Not only is the customer going to pay so little at first, but Proactiv is going to guarantee their money back if the customer does not see results within the first 60 days. Proactiv makes sure the viewer knows this too by showing a large gold star in the middle of the screen reading “MONEY BACK GUARANTEE”. This is Proactiv’s
goal, to keep the viewer so engaged on the different aspects of their commercial, they’re distracted from unrealistic results, high prices, and automatic payments. Another aspect that keeps the viewer mesmerized by Proactiv’s products are the key words used throughout the commercial. The words “young”, “loving”, and “clean” are just a few that attract the viewer but the most important word is “new”. By having Julianne or the narrator repeat the word “new,” Proactiv is now pulling in a past customer once again that may not have had a great experience with the original Proactiv. This is one of the most important things for Proactiv, not only to keep faithful customers, but to bring in new ones. Proactiv tries so hard to broaden their search for new potential customers, but they limit themselves to promoting only to women. Throughout the entire commercial it’s women promoting their personal stories for Proactiv. It’s not until the very end that we see a man who we assume must have used Proactiv. We assume this because we know nothing about him, we only see him smiling. We don’t know if he used Proactiv and if it worked for him because he was never introduced to the audience. Proactiv was so focused on reeling in young girls and women to their product they completely dismiss the male population to their product. Proactiv uses many different attributes to pull in potential new customers. Their use of words, celebrities, filming techniques, and price gimmicks in their commercials completely mesmerize viewers that they don’t even think consciously before picking up the phone. Once viewers order Proactiv+ they’re signing themselves for monthly shipments and payments of Proactiv. Celebrities such as Julianne Hough, greatly influence viewers to buy Proactiv and also
create a sense of loyalty for them. These techniques create a successful business for Proactiv, even if they’re trying to hide results and prices.
Works Cited http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7TVt/proactiv-featuring-julianne-hough
Expository Writing: Rhetorical Analysis Rubric Name:_______________________________________________
Focus of Writing & Thesis Inclusion
Success in illustrating purpose and effectively analyzing Content Development
Organization of Piece
Introduction
Style of Writing
A
B
C
D
F
Sharp, distinct controlling point or theme with evident awareness of the task. Thesis is clear, specific, strong, and unique— and fully develops “What, How, and Why?” A purpose is clearly emphasized throughout the piece. The analysis is clear, reasonable, and persuasive.
Clear controlling point or theme with general awareness of the task. Thesis is fairly clear, but is a little broad. Thesis includes “What and How,” but does not fully develop “Why?” A purpose runs through the piece. The analysis is clear and reasonable, though not entirely persuasive.
Vague evidence of a controlling point or theme with inconsistent awareness of the task. Thesis is broad, too general, or somewhat unclear. Paper addresses “What and How” with no “Why?” The purpose is generally clear and reasonable, but some details are too general, broad, or ineffective.
Essay is off prompt. No thesis.
Strong piece with illustrative details and complexity. Examples are rich, varied, and purposeful. Skillful pattern with clear and consistent sequencing of ideas. Organization adds to the paper’s effectiveness. The intro fully develops the 3 elements: Context, Sketch, and Thesis. Precise control of language and sentence structures creates a consistent and effective point of view and tone. Writer has effectively varied sentence beginnings and used active & vivid words throughout.
Good piece with examples that are generally interesting, but may lack some richness.
Inconsistent piece. Examples are sometimes irrelevant or flat.
Little or no evidence of a controlling point or theme with minimal awareness of the task. Thesis is unclear, quite broad, poorly defined. Thesis fails to address more than “What?” The purpose is present but is not developed with persuasive details or examples. Points are vague, confusing and/or unrelated. Insufficient piece. Details and examples tend to be flat, expected, or purposeless.
Pattern with generally consistent sequencing of ideas, Organization is good, but lacks some excitement. The intro attempts to develop the 3 elements: Context, Sketch, and Thesis, but 1 of the 3 is weak. Appropriate control of language and sentence structures that creates a consistent point of view and tone. Writer has attempted to vary sentence beginnings and adequately uses some vivid/active words.
Pattern with generally inconsistent sequencing of ideas. Sequencing is expected and adds little to effectiveness. The intro is missing 1 of the 3 elements: Context, Sketch, and Thesis; the other 2 are only fair. Limited control of language and sentence structures that creates interference with point of view and tone. Writer’s attempts to vary sentence beginnings are awkward. Writer uses a few vivid/active words.
Pattern with little or no sequencing of ideas.
There is no organization to the piece.
The intro barely addresses the 3 elements: Context, Sketch, and Thesis. Minimal control of language and sentence structures that creates an inconsistent point of view and tone. Writer has ineffectively varied his/her sentence beginnings. Writer uses 1-2 vivid/active verbs.
Intro fails to include any of the 3 elements. No control of language and sentence structures. No vivid words utilized.
Content is confusing, undeveloped, or does not address assignment. There is no development.
Mechanics/ Grammar
Excellent control of grammar, spelling, and sentence formation. Mechanics add to the paper’s effectiveness.
Sufficient control of grammar, spelling, and sentence formation. Few grammatical errors are present in the essay and do not interfere with reading.
Some control of grammar, spelling, and sentence formation. Confused arrangement of sentences interferes with reading.
Minimal control of grammar, spelling, and sentence formation. Essay is difficult to read.
No essay has been submitted in order to assess mechanics.
Areas to Work on: (To be circled) Intro:
Introduction doesn’t provide context for ad or commercial/ needs fuller context Introduction needs to “sketch”/briefly summarize text more
Introduction doesn’t intro text/ jumps right into text Introduction lacks a thesis
Thesis/Analysis: Thesis/analysis has big gaps—many areas of text have not been analyzed Thesis doesn’t reflect ideas in individual paragraphs Points of analysis don’t make sense together/they contradict
Thesis is too general / broad/ surface level Some points of analysis don’t support thesis Paper could consider ethos/logos/ pathos more
Organization/Structure: Organize introductory paragraph: sentences need reworking Ideas feel list-like/ Ideas need to build more Paragraphs too long / short / divide paragraphs up to increase impact
Paper lacks logical order of ideas Paragraphs repeat same idea Paragraphs lack topic sentences/claims
Mechanics: Missing title or Title that doesn’t reflect thesis Work on comma use: missing commas / misplaced commas Vary sentence structure and/or length—wordy or choppy sentences Tighten sentences; avoid filler phrase
Proofread! There are a lot of mechanical/punctuation errors Fix Run-ons, Fragments, Comma splices, & Semi-colon use Missing a Works Cited page/Incorrect WC page Fix MLA style—Missing header/heading or incorrect heading
Strengths:
Grade:
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project What is Your Best Assignment? Principles of Finance FIN 203—Karin Curran Describe the Assignment: When reviewing the financial statements with students, it is often difficult for them to see how they are all interconnected. To reinforce this, I have them create the statements in Excel and use formulas with cell references to illustrate. Students are given an Income Statement and two Balance Sheets and must create a Cash Flow Statement using only Excel formulas that link back to the other statements. Students understandably find it difficult to relate to corporate financial statements but they are very interested in their own personal cash flows. I try to preface the assignment by having students privately compare their own bank account balance from a year ago versus today. What is the overall change? Now, take it one step further and try to categorize the reasons behind most of their cash flows (job, loans, parents, etc.) that account for that overall change. As they work through this assignment, they then must apply the same reasoning to a corporation accounting for its cash flows.
Why it is the best? This assignment incorporates Excel, a software tool widely used in Business. Many students typically want to use a calculator and type the answers into Excel rather than use Excel formulas to do the calculations. By using cell references in the formulas, they are literally making the links from one statement to another and can visually see when one number changes, how it affects another statement. Since a large focus in Finance is “Cash” and understanding its inflows and outflows during a specific time period, this assignment lets them analyze those flows and the activities that generate them beyond simply noting the beginning and ending cash balances.
How do I know it is the best? I’ve worked with many students in extra-help sessions who cannot put all the accounting and finance pieces together to see the whole picture. I have seen over and over again the sigh of relief when the connection is made as they are completing their spreadsheets with me. This practical application helps them put all the puzzle pieces together. Class discussion about this assignment and what the numbers mean also are encouraging as more students tend to participate and it often sparks further inquiry in how corporations might handle additional scenarios that weren’t covered in this assignment (retiring stock, notes payables, etc.)
What Program and Course Outcomes Does the Assignment Address? Course outcome: “Students will be able to review and explain basic financial statements and understand the basics of the country’s current tax system.” Program outcome: “Student will be able to identify, explain and mathematically apply corporate finance concepts and techniques.”
Sample of Student Work Below: This student’s sample includes the financial statements but additional sheets displaying all the formulas used in this assignment.
Bison Inc. Balance sheet For the period ended 12/31/15 Assets 2014 Current assets Cash Accounts receivable Inventory Total Fixed assets Gross Accum. Depreciation Net fixed assets
Total assets
$
$
Liabilities & Owner's Equity 2014 Current liabilities 2,647 Accounts payable $ 1,642 $ 5,614 Salary payable 438 2,843 Total $ 2,080 $ 11,104 Long-term debt $ 1,823 $ 2015
2,165 $ 4,832 3,217 10,214 $
35,183 $ 39,456 Owner's equity (22,640) (24,852) Common stock $ $ 12,543 $ 14,604 Retained earnings Total $
2015 1,420 1,228 2,648 409
$
$
22,757 $
Total liabilities & 25,708 owner's equity
Bison Inc. Income Statement Period ended 12/31/15 Sales Cost of goods Depreciation Other expenses EBIT Interest EBT Tax Net income Dividends $ Addition to retained earnings
$
$ $ $ 3,100 1,297
40,506 14,177 2,212 17,275 6,842 180 6,662 2,265 4,397
$
10,000 $ 12,500 8,854 10,151 18,854 $ 22,651
22,757 $ 25,708
Bison Inc. 2015 Statement of Cash Flows Cash, beginning of year Operating activity Net income Plus: Depreciation Decrease in inventory Increase in salary payable Less: Increase in accounts receivable Decrease in accounts payable Net cash from operating activity Investment activity Increase in fixed assets Net cash from investments Financing activity Decrease in long-term debt Increase in common stock Dividends paid Net cash from financing Net increase in cash Cash, end of year
$
2,165
$
4,397 2,212 374 790
$
(782) (222) 6,769
$
(4,273) (4,273)
$
$ $ $
(1,414) 2,500 (3,100) (2,014) 482 2,647
Bison Inc. Balance sheet For the period ended 12/31/15 Assets 2014 Current assets Cash Accounts receivable Inventory Total
Liabilities & Owner's Equity 2014
2015
2165 4832 3217 =SUM(B7:B9)
2647 5614 2843 =SUM(C7:C9)
2015
Current liabilities Accounts payable Salary payable Total
1642 438 =SUM(E7:E8)
1420 1228 =SUM(F7:F8)
Long-term debt
1823
409
Fixed assets Gross Accum. Depreciation Net fixed assets
35183 -22640 =B13+B14
39456 -24852 =C13+C14
Owner's equity Common stock Retained earnings Total
10000 8854 =SUM(E14:E15)
12500 10151 =SUM(F14:F15)
Total assets
=B10+B15
=C10+C15
Total liabilities & owner's equity
=E9+E11+E16
=F9+F11+F16
Bison Inc. Income Statement Period ended 12/31/15 Sales Cost of goods Depreciation Other expenses EBIT Interest EBT Tax Net income Dividends Addition to retained earnings
40506 14177 2212 17275 =C24-C25-C26-C27 180 =C28-C29 2265 =C30-C31 3100 =C32-B33
Bison Inc. 2015 Statement of Cash Flows Cash, beginning of year Operating activity ='Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!A32 Plus: ='Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!A26 Decrease in inventory Increase in salary payable Less: Increase in accounts receivable Decrease in accounts payable Net cash from operating activity Investment activity Increase in fixed assets Net cash from investments Financing activity Decrease in long-term debt Increase in common stock Dividends paid Net cash from financing Net increase in cash Cash, end of year
='Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!B7 ='Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!C32 ='Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!C26 ='Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!B9-'Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!C9 ='Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!F8-'Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!E8 ='Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!B8-'Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!C8 ='Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!F7-'Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!E7 =B5+B7+B8+B9+B11+B12 ='Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!B13-'Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!C13 =B15 ='Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!F11-'Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!E11 ='Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!F14-'Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!E14 =-'Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!B33 =B18+B19+B20 ='Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!C7-'Balance Sheet &Income Statement'!B7 =B3+B13+B16+B21
1 Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project: Best Assignment Course: ECON307 Money Banking and the Economy The Assignment: Semester Project on a Topic Related to Global Financial Crisis For this group project you will need to do research and write a 12-15 page paper (double-spaced) relating to the topic you have chosen. This is a semester long project and you are required to meet the given deadlines to get full credit. Your paper needs to have a thesis and make an overall argument about the financial crisis. Here are some sample topics you can pick from. 1. Securitization and asset-backed securities; CDOs, Structured Investment Vehicles (SIVs), Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), etc. 2. Credit Default Swaps, Monoline insurers, and other credit enhancements. 3. Credit ratings and credit ratings agencies 4. Too-Big-To-Fail institutions. 5. Shadow banks and market-based liquidity creation. 6. The Trouble Asset Relief Program (TARP) and the Federal Reserve bailout. Credit Easing. Quantitative easing. 7. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and bank failures, FDICIA reform, FDIC’s role during the global financial crisis. 8. Dodd Frank Act 9. The Glass-Steagall Act and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act 10. Iceland’s banking crisis and recovery 11. Eurozone crisis (Greece, Portugal etc) Important Dates 1. Before Monday, February 24: Formulate a thesis statement and come see me during office hours to discuss it. The thesis statement is due February 24th in class http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/thesis-statements/ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/ 2. Wednesday, March 9 – Annotated bibliography and outline due. Here is what an annotated bibliography should look like: http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/skill28.htm https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/02/ 3. Wednesday, March 30: Analyze the rules of plagiarism. The University of Southern Mississippi has created a plagiarism tutorial. See Welcome to the Plagiarism Tutorial. At the USM site, you must complete and have emailed to me the plagiarism pre-test (So You Think You Know What Plagiarism Is?) and the plagiarism post-test (How Much Have You Learned About Plagiarism?). 4. Monday, April 18 – Draft paper due 5. Wednesday, April 20 – Draft presentation due 6. Monday, May 2 -- Final paper due. You will submit soft copy electronically via Moodle & also bring hard copy to class.
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Why is it the best? The project has various deadlines over the course of the semester which allows students to spread out their work load. This is a group project so students brainstorm ideas among each other, learn from each other as well as it provides them host of skills that are increasingly important in the professional world. Among others things this group project teaches students to hold one another (and be held) accountable, delegate roles and responsibilities, share diverse perspectives, provides opportunity to tackle more complex ideas related to financial crisis than they could on their own. How do I know it is the best? I assigned this project for the first time last semester and I was impressed to see the final paper written by some of my students. I am optimistic that with some guidance some of our students are capable to write research paper presentable at national and international conferences and that will be my long run goal. Most of them did very well presenting their projects in class; I was impressed how professional they looked. I also received positive feedback from my students. What program and course outcomes does the assignment address? Economics Program outcomes: 1. Generate constructive analysis of real world issues using the theories of economics, including macroeconomic and microeconomic theories, economic history, history of economic thought, and theories of economic institutions. 2. Critically interpret economic information and data using statistical methods, economic and institutional theories and are capable of analyzing the economic content of a wide range of writings, including academic journal articles, popular press, and historical documents. 3. Produce a constructive assessment of social problems by drawing upon relevant data and utilizing suitable economic theories, and will be effective at describing and analyzing basic government economic policies. 4. Identify complex problems and arguments and analyze those using the theoretical tools and quantitative methods of economics. 5. Effectively communicate economic ideas, problems, and findings to both lay and professional audiences. 6. Recognize a wide range of perspectives within the discipline, including neo-classical, Keynesian, feminist and institutional approaches.
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Sample Slides from Student Presentation
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Abstract: Green Screened: Utopian Student Creation from Dystopian Classroom Understanding. Pixar. Lucas ILM. Now your classroom. BYOD and experience how Green Screen technology can engage understanding, application, analysis, and creation among your students. Len and student Paul Parks will discuss the success story that was their freshman cohort; a class linked to learning Leadership and Expository Writing. Graduation was a 6-minute movie, written and edited by students that combined concepts from the writings of Vonnegut and Zamyatin with the visuals of Cuaron and the Walking Dead. Utopian creation from dystopian beginnings. Personal iPads will enhance this session.
Description of your session. Overall Summary. Specific challenges you will address and recommendations. Part 1 (5 minutes) Begin with a 30 second video of final Green Screen product. Introduction of presenters and design of our co-taught class. Our knowledge and assumptions at the beginning of the class and our growth and discoveries at the end of the course. Part 2 (5 Minutes) Description of the Green Screen iPad app. Explanation of the concept of story-boarding. Engagement with our session participants. Part 3 (40 minutes) 10 minutes to story-board a mini-movie that combines the elements of Bloom’s Taxonomy and the City of Atlanta. 10 minutes to “film” the mini-movie. 10 minutes to screen the creations of willing volunteers. Discussion. The challenges of this type of presentation (availability of iPads, WiFi links, learning curve of new technology) will become evident as we move through the engagement part of the presentation, leading to discussion and provided recommendations. Part 4 Questions and answers. Discussion.
The strategy to use student created projects as a demonstration of their level of understanding, application of concepts, analysis of key ideas is universal across all fields of learning. Technology in the form of Smart Phones, Smart Tablets, and Cloud computing is ubiquitous; a ready tool in the toolkit of today’s teacher. We believe it is a tool of great power if used effectively and efficiently.
4. Theoretical framework for you approach? Beginning with the theoretical framework of Bloom’s Taxonomy we view our co-taught classroom and the use of Green Screen technology, via iPads, as a movement from the simple to the complex, from the concrete to the abstract. Green Screen is an application of a Virtual Reality Learning Environments (VRLE). Huang, Rauch, and Liaw (2010) stated that VRLE provides an immersive, interactive, intuitive and exciting learning environment. Finally, our Green Screen project was fun and increased the attention span of our students, a position consistent with an article published in the 2007, Vol 21, Issue 5 of Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal.
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project: Best Assignment Course: ACC 240 Managerial Accounting –DesRoches The Assignment: Excel Budget Project Using a chapter in the text as a guide and reference, students work with a partner to create a three-month budget for a merchandising company. The exercise was developed by the instructors by substantially modifying a textbook assignment and tailoring it the current textbook. Each team works with data slightly different from the other teams. Objectives and outcomes:
Use knowledge of Excel in an experiential exercise practiced by most entities; financial budgeting. A merchandiser is used as it is easier than a service-type entity but not as complex as a manufacturer. A one-product entity is assumed but concepts learned can be extended to any type of commercial entity. Students learn how to prepare budgets for sales, cash collections, required inventory purchases, disbursements for purchases, a cash budget incorporating borrowing and repayment including interest, and the preparation of financial statements including the income statement and balance sheet. Inherent to the process are the many operating and financial assumptions that provide constraints and parameters which are explained to students; typically these topics are covered in other classes like marketing, financial accounting, operations management, and finance. The project ensures that students have or are exposed to a level of applied Excel. The project can be used as a resume builder and mentioned in a job interview. The instructor provides a consulting role outside of class and students are encouraged to seek help if they get stuck. Two classes are used to cover as much as possible in class. Students who start early, meet deliverables deadlines, and seek the instructor’s help in a timely manner can achieve a high score on this project which is 10% of the overall grade.
Why is it the best?
It is experiential; all companies should be engaged in some form of strategic planning and budgeting It consolidates concepts learned (or soon to be learned) in other courses into one project It allows students to use Excel in a comprehensive and common business application Students are required to work with a partner eliciting many of the benefits associated with team experiences. For some students (especially commuters) whom may not have many peer-
acquaintances on campus (hence, have not partnered up on their own) I assign the partners giving those students an opportunity to get to know their peers a bit better.
How do I know it is the best? Virtually every organization does (or should) prepare a budget often utilizing in whole or in part Excel. So the project is highly career-relevant and enhances technical skills. Having used it for only one semester here at Nichols, what feedback I did receive on semester-end course evaluations was positive.
What Program and Course Outcomes Does the Assignment Address? ACC 240 is not a required course of accounting majors who take a similar, but much more rigorous course. An ACC 240 course outcome satisfied in part is: Integrate the concepts of variable and traditional costing to develop financial statements that facilitate cost control.
Actually, the syllabus needs to be revised to include budgeting and its use of Excel as a course outcome(s). Below is a sample copy of the assignment and its deliverables:
Master Budget Project Instructions and Deliverables
The project combines concepts learned in Chapter 9 on budgeting with using Excel in a common business application. Use of the ARC is not allowed for this project so you must attend relevant classes and help sessions and utilize the instructor’s office hours to achieve a desirable grade. You are required to work with a partner from your class section and it is highly recommended either one or both you have an appropriate knowledge of Excel; about a 5 on a scale of 10. There are a number of documents associated with this project as follows:
Common Data Spreadsheet - contains data common to all projects and is in Excel format to facilitate the linking of data in the Excel budget schedules and financial statements you will create. Excel Templates - are what you will create containing your completed budget schedules and financial statements. Your finished project will look exactly like the Common Data Spreadsheet handed out and each shaded cell will contain either a link to another cell or a formula. Cells xxxxxxxx’d out may contain hard-coded data.
Variations to Common Data - Each individual or team will have a separate set of data corresponding to your project version number. This data replaces those same data elements in the Common Data Spreadsheet and should be changed in your version to facilitate linking and calculations; all else is the same. Check Figures – Key check figures are provided to help assure you are on the right track. There still could be other errors (usually offsetting) which is why you should meet with the instructor as needed to maximize your grade.
All of these documents will be explained further in class and, except for the Excel Templates, are available in Moodle. Deliverable #1 - By Monday, March 28 11:59 p.m. your completed templates on your Common Data Spreadsheet as shown in the handout discussed in class. File name should be (last name) (first initial) Deliverable1. 30 points Deliverable #2 – By Monday, April 11 11:59 p.m. your completed master budget schedules (using templates developed in Deliverable #1) with all cells having either formulas or links to data in the common data section as revised to reflect your version of the project. File name should be (last name) (first initial) Deliverable2. 50 points Deliverable #3 – By Monday, May 2 11:59 p.m. your completed master budget financial statements (using templates developed in Deliverable #1 and data developed in Deliverable #2) with all cells having either formulas or links to data in the master budget schedules and the common data section as revised to reflect your version of the project. File name should be (last name) (first initial) Deliverable3. 20 points Notes: Only one partner’s name is needed in the filename but include both names in the area provided on the Excel spreadsheet. Grading feedback will be provided to the submitting partner who in turn must share it with the other partner. All deliverables should be submitted in Moodle as an Excel spreadsheet. Penalty for late submissions is 5% per day up to the maximum number of points for the deliverable. This project should be your own (as partners) work and any indication that academic honesty and integrity have been compromised will result in a grade of zero for the entire project for all parties involved. Starting w/e 3/25 sign-up sheets will be placed on my office door with 15-minute slots during my office hours for you to get help. Sign up for one slot at a time; any duplicates will be erased. You do not need to attend with your partner although it is strongly recommended.
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project What is your best Assignment? Research Methods in CJM (Literature Review) – Allison McDowell-Smith Describe the Assignment: I assign two students to a group at the beginning of the semester to work on a group research assignment that consists of two parts: the group research paper (proposal) and the group research presentation. The purpose of this assignment is to provide the student with experience in designing a research study and writing a research proposal. I break the assignment up into four parts to make it easier to comprehend. One specific part that the students are responsible for creating is a literature review on their research topic. The literature review is an objective, critical summary of published research literature relevant to the topic they chose to research. The purpose is to help the reader understand the background of the students’ proposed research and why this research is significant and necessary within the field of criminal justice. The students are provided with a literature review template to help them through this process; as the students have never previously conducted a literature review. The students are required to find a minimum of 10 scholarly sources, provide critical evaluations of the research, and organize the research into appropriate themes. Why is it the best? This is a research based assignment that the helps the students identify any problems areas within the field of criminal justice, prior to investing time, energy, and money in a study. Students are excited to choose their research topic of choice and once they begin looking at the scholarly sources, they begin to learn about more about their topic then they could have ever imagined. Also, they learn how to do proper research! Most students think that Wikipedia is a reliable source. They learn that Wikipedia might help them brainstorm some ideas in the beginning of their research journey, but then understand they must find reliable sources such as academic journals that have been published in the past five years. Even though the literature review is writing intensive, there is still a great deal of discussion among the students and myself about how to find and interpret scholarly sources. This allows the students to fully understand how dynamic the research process can be. How do I know it is the best? At the beginning of the semester, all of the students seem to be overwhelmed when they read the literature review assignment. Once we actually start working on the assignment as a class, then in small groups, the students begin to feel at ease and get excited when they find a relevant, scholarly source! When I read their completed literature reviews and provide feedback to the students, it was all positive and encouraging feedback. The students have provided strong feedback stating that they are proud of their accomplishments and feel as though they can now positively contribute to the field of criminal justice research. I even have students in my current
semester that said they still apply the organization and scholarly source identification skills to their current courses. A sample assignment is on the next page. What Program and Course Outcomes Does the Assignment Address? Course: 1. Students will be able to utilize written communication skills on Criminal Justice topics through composition of thought. 2. Students will be able to analyze the basic knowledge and skills, including the principles, terminology, and methods, needed to plan, carry out, and evaluate effective criminal justice research. 3. Students will be able to develop an understanding of information and theories relating to the causes of crime in the community. Program: 1. Express oral and written communication as it relates to the practice of administration of justice. 2. Identify and critically analyze theories, principles, and problem solving practices of the Criminal Justice System. Sample Assignment Below:
Literature Review: Introduction “Law enforcement (policing) broadly refers to any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discover, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society.” (“Law Enforcement Definition”) The war on drugs is an important topic to study because it has been affecting the relationship between the United States and Mexico for decades. Within President Richard Nixon’s term he had officially declared the War on Drugs on June 17, 1971. Nixon stated to Congress that drug abuse was "enemy number one" ("Richard Nixon's: Special Message to the Congress on Drug Abuse Prevention and Control."). In today's society, Mexican cartels rule the drug trade that is coming through the borders of Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is an extremely important aspect to law
enforcement, especially when dealing with life and death situations involving illegal drug use. Massive amounts of drugs that are being smuggled into the United States is at its all-time highest and the death toll associated with the Mexican cartels have skyrocketed. The DEA is specially trained to deal with situations involving the use, transportation, and seizing of drugs. The study of illegal drug trade along the Southwest Border has both a theoretical and practical significance. The DEA along with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) have already put forth so much effort at all levels into attacking all the possible trafficking and production of these illicit drugs. Agents and officers from the DEA and FBI have been working along both sides of the Mexican border to make sure the flow and power of drugs leaving Mexico seizes. There is no other country in the world other than Mexico that has the biggest impact on the United States drug situation. This study on drugs along the Mexican border treats familiar material in a new way as well as challenges what we already know about the War on Drugs. Definitions The War on Drugs is still being dealt with in today’s society and has become one of the biggest problems within the United States of America. The War on Drugs is “a series of actions tending toward a prohibition of illegal drug trade. It is a campaign adopted by the U.S. government along with the foreign military aid and with the assistance of participating countries, to both define and to end the import, manufacture, sale, and use of illegal drugs. This initiative includes a set of U.S. drug policies that are proposed to discourage the production, distribution, and consumption of illegal psychoactive drugs.�("War on Drugs Law & Legal Definition") When it comes to trying to eliminate drugs being brought over the border the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a part of the U.S. Department of Justice which regulates interstate commerce in prescription drugs to prevent them from being used as drugs of
abuse.”(“DEA”) The DEA focuses on finding illicit drugs. “Illicit drugs use includes the nonmedical use of a variety of drugs that are prohibited by international law. These drugs include: amphetamine- type stimulants, cannabis, cocaine, heroin and other opioids, and MDMA (ecstasy).” Along with the DEA the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is “the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States, which simultaneously serves as the nation's prime Federal law enforcement organization.” ("About Us"). Drug trafficking generally refers to “the sale and distribution of illegal drugs.” Under the federal sentencing guidelines, a "drug trafficking offense” as “an offense under federal, state, or local law that prohibits the manufacture, import, export, distribution, or dispensing of a controlled substance (or a counterfeit substance) or the possession of a controlled substance (or a counterfeit substance) with intent to manufacture, import, export, distribute, or dispense.” ("Drug Trafficking Law & Legal Definition"). Drug cartels are included with drug trafficking because it is “any criminal organization developed with the primary purpose of promoting and controlling drug trafficking operations.” They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. (Drug Trafficking Organizations - National Drug Threat Assessment 2010). Within the U.S., Mexico, and mostly Central America there are drug trafficking organizations (DTO) which are “complex organizations with highly defined command-and-control structures that produce, transport, and/or distribute large quantities of one or more illicit drugs.” ((U) Drug Trafficking Organizations)) The Mexican-United States Border is where all illicit drugs are being trafficked through. It is “an international boundary running from Tijuana, Baja California, and Imperial Beach, California in the west to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Brownsville, Texas in the east. It is the most frequently crossed international boundary in the world, with approximately 350 million
legal crossings being made annually. The total length of the continental border is 1,954 miles (3,145 km).” (Zaanta, "Border Issues"). The drug route from Colombia to United States “is typically made from the West side of the country, a boat or plane will be used to carry drugs over the Pacific Ocean into Mexico where different strategies are used to get the drugs into the United States such as human transportation, underground paths, or hidden compartments in vehicles that cross the border.” Outline When trying to seize the transportation of illicit drugs from one major country to another, there are four major themes that specifically fit into the war on drugs from Mexico to the U.S. Theme one that will be discussed and analyzed carefully is drug trafficking and drug traffic organizations. The second theme to recognize and take action about is the amount of violence that is in Mexico. There have been many attempts in order to stop trafficking along the border of Mexico and U.S. The next theme, theme three, explains border control and the strategy implications that have and are being made. Lastly, theme four will be providing information about the collaboration between Mexico and the United States and what solutions have been found and what are the future implications that the DEA is looking into to eliminate the amount of illegal drugs that are being trafficked into the country. The articles relating to theme one’s topic, overall, all connect to the drug trafficking organizations and networks that are located within Mexico. The background and scope of drug trafficking is recognized as well as the challenges, conflicts, and competition amongst DTOs, and the overall traffic and illegal production of these illicit drugs. Violence in Mexico is growing dramatically each and every day involving the transportation of drugs. In theme two, the statistics of the violence rate as well as violence
spillover, characteristics of increased violence, and the rise of cartel drug leaders over the years are all intertwined when trying to find the best solution in eliminating drug trafficking that causes the factor of violence. Border control through the DEA and local law enforcement agencies have improved greatly over the years. In addition, theme three describes interagency initiatives, as well as strategies, operational, and tactical levels of conflict along the border. The United States has implicated strategies against Mexican drug cartels, including the internationalizations of the DEA in Mexico and the open markets-closed border idea developed between U.S. and Mexico. Collaboration between the divided countries has been one of the most difficult problems to overcome. Seeking possible solutions each and every day, theme four interprets solving border security together, along with finding an ultimate balance and a fulcrum in the United States and Mexico. For each theme that we figured out we split it up and listed what each article talks about and then split it up even more and categorized the focal points mentioned into four different themes. This process was most definitely time consuming, however it had to be done in order to identify the themes. Drug trafficking and organizations No other country in the world has a greater impact on the drug situation in the United States that does Mexico (Perkins, "Testimony"). There has been a long history in Mexico of smuggling illicit drugs over the shared border and the four main drugs of abuse consist of marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, where they are all produced and transported to the United States. In total, around eighteen to thirty nine billion dollars is moved from within the U.S. to the border and it is all because of Mexican drug traffic organizations. The depth of Mexican DTOs extends as early as the twentieth century and by the year of 1991, “Mexico reportedly accounted for an estimated 300-350 tons of cocaine and roughly a
third of all heroin and marijuana imported in the United States.” (Shirk). The problem today though is that law enforcement is focusing exclusively on dealing with drugs and the organizations that they are forgetting about the more sensible alternatives. Curbing the demand for drugs is a huge problem we are facing and perhaps the number of causal drugs is diminishing, however the number of heavy users has not and is continuing to grow. DTOs are full of corruption and when corruption seems to fail the operation, violence is right there as an alternative. The need for power in organizations is at its highest rate in recent years. Diversification of DTOs has become one of the hardest dilemmas for the DEA other law enforcement agencies to solve. “People contend that diversification signals that U.S. and Mexican drug enforcement measures are cutting into profits from drug trafficking, or constitutes a response to shifting U.S. drug consumption patterns.”(Beittel) Not only have these organizations stuck to producing illicit drugs, they also conduct crimes such as kidnapping, automobile theft, prostitution involvement, and assassins for hire. A shift in drug trafficking and organizations has been needed for a very long time now. The expansion of both are only getting bigger and the institutionalized denial of it all portrays both fundamental misreading of the problem as well as unworkable strategies for dealing with it. Violence within Mexico Understanding and knowing the culture and background of violence is an important aspect that all should engage in. When dealing with the massive growth of violence in Mexico, there are three general categories. Intra-cartel violence, inter-cartel violence, and cartel versusgovernment violence are the main categories that the FBI and DEA investigate. “The DEA and FBI assesses that the current surge in violence is driven in large measure by the GOM’s
proactive actions against the traffickers, along with other variables, such as cartel on cartel violence.” (Perkins) The basic information that we must know is that drug gangs in Mexico and also the United states are inherently violent. It has been gathered that Mexican DTOs use violence as a tool to threaten public support for the government’s counter-drug efforts. The violence present today is more likely to be shown on public display of the gruesome killings that traffickers commit with the intent that they will intimidate not only the government, but the public community as well. Research shows that murders committed by the traffickers are usually out of acts of desperation. By deploying thousands upon thousands of military troops, as well as investigators to scope out hot spots, has greatly disturbed supply routes that are in as well as out of Mexico causing strong alliances of gangs to be broken up. This disturbance has caused an extreme competition between DTOs who still control certain routes and others who want to have control of them. Violence that is related to organizations and drug trafficking has been more than brutal and clearly apparent in dispersed areas in and around Mexico. “According to analysis by University of San Diego’s Trans-Border Institute (TBI), 84% of Mexico’s municipalities have been affected in some way by organized crime violence (with only 16% violence free) and over time violence has spread to a larger number of municipalities.” (Kellner) Mexico and the United States are undergoing a national security problem due to excessive violence by the cartels. Pertaining to the spillover violence “entails deliberate, planned attacks by the cartels on the U.S. assets, including civilian, military, or law enforcement officials, innocent U.S. citizens, or physical institutions such as government buildings, consulates, or businesses.” (Perkins) However these spillover violence effects are not included with trafficker on trafficker violence. Spillover violence is known to be a very complicated matter to comprehend. Most of the problem
that lies within this affect is caused by the younger-generation DTOs, and since they are rather young to be in these organizations, they are less rational to deal with and only care about the profit off their drugs. Within recent years, collectively, the DEA and FBI created an Operation Knockdown that consisted of more than two hundred federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. (Dell) Included in this operation was an interview of more than three hundred Barrio Azteca gang members. The goal that the FBI and DEA were trying to succeed in consisted of gathering the FBI’s top ten fugitive’s location. The knowledge that was gained from this operation led to many arrests as well as retrieving items of documentary evidence. All in all, this intensified the amount of law enforcement pressure and are able to gather information directly from big time gang members. Border controls and strategy implications Over the years, both Mexican and American forces have gone to great lengths to limit the amount of illegal drugs that are being smuggled into the United States. A main focus for both sides of the country’s law enforcement is the safety of the citizens, which have been put in harm’s way by the cartels whose main focus is making money. A problem Mexico has faced over the years has been the corruption within local law enforcement. Federal law enforcement officers have been working closely with the local officials to find where the corrupted officers are. One strategy that was used by Mexican President Felipe Calderon was the replacement of state and local police by military forces in areas that were deemed the most violence-plagued in the country to end the corruption brought on by the local police. “DEA and the FBI are agencies with global reach who work vigorously with law enforcement counterparts in both the United
States and Mexico to address the violence in Mexico through joint investigations and the sharing of intelligence” (Perkins). Another strategy that has been used on both sides of the border was the Concealment Trap Initiative. “The CTI targets those vital service providers who build concealed trap compartments or use natural voids in vehicles or other conveyances and residences for DTOs to conceal bulk cash or other contraband.” These drug traffickers notice that “bulk” currency is automatically seized as well as it being easily given up when discovered by law enforcement authorities. In order to prevent this and turn it completely around, “drug traffickers employ a myriad of techniques, including the use of concealment traps, to impede and frustrate law enforcement’s efforts to discover and seize illicit drug proceeds.” The Concealment Trap Initiative “addresses the challenge of helping law enforcement officers and agents keep up with the technology behind these traps, including training them to identify and locate the traps, and establish probable cause toward obtaining a search warrant or consent to search the vehicle or residence in which the trap is located.” (Perkins) The DEA put an approximately three million dollars’ worth of work into this program. In 2009 when they first used this initiative they ended up seizing over twenty eight million dollars’ worth of illicit drugs and weapons. Collaboration between U.S. and Mexico; finding solutions Over the last 15 years, Mexico’s government collaboration with U.S agencies such as the DEA and FBI has helped adapt to the advanced methods being used by cartels to smuggle drugs into the country. The DEA’s influence within Mexico has been consequential in two main ways: The Mexican government and its antidrug policies and on the organization and practice of drug trafficking in Mexico. “The presence of foreign police may be accepted, but virtually never the legal authority that underpins them in their own country” (University Park, 1993). The key to
operational success for the FBI and DEA is the collection and sharing of intelligence with the Mexican government. In the United States, at any given time there are about seven hundred FBI agents and out of those seven hundred, approximately one hundred and twenty of them work directly along the Southwestern border working against public corruption. (Stewart) Other agencies that work alongside the FBI are the agents of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protections (CBP), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and they all work towards a common goal: keep the United States and its citizens safe. Homeland Security and the Department of Justice within Texas have been working with local law enforcement in fighting the movement of cartels in at least nine distinctive ways, which are: 1. Enhancing information sharing and coordination of intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination. 2. Expanding the scope, quality and timeliness of actionable information and intelligence shared among partners. 3. Employing enhanced technology and training to support interdiction efforts. 4. Improving technology to screen vehicles and cargo, the use of cameras for surveillance, license plate readers at POEs and elsewhere, and biometric identification systems. 5. Increasing cooperation with Mexican counterparts. 6. Working on law enforcement and prosecutorial cooperation on both sides of the border. 7. Stemming the southbound flow of cash out of the U.S. into Mexico and countering all forms of money laundering. 8. Interdicting illegal weapons shipments destined for Mexico. 9. Working to strengthen domestic coordination and cooperation on both money laundering and weapons investigations (McCaffrey). Conclusion
Overall, organizations, drug trafficking, and the immense amount of violence in Mexico is continuing to spiral out of control. From the past to today’s time, we can notice that there have been implications that the FBI and DEA made, however as crime rates in violence continue to grow each year and power hungry traffickers’ increase, than there must be more done. There are an increasing law enforcement agents who are being sent out in order to try and eliminate the amount of illicit drugs that are crossing the border of Mexico and the United States. Strategies of taking out the powerful drug trafficking organizations have worked tremendously in breaking up alliances, but there are still improvements being looked into in order to prevent young, immature traffickers from stepping up and creating more violence. Preventing DTOs and drug trafficking from actually happening is a very hard concept to understand. This is one of the hardest situations that the DEA and FBI are dealing with, however there must be more knowledge gained to figure out any possible solution. Diversity between groups and within Mexico and the U.S. in general, has caused chaos in such an intense measure where the law enforcement does not know what to do next. When it comes to amount of violence in Mexico, it is just outrageous to see all the crimes that organizations commit, all because they simply feel the need to. Every time that the FBI and DEA figure out a new strategy, traffickers react in desperation trying to intimidate not only the law enforcement, but the community as well. Progress must be made when it comes to dealing with the themes of drug trafficking, organizations, and violence within Mexico. A vital need for the elimination of all three elements is continuing to be looked into and worked on by the DEA, FBI, and other law enforcement agencies. The two countries have worked aside each other for years due to the aggressive demand for illegal drugs. With new technology, cartels have gone to great lengths to beat the systems in
getting their product into the United States. Cartels risk everything, including the lives of those trafficking drugs to gain money. Drugs are the third most smuggled item in the world, as it is a billion dollar industry, not only from the U.S. Mexico border, but world-wide; however the impact that Mexico’s drug trade on the United States is much worse than other countries are facing. With a long border that stretches almost 2,000 miles, law enforcement on both sides have tightened restrictions along with improving techniques in the search of cars, trains, and buses coming from either side.
References Andreas, Peter. “U.S.: Mexico: Open Markets, Closed Border.” Foreign Policy, 103 (1996): 51. ABI/INFORM Global, 1 July 1996. Web. 5 Oct. 2015 Astorga, Luis, and David A. Shirk. "Drug Trafficking Organizations and Counter-Drug Strategies in the U.S.-Mexican Context." EScholarship. 2010. Web. 29 Sept. 2015. Beittel, June S. "Mexico's Drug Trafficking Organizations: Source and Scope of the Rising Violence." Congressional Research Service. 8 June 2012. Web. 29 Sept. 2015. Dell, Melissa. “Trafficking Networks and the Mexican Drug War.” (2011): 1-58. Job Market Paper. Google Scholar, 1 Nov. 2011. Web. 5 Oct. 2015 Duchesne, Dale Paul. “The Mexican Drug Cartels as Hybrid Terrorist Groups.” SSRN Electronic Journal SSRN Journal 2401 (2010): n. page. U.S. Strategy against Mexican Drug Cartels: Flawed and Uncertain. The Heritage Foundation, 26, April 2010. Web. 5 Oct. 2015. Kellner, Tomas, and Francesco Pipitone. “Inside Mexico’s Drug War.” World Policy Journal 27.1 (2010): 29-37. The MIT Press, 1 May 2010. Web. 5 Oct. 2015. McCaffrey, Barry R., and Robert H. Scales PhD. "Texas Border Security: A Strategic Military
Assessment." Angelo.edu. 1 Sept. 2011. Web. 29 Sept. 2015. Mexico: The Struggle for Balance. STRATFOR, 8 Apr. 2010. Web. 5 Oct. 2015. Olson, Eric L., David A. Shirk, and Andrew Selee, eds. Shared Responsibility. Rep. University of San Diego, 1 Oct. 2010. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. Perkins, Kevin L., and Anthony P. Placido. FBI. FBI, 5 May 2010. Web. 29 Sept. 2015. Stewart, Scott. “The Struggle for Lebanon.” Journal of Palestine Studies.” 5.3/4 (1976): 2016-15. Toro, Maria Celia. “The Internationalization of Police: The DEA in Mexico.” JSTOR. ITHAKA, 1999. Web. 5 Oct. 2015.
Assessment Committee Best Assignment HRM 213 Introduction to Human Resource Management – Libba Moore Assignment: Nichols HR Alums Circle Discussions During a class period towards the end of the semester, I arrange an intimate forum for small groups of students to sit at round tables with Nichols HR Alums, rotating every 10 – 15 minutes to speak with each of the 4-5 alums. The class is conducted outside the classroom, usually in Daniels Auditorium, but we’ve met downstairs in the library as well. Groups range from 4-6 students. The highly interactive exercise gives students 1) practice networking with HR professionals and 2) collecting first-hand information and data about current issues and practices in the field of human resources. By this time in the semester, they have a good idea about the field of HR and can genuinely engage on sophisticated topics. There is an assignment in advance of the HR alum visit, where each student researches an article on a topic of their choice, writes a summary of it, and generates 5 questions related to their topic. Thus, students learn the importance of advance research and how to prepare for professional interactions. Students arrive in business attire, with notes and questions – confident and ready to participate. After the event, a 2-3 page reflection paper is due, where students are expected to include specific facts and statistics they collected, as well as their impressions of the event. Attached to the reflection are their notes and a copy of a thank you note sent to one of the Alums. The project is worth 10% of their final grade. Why is it the best? This is the best assignment because it is so real. Students take the assignment seriously because they will be held accountable in front of an outside professional, and in front of their peers. They are dressed professionally and we meet outside the classroom. These factors get students outside the normal classroom experience so they get a different view of themselves. It’s exciting and makes them a little nervous at first. It tests their abilities in unique ways, and asks them to perform for someone other than the professor. It is inspiring. Students are impressed to meet Nichols alums who have made it to successful positions after graduating from Nichols. They relate to these HR professionals better than they would to nonNichols professionals. The alums assure them they can make it, offer to help them in any way they can, and provide encouragement. Students leave the session feeling like they can be a part of the professional world, and can envision themselves in it. How do I know it’s the best? Student reflections after the event often report that this is the most meaningful class they have had at Nichols. The reflections demonstrate the amount of learning and insights related to HR that occurred during the exercise. They also express that they feel more confident about meeting recruiters and interacting with professional people. (See excerpt from one student’s reflection below.) The HR Alums also see great value in this event. They observe student questions and behavior, and often remark on the level of curiosity and professional interaction. They report that many students reach out and connect with them on LinkedIn after the session.
What Program and Course outcomes does it address? Program Outcome: To function and participate effectively in a professional HR environment. Course Outcome: To function and participate effectively in a professional HR environment.
Assignment: Next page.
Excerpt from Student Reflection Paper: Following the assignment page.
Written Assignment for HR Alums visit HR ALUMS FORUM - ASSIGNMENT To be held in the DANIELS AUDITORIUM during class period Overview: Students will be formed into small groups of students. During class on TUESDAY, APRIL 5, each group will sit with HR alums from Nichols for the purpose of discussing their professional experience in the HR field, particularly with regard to current HR policies and practices in their company. Purpose: • To recognize the differences in HR policies among different companies • To see the role of HR in managing company culture and professional expectations • To practice networking skills in conversing with professionals in the field • To gain a better understanding of how business students can prepare for their entry into the current market Student Responsibilities:* During the class session, students are to conduct themselves professionally, including: • Arrive on time, professionally dressed and ready to participate • Arrive with a pre-arranged set of questions assigned by group members • Introduce yourself to the HR alums in your circle • Don't hog the discussion; make sure you contribute • Take notes on the discussion • Thank the guest at your circle • Write the guests a thank you note (obtain their business card!) Written assignment due:* Each student will submit a written report, based on the group discussions, including the following: • 2-3 pages of thoughtful material • Concrete information (statistics, figures, examples, quotes) on Alums' responses to questions • Reflection on the group discussion: what you found interesting; what you learned • Your questions and notes attached • A copy of your thank you note attached, addressed to the first person you sat with (send your note yourself) Grade: (the assignment is worth 10% of your final grade)* 10 points: attendance; professionalism during the session 35 points: level of concrete details from your discussion 40 points: quality of your reflection on the discussion. Make it interesting to read. 5 points: writing mechanics 5 points: submission of questions and notes; thank you note 5 points: submission of article and summary, last week * Note: Do not worry if your particular questions do not get directly addressed in the circle. It is more important for students to have a productive, interesting, relevant conversation with these alums than to artificially steer the conversation to cover your question. Just make sure you still take notes and write an interesting paper about what you learned.
To: From: Date: Re:
Mauri Pelto Michael Saari, Adjunct Prof. of Art NC 2/19/16 Best assignment for Drawing class
BEST ASSIGNMENT Drawing buildings outside on the campus green is a most successful assignment. Weather permitting, students bring their drawing materials (board, paper, pencils, eraser, ruler, thinking cap) outside in front of Academy and draw an assigned building. Typically, during the (Fall) semester we draw 3-4 buildings: Davis, the new Academic Building, the church clock tower, and face of Chapel building. The common area is historic, beautifully cared for (no parking, new plantings, re-seeded, benches, curbing, lighting, has a mix of both new and old buildings from the 19 th to 21st century). The students become aware of how beautiful the campus is, enjoy the outdoors, and exercise some freedom of interpretation in their drawings. This assignment gives me the opportunity to discuss several styles of architecture, point out details which are often overlooked, review concepts of scale and perspective. Although pencil drawings are done with traditional graphite artist tools, we discuss color value with the foliage, shading, and proportion. The “total experience” of combining classroom teachings with nature immerses students in the assignment, and gives them a measure of freedom as they are asked to choose their own vantage point for drawing and meet back in the classroom at a specified time. WHY THIS IS A GOOD ASSIGNMENT & HOW I KNOW THAT The drawings range from good to exceptional. Students are very excited to draw outdoors and come to class on those days with an extra bounce in their step and eager queries “are we drawing outside today?” Students are much more inquisitive about drawing objects in a three-dimensional environment and evidence interest in architectural form which is generally not within their normal scope of observation. A non-traditional teaching setting is well-remembered, and students receive affirmation from passersby who see them drawing and compliment their work. Phones are put aside and students who choose to sit in small groups exchange ideas spontaneously. My job is to circulate, offer suggestions, help with technique, answer questions and encourage “courage” in putting pencil to paper here. There is an honest flow to the creative process in this unprompted group exchange. OUTCOMES & OBJECTIVES Students complete assignment in a well-thought out manner Students learn to apply principals discussed in classroom: line, proportion, perspective Students enjoy the creative process in a non-traditional setting A combination of disciplines is integrated in this assignment: architecture, drawing, investigation Using right and left brain in completing assignment as a valuable practice is experienced Students have fun.
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project: Best Assignment Course HUM 254 Around the World—Dorrie Nang The Assignment: Interview someone who was not born in the U.S. Typed interview and 1 minute audio/video Project #1 : Interview someone who was not born in the U.S. Your job is to find someone you can interview who was not born in the U.S. Think about a grandparent, parent, aunt or uncle, teammate, coach, neighbor. If you are having trouble finding someone, ask your parents if there is someone they work with who was not born in the U.S. If you still cannot find someone, think about where you get your morning coffee, or someone you see occasionally but do not know. You will be amazed at how willing people are to talk about where they came from, as soon as you show interest in their culture. Here are some questions you could ask; feel free to use your own questions as well. Type up the results of your interview either in paragraphs, or in a Q&A style.
Where were you born? How old were you when you came to the U.S.? Why did you come to the U.S.? Did you come alone? What did you initially miss about your country? What do you still miss? What do you like about the U.S.? What do you dislike? (If the person is comfortable answering this.) Are you a citizen? When did you become a citizen? Where were you sworn in as a citizen? Describe this day. Do you plan to stay in the U.S? I imagine that you will think of other questions as the interview progresses; try to think of great follow-up questions to show your interest; please don’t do the bare minimum! Each interview should be a little different, based on the person you are interviewing.
Why is it the best? While some students have an immediate subject at home (parent or grandparent), many students have to think outside of their immediate families. For example, they may interview: a coach, neighbor, work colleague, a roommate’s parent or grandparent, a shopkeeper, or someone their parents know. In some cases, students introduce themselves to someone they don’t know at the gas station where they get their coffee every morning, at the garage where they bring their car, at the salon where they get their nails done. Given that many students prefer text, Instagram, snapchat, this assignment forces them to speak one on one and often (but not always) face to face. Students must create their own questions and quality follow-up questions, depending upon the path that the interview takes; students should ideally be good listeners and good interviewers. Students also have to create a one minute audio or video clip. The best is when students interview a parent or grandparent they have known their whole lives and find out MANY things they never knew before. Some students find that their grandmother/grandfather/mom/dad can talk about a difficult subject (journey to the U.S., genocide, leaving everything behind, difficulty of a new language and culture) in English, but cannot talk about it in the language in which it happened. When students tell me they had a conversation with a family member that they otherwise would never have had, that makes the project worthwhile. How do I know it is the best? Students seem to enjoy: finding their subjects, creating the questions, conducting the interview, creating the audio/video clip and sharing it with the class. Students must interact with someone (in many cases) older than them, someone they don’t know well, or regarding a difficult topic. Some of the interviews and videos are amazing. Here is my favorite video ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2F9DHlfp_Q
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project: Best Assignment Course: HIST 118 – Introduction to History: Understanding the War on Terror Professor: Michael Neagle The Assignment: September 11 Sourcebook Reports Working in assigned groups of 5, students role play as policy analysts for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). They present a briefing to members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (which is played by the rest of the class) using digitized primary-source documents contained in the National Security Archive’s online September 11 Sourcebook. [http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/sept11/] The goal of each briefing is to inform the HPSCI about the main ideas they see in the documents of their assigned subject and offer an argument about how these materials inform the present-day War on Terror. The presentations, accompanied by PowerPoint slides, are 10-15 minutes with an additional 5-10 minutes reserved for questions from the class. In advance of the presentation, each team must provide for the class a 1-page synopsis of their presentation. The topics reflect how the documents are organized on the NSA website. They include: Pre-9/11 Terrorism Policy, the Taliban, the Soviet War in Afghanistan, and the use of Special Forces. Students were not required to summarize every document, but rather to identify key ideas or themes they saw in common among the documents that they were assigned. Why is it the best? The assignment is given at the end of the semester, when students are most familiar with the broader topic of the War on Terror. It is designed as a sort of capstone – to draw connections between what they know about the topic with new, primary-source materials that could challenge or enhance their understandings. It compels students to engage deeply with primary sources, which are the fundamental building blocks of historical study, and draw their own arguments. Moreover, they are compelled to work cooperatively with other students who they may not have worked together with before. The assignment also challenges students to improve their communication skills – first, by writing a synopsis of their presentation, and then through their oral presentation in front of their peers. How do I know it is the best? Students have taken the presentations seriously. Their ability to work together and coordinate responsibilities has been impressive. Each student is graded individually based on a rubric (see form below). In Section 3, 24 of 30 students (80%) earned a grade that was higher than their overall average. In Section 5, 20 of 30 students (67%) earned a higher grade than their overall average. Students also were able to provide confidential feedback (see form below) about their teammates, which I took into consideration for individual grades. Most of the presentations showed an effective familiarity with the material in question, as well as clear connections to the broader War on Terror. What Program and Course Outcomes Does the Assignment Address? Course Goals:
Construct compelling arguments based on historical evidence and a variety of perspectives Communicate your own ideas, arguments, and opinions – both orally and in writing Work cooperatively with others in a collaborative learning environment
Program Goals: Demonstrate a detailed familiarity with basic methods and techniques used by modern historians for research and in the assessment of evidence. Demonstrate knowledge and comprehension in depth about several topic areas in history. Demonstrate a capacity to read, write, and speak intelligently about topics in history as well as possess the ability to analyze critically historical materials, ideas, and controversies.
HIST 118 – Introduction to History: Understanding the War on Terror Fall 2014 Group Project Assignment Due Dates: Dec. 1 and Dec. 3 in class
Some of our course objectives include the ability to construct compelling arguments based on historical evidence, to communicate effectively your own ideas, and to work cooperatively with others. To that end, imagine you are a policy analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Working in your designated teams, present an intelligence briefing to members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) using the historical documents contained in the National Security Archive’s September 11 Sourcebook. The goal of each briefing is to inform the HPSCI about the main ideas you see in the documents of your assigned subject and offer a compelling argument about how they inform the present-day War on Terror. Each team will give a 10- to 15-minute presentation on their assigned topic and be prepared to respond to questions from the HPSCI (the class) for another 5-10 minutes. In advance of your presentation, each team must provide for the committee/class a 1-page, double-spaced synopsis of their presentation. Your presentation should not summarize every document. Rather, it should identify key ideas or themes that you see in common among the documents. This may include highlighting specific documents and/or specific passages to exemplify your points. The team presentation should also make an argument about why these documents are important to our understanding of the War on Terror. While you may make connections to other in-class readings or lectures, the presentation must be grounded primarily in the documents on the National Security Archive’s website. Each student on the team will be expected to participate equally in the presentation; how you divide responsibilities is up to the group. Failure to appear for your group presentation will result in a zero for the assignment. Since you are making a presentation before members of “Congress,” students will be expected to dress in professional attire.
HIST 118: Introduction to History – Understanding the War on Terror Group Presentation Scoring Rubric Poor/Average/Good/Excellent PRESENTATION SKILLS Ideas offered in a clear, orderly manner
x
x
x
x
Equal participation among all group member
x
x
x
x
Responsiveness to audience questions
x
x
x
x
KNOWLEDGE BASE Articulation of compelling theme(s)
x
x
x
x
Strength of argument
x
x
x
x
Sufficient supporting information
x
x
x
x
Relevance of supporting material
x
x
x
x
Connection to the War on Terror
x
x
x
x
CRITICAL THINKING Effectiveness of 1-page synopsis
x
x
x
x
Logic of conclusions drawn from material
x
x
x
x
Team Number: Team Topic:
Team Members:
1. ___________________________________ 2. ___________________________________ 3. ___________________________________ 4. ___________________________________ 5. ___________________________________
HIST 118 – Introduction to History: Understanding the War on Terror Fall 2014 Group Project - Peer Evaluation Form Due Date: 3:30 p.m. Dec. 8 either in class or under my office door (Conant 411) All students must complete this peer evaluation form. If not returned by the due date, you will receive a 2/3-letter grade penalty for the assignment (for example, if you receive a B for the assignment, your grade will be a C+). Please rate yourself and your team members on the contributions that were made in preparing and delivering your group presentation. Evaluations will be held in the strictest of confidence and the results will NOT be shared with other students. Rate yourself and your team members on the contributions that were made in preparing this group presentation. Use the five-point scale below to rate your team on the listed categories (back side of form). 5 = Outstanding – went above and beyond the criteria establish in the assignment. 4 = Above Average – did exceptionally well in their portion of the assignment. 3 = Average – met the criteria, did not do anything extra. 2 = Below Average – fell below the criteria in most areas of the project. 1 = Poor – minimal to no participation in group project. In the comments section, please provide any additional feedback you may have about the contributions of your fellow group members and/or the assignment.
YOUR NAME & GROUP NUMBER: __________________________________________________________________________
NAMES (first and last) Quality of participation in group process (planning, discussion, cooperative, attended meetings) Contributed useful ideas Quantity of work done (i.e., did their fair share) Quality of work done
Timely responses to communications
Additional Comments:
SELF
Math 215-01
Names:
Statistics Project
Due: Thursday 3/31/16
Score:
The purpose of this statistics project is to collect, analyze and present data. The statistical tools found in the Microsoft Excel package will be used to complete the analysis of this assignment. You are expected to state a question/problem, collect data, analyze the data and answer the question/problem. You are then expected to present your findings in a type-written report. Your report must contain (at a minimum) the following components: 1. PROBLEM: a description of a problem that needs to be analyzed. 2. DATA: the data set must involve 2 variables and contain at least 25 data points (there can be exceptions to this rule). 3. DATA: a link or a description of where the data was found. 4. ANALYSIS: report the mean, median and standard deviation for each variable. 5. ANALYSIS: construct a scatter diagram, report the correlation coefficient for the data set and describe any relationship between the variables. 6. ANALYSIS: run a regression analysis and write out the regression equation. 7. CONCLUSION: use the analysis to write concluding remarks regarding the stated problem.
This assignment will be done by teams of two or three students (you may be able to work on this assignment individually). Each team will hand in only one assignment. The assignment will be graded based on correctness of the work done and on the professional appearance of the report submitted. Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel must be used to complete the assignment. The final product should then be stapled to this assignment sheet. Hand written work is unacceptable. Additionally, the Excel file containing the data analysis must be submitted electronically (by e-mail). The assignment is due at the beginning of the class period on Thursday March 31, 2016. Late assignments will be accepted, but there will be a ten point penalty for each day the assignment is late. Good Luck!
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project: What is your best Assignment? Physical World-Mauri Pelto Describe the Assignment: I assign each student a specific beach to examine. Using Google Earth imagery from the 2000-2015 period, they take four snapshots image of their beach from Google Earth. Each image is annotated pointing out whether the beach is in equilibrium or not, key features that impact beach response, and changes in the beach due to erosion or renourishment. They also have to examine the cost of renourishment to date for each beach and the impact of sea level rise. This is all done in a PowerPoint. There is a sample assignment and a video tutorial explaining the assignment. This assignment is similar to five others I give in that the task is the same, but the location is unique for each student. There also is a sample assignment and a tutorial video for each. The difference seems to be the relatability of the content.
Why is it the best? This is a visual assignment about a topic they have some familiarity with, beaches. They are fascinated by the dynamic nature of beaches and the fact that we are spending $5 billion per year renourishing beaches and protecting them with seawalls. This cost will rise with sea level rise, so they must conclude their assignment with a recommendation on whether or not renourishment is a good investment. There is not a right or wrong answer.
How do I know it is the best? It is the most fun to grade because the results are interesting and good. Feedback from students 2 or more semesters after this assignment was given indicate that they can never visit a beach without thinking about equilibrium state or renourishment. This suggests the level of analysis led to some of the content being embedded in long term memory. The average grade on this assignment is 1-3% higher than the class average not a meaningful difference. Sample assignment is on the next page.
What Program and Course Outcomes Does the Assignment Address? Course: Students will be able to develop a facility with maps and Google Earth. Student will be able to use Google Earth, Excel, PowerPoint and other software to provide relevant spatial and quantitative analysis. Program: Students will be able to interpret spatial information, whether it in map form or on an outline viewer such as Google Earth. Students will be able to identify the key consequences of climate change and their costs.
Sample Assignment Below
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project: What is your best Assignment? Operations Management – Brian Porter Describe the Assignment: Each student is to summarize the course materials in a project that has two parts: presentation and paper. The student is to think of a business, typically a small business with which they have some familiarity. The challenge is to use as many of the terms, concepts and idea from the course in presenting the business from an operations standpoint rather than financial and marketing. Using each week’s lecture, reading materials and research that they performed, there will be a 7-minute presentation to the class with Powerpoint slides to share functionally the ongoing operational challenges such as supply chain, labor and space efficiency considerations. Students have chosen topics such as a donut shop, fudge and candy, accounting, fitness center, vitamin store, restaurant, consulting business or a spa. The topics included SWOT, EDI, lean, ERP, TQM and quality topics and FIFO.
Why is it the best? This assignment forces students to put the entire picture of operations together rather than the piecemeal assignments throughout the course or thinking of one element of operating a business and neglecting to realize the impact on another portion of the business. Students recognize the breadth of the topic and how much there is to running a business, large or even single location! Since there is a presentation and a paper, it gives the opportunity to those who present well, but don’t write well to shine and vice versa. The “A-student” does well on both.
How do I know it is the best? Overall, it becomes evident to students when they see their fellow classmates giving 100% and their presentation falls short. Also helps to avoid “complaints” because individuals know that they didn’t perform as well as others. This assignment helps delineate A-students from B-students because it requires significant effort and understanding of multiple areas. C-students and lower are quite evident in the lack of preparation and detail in their assignments. One other piece of “best” is that students frequently have identified this as a good prep for the final exam because they are reviewing the terms, concepts and ideas from the class in the final week and it all works together to help understanding and retention.
What Program and Course Outcomes Does the Assignment Address? Course: Students comprehend what “operations management” means and learn role in business strategy. Students learn both the details of small business functions and global management of chain-stores Program: Students will implement operations policies and techniques in both manufacturing and service sector Students compare and put into context the interactions of operations, finance and marketing as a whole. Examples of this assignment are attached separately.
Math 117 $tock Project Due: ________________ Due at 11:55pm(Uploaded to Moodle) You will each been assigned a stock index. Please find the adjusted closing value for your index on or near the first of each month from February 2015 (2/1/15 was a Sunday so you should use the price from 2/2/15) through February 2016. Using Microsoft Excel, plot these values besides the time, x, in months since February 2015. For example, the table I created in class for the index F looked like Time x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
F 15.34 15.16 14.98 14.38 14.23 14.2 13.28 13 14.33 13.86 13.63 11.94 12.07
Next, use the table that you have generated to create a scatterplot. Fit a linear trendline to your data. Provide the equation for the trendline and the square of the correlation coefficient. For example: y = -0.24x + 15.317 R² = 0.7545
F 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Upload the Excel file as well as a word file containing the answers to the following questions to Moodle (Project 1). 1. Does the linear model that Excel produced fit the data well? Discuss. 2. Excel provided you with R2, the square of the correlation coefficient. What is R? 3. Use your model to predict the value of your stock in October of 2016, November of 2018, and December of 2019. 4. If your model is increasing, when does it predict that the value of your stock will be double what it was worth on 2/1/16? If it is decreasing, when does it predict it will be worth half? Give the month and year. 5. Please describe what this company does. Suppose you had a large amount of cash that you wanted to invest. Would you consider investing in this company? Why or why not?
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project: Course:
SEM 115: “History of Rock n’ Roll”
Instructor:
Jim Deys
What is your best Assignment? Research Argument Paper & Presentation: Unsung Artist/Band
Describe the Assignment: Students read Nick Tosches’s Unsung Heroes of Rock ’n’ Roll, which argues for an alternative history of the birth of rock n’ roll and draws attention to marginalized artists. Then, students are asked to research and write about an “unsung” artist or band of their choosing, with my approval. Essentially, students write about an artist or band that they believe is “unsung” and deserves greater recognition. Students research and profile the artist, as well as explore the artist’s lyrics, sound, and influence on others. Students must include both primary and secondary sources (6-10 secondary sources required). The paper must be a full 8 pages. The paper should introduce and convince readers that the artist/band is “unsung” or underrepresented—by being commercially unsuccessful, finding an audience too late, or some other reason. The more specific and compelling the reason why the artist is unsung, the more intriguing the paper will be; these reasons are the thrust of the paper—it’s what gives the paper a clear focus, thesis, and purpose. Then, the paper should explain and analyze why this artist/band has found little commercial success or has remained underground. After completing Paper 3, students formally present their unsung artist/band to the class. Students should not read word-for-word from their paper. Instead, they provide the class with a general context—including the era of the band/artist. Next, students explain their argument and highlight the significant details, facts, ideas, etc. discovered during their research. Students should also play a music audio/video file that they feel best represents the artist and discuss its significance with the class. The clip should be no longer than 2 minutes. These presentations should be both educational and fun, allowing students to share their research and interests. The presentation should be 7 minutes.
Why is it the best? Pedagogically, I believe this assignment strikes a nice balance between allowing students choice while also encouraging them out of their comfort zones. Philosophically, I think asking students to look beyond the mainstream and toward the margins is also asking them to value the voices that have not been heard (as much) and understand music and its culture on a deeper, more analytical level. Also, by digging into an artist that is marginalized/overlooked/unsung, students find value in saying something new about an artist, thus contributing to the dialogue in a more meaningful way. In
part, the paper asks students to synthesize information and profile the band. But, it also asks students to develop an original point-of-view while paying close attention to lyrics and sound—perhaps attention that the artist has yet to receive. It’s best for me because I don’t have to read 20-40 papers on mainstream artists that regurgitate the same information, i.e. Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith; Nirvana; Tupac, Kanye West, etc.
How do I know it is the best? I don’t know how anything is “best,” but I do know this is an engaging and challenging assignment for students. I ask that they become anthropologists of popular music and bring insight to a marginalized artist/band; this act of discovery resonates with most students. The premise of the assignment also allows for much debate about what qualifies as an “unsung” artist. I guide students, but I like them to locate and decide on the artist they write about because it offers them ownership of the research project. I know it’s an effective assignment for building skills because students engage with the writing and research process: proposal, multiple drafts, final paper, and presentation of the research and artist.
What Program and Course Outcomes Does the Assignment Address? This Research Argument Paper and Presentation is worth 40% of students’ grade. Therefore, it addresses all of the Seminar 115 learning outcomes: Please see chart below. Seminar 115: CIS Course Objectives1: At the end of each outcome, there is a code relating to College Learning Outcomes, which are footnoted. Course Objectives / Outcomes Assessment Related College and Program Outcomes Identify and contextualize a Paper 3; “Unsung Artist” and C2, C4 broad range of rock music, as Presentation well as its surrounding culture and business practices. Develop positions and value Paper 3; “Unsung Artist” and C1 their own ideas. Presentation 1
Nichols College Learning Outcomes:
C1. C2. C4.
Communication: Effectively express and accurately comprehend concepts and facts using a range of appropriate and current communication methods. Critical Thinking & Quantitative Analysis: Utilize qualitative and quantitative problem-solving skills to analyze and interpret information. Civic & Social Engagement: Articulate an understanding and appreciation of cultural and human differences, acknowledging the interconnectedness of a global society and one’s social and civic responsibility to the community, the nation and the world.
Engage with the writing process, including drafting and writing in steps. Develop and maintain a focus throughout an essay, including forming a clear introductory paragraph that outlines a thesis. Find, evaluate, and critique primary and secondary sources, as well as arrange sources in dialogue with one another and integrate them with their own ideas.
Paper 3; “Unsung Artist” and Presentation
C1
Paper 3; “Unsung Artist” and Presentation
C1, C2
Paper 3; “Unsung Artist” and Presentation
C1, C2
Sample Assignment Below I have included a student sample paper below. Also, I have included the rubrics that I use to evaluate and grade students on both the research paper and their presentations. We discuss the expectations and how they will be evaluated; these documents are also available to students on Moodle.
Your Name Here Professor SEM 115: History of Rock n’ Roll Date The Unsung Murderer When you hear the name Charles Manson, what comes to mind? More than likely, you think about the Sharon Tate and LaBianca murders of 1969. While it is true that these murders are what he is most recognized for, very few people realize that there’s another side to Charles Manson. In fact, before he ever thought about killing he had intentions of becoming a famous musician. Music was his passion, and if he had never gone to prison his music could have made it into the mainstream. He is truly an unsung hero of Rock and Roll, and deserves to be recognized for his accomplishments in the music industry. Okay, perhaps “hero” isn’t the word that should be used for a convicted felon but he certainly was unsung, but what does that mean? The word unsung is defined in the dictionary as, “not celebrated in song or verse; not praised or acclaimed.” While this term can relate to a lot of different situations, it can also relate to Charles Manson. Many people will argue that he doesn’t deserve to be labeled as anything other than a cold blooded killer, but his musical talents prove otherwise. This other side of Manson, the one with a passion for music, is important to Rock
n Roll history. To better understand why Charles Manson should be considered an unsung hero of Rock, it is important to know Manson’s background. Formally known as Charles Milles Maddox, Charles Manson, was born November 12th, 1934. He was born to a 16 year old girl Kathleen Maddox, whom had run away from home at the age of 15. He was neglected by his mother, and instead grew up in the homes of relatives, but mostly at child reform schools as well as boy homes. Manson developed issues of abandonment from a young age due to his mother leaving. This neglect effected Charles Manson, and he started his life of crime at the age of nine with a sequence of petty crimes. There are accounts of him robbing a liquor store to make money in order to rent his own room, stealing bicycles, and a string of other burglaries to accompany them. He was eventually caught red handed in these crimes, and he ended himself up in a juvenile center. It wasn’t until another ten years later, when he was 19, that he was released from prison. A year later he was married to a woman named Rosalie Willis. Only two years passed, and Manson was again tangled up in his life of crime. He went back to prison, and his wife divorced him. A year later, he was released from prison, and he began pimping, and stealing cars. He met up with a woman named Candy Steven’s who happened to be a prostitute, and they had a child together. It was only another two years, and Manson landed himself back in prison on accounts of stealing cars and falsifying checks. At this point, the year was 1960, and his second wife had divorced him (Charles Manson, About Education) According to a documentary by Dianne Sawyer on Charles Manson, she states,
It was at McNeil Island Penitentiary, where Manson would develop a skill of the guitar and interest in music. The man who taught him the steel guitar was an aging fellow prisoner, the renowned depression era gangster, Alvin ‘creepy’ Karpis. (Charles Manson Documentary, Dianne Sawyer) This is the point where Charles Manson’s music starts. Though it is not glorified by any means, Manson had high aspirations of becoming a famous musician when he was released from prison. It finally looked like Manson was putting aside his life of crime to better his life. Unfortunately, if you know anything about Charles Manson, you know this doesn’t remain true for very long. In the Spring of 1967, Charles Manson is released from prison after serving a sentence of six years. He is released just before the beginning of the 1969 Hippie Peace Movement, where his musical interest in folk music had the potential to take off and be successful. Manson heads for San Francisco with his steel guitar and some drugs. Drugs were nothing out of the ordinary for this time period, and they in fact gave him an upper hand at meeting new people. He gained quite the following, and he later acclaimed these followers as his “family.” They all decided to move to Southern California together, however, Manson was still looking for that music career. Inspired by Karpis, Manson was determined to create some music. Charles Manson just so happened to be acquainted with a famous drummer at the time, Dennis Wilson, of the Beach Boys. At this time, the Beach Boys were soaring to success. They were one of the most well-known west coast bands of this time, and Charles Manson would have the chance to meet them. The two men met through Manson’s “family.” It is said that Wilson was driving home one day, and picked up two
female hitchhikers and brought them to his house. He later left to go to a recording session with his band, and returned to find Charles Manson in his driveway, and about 12 other people in his house, mainly female. Wilson was actually fascinated by Manson and his followers, and soon realized that Manson had some musical talent. In an interview with journalist David Griffith, Wilson states, I told them [the girls] about our involvement with the Maharishi and they told me they too had a guru, a guy named Charlie who'd recently come out of jail after 12 years. ... He drifted into crime, but when I met him I found he had great musical ideas. We're writing together now. He's dumb, in some ways, but I accept his approach and have learnt from him. Wilson was so interested in Manson, that he even took him to his friends, including a recording artist who was the son of Doris Day, Terry Melcher. Dennis Wilson took him directly to his house at 10050 Cielo Drive, which would later be rented to a couple by the names of Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate. This is the same place the Manson family would later murder Sharon Tate and a few others in the household. The reason for the murder, rejection. Unfortunately, Melcher did not agree to sign a recording contract with him and this angered Manson. (Bugliosi, Vincent. Helter Skelter. 338.) In lieu of recent events with Terry Melcher, Charles Manson was recording songs at Brian Wilson’s home recording studio, whom was the brother of Dennis Wilson. Though they did record songs together, these song would never be released to the public. This was a great time for Charles Manson however, because Dennis Wilson also happened to be friends with Neil Young, a well-known folk rock artist at the time.
Neil Young stopped by the Wilson household and met up with Charles Manson. Neil Young mentions his interaction with Manson during an interview, and states, After a while, a guy showed up, picked up my guitar, and start playing a lot of songs on it. His name was Charlie. He was a friend of the girls and now of Dennis. His songs were off the-cuff things he made up as he went along, and they were never the same twice in a row, Kind of like Dylan, but different because it was hard to glimpse a true message in them, but the songs were fascinating, He was quite good. (Young, Neil. OpenCulture.com) Things were going great for Charles Manson. He was networking his way into the music industry. In 1969, The Beach Boys would record a song with Manson. A song that Charles Manson named “Cease to Exist.” The Beach Boys however, deemed the lyrics to be rather sadistic, so the song was later recorded under the name “Never Learn not to Love,” on the b side of the album 20/20 by the Beach Boys. The lyrics change however, angered Charles Manson. He didn’t believe that there was anything was wrong with his music. In all honesty, the change in the lyrics was nothing drastic, and there was no real reason for Manson to be upset. The only change that occured is in the opening verse. The original song goes, “Pretty girl, pretty, pretty girl cease to exist, just, come an' say you love me, give up your world, come on you can be.” The Beach Boys found the idea of ceasing to exist fairly morbid, so the verse was changed to, “Cease to resist, come on say you love me, give up your world, come on and be with me, I'm your kind, I'm your kind, and I see.” Unfortunately, regardless of the minor change in lyrics, Manson was still mad. Regardless though, this was the first time Manson’s music would see the light of day. This recording set him on the path that could have potentially set him up for success.
After the recording this album with the Beach Boy’s, Dennis Wilson began noticing a change in Manson. His songs were becoming more sadistic and his family was constantly growing in size. Dennis Wilson was overwhelmed by the expanse, so he eventually kicked Manson out of his home. Manson and his family moved to Spahn Ranch, California, where he and his family would record some songs, but something was still upsetting him. Charles Manson did not like what was happening. Angered by the Beach Boy’s changing his lyrics, and the rejection of Terry Melcher, Manson and his family set out to correct the issue. On August 9, 1969, Manson and his family arrived to the Melcher household for his revenge. When Manson arrived, he learned that Terry Melcher no longer resided there. Instead, Manson came face to face with Sharon Tate. Rather than seeking out Terry Melcher however, Manson and his family killed Sharon Tate and a few others residing in the household at the time. Though it is not positive that the murders were a direct correlation to Terry Melcher’s rejection, there is certainly some suspicion surrounding the reasoning for him arriving to the 10050 Cielo Drive address. The very next day, another murder would take place at the LaBianca household. Charles Manson would not be convicted of these crimes until two years later, in 1971, when police were finally able to find enough evidence against him. In the meantime, Manson was pushing to have his music heard. Phil Kaufman, who had met Manson in prison, moved in briefly with Manson and his "Family". Kaufman continually urged Manson to record some of his songs. While Manson was being held on the Tate-LaBianca murders, before he was officially convicted, he told Kaufman "please put out my music." According to Kaufman, Manson phoned him five days a week, even though he was allowed only three phone calls per day. Manson was "very anxious for his music to be heard.” Unfortunately, no major record company wanted to be affiliated with the crimes committed by Charles Manson, so each company Phil
Kaufman went to, declined the offer. Despite the negativity of being turned down, Kaufman was insistent to put out Manson’s music. On his own, Kaufman raised around $3,000, and produced 2000 copies of Charles Manson’s very first album, titled, Lie: The Love & Terror Cult, and released it to the West Coast. This album included “Cease to Exist,” and some songs that were recorded with his family. The album consisted of only 13 songs, and was distributed with a poster produced by inmates with their signatures, that supported Charles Manson’s music career, titled “A Joint Venture.” Much to Kaufman’s dismay, only about 300 copies were sold. Kaufman was unable to retrieve his investments, but he signed an agreement with New York based ESP-Disk, to distribute the album nationally. Manson was finally found guilty of the Sharon Tate, and the LaBianca murders in 1971. This however, didn’t stop him from making music. Though the Lie: The Love & Terror Cult album was the only official album to be released by Charles Manson outside of prison walls, he has released 20 albums, as well as four single releases and three albums released by Manson’s family, of songs written by Charles Manson, since his imprisonment. All and all, it’s a fairly impressive accomplishment considering where he resides, in a maximum security prison. Still not completely convinced that Charles Manson is an unsung musician? Perhaps his accomplishments were few and far between for his music, but they are certainly there. If he had never committed the crimes against Tate and LaBianca, Manson may have succeeded in the music industry, at least during the 1960’s. The 1960’s blossomed the hippie movement, which was a time of drugs, and folk and rock music. Charles Manson epitomized the word hippie. He grew out his hair, had a long beard, and practiced the concept of free love with his “family” members. This movement initiated in the San Francisco area and with this, Manson was on his way to becoming the next big star. He was in the right place at the right time, and becoming friends with Dennis Wilson and Neil Young definitely translated into instant success for Manson.
Likewise, they each liked Manson’s music, an added bonus on Manson’s behalf. So if Manson hadn’t committed those crimes, there is a great possibility that he would be a well- known musician, rather than a cold blooded killer at this point and time. So you still might be asking, where is his music today? When you google Charles Manson, it’s not likely that the first thing to appear on the screen are his musical talents or successes, though you certainly can find recordings of songs. There are however, many modern bands who have been influenced by Charles Manson. Bands such as, the Lemonheads, GG Allin, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie and even Guns n’ Roses have covered Charles Manson’s songs. Songs like “Cease to Exist,” “Sick City,” and “Look at Your Game, Girl,” have been recorded multiple times by many different artists. These songs are proof that Charles Manson was doing something right. Maybe it’s the notoriety of producing a song that were once written by a murderer, or perhaps there’s a genuine interest of Manson’s music, but regardless, something sparked the interest of these modern day rock musicians. When it all comes down to it, Charles Manson may be known for his murders more than his music, but still to this day, artists are still recording his music, so he must have been interesting enough to re-record his music. If you take a look at the artists whom have recorded some of Manson’s works, you would notice something similar between each of them. They each have the same sound, they all have dabbled in drugs, and they all have created a unique, almost horrific persona about them. Take Marilyn Manson for example. The man in a way must have idolized Charles Manson. He even went as far as to use part of his name as his stage name. If you take a look at Rob Zombie, you’ll notice the similarities. Rob Zombie commented on his new project on the show, “American Psycho,” in which Rob Zombie would be playing the role of Charles Manson, he says “I have been obsessed with this insane story since I was a kid, so obviously I jumped at the chance to be involved in this incredible project” (HitFix. Rob Zombie creating Charles Manson TV
series.). Likewise, each artist feels the same about Charles Manson. They have each been fascinated in Charles Manson’s story and his works.
Perhaps Manson never made the big time with his works, but perhaps he has left behind his legacy for these groups to capitalize on, thus confirming that he is an unsung musician. Whether or not you like Charles Manson, there’s evidence to prove that he was more than just a killer. Manson had the potential to be something much more than a criminal. He recorded music with the Beach Boys, who were at the peak of their musical career, he befriended both Dennis Wilson and Neil Young who each admired his potential in his music career, and he recorded music which resulted in anywhere from 20-25 albums. Manson may not have risen to fame in the music industry, but it certainly wasn’t due to lack of musical talent. Charles Manson is in fact an unsung musician through and through. Regardless of the murders, Manson has some accomplishments that many aspiring musicians may never have the chance to experience, and that is what makes him an unsung hero.
Works Cited Bugliosi, Vincent, and Curt Gentry. Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders. New York: Norton, 1974. 338. Print. Dietsch, TJ. "Rob Zombie Creating Charles Manson TV Series with 'American Psycho' Author." HitFix. 3 Mar. 2014. Web. 2 Dec. 2015. <http://www.hitfix.com/news/rob-zombie-creating-charles-manson-tv-series-with-american-psycho-author>. Jahn, Mike. "Tales of the Ancient Rocker -- Hustling Charles Manson." Tales of the Ancient Rocker -- Hustling Charles Manson. Web. 1 Dec. 2015. http://web.archive.org/web/20091027093515/http://geocities.com/theancientrocker/manson.html. Lifton, Dave. "45 Years Ago: Charles Manson's Music Sees the Light of Day." Ultimate Classic Rock. 6 Mar. 2015. Web. 2 Dec. 2015. <http://ultimateclassicrock.com/charles-manson-lie-the-love-and-terror-cult/>. Sawyer, Dianne. "Charles Manson - Dianne Sawyer Documentary." YouTube. Ed. Jack London. YouTube, 24 Feb. 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4qZB2ytq10>. Unknown. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Time Neil Young Met Charles Manson, Liked His Music, and Tried to Score Him a Record Deal." Open Culture. 25 Jan. 2013. Web. 2 Dec. 2015. <http://www.openculture.com/2013/01/the_time_neil_young_met_charles_manson.html>.
Researched Argument Rubric Name:_______________________________________________ A B
C
D
Vague evidence of a controlling point or theme with inconsistent awareness of the task. Thesis is broad, too general, or somewhat unclear. The purpose is generally clear and reasonable, but some details are too general, broad, or ineffective.
Little or no evidence of a controlling point or theme with minimal awareness of the task. Thesis is unclear, quite broad, poorly defined. The purpose is present but is not developed with persuasive details or examples. Points are vague, confusing and/or unrelated. Insufficient piece. Details and examples tend to be flat, expected, or purposeless.
Essay is off prompt. No thesis.
Pattern with little or no sequencing of ideas.
There is no organization to the piece.
Sources are minimally utilized or incorporated without any purpose. References to sources are not clearly cited; documentation consistently ignores MLA Style.
No sources were incorporated or cited.
Minimal control of language and sentence structures that creates an inconsistent point of view and tone. Minimal control of grammar, spelling, and sentence formation. Essay is difficult to read.
No control of language and sentence structures. No essay has been submitted in order to assess mechanics.
Focus of Writing & Thesis Inclusion
Sharp, distinct controlling point or theme with evident awareness of the task. Thesis is clear, specific, strong, and unique.
Clear controlling point or theme with general awareness of the task. Thesis is fairly clear, but is a little broad.
Success in illustrating purpose and effectively analyzing Content Development
A purpose is clearly emphasized throughout the piece. The analysis is clear, reasonable, and persuasive.
A purpose runs through the piece. The analysis is clear and reasonable, though not entirely persuasive.
Strong piece with illustrative details and complexity. Examples are rich, varied, and purposeful. Skillful pattern with clear and consistent sequencing of ideas. Organization adds to the paperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effectiveness. Sources are varied, help inform the paperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position (without speaking for the writer), and are smoothly and purposefully incorporated. References to sources are cited and documented using MLA Style. Precise control of language and sentence structures that creates a consistent and effective point of view and tone. Excellent control of grammar, spelling, and sentence formation. Mechanics add to the paperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effectiveness.
Good piece with examples that are generally interesting, but may lack some richness.
Inconsistent piece. Examples are sometimes irrelevant or flat.
Pattern with generally consistent sequencing of ideas, Organization is good, but lacks some excitement. Sources could be incorporated more smoothly or more purposefully, but generally help develop the paper. References to sources are generally cited and documented using MLA Style. Appropriate control of language and sentence structures that creates a consistent point of view and tone. Sufficient control of grammar, spelling, and sentence formation. Few grammatical errors are present in the essay and do not interfere with reading.
Pattern with generally inconsistent sequencing of ideas. Sequencing is expected and adds little to effectiveness. Source incorporation is awkward, needs greater purpose, overwhelms the paper, or is lacking. References are generally cited and documented, but not always according to MLA Style. Limited control of language and sentence structures that creates interference with point of view and tone. Some control of grammar, spelling, and sentence formation. Confused arrangement of sentences interferes with reading.
Organization of Piece
Source Use
Style of Writing
Mechanics/ Grammar
F
Content is confusing, undeveloped, or does not address assignment. There is no development.
Areas to Work on: (To be circled) Thesis/Analysis: Introduction lacks a thesis Thesis “sides” with one of the sources Some points of analysis don’t support thesis Claims in paragraphs aren’t supported by evidence from sources
Thesis is too general / broad/ surface level Thesis doesn’t reflect ideas in individual paragraphs Points of analysis don’t make sense together/they contradict Counterarguments haven’t been rebutted
Organization/Structure: Introductory paragraph needs to be reorganized: sentences need reworking Ideas feel list-like/ Ideas need to build more Paragraphs too long / short / need to be divided up to increase impact Transitions are lacking/weak/flow could be smoother
Paper lacks logical order of ideas or body paragraphs feel out of order Paragraphs repeat same idea Paragraphs lack topic sentences/claims
Mechanics: Missing title or Title that doesn’t reflect thesis Work on comma use: missing commas / misplaced commas Vary sentence structure and/or length—wordy or choppy sentences Tighten sentences; avoid filler phrase Missing in-text citations/Incorrect citations (missing author or page #) Too many direct quotes/need more paraphrase and summary Sources need to be analyzed more/quotes are “drop and run” not quote sandwiches
Proofread! There are a lot of mechanical/punctuation errors Fix Run-ons, Fragments, Comma splices, & Semi-colon use Missing a Works Cited page/Incorrect WC page Fix MLA style—Missing header/heading or incorrect heading Paper doesn’t introduce sources with titles and authors Too many single-source paragraphs/Sources need to be put into dialogue more
Strengths:
Grade:
History Of Rock nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Roll:
EVALUATION OF PRESENTATION: UNSUNG ARTIST
Presenter:
Evaluator:
Expectations:
How informative and analytical is the presentation?
__________________________________________________
Has the speaker offered new, interesting insights, interpretations? What?
How clear is the presentation? --How engaging? --Other comments?
If you can, Provide Explanations
Original and attention-getting introduction Unique and memorable conclusion Vivid details Conveys sense of organization Develops topic in imaginative, creative, original way Effective speaking manner
5(excellent)
4(good)
3(fair)
2(poor)
1(fails)
MEMORANDUM TO:
M. PELTO (ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON)
FROM:
TOM DAVIS & LEN HARMON (INSTRUCTORS FOR THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ADVERTISING)
SUBJECT:
PROTOTYPE ASSIGNMENT FOR INCREASING STUDENT ENGAGMENT
DATE:
APRIL 24, 2016
CC:
M. CONRAD
Session Title: The Psychology of Advertising presents “The Voice” or (How to use gamification principles to improve student performance). Purpose and objectives of this assignment: 1) Demonstrate increasing content, delivery and audience engagement in an engaging context. 2) Demonstrate the value of rehearsal and feedback to improve performance. 3) Identify the psychological principles behind affective, behavioral and cognitive advertising appeals the use music. Course description: This weekly team-taught course offers an exploration of human behavior through the prism of advertising and promotion. Each day, consumers are presented with a series of decisions (what to wear, what to eat, what to do for entertainment). These decisions are influenced by a variety of factors including but not limited to: learning, reference groups, first-hand experience, attitudes, exposure to stimuli and perception. This team-taught seminar course will delve into the Psychology supporting the strategies organizations use to influence purchase decisions and solidify brand preference. Students will investigate, analyze and present their findings using a variety of analysis/discussion/application methods."
Psychology of Advertising – Engaging Assignment – “The Voice” – page 1
Method: One week before this session five teams of students were given the assignment and handout (see appendix B) to prepare a 2-3minute presentation that demonstrates and analyzes how music is used in advertising. Eight Nichols Faculty members volunteered to play the role of Judges in a simulated version of the popular reality show “The Voice.” The actual show uses four famous musicians who search for the best voices in America and mentor chosen singers to become artists. Our rendition used seven volunteer faculty members and an alumni of the class (see appendix A) who mentored one of the five teams in their content, delivery and engagement. On the night of the event the eight faculty members are secreted into the back of an auditorium. *Note the students were NOT informed that this event was taking place. From their perspective, they thought that it was a typical class night of presentations. With surprise on our side, we allowed the teams to give their first round of presentations without feedback while the judges sat silently in the back of a large auditorium. After round one, the judges were introduced and requested that specific teams work with them (some judges dressed the part while other judges used show specific lines to remain in character the entire session). After all judges selected teams to work with they exited to breakout rooms and rehearsed their team for 30 minutes focusing on ways to improve content, delivery and audience engagement (see figure 1). Round two commenced for 30 minutes and all teams presented with judges’ feedback. After the second round there was another coaching breakout session where teams were given feedback on their performance and ways to enhance delivery, content and engagement (See figure 2). Finally, each team participated in the last round of presentations followed immediately by the all the judge’s feedback for the class in a casual circle setting (see figure 3). The judge’s feedback focused on specific ways to improve delivery, content and audience engagement and the changes in performance over three rounds of practice and rehearsal. Additional information included ways to handle visual information, technology, and presentation choreography. Finally, the course instructors told students that there was “time for a fourth presentation session! …. next week” when the fourth session would be presented for graded evaluation.
Figure 1 First rounds
Figure 2 Second rounds
Session evaluation forms (See appendix D) were completed by all students and semantic differential analyses were completed by the teaching assistants (see appendix c & figure 4) are summarized under Results.
Figure 3 Judges final feedback session
Figure 4 Teaching assistant raters Jennifer and Lindsey
Psychology of Advertising – Engaging Assignment – “The Voice” – page 2
Results: Session evaluation form summary: How did you feel about tonight’s session?
How do you feel about the class so far?
Likert options= Very good, Good, Average, Not great, Very bad
N=23 students
Measures of affective performance: Two teaching Assistants evaluated each presentation along six dimensions of (1) delivery, (2) content and (3) audience engagement with two separate dimensions for each category (see below). Their only task was to maintain strict evaluation standards (Inter evaluation correlations = TBA ?) Osgood's semantic differential scales were employed to produce an interval level measurement. Specifically, these scales attempt to measure the semantics or meaning of words, particularly adjectives, and their referent concepts. The respondent is asked to choose where his or her position lies, on a scale between two bipolar adjectives (for example: "Adequate-Inadequate", "Good-Evil" or "Valuable-Worthless"). Semantic differentials can be used to measure opinions, attitudes and values on a psychometrically controlled scale. Each scale was measured in centimeters with increasing values to the right.
Delivery: Casual…… Disengaged Content: Limited….. Vague…….. Engagement: Lackluster… Passive…….
|--------------------------------------------------------| Professional |--------------------------------------------------------| Invested |--------------------------------------------------------| Rich |--------------------------------------------------------| Specific |--------------------------------------------------------| Remarkable |--------------------------------------------------------| Passionate
Psychology of Advertising – Engaging Assignment – “The Voice” – page 3
Graph 1: Results for delivery, Content and Engagement: 14
Chart 1: Delivery, Content & Engagement over 4 presentations.
12
10
8 Delivery Content 6
Engagement
4
2
0 Round #1
Round #2 Round #3 PRESENTATION ROUND
Round #4
*NOTE: Round 4 was one week after
Psychology of Advertising – Engaging Assignment – “The Voice” – page 4
Graph 2: Results of all six affective components over four rounds. 13
Chart 2: All affective components over four presentations
12
11
Casual-Profesional
10
Disengaged-Invested Limited-Rich Vague-Specific 9
Lackluster-Remarkable Passive-Passionate
8
7
6
Round #1
Round #2
Round #3
Round #4
Student session comments: What did you like about tonight’s session? This helped me realize how important practice is. / Extra help/ Additional opinions/ It was good to bounce ideas off the professors to get better/ It made us realize how little improvements can make the presentation so much better. / That we got to rehearse and have our own space. / Energy / The rehearsal with a coach / It was very different and fun / The judges as a surprise was great! Best class yet. /It was different and a change of things/ I liked how it shod that practice really makes it flow as the presentations went along. / I liked how we were coached and we improved. / Tonight was really helpful and I liked that it will (emphasis added) be useful for the future. / Rehearsal, the feedback. / This was so much fun; it was great to get some new ideas from new people. /I loved the way it was setup as a game. / I liked the extra mile that they took to add to the creativity portion. / Different, very helpful as a group. We saw development each round, outside help. / The feedback was
Psychology of Advertising – Engaging Assignment – “The Voice” – page 5
SO HELPFUL {emphasis added} we improved every time. / Getting additional feedback from different minds and angles was very beneficial to the final presentations. / Working with Professors was a great experience. It is always nice to get new ideas into the group. / Working with what we had on improving from an outsider’s comments. / I really enjoyed getting outsider’s opinions about our presented material and getting to hear their thoughts on how to improve going forward. LIWC RESULTS: LINGUISTIC INQUIRY AND WORD COUNT
Description: Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) is a text analysis technology that calculates the degree to which people use different categories of words across a wide array of texts, including emails, speeches, poems, or transcribed daily speech. This technology can analyze hundreds of standard American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) text files or Microsoft (MS) Word documents and allows the building of custom dictionaries to analyze dimensions of language relevant to specific interests. LIWC dimension LIKE DATA Self-references (I, me, my) 6.27 Social words 9.02 Positive emotions 9.02 Negative emotions 0.00 Overall cognitive words 4.31 Articles (a, an, the) 7.84 Big words (> 6 letters) 21.96 The text you submitted was 255 words in length.
What did you NOT like about tonight’s session? I did not like that we did not know until tonight what was going on. / Not knowing beforehand. / ---/ Possibly a warning to help prepare better / Honest – to – God, nothing. / There is nothing to not like about this session tonight. / I didn’t like how at sometimes the non-engagement of some of the other groups. / ---/ Nothing- Maybe that we have to do the presentation again. / Nothing, no break I guess. / It was just very repetitive. / How we needed to keep pulling everything up. Also, the technology failures. / Maybe practicing a third time because we were confused as a group on the mission. /The repetitiveness. / Nothing / The surprise factor. / Just kept hearing the same commercials. / Too many cameras. / Our coaches were not very helpful. / It was too many rounds of changing it. / How many times we went. / The surprise element. / ---/
LIWC dimension Self-references (I, me, my) Social words Positive emotions Negative emotions Overall cognitive words Articles (a, an, the) Big words (> 6 letters)
NOT like data 6.38 8.51 3.55 1.42 7.09 8.51 24.82 The text you submitted was 141 words in length
Psychology of Advertising – Engaging Assignment – “The Voice” – page 6
What changes would you suggest for future sessions like tonight? Possibly switching coaches after round #2 to get more feedback & different tips. / A “heads up” / Not much, pretty entertaining/ Have different topics each time. / Longer meeting time, only one coach. / Meh…it was fine. / Have us meet with potential coaches before or have them email us. / Maybe a hint or something/ Nothing / Professor guests (the judges) should sit closer to hear. / More time to meet with coaches. / Tonight was good. Future classes though I feel as though it is a little draggy with all the videos. / Invest in media, practice presentation visuals. / I think the next presentation should be different so things don’t get dry. / Nothing/ Hold one more informational session with the team leaders to go over plans for the final. / Vote at the end to see what groups improved the most/ Do it maybe one presentation sooner in the semester. / I think that more sessions like this one would be beneficial to our presentations. / Possibly have groups judge the performance of others and how well they improved. /Do it earlier in the semester. / I think give more of a hint about what to expect. /
LIWC dimension Self-references (I, me, my) Social words Positive emotions Negative emotions Overall cognitive words Articles (a, an, the) Big words (> 6 letters)
Future 3.72 7.98 2.13 0.00 7.45 7.45 19.15
The text you submitted was 188 words in length.
Discussion Review of the three assignment objectives. 1) Demonstrate increasing content, delivery and audience engagement in an engaging context. Objective one was met as indicated by ratings improvement over the three sessions for delivery and audience engagement. (See graphs 1 & 2). However, content did not show as great a level of improvement but did improve one week later. Specifically, as shown in graph 2, the measure of content remained vague and not specific over the three sessions. However, the engagement and delivery components declined during the fourth session without the motivating effects of the judges. 2) Demonstrate the value of rehearsal and feedback to improve performance. Objective 2 was supported by improvements in rated categories and by student evaluation comments that stated the value of rehearsal for improvement. Anecdotally, performance declined one week later during the fourth session when there was no immediate feedback. 3) Identify the psychological principles behind affective, behavioral and cognitive advertising appeals the use music. Objective three is difficult to measure but based on the results shown in graph 2, greater feedback on presenting specific content is needed. Week four values show increasing and specific content for the teams. So it seems as if the pattern is that when delivery and engagement increase, content suffers and vice-versa. Limitations and future directions: Our biggest limitation was time. Specifically, not enough time. Future sessions should spread some of the practice and baseline performance to the preceding class session. While we did recommend that our judges focus on the areas of content, engagement of the audience and delivery, we did not provide them with evaluative feedback. Their only performance feedback
Psychology of Advertising – Engaging Assignment – “The Voice” – page 7
was the performance itself (and audience reactions). Other limitations included the problem of conflicting scheudles for our students (e.g., registering for classes and housing lottery) This caused us to reschedule from the earlier date and we lost some judges and student momentum. Future statistical analyses should include more rates, interrater correlations and a repeated measures ANOVA over the four levels of time in order to examine statistically significant differences. We will take one more measure for the final examination/ presentation.
Psychology of Advertising – Engaging Assignment – “The Voice” – page 8
Appendix A:
The Psychology of Advertising: Tonight’s Agenda “The Voice” Three rehearsals focusing on Content, Delivery, Engagement! 6:00-6:30 – ROUND I: Five three minute presentations (Students will be informed at 6:30) 6:30-7:00Judges select teams to work with and move to separate rooms for rehearsal. 7:00-7:30 – Round II 7:30-8:00- Judges meet with teams in separate rooms for rehearsal. 8:00 – 8:30 – Round III 8:30-8:45 – Judges debriefing (session evaluation & preparation for next week) Teams and coaches… Briliant Bison- McCoy 1. Arute, David 2. Goodrich, Savannah 3. Marckini, Paul 4. Purdon, Michela 5. Saad, Jared Fab Five -C. Temple & M. Conrad 1. McDonnell, Amy 2. McDonnell, Mollie 3. Pacitto, Gina 4. Rosario, Arielys 5. Sansone, Isabella Get Psyched – T. Therrien & C. Roberts 1. Adams, Michael 2. Donahue, Hayley 3. Fields, Megan
4. Gilman, Katherine 5. Pelc, Andrew Liam N' the J's - L. Samborowski 1. Ali, Jameil 2. Burke, Liam 3. Coogan, John 4. Harrigan, Jonathan 5. Hickerson, Jerel Straight Fire – N. Barnes 1. Deangelis, Nicholas 2. Jackson, Edward 3. Moulder, Benjamin 4. Perci, Thomas 5. Ritacco, Jessica 6. Warrino, Michael
Psychology of Advertising – Engaging Assignment – “The Voice” – page 9
Appendix B: Student handout: Uses of Music in Advertising 1) entertainment, 2) structure/continuity, 3) memorability, 4) lyrical language, 5) targeting, and 6) authority establishment. 1. Entertainment Good music can contribute to the effectiveness of an advertisement merely by making it more attractive. A good ad engages the attention of an audience, and the most straightforward way of achieving this is to fashion an appeal, which is entertaining. Historically, the use of music in advertising originated in early vaudeville, where music served to candy coat a spoken narrative sales pitch. Music served to engage listeners' attention and render the advertisement less of an unwanted intrusion. 2. Structure/Continuity Music may also be employed in various structural roles. Perhaps the most important structural role is in tying together a sequence of visual images and/or a series of dramatic episodes, narrative voice-overs, or a list of product appeals. This is the function of continuity. Historically, the use of music to achieve greater continuity originated in film music -- where one of its functions was to smooth out sequences of discontinuous scene changes or edits. The music is used to mediate between disjoint images. Thus, advertising music can be employed as simply an uninterrupted background -- what has been dubbed "gravy train." A second structural function is the use of music to heighten or emphasize dramatic moments or episodes. This is also a major function of music in films. 3. Memorability The use of rhythmic foreshadowing in the "Sausage McMuffin" ad points to a third important function for music: to increase the memorability of a product or the product's name. Consumers are known to favor products which elicit some degree of recognition or familiarity -- even if it is merely the product's name. It is one of the peculiarities of human audition and cognition that music tends to linger in the listener's mind. Surprisingly, such musical lingering may occur even when the mind is an unwilling host. Thus, the association of music with the identity of a certain product may substantially aid product recall. Despite the largely visual orientation of human beings, photographs and visual images do not infect human consciousness to the same extent that some melodies do. Listeners are sometimes known to display evasive behavior in an effort to prevent being "seeded" by a melody they know will persist mentally long after the actual sound disappears. 4. Lyrical Language A fourth technique of musical enhancement is the use of lyrical language. Vocal music permits the conveyance of a verbal message in a nonspoken way. Language utterances can sound much less naive or self-indulgent when couched within a musical phrase rather than simply spoken. An individual can respectably sing things which would sound utterly trite if said. Mixtures of speech and song provide advertisers with opportunities for both logical, factual appeals and emotive, poetic appeals. 5. Targeting Many of the people who encounter a particular ad are simply in the wrong game: most people are not in the market for diapers, men do not generally purchase women's shoes, and children have little interest in office furniture. A large portion of an advertising budget will be wasted through misdirected messages. Consequently, advertisers are interested in media whose demographic characteristics more nearly match the market segment sought. The choice of media and broadcast scheduling can be used to focus more selectively on a particular group or class of potential consumers. This focusing in on a particular audience is called "targeting." 6. Authority Establishment Closely related to the targeting function is the use of music to enhance an ad's credibility, to establish its authority. Indeed, it may be the case that effective targeting is merely the result of proper authority establishment. A simple way of establishing authority is through expert testimony (such as race-car driver Jackie Stewart advocating Ford Motor cars) or expert endorsement (such as Crest toothpaste's approval by the American Dental Association). Authority may also be fostered through testimonials of non-technical authorities -- notably by testimonials of celebrities who have no specific expertise with respect to the product. Despite their lack of product-specific expertise, however, celebrities will have a distinctive demeanor, style, or air which may lend weight or credence to the testimonial. At one time or another all of the most esteemed values of a society have been tapped by advertisers in order to assist in product sales. These values include, among others: nationalism international brotherhood, religion, family, nostalgia, friendship, motherhood, fatherhood, health, beauty, youth, adventure, elegance, mystique, humor, economy, quality, security, love, sex, and, most important, style. It is arguably style which holds the greatest unconscious sway, and music is arguably the greatest tool advertisers have for portraying and distinguishing various styles.
Psychology of Advertising – Engaging Assignment – “The Voice” – page 10
Appendix C: Semantic Differential Evaluation forms:
Team:________________________________ Round# (1) (2) (3) Delivery: Casual… |--------------------------------------------------------------|Professional Disengaged |-------------------------------------------------------------|Invested Content: Limited…... |-------------------------------------------------------------|Rich Vague……...|------------------------------------------------------------|Specific Engagement: Lackluster…|------------------------------------------------------------|Remarkable Passive…….|------------------------------------------------------------|Passionate
Psychology of Advertising – Engaging Assignment – “The Voice” – page 11
Appendix D: The Voice Session evaluation form: How did you feel about tonight’s session (please circle) Very good
Good
Average
Not Great
Very Bad
How did you feel about the class so far? (please circle) Very good
Good
Average
Not Great
Very Bad
1.What did you like about tonight’s session?
2.What did you NOT like about tonight’s session?
3.What changes would you suggest for future sessions like tonight?
Hospitality Operations Spring 2016 Instructor: Bryant Richards Phone: 508-341-4721 Email: bryant.richards@nichols.edu Virtual Office Hours: At request Course Dates: January 19 to May 3 Day and Time: Tuesdays / 6:00pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8:45pm Location: Fels 322 Quick Links: N/A Course Description This course is focused on the key operational aspects of providing a guest experience to a patron in the hospitality industry. The class is heavily focused on tools and concepts necessary to identify, measure, analyze, articulate and improve service delivery processes aligned with the experience provided to guests. Course Objectives, Learning Outcomes & Assessment Methods Objectives/Outcomes Assessment Upon successful completion of this Student achievement of these course, students will be able to: outcomes will be measured by:
Related College/Program Outcomes These activities fulfill the following:
1. Communicate effectively and appropriately in written, oral, visual and digital modes to various audiences.
Written assignments, project, leadership paper
College Outcome: 1,5 Hospitality Outcome: 1,5
2. Apply qualitative and quantitative data analysis tools and techniques to demonstrate mastery of critical thinking skills.
Assignments, exams, project
College Outcome: 1,2,5 Hospitality Outcome: 1,2,5
Assignments, exams, leadership paper, project
College Outcome: 1,2,5 Hospitality Outcome: 1,2,4, 5,6
4. Formulate and apply strategic, tactical, and operational planning processes for a hospitality operation.
Assignments, exams
College Outcome: 1, 2,3,5 Hospitality Outcome: 1,2,4, 5,6
5. Demonstrate effective collaborative and team management skills, whether in a leading or supporting position.
Project/Project Updates
College Outcome: 5 Hospitality Outcome: 4
3. Integrate theory, concepts and information in identification, analysis and strategic resolution of complex business situations.
Last updated 5/2/16. Syllabus subject to change.
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Best Assignment: Hospitality Operations Team Project This project provides multiple benefits to the curriculum and the Hospitality Management Majors. The project is inspired by the Hospitality Management Program Strategy Document in that it takes textbook concepts and packages them in a real world setting providing students with a real world experience that is transferrable to their future careers. Ideally, the project will provide the students with an advantage in their future careers. The activity is also interesting, because it teaches students looking for jobs in the hospitality industry how to research companies with publically available information. This research, and the tools they will demonstrate enable them to develop deep insights into the company which could be used in cover letters, resumes and interviews. This level of conceptual understanding will help management of hiring companies recognize that the students are prepared for managerial roles and not entry level positions. Furthermore, the assignment is a team project, which forces the students to learn and demonstrate leadership skills in the classroom. By itself, the assignment is not impressive on this front, however, throughout the beginning of the semester the students spend time discussing strategies for successful teamwork and collaborate with the professor on how best to build and manage teams during the process. Outcomes to date include, weekly feedback, status update meetings with the professor on a weekly basis, required team commitments (developed and agreed to by the teams), and a selection process that involved a version of speed dating, among other things.
Last updated 5/2/16. Syllabus subject to change.
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I believe that my best assignment is the Photoshop creative suite where we use Photoshop to create both professional and personal works. The professional use is for students to create custom PowerPoint slides as if they were to be presented to their favorite brand. Then the personal use is to create a Facebook cover photo in which they include multiple photos and a label that defines the images. Throughout we talk about making them visually pleasing and using complimentary colors so they can differentiate themselves from other presenters and businesses. The assignment begins with an introduction to the program and its tools which can be used to do a multitude of tasks from copying colors to removing backgrounds. The next step is creating work areas that are 16”x9” which is the aspect ratio for a wide screen PowerPoint presentation (this allows us to adjust images without distorting them in PowerPoint). Next the students go online and find the companies name, tag line, and logo which is then added to the work area. We then remove the background colors from the images and make the background a commentary color. This makes a professional and pleasing theme that will not be like anything that is premade in PowerPoint. During this setup we discuss the idea of grabbing the viewer’s attention upon entering the room and clearly display the topic/brand. The next step is creating a slide background which is conducive to display text on so attendees may read it unimpeded. This is again the same size work area, but this time we just use the company logo in the bottom right corner as a reminder about what the presentation is about. That logo however can create a “heaviness” and we need a complimentary aspect such as a line to counteract it from pulling your eye down to the corner. To alleviate this, we insert a layer and make a line on it which is then filtered to give it a more appealing look. We additionally use this concept when making our Sell Yourself PowerPoint which is designed to show what makes them unique as if they’re the brand. As for the personal use one, the work area is 851 pixels by 315 pixels which is the size of a Facebook cover photo and allows the students to create something fun and creative. In this area they are allowed to be creative and experiment with the tools outside the confines placed on them in the professional section. The ideas stay the same in this portion of the assignment as the previous with more freedom to create. Overall, this assignment helps students meet NCI & NCII and ITMI & ITMII by allowing them to communicate in their PowerPoints not only verbally but non verbally as well. Using a new idea of custom slide backgrounds will help set them apart from other presenters and companies as well. Take for example most PowerPoints which are based off of stock themes & fonts and may match some company colors versus a custom slide with the company’s name as it appears, their tag line, and/or logo and exact corporate colors. This type of creation and critical thinking allows students to focus on matching corporate branding and making a visually compelling and pleasing presentation.
PowerPoint Slides for a studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite brand which is actually their place of employment.
PowerPoint slides for a students Sell Yourself assignment where students were the brand.
Facebook cover photo from a student last semester.
BCom 310 Temple Reflection and Analysis Paper Due Date: 3/10/2016
Your Task: For this paper you are being asked to analyze a culture or a microculture by using Hofstede’s six cultural dimensions (see Hofstede’s website http://geert-hofstede.com/nationalculture.html). You can organize or theorize in any way you want to by using first-hand knowledge, website information, the text, etc. to formulate your thematic response. Yes, I want you to develop a thesis as you are conducting this initial research about what you think is happening in that culture in terms of the dynamics of the dimensions. For example, I might try to tackle the African American microculture by addressing the complexity of this population in terms of the multiple variables that impact how we can interpret Hofstede’s dimensions. There is no right way or wrong way to approach this writing task, your own creative style can come bubbling to the surface with this. I’m open to traditional too if that’s your preference. My one caveat is that your papers must have a clear and identifiable focus and a clear and obvious purpose, or be addressing the question, why is it important that we read this?
Nuts and Bolts: I can’t imagine a paper being shorter than 5-7 pages for such a task, though it can be longer if need be. I also expect MLA formatting throughout and a proper Works Cited page as well as clear in text citations.
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project: Course: HRM 343 Assessment, Staffing, and Law â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mary Trottier Describe the Assignment: I assign students a semester-long project. The first step in the project is a team-based component. Teams select a business that will serve as their consulting client for purposes of writing job descriptions, developing a strategy for sourcing new employees, developing assessment methods for selecting new employees, and creating a new employee orientation program. The team member that is connected to the chosen organization meets with top management to ascertain their interest in participating in the project. The team meets to set goals for the project. The next five components of the project are individual assignments. Each team member is assigned an employee of the organization that they will interview to conduct a job analysis. After conducting the job analysis, the student meets with the supervisor to review the job analysis and gather additional information about the position. The job analysis serves as the basis for developing all other components of the project. The last component of the project is a group presentation of recommendations for the organization based on the collective work of the students.
Why is it the best? This is an experiential assignment that exposes students to all aspects of the staffing process. They have an opportunity to experience employee reactions to the interview process and are able to recognize that the real-world experience differs somewhat from textbook models. They have to meet the challenge of reporting their findings to the supervisor just as they will have to do in their careers which is a higher bar than just turning in a report to the instructor for a grade.
How do I know it is best? Most students do a very good job. Students are asked to assess their success in meeting the requirements of the assignment. Students are able to recognize the value of a thorough job analysis when they attempt to apply the information in preparing other components of the project. They are able to address what they would do differently in the future. They are able to self-critique, and this is much more effective than my comments on their papers.
What program and course outcomes does the assignment address? Perform a job analysis and use the findings to prepare a job description. NC1,NC2, HRM1, HRM5 Develop a sourcing plan for a position that is legally compliant. NC1, NC2, HRM1, HRM5 Develop legally compliant assessment methods for selecting job candidates. NC2, NC3, HRM1, HRM5 Develop a socialization plan for new employees. NC1 ,NC 4, HRM1, HRM5 Know and correctly apply staffing related employment laws. NC2, HRM1, HRM5
Sample Assignment Below Assessment, Staffing, and Employment Law Semester-Long Staffing Project
The Semester-Long Staffing Project is an individual assignment that will assess your individual understanding and knowledge of the most important staffing functions. Some portions of the project will be team-based. Team-based portions will be graded separately as team assignments. Team aspects will not require a written report, but may require team presentations. The individual project components will require a written report, but will not require a presentation. Step one â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Team assignment Each team member will select a position within an organization that is well known to at least one member of the team. Preferably, the position should be one that is held by a team member. It is essential that a team member have sufficient access to management and the human resource staff of the organization in order to obtain information that is necessary to analyze how effectively the target organization is staffing a key position and make recommendations for improvement. Throughout the semester you will prepare individual or team assignments requiring you to apply course material to your chosen job and/or the chosen positions of team members. The team may consider positions in one or more organizations, but no two students on a team may select the same position. The final team presentation will target the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s executive management. The goal is to persuade them that your recommendation will lead to a positive return on investment (ROI) for the firm and better enable it to execute its business strategy. Form teams of four or five students, exchange contact information, and brainstorm jobs to which at least one team member has access. It can be a job one of you currently holds or has held, or a job a family member or friend has held. Ideally, you should have access to a job holder for 30 minutes and a supervisor for 30 minutes. If the supervisor is not available, you may interview two job holders. Before the next class, confirm that you will have access to job experts and solidify the jobs and organizations each member of the team will use for the project. At the next class, the team will need to identify realistic long-term and short-term process and outcome goals for each team members chosen position. Table 1-2 gives you examples of both types of staffing goals. Table 1-3 gives you some questions to consider in setting appropriate staffing goals. Bring your fully charged laptops to the next class.
Step two – Individual Project Component A Perform a job or competency analysis on the job you have chosen as it exists now and as it will look in the near future. Summarize your findings in a job requirements matrix, Identify which qualifications are essential and which are desirable in new hires. Get the support of the department head and schedule interviews with the supervisor and employee, or if the supervisor will not participate, with two employees in the same position. You should have determined accessibility in Step One. 1. Thoroughly communicate the purpose of the job analysis to all participants and ensure they are diligent about completing the tasks objectively. 2. Collect background information and analyze how the job contributes to the execution of the firm’s business strategy. 3. Generate tasks statements. 4. Generate KSAOs. 5. Form thee job duty and task groupings. 6. Link the KSAOs back to the job duties. 7. Collect critical incidents. 8. Weight the job duties. 9. Construct a job requirements matrix. 10. Construct a Job rewards matrix Format the report in accordance with the Guidelines for Writing Assignments and upload the paper for grading at the designated Moodle link. Components:
Introductory overview of the assignment Identify and describe the organization o History of the organization o Industry in which it competes o Primary competitors o Financial analysis o Analysis of turnover in the position Identify the position you analyzed and why you believe this is a strategic position. Describe the process you followed in conducting the job analysis. Evaluate your success in conducting the job analysis, and support your evaluation with specific examples. Discuss the job rewards matrix and address who might find the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards to be motivating.
Include word processed copies of the following as exhibits:
Job analysis instrument you used to collect data, Task statements KSAOs and how they link to the job duties Job duty and task groupings Critical incident statements Weighed job duties Job requirements matrix Job rewards matrix
Step Three – Individual Project Component B Prepare a job description and person specifications that is based on the job analysis. Follow the format in Figure 4-2 with the following additional components: A job identifier section An authorization section Format the report in accordance with the Guidelines for Writing Assignments and upload the paper for grading at the designated Moodle link. Components:
Introductory overview of the assignment An analysis of the process you followed in preparing the job description and person specifications Determine whether or not you succeeded in gathering enough information, and the right information, through the job analysis process to prepare the job description and person specifications. What, if anything, would you do differently? Include the following exhibits: o Job description and person specifications
Step Four – Individual Project Component C Develop a sourcing plan for the position you have chosen. Critically analyze the recruiting sources currently used to staff the position and recommend other recruiting sources that are likely to work. Be sure to explain why your recommendations are likely to be effective. Identify how your sourcing plan will enable the company to comply with EEO and other legal requirements. Identify how your recruiting plan will enable the company to comply with EEO and other legal requirements. Develop a sample electronic recruitment ad for the position that will attract qualified applicants, communicate the organizations brand and why the employee would want to work there. The ad should
provide a realistic job preview and what the person can expect if the position is offered. By sure to communicate instructions for applying, and communicate all legally required statements. Format the report in accordance with the Guidelines for Writing Assignments and upload the paper for grading at the designated Moodle link. Components:
Introductory overview of the assignment Detailed sourcing plan to include all steps appropriate for the level of the position. Identify how your recruiting plan will enable the company to comply with EEO and other legal requirements. Be specific in regard to each law and regulation. Include the following exhibits: o Electronic job ad
Step 5 – Individual Project Component D Devise a series of assessment methods (interviews, assessment centers, work samples, etc.) for evaluating external job candidates. Identify how your assessment plan will enable the company organization to be compliant with EEO laws and other legal requirements. Be sure to link your assessment methods to the characteristics being assessed. Format the report in accordance with the Guidelines for Writing Assignments and upload the paper for grading at the designated Moodle link. Components:
Introductory overview of the assignment Comprehensive explanation of the assessment methods you will use to evaluate external candidates for your chosen position An explanation of how these assessment methods will enable the organization to select the best possible person for the position Identify how your assessment plan will enable the organization to comply with EEO and other legal requirements. Be specific in regard to each law and regulation. Include the following exhibits: o Application forms o Interview questions o Form for recording responses to questions o Form for recording results of all assessment measure for a candidate (scoring key)
Step 6 – Individual Project Component E Develop a socialization plan for the person hired for your chosen position. Justify your recommendations. Be sure to reflect on the organizations culture when developing your socialization plan. Format the report in accordance with the Guidelines for Writing Assignments and upload the paper for grading at the designated Moodle link. Components:
Description of, and justification for, your socialization plan Include the following exhibits: o Socialization schedule
Final Report: Each of the components listed above will be graded and returned to you. You will have the opportunity to revise noted errors in each section. The final report will be a resubmission of the five individual components reformatted into a single report. If you are diligent about revising work that was erroneous, you may easily earn an A for the final report even if you earned a lower grade for a particular component. With the exception of the first paragraph should be merely a cut and paste from your revised component reports. If you’ve revised along the way, you should be able to write the final report and upload it in less than a half hour. Format the report in accordance with the Guidelines for Writing Assignments and upload the paper for grading at the designated Moodle link. Components:
Introductory paragraph that provides an overview of the assignment to include all components. Introductory overview of the assignment Identify and describe the organization o History of the organization o Industry in which it competes o Primary competitors o Financial analysis o Analysis of turnover in the position Identify the position you analyzed and why you believe this is a strategic position. Describe the process you followed in conducting the job analysis.
Evaluate your success in conducting the job analysis, and support your evaluation with specific examples. An analysis of the process you followed in preparing the job description and person specifications Determine whether or not you succeeded in gathering enough information, and the right information, through the job analysis process to prepare the job description and person specifications. What, if anything, would you do differently? Detailed sourcing plan to include all steps appropriate for the level of the position. Identify how your recruiting plan will enable the company to comply with EEO and other legal requirements. Be specific in regard to each law and regulation. Comprehensive explanation of the assessment methods you will use to evaluate external candidates for your chosen position An explanation of how these assessment methods will enable the organization to select the best possible person for the position Identify how your assessment plan will enable the organization to comply with EEO and other legal requirements. Be specific in regard to each law and regulation. Description of, and justification for, your socialization plan
Include word processed copies of the following as exhibits:
Job analysis instrument you used to collect data, Task statements KSAOs and how they link to the job duties Job duty and task groupings Critical incident statements Weighed job duties Job requirements matrix Job description and person specifications Electronic job ad Application forms Interview questions Form for recording responses to questions Form for recording results of all assessment measure for a candidate (scoring key) Final scoring key for individual employee scores Socialization schedule
Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project: What is your best Assignment? Visual Communications-Rob Russo andMauri Pelto Describe the Assignment: Each students created an animated image of a logo, it was a 5 second video creating a logo in stages. The logos from these companies that Nichols students work for were then compiled into a single video sequence used in a joint video used for the Sophomore Shoutout.
Why is it the best? Developing a video in Photoshop, a new capability, is challenging. Putting them altogether for a practical application let them envision how there material could be used in a larger context
How do I know it is the best? It was challenging for both us to teach, as it was new, and for the students to execute.
What Program and Course Outcomes Does the Assignment Address? The key college outcome was communication. The key course outcome is using photoshop and creating a product that had utility beyond the classroom.
Luanne V. Westerling Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Project: Best Assignment The Assignment: Special Occasion Speech – In Fels Lounge Assignment Overview: Your special occasion speech will be between 3-4 minutes. As discussed, you may script it if you so choose, however, the practice of creating an outline and identifying your key points is still highly recommended. An introduction, body and conclusion should still be considered, and apparent in the delivery of the speech. The design and format of the speech is as important as the delivery....one without the other does not make an effective speech. A script or outline or both must be turned in. You may also elect to use your laptop or ipad as a means of delivery. Remember, I do not want to see you reading a script in its entirety. Practice the speech, and practice for EMOTION and emphasis of key words. Otherwise, you will be monotone, and your speech will be ineffective. As a reminder, no intros of "Hi my name is Bob, and this is my special occasion speech" AND no conclusions of "Thank you, any questions". Start and end on a powerful and creative note. All effective speeches require a focus on content, creation of a theme, and some thought to the language used, however, this type of speech even more so... Business Attire is Required. Speeches will be delivered in the Fels Center, near the WOW cafe on the stage on Monday, November 16th. Speeches should be taped and uploaded to our YouTube account. Students present their speech on the stage at the end of the room in Fels. A podium and microphone are provided, and three rows of chairs are in front of the stage for the other students to sit while observing their peers. Why is it the best? First, it puts students outside their comfort zones. Second, it allows the student to get experience at a podium and using a microphone. This is one of the last speech assignments of the semester, and typically, the class is comfortable with one another, and they start “getting sloppy”. The idea of presenting in Fels with the possibility of an outside audience scares them and the results are rewarding for both me and the students. My focus of the semester is to deliver speeches extemporaneous; using no notes, but utilizing visuals to support their speech delivery. For this speech there are no visuals, and I do allow them to create a “script” as it is a different kind of speech, but one almost all of them will do in their lifetime. Speech topics include: 1
Best Man / Maid of Honor Toasts, Eulogy, Presentation of an Award, Acceptance of an Award, Roasts, and more! The same speech rubric is used that has been used all semester, and students are reminded to practice as they would any other speech. How do I know it is the best? These are some of the best speeches of the semester, and even better than their final speech. The anxiety of a new audience, new location, and the use of a microphone gets their attention, and they are the most prepared they have been all semester. Further, their peers are more engaged than ever providing constructive and supportive feedback when a student completes their speech. Finally, many of these speeches provoke some strong emotions and it is not uncommon for the speaker and/or audience to cry. Finally, how I know it is the best, the students tell me it is. Verbally at the following class there is always a lengthy discussion and debrief, and in the end of the semester supplemental course evaluations I ask, What was the most memorable moment / assignment / experience this semester?, and the special occasion speech is often mentioned. The single attribute that differentiates this speech is the change of venue, and therefore, a little bit of presentation anxiety is reintroduced, however, this is an actual experience they will encounter, and the assignment grabs their attention as they can envision having to do this type of presentation.
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Assessment Committee Spring 2016 Assessment Project What is Your Best Assignment? MTH 117-College Algebra, Jennifer Fleury Excel Data Project Describe the Assignment: Using the Google Public Data site, students select a topic of interest and compare the data over a period of time. When making their selection, students ensure that the graph closely resembles a line (linear). (If it doesn’t, they select another data source.)
Once their selection is made, students record at least 15 different data points in a table in Excel. Basic cell formatting features of Excel are used to format cells based on the data given. Then, using Excel, students calculate the mean, median, mode, max, and min of their set of data. Next, students create a visual representation of their data, though the use of a scatterplot.
Once the scatterplot is created, students select the options within Excel to create a best-fit line, in slope intercept form. They will also show the r^2. Then, students use the slope intercept form of their linear equation to interpolate gaps in the data. Or, students can extrapolate future outcomes by using the linear equation to make predictions.
Finally, students answer analysis questions to determine the validity and reliability of these predictions, exploring factors such as the r^2 value, outside influences (economic, cultural, etc.) that would impact future outcomes, the “distance” of the prediction from the collection data, etc. Why is it the best? Linear equations is a topic covered in MTH 117, College Algebra. However, for many students, linear equations are viewed as irrelevant to the “real world” or their specific area of study. This assignment shows that real world data can often follow a linear, or “linearish” pattern.
The assignment also incorporates Microsoft Excel, a tool that is widely used in almost all types of businesses. Through completion of this project, students are exposed to the introductory functions in Excel, including the use of Excel functions and the creation of visual representations of data. How do I know it is the best? Actually, I do not feel that this is necessarily the â&#x20AC;&#x153;bestâ&#x20AC;? assignment that I assign to students. However, I do feel that it is a high quality, relevant assignment. I included it because I think that it could be used in other disciplines. I also felt that it was important to showcase assignments that use Excel, since faculty at Nichols are being encouraged to utilize it in their discipline if/when appropriate. What program and course outcome does the assignment address? This assignment satisfies the course outcomes for MTH 117. These outcomes are: 1. To provide the student with the necessary background to apply algebra to problems in other fields of study such as business and the liberal arts 2. To demonstrate the application of algebra to real world problems 3. To extend computer literacy by using online mathematical tools. 4. To enhance critical thinking skills
Examples of student work: Data
Scatterplot
Predictions
Discussion Questions
1. Do I feel that my predictions will be true for the years, 2020, 2025, and 2050? Why or why not? 2. Why might these predictions be useful and to whom? 3. If I could do this project again, what data might I choose to look at instead? Why?
Expository Writing/ ENG 105 Prof. Lisa C. Taylor
Nichols College Business Plan Project
Premise: An anonymous donor is looking to fund a start-up company. He/she will offer one million dollars for your start-up costs (can include equipment, employees, building rental, etc.) The board of directors (that's all of you) will rate each presentation for viability, professional presentation, and written proposal. These rating sheets will be passed in and comments will be given to the presenters. Your grade on this project will take into consideration the peer reviews. • • • • • • •
Presentations should be no more than 10 minutes
Name of business and an “executive summary” ---a snapshot of your business plan as a whole, which touches upon your company profile and goals. Company description—what do you do, what makes you different from others, what markets do you serve? A mission statement Market analysis—who else is out there doing this and how do you know there is a need for your business? Service or product line—what do you sell or do? How will it benefit your customers? Tell a story about your product or service. Financial projections—If you will need funding, provide financial projections. What makes your business unique? What gives you an advantage over the competition?
Structure: • Company Name: Example: Flashpoint Internet Services (FIS) • Hook or slogan: Increase your cash/Go with Flash: Flashpoint Internet Services—speedy and reliable. • Executive summary or business statement: Example: By focusing on our customers and the services they need, Flashpoint Internet Services will transform the way they do business by offering problem-free connectivity, increasing productivity and minimizing
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downtime. (This is also a thesis statement) Include what makes your company unique and your market analysis and financial projections. Mission Example: Flashpoint Internet Services (FIS) is built on the fact that information technology is the key to success in any business. Smart managers need speed and support to maximize their output. FIS provides the loyalty of a business partner and the economics of an outside vendor. We guarantee that our customers have what they need to run their businesses effectively and efficiently. Products and Services What do you sell? How will it benefit your customers? Example: We offer four levels of service: The Mini Point: service and support for small businesses and start-ups The Power Point: Medium size business support for businesses with 100200 employees and workstations Super Flash: Your go-to place for a large –scale business/franchise/chain. Support includes trainings, repair, upgrades to state-of-the-art computing Include your market analysis (comparison to other businesses of this type) in this section. Promotional strategy: Example: Flashpoint depends upon internet advertising and targeted radio and television ads. Our core message is 24-hour on-site service and support with no extra charges for weekends or holidays. We also have a sales brochure that we send or email to area businesses. We have a Facebook page and a Twitter feed. Conclusion: Example: Go with the Flash. Your employees and customers will thank you. Contact us at www.flashpoint.com gowiththeflash@gmail.com #myflashpoint or by phone 1-888-333-9867
Please dress appropriately for your business. You can use a PowerPoint or just speak about your plan. Pass in the bullet points, please. Remember to use your writing skills to develop a powerful thesis statement.