Discussion Assignment Instructions
The Discussions present an opportunity for you to evaluate yourself and your role within your organization. For the assigned Module: Week, you will complete multiple self-assessment activities and select one to discuss. You will be required to write a thread of at least 250 words on the self-assessment, complete with page references and specifics to document the response, and submit it to the corresponding Discussion Thread. Correct use of English and grammar are required. You will find the Self-Assessment Activities in Connect.
Additionally, you will be required to submit a substantive written reply of at least 100 words to at least 2 classmates’ Discussion Threads.
To complete your thread:
- Complete four self-assessments. Select one to discuss with the class.
- Conduct a search through the Jerry Falwell Library, which can be found in the Discussion Assignment Resources, to find and read 1 recent scholarly business article that relates to the self-assessment content.
- Submit a thread that contains the following information in the following format, using the headers so that you ensure that all aspects of the assignment are completed as required. Failure to follow these instructions will result in a point deduction.
- Self-assessment: Give a brief explanation of the selected self-assessment and your results. Information from the textbook should be used and cited to support the outcomes of your self-assessment for this portion of the assignment.
- Discussion:
- Give a brief discussion of how the article relates to the self-assessment and how you can use the self-assessment results to contribute to an organization. This gives you the opportunity to add value to the discussion by sharing your experiences, thoughts, and opinions. Draw your peers into a discussion of topics by asking questions. This is the most important part of the thread.
- Biblical Integration: Use at least one appropriate scripture verse or narrative from the Bible to support your discussion and use it in the proper context. How can you apply Scripture to the assessment results?
- References: Each reference and article read must adhere to the current APA edition format. Include the complete URL for the selected article (use a persistent link for articles from the Jerry Falwell Library). These do not count toward the 250-word requirement.
- Threads are due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of the assigned Module: Week.
To complete your replies:
- Read the threads of your classmates. Expect to spend some time each day reviewing all threads and replies, even those in which you are not involved.
- Write a reply of at least 100 words to at least 2 of your classmates’ threads. You should expect to answer questions posed within each discussion thread. Student interaction is key to success in this course.
- Replies are due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) Monday of the assigned Module: Week. Both replies must be submitted together to earn credit for this portion of the assignment. If replies are submitted late, then they must be submitted in the same week (all at once) to earn credit. Replies submitted in multiple weeks will not be graded.
Grading
Consult the accompanying rubric for how your instructor will grade this assignment. Also, any form of plagiarism, including cutting and pasting, will result in zero points for the entire assignment.
Tips
Articles may be found in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, or any other reputable website that deals with business. You will be performing academic research, which utilizes reliable sources of information from reputable magazines or newspapers that are available in electronic format or hard copy. Sites that are absolutely not acceptable are:
- Wikipedia
- About.com
- Commercial sites (usually a consultant’s web page, but may take other forms)
- Blogs (be careful, some look very convincing)
- Education sites (these usually do not contain articles, but rather lecture notes or student papers)
You should utilize the Jerry Falwell Library portal for research, but note that some articles may not offer persistent links. If you utilize articles found in LexisNexis or other sites that are behind security walls, you will need to make the articles available to classmates by copying and pasting into a Microsoft Word document and attaching the document to the thread. If this is done, be sure that you include the references in current APA edition format at the bottom of the Discussion thread.
The availability of the articles that you research regarding the topic is important because classmates must be able to read the articles to form their own opinions and gain further insight into the topic. Students need to understand not merely the self-assessment terms but also how to research reliable sources. This is not only to further their education, but also for their professional use.
