General ED
DUE 9-25-17 week 1
Importance of Becoming a Global Citizen
Prepare: View the Globalization: What is Happening to Us (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.? video and read the article A Model of Global Citizenship: Antecedents and Outcomes by Stephen Reysen and Iva Katzarska-Miller (2013). Go to the Ashford Library and locate one additional source on global citizenship that will help support your viewpoint.
Reflect: Please take some time to reflect on how the concept of global citizenship has shaped your identity, and think about how being a global citizen has made you a better person in your community
Write: Use the Week One Assignment Template when addressing the following prompts:
- After viewing the video, describe how being a global citizen in the world of advanced technology can be beneficial to your success in meeting your personal, academic, and professional goals.
- After reading the article by Reysen and Katzarska-Miller, explain why there has been disagreement between theorists about the definition of global citizenship and develop your own definition of global citizenship.
- From the article, choose two of the six outcomes of global citizenship (i.e., intergroup empathy, valuing diversity, social justice, environmental sustainability, intergroup helping, and the level of responsibility to act for the betterment of this world) as stated in the article, and explain why those two are the most important in becoming a global citizen compared to the others.
- Describe at least two personal examples or events in your life that illustrate the development of global citizenship based on the two outcomes you chose.
- Identify two specific general education courses, and explain how they each influenced you to become a global citizen.
Your paper
- Must be 750 – 1,000 words in length (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
- Must include a separate title page (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. with the following:
- Title of paper
- Student’s name
- Course name and number
- Instructor’s name
- Date submitted
- Running header with page numbers
- Must cite the two resources required to complete this assignment and at least one additional scholarly source from the Ashford University Library. Be sure to integrate your research (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. rather than simply inserting it.
- Must document all sources in APA style as outlined here (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and here (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
- Must have no more than 15% quoted material in the body of your essay based on the Turnitin report. Reference list will be excluded from the Turnitin originality score.
- Must include a separate reference page (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..Before you submit your written assignment, you are encouraged to review the The Grammarly Guide: How to Set Up & Use Grammarly (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.tutorial, set up a Grammarly account (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (if you have not already done so), and use Grammarly to review a rough draft of your assignment. Then carefully review all issues identified by Grammarly and revise your work as needed.
Due 10-2-17week 2
SAILS Exam – Information Literacy
Prepare: Knowing how to thoroughly research a topic is extremely important while achieving your education. You may be asked to support your information with peer-reviewed scholarly resources, but how can you find this type of resource? The Ashford University Library allows you to search through different avenues to find the requested types of resources. You can narrow your search by the author, year published, title, subject, and by indicating what type of resource you are looking for. You even have access to a librarian if you need some guidance in finding more resources on your topic.
Reflect: Given that you have been in college for awhile, it’s time to reflect on what you have learned through the use of the Ashford University Library in relation to how you learned to acquire new information from a variety of sources.
Write: This week, you will take the Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (SAILS) Exam. This exam is not graded, and your results are anonymous. The exam will exit from your screen immediately after completion, and you will not receive feedback or results. This is a nationally-normed, standardized exam for students in universities all over the United States. The results of this assessment will guide Ashford University in developing the best possible library resources and research methodologies training. Results will be published (in aggregate) on Ashford’s assessment website. Your participation is voluntary, so thank you if you choose to participate. Click on the link in your online course to access the SAILS Exam (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
After completing the SAILS Exam, in at least two paragraphs (of five or more sentences each),
- Describe your experiences using resources, including concerns encountered when conducting academic research through the Ashford University Library. Areas of concern may include developing a research strategy, using the search function within a database, or evaluating sources.
- Explain how using the Ashford University Library has improved your experience in conducting research. For example, you could identify and explain how specific tutorials that you have used have helped improve your ability to conduct research.
The Information Literacy Assignment
- Must include at least two paragraphs (of at least five sentences each) that respond to the two prompts, and that are formatted according to APA style (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
- Must include a separate title page (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. with the following:
- Title of paper
- Student’s name
- Course name and number
- Instructor’s name
- Date submitted
- Running header with page numbers
- Must have no more than 15% quoted material in the body of your essay based on the Turnitin report.
- A reference page (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. must be used when citing specific sections and/or tutorials of the Ashford Writing Center.
Due 10-9-17week3
Introduction, Thesis Statement, and Annotated Bibliography
Prepare: To help with the preparation of your annotated bibliography, review the following tutorials and resources from the Ashford Writing Center:
- Introduction Paragraph Guide (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Thesis Statement tutorial (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Annotated Bibliography tutorial (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Sample Annotated Bibliography (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Evaluating Sources (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Reflect: Reflect back on the Week Two Discussion in which you shared with the class the global societal issue that you would like to further address. Explore critical insights that were shared by your peers and/or your instructor on the topic chosen and begin your search for scholarly sources with those insights in mind.
Write: For this assignment, review the Annotated Bibliography Formatting Guidelines and address the following prompts:
- Introductory Paragraph to Topic: Refer to the Final Argumentative Essay guidelines for your topic selection. Write an introductory paragraph with at least 150 words, which clearly explains the topic, the importance of further research, and ethical implications.
- Thesis statement: Write a direct and concise thesis statement, which will become the solution to the problem that you will argue or prove in the Week Five Final Argumentative Essay. A thesis statement should be a declarative statement that makes one point in 25 words or less. The thesis statement must appear at the end of the introductory paragraph.
- Annotated Bibliography: Develop an annotated bibliography to indicate the quality of the sources you have read. For each annotation, you need to summarize in your own words how the source contributes to the solution of the global societal issue. Your annotation should be one to two paragraphs long (150 words or more) and fully address the purpose, content, evidence, and relation to other sources you found on this topic. The annotated bibliography must include no less than five scholarly sources that will be used to support the major points of the Final Argumentative Essay. Critical thinking skills need to be demonstrated by accurately interpreting evidence used to support various positions of the topic.
The Introduction, Thesis Statement, and Annotated Bibliography Assignment
- Must be 1,000 – 1,250 words in length (excluding the title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
- Must include a separate title page with the following:
- Title of paper
- Student’s name
- Course name and number
- Instructor’s name
- Date submitted
- Must use at least five scholarly sources.
- Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Due 10-14-17week4
Rough Draft Review Process Evaluation
Purpose: The primary goal of this weekly assignment is to enable you to understand the revision process and revise your paper with the help of a writing specialist.
Prepare: After you have completed a rough draft of your paper (at least five pages), submit that draft to the Ashford Writing Center. To do this, click on the Writing Center & Library link located in the left course navigation and from there, you will click on the tab marked Paper Review. To submit your paper, follow the instructions provided. Your paper will be returned within 24 hours, so give yourself enough time to complete and submit it prior to the due date. See image below that illustrates how you can access Paper Review through the Ashford Writing Center.
Reflect: Carefully review the revision letter and the margin comments that you see on your returned paper. Consider each of the suggestions provided to help you to revise your paper.
Write: In your written response of at least 400 words, complete the following:
- Identify the top three issues your writing specialist focused on in your rough draft (e.g., paragraph structure, proper use of quotations, and thesis statement).
- Were any of those issues surprising?
- Describe what you learned from some of the feedback your writing specialist provided as explanations.
- Was this feedback helpful?
- Evaluate the usefulness of the paper review tool.
- Did your understanding of academic writing improve?
- Will you use the Ashford Writing Center to review your work in the future? Why or why not?
This assignment does not need to be formatted in APA style; however correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation is required.
Due 10-23-17
Global Societal Problem, Argument and Solution
Prepare: The topic of your essay needs to be a global societal problem from the following list: adult illiteracy, funding for General Education vs STEM in primary and secondary schools, minimum wage, oceans desertification, overcoming the digital divide, refugee (escaping persecution, war, or death) crises, species extinctions (modern), tax havens, Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), universal statement of human rights (pick one), airport security, or wealth disparity. Review this GEN499 Sample Final Paper Guide for additional guidance on the expectations of this assignment.
Reflect: Based on the topic that you have chosen, you will need to use critical thinking skills to thoroughly understand how this topic can be a global societal problem and determine some logical solution(s) to the problem.
Write: This Final Argumentative Essay will present research relating the critical thinker to the modern, globalized world. In this assignment, you need to address the following items in separate sections with new headings for each:
- Identify the global societal problem within the introductory paragraph and conclude with a thesis statement that states your proposed solution(s) to the problem. For guidance on how to construct a good introduction paragraph, please review the Introduction Paragraph Guideline (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. from the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
- Describe background information on how that problem developed or came into existence. Show why this is a societal problem, and provide perspectives from multiple disciplines or populations so that you fully represent what different parts of society have to say about this issue.
- Construct an argument supporting your proposed solution(s). Be sure to consider multiple disciplines or populations so that your solution shows that multiple parts of society will benefit from this solution. Provide evidence from multiple scholarly sources as evidence that your proposed solution is viable.
- Interpret statistical data from at least three, peer-reviewed scholarly sources. Do this by discussing the validity, reliability, and any biases; identifying the strengths and weaknesses of these sources; and pointing out limitations of current research and attempting to indicate areas for future research. You may even use visual representations such as graphs or charts to explain statistics from sources. Evaluate the ethical outcomes that result from your solution. Be sure to provide at least one positive ethical outcome as well as at least one negative ethical outcome that could result from your solution, and explain at least two ethical issues related to each of those outcomes. It’s important to consider all of society.
- Develop a conclusion as the last paragraph(s) of the essay, starting with rephrasing your thesis statement and then presenting the major points of the topic and how they support your argument. For guidance on how to write a good conclusion paragraph, please review the Conclusion Paragraph Guideline (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. from the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
The Final Argumentative Essay
- Must be 3,300 – 3,900 words in length (approximately between 10 – 12 pages; excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
- Must include a separate title page (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. with the following:
- Title of paper
- Student’s name
- Course name and number
- Instructor’s name
- Date submitted
- Running header with page numbers
- Must include in-text citations (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. from at least 10 scholarly sources. Be sure to integrate your research (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. rather than simply inserting it.
- Must document all sources in APA style as outlined here (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and here (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
- Must have no more than 15% quoted material in the body of your essay based on the Turnitin report. Reference list will be excluded from the Turnitin originality score.
- Must include a separate reference page (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
- Source Document Requirements:
- Multimedia sources (such as videos) may be used, but no more than two such sources may be used. If multimedia sources are used, they must be authored and distributed by credible sources, such as universities, law schools, medical schools, or professors, or found in the Ashford University Library.
- Government sources may be used, but no more than two such sources may be used. Examples include whitehouse.gov, state.gov, usa.gov, cdc.gov, etc. These websites can be used to make a stronger point about your proposed soluation within the argument.
- Where print documents are used for source materials, those must be peer-reviewed, scholarly journal articles, and academically published books. Popular media sources (e.g., newspapers, magazines, television and radio shows, etc.) must not be used. Materials from advocacy groups (e.g., Greenpeace, Human Rights Campaign, National Organization for Women, etc.) must not be used.
- Sites such as ProCon.org and Wikipedia must not be used.
- Religious texts must not be used.
Good Critical Thinking Tips:
- Your paper should include academic sources that explain multiple sides of the issue.
- Your interpretations of the evidence should be objective and state the conclusions and theses presented in the evidence clearly and fairly.
- Your paper should place the various forms of evidence in relation to one another and demonstrate why one form or perspective is stronger than the other positions that one could take on the issue.
- Your paper should point out the limitations of current evidence and attempt to indicate areas for future research.
- Writing Tools:
- Before you submit your written assignment, you are encouraged to review the The Grammarly Guide: How to Set Up & Use Grammarly tutorial (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., set up a Grammarly account (if you have not already done so), and use Grammarly to review a rough draft of your assignment. Then carefully review all issues identified by Grammarly and revise your work as needed.