AT: Deliverables

You are responsible for completing the following deliverables this semester.

Engagement

Success in this course will require you to do more than simply appear in class twice a week and answer an occasional question. I expect that all of my students will be prepared to actively participate in our in class discussions since that is a key way to take as much away from the course as possible. Please review the Engagement Rubric in the Engagement page of this site. Our conversations are ongoing so you must engage your classmates with commentary, reaction and/or analysis both in class and online. Remember, conversation ” … is a form of interactive, spontaneous communication between two or more people …” and generally, ” … written exchanges are usually not referred to as conversations.” The good news is that Teams will allow us to engage in either synchronous or asynchronous written exchanges that will stand in for conversations.

AT Project

You will complete this deliverable by posting your materials to the appropriate channel in Teams.

We will examine the case law, statutes and regulations surrounding voting rights and elections in the United States during the first thirteen weeks of the semester. We will discuss the different aspects of the constitutional, statutory and regulatory basis for voting including the right to vote, election administration, gerrymandering, redistricting and the Buckley Framework, among others. Your team will prepare an analysis, including text and multimedia, of a voting rights issue that examines the legal, ethical, social, cultural and political questions and perspectives related to your approved voting rights issue.

You will join a team that will be responsible for the management of all aspects of your AT Project (ATP). Your ATP will be developed using the Adobe Portfolio app, and other resources as necessary, available through the Adobe Creative Cloud and shared in your Team’s ATP channel. This will allow your classmates to be fully prepared for our discussion of voting rights on Wednesday, April 12th. Your ATP will include, but not be limited to, the following sections:

Your AT Project Proposal, in a maximum of 500 words, will identify the primary issue you will investigate, the reason you have chosen it and any domains adjacent to your primary issue and will be due no later than Thursday, February 2nd at 10:42p ET.
Your AT Project Status Report will be due no later than Saturday, February 25th at 1:12a ET
Your final ATP, due no later than Thursday, March 23rd at 4:47a EDT, will include
- ATP Proposal
- ATP Status Report
- Project narrative, in a minimum of 3,000 words. Each narrative will include the materials, including multimedia content, necessary to support your team’s examination. The narrative should include, but not be limited to,
  - An in-depth examination of the project issue(s)
  - A discussion of the issue(s) that provides context for the project from a legal, ethical, social, cultural and political perspective
  - A video sharing the team’s analysis in sufficient detail to allow your classmates to be full prepared for our discussion of voting rights generally during class on Wednesday, April 12th
  - A comprehensive source list that includes embedded, live hyperlinks to all sources (please see Professor Lucas’ Digital Citation for guidance)
- You will prepare and share your analysis using the Adobe Portfolio app and other resources, as necessary, available through the Adobe Creative Cloud, allowing your classmates to be full prepared for our discussion of voting rights on Wednesday, April 12th
Participation in the discussion of voting rights generally during class on Wednesday, April 12th

Each team will develop and report their project in Teams using the Adobe Portfolio app, and other resources as necessary, available through the Adobe Creative Cloud. Each team must use their Teams channel for all brainstorming, communication, file sharing, etc. related to the ATP. Each team will be responsible for the preparation and posting of progress and content updates to their channel in Teams in accordance with the schedule. The use of Teams will provide full transparency as the project development process progresses. In other words, everyone involved in the course with access to our Teams workspace will have the opportunity to review and comment on the progress of each team’s project. Never post a Word or Google doc or pdf.

Case Analysis

You will complete this deliverable by posting your materials to the appropriate channel in Teams.

We will examine/discuss several cases decided by SCOTUS during the 2021/2022 term during the last three weeks of the semester. These cases focus on constitutional law, privacy, environmental protection, establishment and free exercise clauses and second amendment, among others. You will join one of six teams that will be responsible for the management of all aspects of a case analysis. Each team will be responsible for the analysis of one of the cases described in the Course Schedule. Each case analysis will be developed using the Adobe Portfolio app, and other resources as necessary, available through the Adobe Creative Cloud and shared in your Team’s CA channel. This will allow your classmates to be full prepared for our CA discussions. Your CA will include

Your CA narrative, in a minimum of 5,000 words. Each narrative will include the materials necessary to support the team’s analysis. The narrative, and materials, should include, but not be limited to
- The basis of the case (including a review of lower court and related decisions)
- A discussion that provides context for the case from a legal, ethical, social, cultural and political perspective
- A comprehensive source list that includes embedded, live hyperlinks to all sources (please see Professor Lucas’ Digital Citation for guidance)
- A video sharing the team’s analysis in sufficient detail to allow your classmates to be full prepared for each in-class CA discussion
Moderation of the scheduled in discussion of your case analysis.

You will use your Teams CA channel to collaborate with your team and memorialize your discussions and supporting materials including, for example, web sources, documents and multimedia content for each case. Be sure to carefully review the materials included in Writing on a Digital Platform, Digital Citation and Writing and Research. Never post a Word or Google doc or pdf.

Case Simulation

You will complete this deliverable by posting your memo to the appropriate channel in Teams.

We will complete two case simulations this semester. Links to the materials related to each case simulations are in the Course Schedule. Each case simulation requires two phases.

The first phase will require you to review materials in the text. You will also study a case that examines issues related to the simulation topic, focusing on facts, a statutory excerpt and case law. Based on your knowledge of the particular area of law as a whole, you will then compose a neutral memorandum (not to exceed 750 words) that outlines each legal issue present with a short explanation of the applicable legal rules or doctrine. The sources of law for this memorandum are the text’s chapter on the area of law as well as any applicable statutory and case law. Your perspective is not that of an advocate. Rather, your analysis is as objective as possible in spotting any and all potential issues that could arise in the case and opine as to the likelihood of success on each point. You will complete this phase of the assignment individually. Be sure to carefully review the materials included in Writing on a Digital Platform and Writing and Research. Never post a Word or Google doc or pdf.

During the second phase you will prepare for an in-class Q & A discussion of the issues presented by the materials included in the first phase. You will be assigned to a team that will advocate for one side or the other during the discussion.

I will evaluate the following factors when I assess your contributions to the simulations:

Phase 1: Assessment will be based on the clarity of your writing, spelling and grammar, document appearance and satisfaction of form requirements; articulation of all potential issues presented and the quality and depth of analysis. You will complete Phase 1 individually. Your issues memorandum should reflect a thoughtful, substantive and well-reasoned summary; and
Phase 2: Assessment will be based on your mastery of the issues under consideration, contribution to the preparatory work of your team and participation in the give and take of the in-class discussion.

Grading

The following weights will be assigned to each component of your final grade:

Engagement

Engagement, i.e., attendance, preparation, participation and successful, and timely, completion of course deliverables, is mandatory. You will not succeed in our course if you do not engage.

It’s that simple.

Your performance will improve if you attend class regularly, are well prepared AND participate effectively in the learning environment, whether F2F or digital.

Yes … it IS that simple!

You are an important part of the team, including your professor and classmates, that create an effective learning environment. Your engagement in our course learning environment plays a significant role in my assessment of your performance, in other words, the grade you earn in our course. Our course will demand a substantial investment of time and effort and so will require a significant amount of preparation. You need to be self-motivated and stay on task in order to succeed. Dr. Jeffrey Bennett has developed some terrific “Hints on How to Succeed in College Classes” that I strongly suggest you review before we begin our course.

I will take attendance every time we meet in class. I will even take attendance if we have a class meeting in a virtual environment using a video conferencing platform. While our meetings will consist of both lectures and discussions, I am not a big fan of the “Sage on the Stage” model of teaching. Discussion will be the primary form of interaction in our course. Of course, those discussions will be both F2F and digital. We will use a variety of technology supported platforms to support or interactions, both in and out of class meetings. Your engagement in our digital discussions, whether enrolled in a F2F or web-based course, will also be an important part of my assessment of your performance.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to move to a fundamentally different set of delivery modalities, e.g., HyFlex, hybrid, remote, synchronous or unsynchronous or some combination of approaches to teaching and learning. We are increasingly working remotely in order to accomplish our work. That remote modality demands that we adjust our understanding of acceptable protocols for attendance and participation, whether a meeting or course attendance, engagement and participation.

While working together using a digital platform, e.g., Teams, Zoom, Slack, etc. it is important that you join the session with a live camera and muted mic. A live camera helps to create a sense of community and will help all of us to engage effectively during our discussions. If you only unmute your mic when speaking we can avoid feedback, unsolicited input from family, pets and others as well as any random noise. If you cannot be seen or heard by your classmates it will be difficult to actively engage in course meetings. That will have negative implications for your grade results. Please review the Protocols for Online Meetings and Classes for more information.

Remember … if you are consistently unprepared, or even underprepared, it will be very difficult to take full advantage of our course learning environment. That lack of engagement is a lost opportunity for you and will reflect poorly when I assess your performance.

The Engagement Rubric below has been adapted by Professor Sara Calhoun Davis from The Teaching Professor and forms the basis of assessment of your course engagement.

Engagement Rubric
	A	B	C / D	F
Peer Interaction	Actively supports, engages, and listens to peers (ongoing)	Makes a sincere effort to interact with peers (ongoing)	Limited interaction with peers	Virtually no interaction with peers
Preparation	Fully prepared for every aspect of the course	Mostly, if not fully, prepared (ongoing)	Preparation is inconsistent	Rarely or never prepared
Participation	Plays an active role in discussions (ongoing)	Participates constructively in discussions (ongoing)	When prepared, participates constructively in discussions	Comments vague if given; frequently demonstrates lack of interest
Contribution to Class	Comments advance level and depth of dialogue	Relevant comments are based on assigned material	When prepared, relevant comments are based on assignments	Demonstrates a noticeable lack of interest on occasion
Group Dynamics	Group dynamic and level of discussion are often better because of student’s engagement	Group dynamic and level of discussion are occasionally better, but not worse, because of student’s engagement	Group dynamic and level of discussion are sometimes disrupted by student’s engagement	Group dynamic and level of discussion are often disrupted by student’s engagement

You can influence my assessment of your course engagement in a positive way by

Becoming more active and/or making more effective comments that raise overall level of discussion and set examples for others, and
Asking thoughtful questions that will enhance discussion and engage peers, and
Listening carefully to, supporting, and engaging your peers in discussion. This will essentially improve others’ learning experience.

That said, you can also influence my assessment of your course engagement in a negative way if you

Do not engage in the course regularly, through attendance, preparation and participation, even though you meet attendance requirements. Even though you may have submitted assigned work, your contribution will not have added to the course discussion, or
Dominating discussions, thereby restricting others’ participation, and
Disrupting others’ opportunity to listen and/or participate, or
Making negative, offensive, and/or disrespectful comments during discussions, or
Violating the privacy of individuals, or
Using electronic devices such as, but not limited to, a cell phone, tablet, or computer for personal or unrelated coursework during class unless instructed to do so. There are no exceptions.

DT&L: Deliverables

You are responsible for completing the following deliverables this semester.

Engagement

Success in this course will require you to do more than appear in class twice weekly and answer an occasional question. All of my students will be prepared to actively participate in our in-class discussions since that is a crucial way to take as much away from the course as possible. Please review the Engagement Rubric in this site’s Engagement page of the Course Policies section. Remember, conversation “… is a form of interactive, spontaneous communication between two or more people …” generally, “… written exchanges are usually not referred to as conversations.” The good news is that Slack will allow us to engage in synchronous or asynchronous written exchanges to stand in for synchronous discussions.

DT&L Reflection Journal

You will build a journal that reflects your creative process throughout the DT&L experience. You will create an Adobe Express web page and then share the page with me via Slack DM. Post update entries and republish the site throughout the semester. Journal entries should include thoughtfully incorporated multimedia content (text, images, audio, video) and the reflections described in your DT&L Reflection Journal.

Gretzky Portfolio

Complete this deliverable by developing your Gretzky Portfolio using Adobe Express and Adobe Portfolio and posting the link to the #323-gretzky channel in Slack.

Your Gretzky Portfolio will require you to think differently about the level of preparation you have developed during your college experience. In other words, how ready are you for your future? This is not an exercise about whether you have achieved the grade you anticipated or hoped for. It should reflect on how your personal and professional goals have been impacted by the choices you have made in the planning and execution of this Portfolio, both in what was achieved and how your work on your Gretzky Portfolio will influence your success.

When developing your Gretzky Portfolio, you will apply the FTI methodology (discussed throughout the course) and incorporate the FAIR Framework℠ and Range, adapted for personal use as necessary, as a guide. The goal is to understand better your readiness to be career competitive post-graduation. You will use the available Adobe Creative Cloud Suite apps to support your work. Primarily, you will use Adobe Express to develop the digital artifacts incorporated into your Gretzky Portfolio and Adobe Portfolio to build your Gretzky Portfolio progressively over the
semester.

Your Gretzky Portfolio will include the following sections: About Me (personal bio), Gretzky Evaluation (personal SWOT analysis); Forecasting Funnel; Time Cone; Scenarios; Sources of Macro Disruption; Fringe Sketch; CIPHER (Trends), Assumptions vs Knowledge (AvK), and Axes of Uncertainty. You will develop these sections as the semester progresses. The calendar and course schedule will guide due dates.

Development of your Gretzky Evaluation (personal SWOT analysis) that will help you evaluate your preparation and readiness as you begin this course. Your analysis should address, but not be limited to, these questions:

Why are you taking this course?
What do you expect to take away from this experience?
How would you describe your overall comfort level with the use of technology?
How would you describe your general awareness/understanding of digital innovation?
What specific steps/actions do you think are necessary for success in this course?

This effort is to help you think through not only the current state of your preparation and readiness but also the path/process that you choose to address the challenges and opportunities for growth and learning that this experience presents. Your readiness evaluation will set the stage for developing the other components of your Gretzky Portfolio. It also intends to define the framework you will utilize throughout your personal and professional life in undertaking challenging situations, issues, and other significant challenges. Remember that you are using a digital platform to complete this deliverable, so review my advice on writing on digital media.

The final section of your Gretzky Portfolio will assess your progress since your initial evaluation developed at the course launch. Please reflect on the substance of your Gretzky Portfolio work and describe how your pre-launch perspective, learning during the course, and the outcomes you described earlier have developed favorable or unfavorable results. Be sure to include your strategy for leveraging your personal and professional learnings. Your Gretzky Plan is the executive summary of an individual plan describing your approach to preparing for the future.

DT&L Portfolio

You will complete this deliverable by developing your DT&L Portfolio using Adobe Express, Adobe Portfolio, and your team channel in Slack.

Much of your work in this course will be as part of a small team. Your work on that team will focus on developing an analysis and forecast that examines the impact of disruptive events and technologies, and digital transformation from several perspectives, including, but not limited to, a particular industry, business model, and, more generally, the societal implications of the disruption. You will also consider the areas of law that are or might be, implicated as the disruption evolves. Of course, I expect you will address the ethical issues that arise due to the impact of disruption.

We will focus much of our work this semester on Artificial Intelligence. Our DT&L Projects will examine Bioengineering, Climate + Energy, Computing, Mobility, Robotics, & Drones, and Web3. Review the FTI 2023 Tech Trends Report for additional DT&L Portfolio ideas.

Each team will develop and report their project using Adobe Express to create the digital artifacts incorporated into your DT&L Portfolio. You will use Adobe Portfolio to build your DT&L Portfolio progressively over the semester. Each team must use its Slack channel for all brainstorming, communication, file sharing, etc., related to the DT&L Portfolio. Each team will be responsible for preparing and posting progress and content updates to their channel in Slack by the schedule. Slack will provide full transparency as the project development process progresses. In other words, everyone involved in the course with access to our Slack workspace will have the opportunity to review and comment on the progress of each team’s project.

You will join a team that will be responsible for the management of all aspects of the development of your DT&L Portfolio:

Your DT&L Portfolio will feature a multimedia production documentary in which a storyteller (your team) combines photos, videos, and audio with interviews, narration, text, and graphics to deliver a message, invoke an emotional response, and suggest action. Your DT&L Portfolio will include the identification, description, and justification of signals (weak and/or strong) related to your project and each of the following foresight tools: Forecasting Funnel, Time Cone; Scenarios, Sources of Macro Disruption, Fringe Sketch; CIPHER (Trends), Assumptions vs. Knowledge (AvK), and Axes of Uncertainty. You will develop these sections as the semester progresses. The calendar and course schedule will guide due dates.
Prepare and share your analysis using Adobe Express to develop project-specific artifacts and Adobe Portfolio to share your DT&L Portfolio. This allows your classmates to prepare for each in-class DT&L Project discussion fully.
Moderation of the scheduled discussion of your project.

You will use your Slack project channel to collaborate with your team and memorialize your discussions and supporting materials, including, for example, web sources, documents, and multimedia content for each case. Be sure to carefully review the materials included in Writing on a Digital Platform and Writing and Research.

Your project will include, but not be limited to, the following sections:

Phase 1 | Preliminary Evaluation (post to Slack team channel)

Identify the stakeholders, industries, and markets that are in play in the area you will investigate and
Identify any domains adjacent to the technology that you anticipate examining and
in a maximum of 500 words

Phase 2 | Interim Report (post to Slack team channel)

Portfolio progress assessment submitted outlining the status of the progression of your work.

Phase 3 | Final DT&L Portfolio

The DT&L Portfolio should incorporate, but not be limited to:

An introduction to the documentary describing the nature and scope of your project, including a description of the subject being evaluated, the developing trends related to that subject, the stakeholders, industries, and markets impacted, the opportunities for innovation that have, or might, arise and a timeline describing its evolution, and
A review of the significance of each of the foresight tools described above, i.e., Forecasting Funnel, Time Cone; Scenarios; Sources of Macro Disruption, Fringe Sketch; CIPHER (Trends), Assumptions vs. Knowledge (AvK), and Axes of Uncertainty, and
A conclusion that includes your strategy for leveraging your personal and professional learnings and discusses the significance of the same.
Source list that includes hyperlinks to all sources

Phase 4 | DT&L Portfolio Discussion

All teams will facilitate and participate in an integrated discussion of their DT&L Portfolios. Assessment will be based on the requirements described in Writing and Research and Writing on a Digital Platform. I will also evaluate your contributions to your team, level of engagement, the clarity of your writing, spelling and grammar, appearance and satisfaction of form requirements, articulation of all potential issues presented, and the quality and depth of analysis.

Grading

The following weights will be assigned to each component of your final grade:

Engagement & DT&L Reflection Journal (20%)
Gretzky Portfolio (20%)
- Artifacts (10%)
DT&L Portfolio (50%)
- P1 | Preliminary Evaluation (5%)
- P2 | Interim Report (5%)
- P3 | Final Portfolio (25%)
- P4 | Project Discussion (15%)

LFB: Deliverables

I want you to know that you are responsible for completing the following deliverables this semester.

Engagement

Success in this course will require you to do more than appear in class twice weekly and answer an occasional question. In business, that is called just “meeting expectations,” the lowest level of achievement. I expect that all of my students are prepared to actively participate in our in-class and digital discussions since that is a crucial way to learn as much as possible. This course is about active, on-the-field engagement, not one focused primarily on lectures.

If we must meet remotely, please review the protocol necessary for all of our remote meetings before we meet. Please see your Outlook or Teams calendar for links to our Teams class meetings.

We will focus on assigned cases using the Socratic method to engage with and learn the course material. That will require you to complete the Before We Begin deliverables found in the Schedule. Assessment of your preparedness and engagement may include your performance on unscheduled content quizzes. Please review the Engagement Rubric in this site’s Engagement page of the Course Policies section. Review the Engagement section on this page of your course’s syllabus for more information.

GenAI Journal

You will build a journal that reflects your creative process throughout the DT&L experience. You will create an Adobe Express web page and then share the page with me via Teams DM. Post update entries and republish the site throughout the semester. Journal entries should include thoughtfully incorporated multimedia content (text, images, audio, video) and the reflections described in your GenAI Journal.

Success Plan

Complete this deliverable by posting your plan to Teams’s #success plan and assessment channel.

Your first deliverable will be developing a plan describing the steps/actions you need to take that are necessary for success in this course. The end in mind of this effort is for you to provide the path/process that you choose to address the challenges and opportunities for growth and learning that this experience presents. It is also meant to define the template you will use in dealing with challenging situations, issues, and other significant confrontations throughout your personal and professional life. Your submission, in a minimum of 750 words, should address the suggestions for success described here. Remember that you are using a digital platform to complete this deliverable, so review my advice on writing on digital platforms. Never post a Word, Google Doc, or PDF.

Ideas Essay

Complete this deliverable by posting your plan to Teams’ #ideas essay channel.

Your next deliverable is a thought exercise. You will find several quotes in the Some Ideas section of the right sidebar of the SW Blog. You will choose one of those quotes and prepare an essay, with a maximum of 750 words, that discusses your perspective on the ideas raised by one of the quotes. Be sure to identify the quote you have chosen at the beginning of your essay. I will evaluate the clarity of your writing, spelling and grammar, your success in writing on a digital platform, articulation of the ideas raised by your chosen quote, and the quality and depth of analysis when assessing your essays. Remember that you are using a digital platform to complete this deliverable, so review my advice on writing on digital platforms. Never post a Word, Google Doc, or PDF.

Course Blog

Post your comments in the SW Blog that I maintain for my courses.

I post items of interest relevant to the material covered in my courses. The materials in the posts will be discussed over the semester in class and online. You are responsible for keeping current on the posts to the blog and providing comments. The submission schedule is included in the Schedule. My goal is to encourage an active discussion between and among all of my students related to the day’s events. And remember … it is a public blog … be sure that your comments comport with the etiquette requirements described in the Etiquette section of the Communication page. I will evaluate the following factors when I assess your blog comments:

A thoughtful, substantive, and well-reasoned summary/response to the blog post you have chosen – approximately 350 words per comment and
Your comments should be more than just regurgitating the article you have reviewed. I am not interested in reading your selected article’s “book report” version. I am, however, interested in comments that provide your insight into the relevance of the article in question and
Evidence in your blog comments in that you have read and are specifically and thoughtfully responding to the points raised by the author and/or responding to someone’s prior comments on a post.

Please refer to the Schedule and calendar for details about the blog comments submission schedule. Please don’t be late … you know my policy on accepting late submissions!

Topic | Issue Discussions

Complete this deliverable by posting your contributions to the appropriate #TID channel on Blackboard.

You will engage in three topic/issue discussions (TID). Each TID will consist of two parts.

Part 1: Your Initial Response

In the first part of this deliverable, you will develop your initial response to the Topic/Issue Discussion (TID) based on the article, video, podcast, or question provided in the TID. Your task is to carefully review and respond to the material I’ve provided, presenting your informed perspective and opinions on the topic(s) or issue(s). This will be the foundation for your subsequent critique in Part 2 of the deliverable.

Step 1. Review the Assigned Material: Begin by thoroughly reviewing the materials provided in the TID. Take note of the key points, arguments, and questions raised in those materials.

Step 2. Conduct Additional Research: If the provided material requires additional context or if you want to strengthen your response with supporting evidence, conduct further research on the topic. Use reputable sources like scholarly articles, books, or websites to gather relevant information.

Step 3. Formulate Your Initial Response: Craft a thoughtful and well-organized response to the TID materials. Your initial response should be a minimum of 1,000 words and must include the following elements:

Introduction: Begin with an introduction that provides context for the topic or issue. Clearly state the main question(s) or issue(s) raised in the provided material.
Thesis Statement: Present a concise thesis statement outlining your stance on the topic or issue. This statement should guide your entire response.
Supporting Arguments: Develop supporting arguments for your position. Draw from the provided material and any additional research you conducted. Use specific examples and evidence to bolster your claims.
Counterarguments: Anticipate potential counterarguments to your position. Address these counterarguments and explain why your perspective remains valid despite differing viewpoints.
Use of Hyperlinks: When referencing external sources to support your position, hyperlink to the additional materials. Do not provide traditional sourcing with separate source lists in MLA, APA, etc., format. This allows me and your peers to access and evaluate the sources you rely on.
Conclusion: End your initial response with a well-rounded conclusion summarizing your main points and reaffirming your position on the topic or issue.

Step 4. Edit and Revise: Before submitting your initial response, review it for clarity, coherence, and grammar. Make sure your arguments are well-structured, and your writing is free from errors.

Step 5. Submission: Submit your initial response per the instructions provided in the TID. Be sure to adhere to any specific submission guidelines and deadlines. Ensure that your critique meets at least the minimum word count of 1,000 words and is correctly formatted with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Provide hyperlinks to any additional materials you reference in your critique. It is important to remember that if you just meet the minimum requirements, the result will be an average grade. Remember, this part of the assignment is your opportunity to showcase your understanding of the material and demonstrate critical thinking skills. Support your arguments with evidence and approach the discussion with an open mind. Your initial response will be the basis for the critique you will undertake in Part 2 of the assignment, where you will analyze and evaluate a classmate’s response to the same topic or issue.

Part 2: Critique of Another Student’s Initial Response

For this second part of the assignment, you will be tasked with critiquing the initial response of a fellow student. This critique aims to engage in thoughtful analysis, respectful disagreement, and constructive feedback. Please make sure to maintain a respectful tone throughout your critique and focus on the arguments presented rather than attacking the individual. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to approach this task:

Step 1. Choose the Initial Response: Select one of your classmates’ initial responses that address the TID topics/issues and that presents a clear position or argument. Ensure the chosen response has enough substance and depth to provide ample material for your critique.

Step 2. Identify the Main Argument: Begin your critique by identifying the central argument of the chosen initial response. Summarize the author’s main points and ensure you understand their position thoroughly.

Step 3. Evaluate the Argument: Next, critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the argument presented in the initial response. Consider the following points:

Clarity and Coherence: Assess how well the student articulated their argument and whether their ideas were organized logically and coherently.
Supporting Evidence: Evaluate the quality and relevance of the sources cited by the student. Determine if the evidence used adequately supports their claims.
Counterarguments: Look for potential gaps or counterarguments that the student should have addressed in their response. Analyze whether these omissions weaken the overall argument.
Bias and Assumptions: Identify any preconceptions or assumptions made by the student in their response. Evaluate how these might impact the credibility of their argument.

Step 4. Present Your Critique: This section clearly states your critique of the student’s initial response. Begin by acknowledging the strengths of their argument and providing specific examples of where they effectively supported their position. This shows that you have considered their perspective thoughtfully. Next, address the weaknesses you identified in Step 3. Offer constructive criticism and provide evidence to support your claims. If you find logical fallacies or errors in their reasoning, point them out respectfully.

Step 5. Provide Counterarguments: Offer counterarguments to the positions taken by the student in their initial response. Use credible sources to support your viewpoint and present a well-reasoned alternative perspective. Be sure to anticipate possible objections to your counterarguments and address them accordingly.

Step 6: Conclusion. Wrap up your critique by summarizing your main points and reiterating your perspective. Reaffirm the importance of engaging in respectful discussions and open-mindedness when analyzing complex topics.

Step 7. Formatting and Citation: Ensure that your critique meets at least the minimum word count of 1,000 words and is correctly formatted with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Provide hyperlinks to any additional materials you reference in your critique. It is important to remember that if you just meet the minimum requirements of the deliverable, the result will be an average grade. Remember, the purpose of this critique is not to attack or belittle your classmate’s perspective but to engage in meaningful intellectual discourse. Stay objective, support your claims with evidence, and approach the critique professionally and respectfully.

Your initial response and critique must satisfy the Writing and Research requirements described on the Deliverables page. Never post a Word, Google Doc, or PDF.

I will evaluate your level of engagement, the clarity of your writing, spelling, and grammar, your success in writing on a digital platform, the appearance and satisfaction of form requirements, articulation of all potential issues presented, and the quality and depth of analysis when assessing your submissions. It is important to remember that if you just meet the minimum requirements of the deliverable, the result will be an average grade.

Please refer to the Schedule and calendar for details about the TID submission schedule. Don’t be late … you know my policy on accepting late submissions!

Success Assessment

Complete this deliverable by posting your plan to Teams’s #success plan and assessment channel.

Your last deliverable before the final exam will be an assessment of the Success Plan you developed at the course launch. Please reflect on the substance of your Success Plan and describe how your pre-launch perspective on the course, your learning during the course, and the outcomes you described earlier have developed favorable or unfavorable results. This is not an exercise about whether you have achieved your anticipated grade. It should reflect on how your personal and professional goals have been impacted by your choices in planning and execution, both in what was achieved and how it (Success Plan) was achieved. In a minimum of 750 words, your assessment should be submitted by posting your assessment to the #success plan and assessment channel. Remember that you are using a digital platform to complete this deliverable, so review my advice on writing on digital platforms. Never post a Word, Google Doc, or PDF.

Final Exam

The final exam will be a writing assignment requiring each student to define, interpret, and analyze a topic or topics related to the course materials. Never post a Word, Google Doc, or PDF.

Grading

Grades on each deliverable will be posted to the Grades folder in Blackboard. The following weights will be assigned to each component of your final grade:

Engagement: Class Attendance and Participation, Success Plan and Assessment, Ideas Essay, GenAI Journal (20%)
Course Blog (10%)
TIDs (60%)
Final Exam (10%)