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A small group of students researches and presents a
controversial issue of education together, but each students writes his or her
own individual 600-word conclusion called the
Perspective on an Issue. Each group summarizes its research in a website,
and uses the website as a visual aid during a 50-minute class presentation. The
website and class presentation are graded for the whole group, although I
reserve the right to adjust this grade depending on individual contribution to
the project. The assignment has three major parts: Website,
Presentation, and
Perspective on an Issue Paper.
Purpose
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The
website will serve three functions:
 |
your
group's research paper, |
|
an
information resource (like a textbook) for others to use, and
|
|
a
visual aid for your class presentation. |
|
Research
| To start research, meet as a group and divide
responsibilities. Remember, these responsibilities may change because some
tasks are more difficult than others. Read the Website Evaluation Rubric below to figure out what needs to be done. |
| Each of you will need a Word file where you
write comments, and copy information found on websites, as well as web
addresses. Do not print out websites; it is a waste of time and paper.
Learn to copy and paste vital information. Become a digital pack rat.
|
| Do not limit yourself to websites; use of
statistical databases and refereed journals is required. Remember, you
are looking for hard evidence, not just claims and opinions. The best
source of on-line refereed journals is the
BGSU Electronic Journals site. |
| Another great source is a new search engine
http://scholar.google.com/ (This is
not a generic Google search) |
Web design
| The most important guideline in developing
the web site is the rubric. Make sure you read
and understand it. |
|
I will teach you to use Dreamweaver. Mitch Miller and Allison
Goede has developed an excellent short manual that I
recommend to use.
StudentTech also has
a good tutorial on
Dreamweaver. Feel free to use any other web design application.
|
| See sample
websites made by students in the past: |
-
Should technology
lead the quest for better schools?
-
Does school violence
warrant the use of zero tolerance policies?
| Always keep a back-up copy of your website,
and all materials that go into it. Computer disasters do happen. Use a zip
disk or a flash drive to keep your information, because a floppy disk is too small and too
slow for a website. |
| On the day of presentation, upload your website,
and bring a disk, just in case. Read the
instructions on how to
get an account on BGSU Personal Server and
upload your web site there (Follow the directions in the
manual). Paste the link to your site on R&I forum;
begin a new thread, type the group number and the topic in the subject, and
simply paste the link in the message, so people can look at your site and
discuss it. |
| Caution: do not simply cut and paste a text from other websites; this would be an instance of plagiarism. If you
quote someone, make a proper reference. |
| When making links, hide actual web addresses
in your links; don't make them visible (see samples below). References to
paper sources should be placed on each page of your website according to the
APA style. Reference to on-line source should be placed
as close as possible to the quoted text, for example:
| According to a Harvard professor
James Smith, public schooling has
outlived its usefulness. |
| The main argument in support of school uniforms arises
from concern for school safety, as one parent advocacy group suggests (Parents
for School Safety). |
|
Web Site Evaluation Criteria
Category
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High (7
points)
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Adequate (5 points)
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Low (3 points)
|
Introduction to the
issue
|
- Introduces the issue effectively and clearly
- The audience is told
clearly what to expect (i.e., the parts of the presentation, a roadmap as to
how the presentation will be ordered)
- Defines key terminology
- Shows debate's
significance: Why this topic is important? (statistics, multimedia, etc. that help set the
context) |
- Introduces the topic
- The audience is told
what to expect
- Defines some
terminology, yet important terms are left undefined
-Shows debate's
significance (mainly anecdotal evidence) |
- Introduction is
confusing
- The audience is not told
what to expect
- Uses terminology without
definitions
-Show debate's
significance by making a claim that is insignificant |
Historical and
legal aspects of the issue
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- Provides historical
background of the issue, (substantive summary and analysis, not just a
time-line)
- Identifies the key laws
pertaining to the issue (substantive summary and analysis)
|
- Shows some history of
the issue
- Identifies some relevant
laws pertaining to the issue (substantive summary and analysis)
|
- Shows little relevant
history of the issue (timeline only)
- Most important laws
pertaining to the issue are left out
|
Pro side
(demographic and statistical evidence to
substantiate position) |
-
Clearly states the thesis of the
argument with three to five premises
- Presents the argument
succinctly and convincingly, distinguishing claims (opinions) and evidence
- Each premise is supported by factual evidence
- Provides at least 3
refereed
(peer-reviewed) journal articles
- Consults other scholarly
sources (book chapters, etc.) |
- States a thesis and
premises, with some explanation
- Presents the argument
with some separation between opinions and evidence
- Some
claims are presented without evidence
-
Provides 2 refereed journal articles or book chapters |
- Simply stating or
listing premises
-
Provides little, weak or no arguments, with no separation between opinions
and evidence
- Provides 1 or no
refereed journal articles or book chapters, relies mainly on non-scholarly
sources |
Con side
|
Same as Pro side |
Same as Pro side |
Same as Pro side |
Conclusion
|
- Lists 2-3 important
points to summarize the most important evidence
- Lists and clearly
describes at least 5 on-line information sources that the audience could
consult/follow up on |
- List 2-3 concluding
points
- Lists and describes at
least 3 on-line information sources that the audience could consult/follow
up on |
- Lists 2-3 vaguely
formulated points
- Lists at least 3 on-line
information sources marginally relevant to the issue |
Website conventions
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- Correctly uploaded and
fully functional site
- Designs a logical site
structure that is easy to navigate
- Applies clear and
consistent layout that is easy to follow
- Uses tables and
graphical elements creatively and appropriately
- Creates and verifies
links with meaningful and descriptive appearance (do not display addresses
on surface) |
- Brings a fully
functional site on disk; uploads a partially-functional site
- Designs a site structure
that is somewhat difficult to navigate
- Applies layout with some
inconsistencies
- Uses tables and
graphical elements
- Creates correct links
that display addresses
- Most links are
functional, and have meaningful and descriptive appearance
|
- Brings a
partially-functional site on disk
- Develops a site without
specific structure
- Inserts text without
considering layout
- Lacks attention to
spacing, tables, and offers few graphical elements
- Creates many dead links,
and/or links have visible url addresses |
Writing Conventions
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- Creatively uses own
language, with minimal direct quotations
- Demonstrates writing at
level 5 and above on the GRE
rubric
- Follows
APA style
correctly |
- Uses mostly own
language, but heavily relies on direct quotations
- Demonstrates writing at
level 4 on the GRE rubric
- Makes occasional errors
in APA style |
- Fills website mostly
with direct quotes
- Demonstrates writing at
levels 3-4 on the GRE rubric
- Makes significant and
persistent errors in APA style |
|
Total |
49 |
35 |
21 |
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Class
presentation requires preparation and creativity. Make sure you find an
effective way to present the claims and evidence you've assembled. As a future
teacher, you understand that having information and teaching it are two
different things. |
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Plan
for 50 minutes. |
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Do not
lecture the whole time, think of a short activity or a demonstration.
Structured discussions, simple surveys, etc. help involve the audience.
|
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Your
presentation should be:
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Informative (Tell the audience something it does not know already, and will
find useful). 5 points
|
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Organized (There is an apparent plan, structure, order). 5 points
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Engaging (The audience is actively involved). 5 points
|
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Evaluative (Knowledge of textbook chapter is assessed, e.g. pop quiz, test,
mini-project). 5
points
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The
Perspective on an Issue is a 600 word paper that considers the evidence
that your group gathered, and presents your personal position on the issue.
Each paper should be included in the
group website and submitted through Blackboard. It is graded individually with the
GRE Writing Rubric
(Multiply the rubric's level by 4, up to 24 points). Understanding the rubric and reading sample papers is
essential to success in this part of the assignment.
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