|
Early in the
semester your team must select a social problem or question
which it will research throughout the semester. The
social problem, which must be approved by your professor, should
focus on a campus or community problem of interest to your team,
your classmates, and your professor. |
|
A list of many of the previous
topics covered is available at
http://www.uwec.edu/sampsow/307/2006a/PastProjects.htm.
|
|
Because you are
dealing with a social problem, you will not simply be evaluating
objective issues, you will be analyzing the perceptions and group
dynamics of the various constituencies. Please note that the word
“research” is underlined in the first paragraph of this section.
Do not offer blind, unchecked assumptions: interview key people
and use surveys to gather information about attitudes or concerns.
And be sure to follow the
UWEC Institutional Review Board's Research Guidelines |
|
Term Project Final Reports |
|
The final report
(both written and oral) will address all four steps of our
Problem Solving Agenda.
You
and your team will refine
and improve your identification and analysis of the problem, you
will identify potential solutions to the problem, and you will
analyze and evaluate those solutions. Your group will not be
required to choose one perfect solution because many problems do
not have a perfect solution while others have multiple solutions. |
|
Thus, you may refine the
Problem-Definition offered in your Initial Report, further
identifying the specific problem, analyzing and defining key
terms, recognizing the group's limitations. |
|
You may also refine the
Problem-Analysis offered in your Initial report, offering a
more refined analysis of the causes of the problem, reasons why
you believe it to be a problem, and the short- and long-term
effects. You may even discuss changes in your goals for this
project |
|
In the Solution-Suggestion
portion of your project you should identify available solutions
and work to create new, innovative solutions. This section
will be greatly improved if you seek possible solutions with a
variety of people--students, faculty, and others directly
involved. You do not want to present your report and learn
that you have overlooked some obvious or creative solutions.
|
|
In the Solution-Selection
portion of your project you should establish well-designed
criteria for evaluating your solutions and you should apply them
to the solutions you have discovered and created. Your team
is not required to recommend a solution to the class, but
you are required to evaluate the solutions so that we know which
are unacceptable or unwise. |
|
The written report should, of course,
meet the
Basic Course Expectations for research, team projects, and for
written assignments. |
|
Your Oral Report to the class
should also meet the
Basic Course Expectations
for research and team projects. The presentation should include PowerPoints;
please be sure to e-mail me your PowerPoints (as an attachment) on
or before the date of your presentation, so that they may be posted on this
website.. |
|
The Oral Report for the Initial Term
Project Presentation will be worth a maximum of 60 points; the
criteria we will use in assessing your team's presentation are
listed below. The presentation and the Question and Answer period
should be planned for 40-45 minutes, of which 30-35 minutes
should be presentation or lecture-discussion and 5-10 minutes
should be Q&A with the class. Be sure that you have
questions to ask the class if the class does not ask you
questions. |
|
Your instructor and classmates will assess your presentation on a rating sheet;
although your instructor has sole responsibility for assigning
grades, he will consider student rating sheets--especially
comments--before assigning a grade for your team. |
|
|
|
Rating Criteria
for Term Project Final Presentation |
|
Presentation: |
|
Interesting |
Topic and presentation
stimulated and held my interest.
|
|
Clear |
Developed clear understanding of
topic/problem; logical whole. |
|
Organized |
Easy to understand, follow, and
remember |
|
Well-researched |
Important
insights from credible resources were cited |
|
Informative |
Developed
new insights and understanding
|
|
Important |
Insights and
understandings developed are relevant and
important |
|
Well-Supported/Explained |
Clear explanation, language,
examples
|
|
Application of Problem Solving Agenda: |
|
Problem Definition |
Accurately defined problem,
its scope, and key terms
|
|
Problem Analysis |
Identified nature, causes, key
factors of problem |
|
Solution-Suggestions |
Team identified good array of
potential solutions |
|
Solution-Selection |
Team effectively identified
criteria and evaluated solutions |
|
The
Team |
|
Knowledgeable |
Knew topic well,
effectively defined and analyzed problem |
|
Dynamic |
Presenters
demonstrated commitment to project and audience |
|
Team
Effectiveness |
Well-coordinated, effective
teamwork evident |
|
|
|
|
