Welcome
to the assignment details. You'll find information about the assignments here.
Specific details about assignments should be found in the syllabus (e.g. due
date), but general information and keys to success are found here. These are
not rubrics and rubrics do not exist because achieving the bare minimum of
explicit goals (even if its the top score for explicit goals) creates a floor
for your potential and achievement.
Below
you'll find keys to success and prioritization of components for each
assignment*. As you look at these and wonder how they map onto grades, you'll
find that you can hit all of the components, but that will likely only earn you
a B/B+, in order to achieve an A, you'll need to excel in all components. Excelling not only means doing better than your immediate peers, but doing better than your historical peers and doing better than your previous work, expected work. As
you work on your assignments/projects, you are encouraged to try things, the worst that can
happen is that they won't work. Just going through the motions is boring, so
you are encouraged to attempt the unknown and learn when they fail. How you
respond, assess and integrate that "failure" will impact your grade
more than hitting minimum requirements.
Public Engagement
Digital Story / Wiki / Webpage
As a
class, we will create a web-based resource for students and adults to learn
about how the psychology/neuroscience topic and how it interfaces with our
lives. My thinking is that this resource will us help understand the
applications and misapplications of psychology/neuroscience to our lives.
Others who are eager to learn about psychology/neuroscience and science should
have access to this material for teaching and learning alike. A digital story
of the psychology/neuroscience topic of your choice should be designed for a
general audience.
Organization
- Introduction(Motivation)/Sequencing/Conclusion (High Priority)
- The introduction is inviting, clearly states a focused
hypothesis and previews the structure. Details are placed in logical order
and the way they are presented effectively keeps the interest of the
reader. The conclusion is strong and leaves the reader with a feeling that
they understand what the writer is “getting at”. Often times in larger
projects adding subheadings can help structure and organize projects.
Content
- Motivation(Gaps), Accuracy of facts, Credibility of Sources, Focus on Topic,
Support for Topic (Highest
Priority)
- Motivations(Gaps) are Detailed and Discussed, All
supportive facts are reported accurately, All sources used for quotes and
facts are credible, come largely from professional journals and are cited
correctly, There is one clear, well focused topic. Main idea stands out
and is supported by detailed information. Relevant, telling, quality
details give the reader important information that goes beyond the obvious
or predictable.
Public (Highest Priority)
- Explains topic in a way that is both understandable and
helpful. The information is interesting and from the scientific literature
but understandable to a non-expert. This means that the reader learns
something from the infographic, but isn't talked down to.
Format
- Grammar and Spelling, APA Formatting (Medium Priority)
- Writer makes NO errors in grammar or spelling that
distract the reader from the content, APA in-text and references and
overall format
Miscellaneous
Requirements - Multimedia, Activity (High Priority)
- Includes at least minimum number of resources, attributed accurately, Includes well thought out activity. Don't write in first person. Find out how to use particular resources on your own. Go beyond the basic functionality
Infographic / One-Page / Poster (Public Outputs)
One of the most important skills to acquire in any scientific field is the ability to think critically about a given topic. Beyond thinking critically is the ability to break difficult information down into more understandable information. Infographics and other graphical presentations allow you to communicate information in a fun and understandable way. It is important for scientists to share information and educate others about the things that they study. That is why we create informational graphics to share with a broader public. Scientific evidence and knowledge should not just stay put in the echo chamber of scientists. Everything that we do should be able to help the public in some way. These public projects can take the form of an infographic, one-page display, poster, Buzzfeed Listicle, Buzzfeed Quiz (submitted to Buzzfeed Community and selected for potential promotion), or YouTube/vimeo video.
Follow me @LorasNeuro and @EngagedBrain for links to up-to-date research and news articles about our class. You are strongly encouraged to share updates and information using the hashtag #HowDuBrainsWork. I've written a paper on why I think this is important, you can find it here. You can also find a growing list of these projects here.
Follow me @LorasNeuro and @EngagedBrain for links to up-to-date research and news articles about our class. You are strongly encouraged to share updates and information using the hashtag #HowDuBrainsWork. I've written a paper on why I think this is important, you can find it here. You can also find a growing list of these projects here.
Infographic/One-Page/Poster
Sites
Easel.ly - Templates Available. Free Sign-up Required
Sway - Free Sign-up Required
Piktochart - Templates Available. Free Sign-Up Required
Vengage - Free Sign-Up Required
Visme - Free Sign-Up Required
Tiki-Toki - Interactive Timelines. Free Sign-up required
Powtoon - Animated Explainer Video
Bitable - Animated Explainer Video
Images
Examples
US College majors (and others by Randal Olson)
Infographic / One-Page / Poster Components / Public Output
Content (Highest Priority)
- Covers topic in depth with details and examples. Subject knowledge is excellent. We actually learn something about the topic. Information is presented insightfully. Critical connections and synthesis across the topic are made.
Sources (Highest Priority)
- Sources are reputable, easily found, clear and consistent, cited at the end. This means both graphics and information are cited. Information comes from peer-reviewed journals, no websites are included (only exception is governmental sites for statistics).
Public (Highest Priority)
- Explains topic in a way that is both understandable and helpful. The information is interesting and from the scientific literature but understandable to a non-expert. This means that the reader learns something from the infographic, but isn't talked down to.
Graphics (Lower Priority)
- All are related to topic, make it easier to understand and goes beyond the template/examples/obvious. Graphics that are made by the author are particularly valued. Data and visualizations that are made by the author are even more highly valued.
Attractiveness (Lower Priority)
- Makes excellent use of font, color, graphics, to enhance project. Commands attention. Conscientious (judicious) use of text. In terms of text, even though the reader is learning something, its not done through reading. How can you use text to explain but not require readings.
Quality of Display/Mechanics (Lower Priority - though mistakes here are judged harshly)
- No misspelling/grammatical errors. Format is correct. If appropriate, APA format is followed.
Creativity/je nes sais quoi (Medium Priority)
- Goes beyond the template/examples. Is eye-catching and embodies ideal of assignment. Demonstrates knowledge, time and effort on project. Conveys a sense of pleasure to read, is easy to read and perhaps has an element of surprise. This component often separates "having completed the assignment satisfactorily/well" from "producing one of the best examples of the assignment."
Written Communication
Literature Review/White Paper
A
literature review is a comprehensive but concise summary of the research on a
particular topic. The goal of the review is to integrate and interpret these
primary research articles. Literature reviews may be the most common assignment
given in psychological science classes. The purpose of a literature review is
to assess a field's collective knowledge and research on a specific topic while
also highlighting where further research may need to be conducted. Literature
reviews should not be a summary of the articles (just like your annotated
bibliographies should not be summaries); readers are looking for a critical
analysis of recent research on your topic. However, it is understood that it
can be difficult to truly interrogate and synthesize information across
articles and research studies when you have a limited number of pages and
limited view of the field. For these assignments, there are no minimum or maximum page requirements. You are asked to write a detailed and focused exploration of your topic. A mistake that many people make is choosing a topic that is the wrong scope (either far too broad or far to small). More often than not, people choose broad topics
Literature Review/White Paper Components/
Organization - Introduction(Motivation)/Sequencing/Conclusion (High Priority)
- The introduction is inviting, clearly states a focused
hypothesis and previews the structure. Details are placed in logical order
and the way they are presented effectively keeps the interest of the
reader. The conclusion is strong and leaves the reader with a feeling that
they understand what the writer is “getting at”. Often times in larger
projects adding subheadings can help structure and organize projects; writing is not too long (and then disorganized or base level analysis), nor too short (leaving the reader with questions unanswered).
Content
- Motivation(Gaps), Accuracy of facts, Credibility of Sources, Focus on Topic,
Support for Topic (Highest
Priority)
- Motivations(Gaps) are Detailed and Discussed, All
supportive facts are reported accurately, All sources used for quotes and
facts are credible, come largely from professional journals and are cited
correctly, There is one clear, well focused topic. Main idea stands out
and is supported by detailed information. Relevant, telling, quality
details give the reader important information that goes beyond the obvious
or predictable.
Format
- Grammar and Spelling, APA Formatting (Medium Priority)
- Writer makes NO errors in grammar or spelling that
distract the reader from the content, APA in-text and references and
overall format
Miscellaneous
Requirements (High
Priority)
- Don't write in first person. Don't write like an annotated bibliography. Proposals should be specific, attainable and based on research/evidence included earlier. Research proposals should be realistic and address gaps in the literature. Should be written as if they could be submitted to a journal as a registered report (take Cortex as an example - template)
Annotated
Bibliography
I'd
like you to search for your articles on the topic that your final project is
on, read them, and prepare a brief (e.g., 1 paragraph to 1 page) summary, as
well the full reference. Make sure to spend the majority of your annotation
describing what you’re taking from the article and why it is important to you,
don’t just summarize it. You can think of the annotated bibliographies as a
weekly check in for you to converse with me about your topic and the papers
that you're reading. You might break out the bibliography into notes for
yourself, how you'll use the information (e.g., how it connects to other
papers) and questions that you have for me. Assigned articles do not count
towards the minimum 9 articles.
Oral Communication / Group Process
Discussion Leader
The job of the discussion leader is to provide some structure to the discussion of the issues that session. This should be a PowerPoint or handouts and sets of questions for discussion, etc. The point is not for the leader to do all of the talking for the reminder of that day, but rather to facilitate discussion. So the discussion leader will not summarize the article(s) that everyone read, but rather use the article(s) as a touchstone on the topic of the day. A discussion leader will likely need to do outside research to help with the discussion (and in some cases is assigned to specifically do outside research). It will be helpful to give an overview of those articles and in particular give analysis or synthesis on how those connect to the topic of the day. Activities, debates, videos and other active learning techniques are required.
Discussion Leading Suggestions
Preparation
- Discussion goals: articulate them, what do you want students to draw from the day, take home points?
- Read reflections (if available)
- Have topics/questions, not necessarily answers
- Question about reading
- If you'd like, talk with me about your articles or ideas a day or two in advance of your facilitation
- Send any additional information, questions, requests, etc. that you would like to have posted to eLearn to me with ample time for people to people to read and respond to the post.
In-Class
- Break the class time into segments, this may either align with goals or activities
- Start with an anticipatory set - This is an activity that dives into the material in an active way that helps structure the rest of the class
- Think about a method to initiate and connect goals
- Address reflections (if available)
- Spark debate discussion with ready topics and questions
- Ask about experiences
- Activities
- Show/Discuss movie scenes/clip - think about appropriate amount of time for your presentation length
- Current event, game, song
- Connect article to chapter
- Scenario
- Exercise/Activity/Quiz/Demonstration/Experiment
In times of silence, do the following:
Wait. Many people don't embrace the silence and thoughtful thinking.
If your question hasn't sparked the kind of thoughts or debate, ask again in a different way and steer the conversation.
Discussion Leader Components
Clear description of research (Highest Priority)
- The introduction is inviting and engaging - meaning an anticipatory set, clearly states a focused topic and provides background/motivation to audience. Details are placed in logical order and the way they are presented effectively keeps the interest of the reader. The conclusion is strong and leaves the listener with a feeling that they understand what the speaker is “getting at”.
Overall attractiveness of presentation (Medium Priority)
- Presentation attracts viewer's attention, is well organized and easy to follow, graphics and other visuals enhance presentation, is neat and appealing to look at.
Quality of information presented (High Priority)
- Content is clear and easy to understand, purpose is clearly stated, analysis is well supported by research, research comes from empirical or scientific sources (or non scientific sources, i.e., new/magazine sources, are explicitly explained for their inclusion), presentation is free of unnecessary detail, conclusions are stated clearly
Oral description/presentation to audience (High Priority)
- Speaks loudly, clearly, with excellent grammar and word choice, if in a group, a balanced and well shared/divided workload, shows evidence of practice, presenters response to questions demonstrated knowledge of subject matter and project
Miscellaneous category (Medium Priority)
Do you fill the required time, but also stay focused on the topic? Did you demonstrate critical thinking? Did you demonstrate creativity?
Podcast
I'd
like you to join me for a conversation about your project topic. These will be
scheduled during the last two weeks of class. The form of the podcast will be
like when Shankar Vedantam of the Hidden Brain Podcast visits NPR to talk about a new
finding in science. I’ll prepare some general questions, but we may talk about
more specific things depending on your topic. It may be most helpful to you to
have two recent articles about your topic that you can discuss.
Podcast Suggestions
Have a single page of notes – List your key points
in bullets on a single sheet of paper, so that you won’t forget anything
important. Why a single page? Because listeners can hear you
rustling papers. And nothing adds to your pressure like madly hunting through 7
sheets of paper while people are waiting for your answer – a few seconds feels
like an eternity.
Quiet
on the set! Turn
off all notifications that make noise on your computer. If you have a
thunderous fan or air conditioner in the room, turn it off for the interview.
If you have a noisy child or pet, do not do the interview if they’re within
earshot, unless they’re part of the story.
Take a breath, please – Answer a question for a
reasonable length (no more than, say, 3 minutes). Then pause. This
allows your host to lead the conversation, develop a crisp pace, and keep the
show on track. If you talk non-stop for 5, 7, 10 minutes on a single
question, unfortunately this could force the host to eventually interrupt you
mid-sentence. Plus, alternating voices back and forth is more interesting for
listeners.
Speak “mindfully” – Pay attention to each word that comes out
of your mouth. Enunciate words completely. Avoid “fillers” -- such as um,
uh, ya know -- by being mindful.
Highlight key points – Punch your key points
with verbal cues. By this, I mean use ‘verbal bullet points,’ or a slight
pause between points, or words such as “let me emphasize these 3 points, number
1 …”. This way your key points won’t get lost in the midst of a long
drawn-out explanation. Also, offer a few crisp, one-sentence sound bites.
These sound bites are quotable – and memorable by listeners. Practice them in
advance so they roll off your tongue effortlessly.
Prepare, prepare, prepare! -- Last but not least, my
best advice is to prepare well. This is what separates the newbies from the
pros – many newbies underestimate the preparation. So how do you prepare?
For business shows, many hosts ask for a few “seed” questions in advance.
These questions are important not only for the host, but they force you to
anticipate questions. Also, answering them is something you can practice in
advance. Know the answers to these without having to search for words.
Above all, relax. Develop this picture in your mind: you in the interview, in command of your material, with the audience hanging on your every word. This will help you feel confident. Whatever you do, don’t take yourself too seriously. If something goes amiss (like a fire alarm aborting the interview), stay cool and authentic. Everybody listening realizes “stuff” happens that may be out of your control. If you’ve prepared well, you should feel confident and the experience will be enjoyable.
Campbell,
A. (2009). 10 tips for being a great guest on a radio or podcast. Retrieved
from https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/10-tips-for-being-a-great-guest-on-radio-or-podcasts-1/
Sample
Topic/Research Questions
What
got you interested in the topic?
What
are some of the most interesting findings in your research so far?
Are
there any aspects of your topic that are confusing to the public?
What
has been the public response to your video/infographic/Buzzfeed?
Going
forward are there any new or developing areas of research?
Is
there one really important thing that you want to mention or communicate about
your research?
Sample
Auxiliary Questions
Anything
you'd like to promote?
Any
thing, fad, product that you've come across recently and found interesting?
Podcast Components
Organization - Introduction, Sequencing,
Conclusion (High Priority)
- The introduction is inviting, clearly states a focused
topic and provides background/motivation to audience. Details are placed
in logical order and the way they are presented effectively keeps the
interest of the reader. The conclusion is strong and leaves the listener with
a feeling that they understand what the speaker is “getting at”.
Content
- Reflection, Focus on Topic (Highest Priority)
- Synthesizes experiences, and connects to larger
worldview, Clear and well focused on topic (even when bringing in other
issues/topics). Fulfills time requirement
Communication
- Speech, Presentation (Medium Priority)
- Speaks loudly, clearly, with excellent grammar and word
choice. If in a group, a balanced and well shared/divided workload. Shows
evidence of practice
Debate
Debates are a great way to shake up class and try something different. They give you an opportunity to work on a number of skills including working in groups, abstract thinking, etiquette, clarity, organization, persuasion, public speaking, research and thinking on your feet.
Debate Components
Organization & Clarity (Medium Priority)
- Main arguments and responses are outlined in a clear
and orderly way.
Use of
Argument/Facts/Statistics (Highest Priority)
- Reasons are given to support the resolution. Every
major point was well supported with relevant facts, statistics, and/or
examples
Use of Rebuttal (High Priority)
- Identification of weakness in Negative team’s arguments
and ability to defend itself against attack.
Presentation Style (Highest Priority)
- Tone of voice, clarity of expression, precision of
arguments all contribute to keeping audience’s attention and persuading
them of the team’s case. Statements and responses were respectful and
appropriate
Participation (Medium Priority)
- Group evaluation and questions raised during jury deliberation
Research Presentation / Data Blitz
Psychology conferences typically host symposium sessions, in which researchers construct talks to present their research findings from a recent study or studies. The last week of class will consist of an academic symposium. During the session, each student will present a PowerPoint slideshow describing their projects that they have developed over the course of the semester. Each presentation will have a required length with time for questions. You should post your presentations to eLearn by the night before the first presentations.
Research Presentation / Data Blitz Components
Clear description of research (Highest Priority)
- The introduction is inviting and engaging, clearly states a focused topic and provides background/motivation to audience. Details are placed in logical order and the way they are presented effectively keeps the interest of the reader. The conclusion is strong and leaves the listener with a feeling that they understand what the speaker is “getting at”.
Overall attractiveness of presentation (Medium Priority)
- Presentation attracts viewer's attention, is well organized and easy to follow, graphics and other visuals enhance presentation, is neat and appealing to look at.
Quality of information presented (Highest Priority)
- Content is clear and easy to understand, purpose is clearly stated, analysis is well supported by research, research comes from empirical or scientific sources (or non scientific sources, i.e., new/magazine sources, are explicitly explained for their inclusion), presentation is free of unnecessary detail, conclusions are stated clearly
Oral description/presentation to audience (High Priority)
- Speaks loudly, clearly, with excellent grammar and word choice, if in a group, a balanced and well shared/divided workload, shows evidence of practice, presenters response to questions demonstrated knowledge of subject matter and project
Miscellaneous (Medium Priority)
- Stays within time limit - especially for datablitz which should likely include less than 4 slides total
Twitter Discussion
Twitter is a microblogging platform that limits you to 140 characters per message, or tweet. This network allows for both synchronous and asynchronous discussion. Importantly, Twitter takes us outside of the course and college boundaries and puts us in contact with the larger world. Others who see the topic announcement can join us and participate as they wish. Twitter may also help us get to know each other better through our social networking profiles and conversations.
Benefits of Twitter
- Engage in an open platform such that others (professionals, interested individuals) can also interact with us by asking questions
- Increase diversity of ideas
- Practice public engagement and communication skills related to psychology
- Practice social media skills
Not sure what a Live Twitter chat is? Here’s more information
We will use the hashtag #LorasSP
Use TweetDeck (or Hootsuite) to help keep track of the hashtag
Include the hashtag #LorasSP in EVERY tweet
In each Twitter Discussion, students will be assigned different roles:
Question Master - Raise questions on the topic and reading. This will require preparation before class
Answers Ace - Answer questions from QM
Multimedia Czar - Bring in relevant, pictures, GIFs, videos and polls
Synthesizer - Pull together themes and commonalities across questions and discussions. Raise Takeaways. If it's early and there aren't themes yet, your job is to reach out to others on Twitter to join the discussion
Format
- First, I will ask everyone to introduce themselves
- I will pose questions in the following format every 5-10 minutes:
- Q1: Describe your reaction in 140 characters #LorasSPQ1 #LorasSP
- You could respond:
- A1: Faces in the clouds, how weird! #LorasSPA1 #LorasSP
Twitter Discussion Components
Preparation (High Priority)
- Complete all readings, as well as takes notes on them and/or reviews them; eLearn reflections thoughtfully analyze content (don't just summarize); Questions aren't base level questions; Has questions prepared ahead of time; researched ahead to have potential questions answered; has a number of relevant multimedia ready to post
Attendance (High Priority)
- Never misses class, on time. If you are sick and can't make it to class, you can likely participate from your room
Engagement (Highest Priority)
- Offers at least 10 quality tweets per class; Integrates readings, offers analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of case material; Extends or builds upon ideas, develops new approaches that take the class further; Always on topic; Often encourages others to elaborate or invites them into the conversation
Participation
In-Class
Courses are often reading and discussion based. Regardless,
I expect that everybody come to class having read the articles/chapters and put
some thought into them. Often times, to facilitate the discussion, in addition
to the reaction/reflection responses, I'll ask you to come up with at least 2
questions about each of the readings/concepts and post these to eLearn
(Pre-Class Qs) the night before class (9:00PM). The discussion leader for the
day does not need to post questions to eLearn the night before their
presentation. Class participation will be based on active participation in the
discussions and also the submission of these questions the night before class.
I also understand that grading participation is difficult and unavoidably
subjective in nature. That means I'm influenced by whims, tastes and
unevenly-applied standards. I recognize these potential biases and use a number
of metrics in order to address these. I value participation because it helps
you learn from your peers, teach to your peers and work on the process of group
communication. Being able to thinking through complicated ideas on the spot and
break them down into an easily remembered and understood response will be
invaluable.
Preparation (High Priority)
- Completes all readings, as well as takes notes on them
and/or reviews them; eLearn reflections thoughtfully analyze content
(don't just summarize); Questions aren't base level
questions; Typically reads other students' reflections; Never
misses a post
Attendance (High Priority)
- Never misses class, on time. Although daily attendance
isn't tracked quantitatively, activities, critical thinking journals and
other measures (including emails indicating your absence before class) are
used to accurately judge attendance. Attendance also means working through
entire class and lab periods. If you finish a particular task immediately
at hand, there are always longer term assignments within the course that
require work. The best time to work on them are likely while I'm there to
answer questions. Attendance is likely not counted when you leave early.
Engagement (Highest Priority)
- Offers several comments per class; Integrates
readings, offers analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of case
material; Extends or builds upon ideas, develops new approaches that
take the class further; Always on topic; Lets others finish
speaking, is respectful of others especially if their (informed) opinion
is different; Often encourages others to elaborate or invites them
into the conversation
Special
Events/Activities (Low
Priority - but likely distinguishes "A" performance)
- When we have special guest speakers or lectures that I invite you to outside of our meeting times, great participation will be to make sure to complete any assignments that serve as preparation for those events and attending those special events. What we do in the classroom is one thing, but the learning that occurs in these special events and outside of the classroom are the things that will actually stay with you.
For
those who do not like to participate verbally in the large group setting you'll
need to take charge in other areas of participation. This means being the first
person to post things on discussion forums and questioning other posters about
their posts. You'll also need to make sure to show up and engage on special
opportunities (e.g., posting questions before a guest lecture, being on time
and active for off campus participatory activities). You should also take
charge and lead the way in small group activities. I also understand these
requests in the context of bias towards more introverted students in
both the classroom and in the future in the workplace.
Coming
to class, going through the motions, and being respectful is the bare minimum
standard and earns the minimum standard of "C-/C". Think about what
you contribute to the classroom process, the learning process of others and the
educational experience of everyone. I was drawn to teaching because I was drawn
to learning. For those of you who take multiple classes with me, you'll
hopefully see my continued development as I learn and try new things. I say this because I look to find ways to draw the most out of people. How you perform in one class period, one class across a semester or one semester is just one piece of a larger picture. You should think of your college experience in terms of the larger picture, 4 years of development. Everything I think of and try to do is thinking within this larger picture and in particular looking towards preparing your for success after college, not just in one class period or one class.
Reflection/Questions
I'd
like you to write down your thoughts/reactions about the readings. These should
include critical thoughts about the readings (e.g., what and why you agree or
disagree with, what did you find interesting or confusing, etc.) rather
than summaries. These reflections should also include two questions
about the reading/topic. These are graded as Satisfactory - Full points,
Passing - Half points, Failing - Zero points. These are assessed on whether
they were submitted on time (9:00PM the night before - hard deadline), critical
and reflective, contribute to the classes' understanding.
*Note: that these are posted on a blog for a reason, that reason being that the blog is editable. That means that the goal posts can be moved and the assignments improved as I learn more and find better ways to challenge and improve your skills. Make sure to check back throughout your semester to stay up to date.
Visit
this website for assistance with many assignments.
