Overview
You
can access your group by going to the class MyGateway site: select "Group
Areas." You'll find folders for each group with a list of
the students assigned to each group. Each group is expected to complete
all parts of the project.
PLEASE
read through the entire project before you get started--you will have to observe
people using the drug upon which you will be focusing. Don't place yourselves
in dangerous or illegal settings.
Project
Objectives:
- This project
entails an investigation of the social reality of drugs and drug use in
American society
- To become
familiar with core concepts, methods, and theories of sociology, and develop
a sociological analysis of drug policy in the USA.
- To develop
critical thinking skills and produce an informed critique of explanations
of drug use and drug "abuse."
- To learn accepted
social scientific writing styles and become familiar with (and critically
evaluate) online information resources.
- To develop
a competency in online communication and the use of wiki technology for
engaging in group projects.
Be
sure to complete the "Email Feedback Consent." You can find the
email feedback consent "test" in the Group Areas section of MyGateway.
Until you give consent, you will have to visit Prof. Keel or a TA to receive
full feedback on the group project.
For
more information on what a wiki is, see the YouTube video: Wikis
in plain English
See
the examples of previous semesters' group wikis and a "practice wiki"
(a wiki to play with before you try out working in your group wiki) in the
"Wiki Help" folder located in the "Group Areas" page of
our class MyGateway site.
For
a walk through of the features of the wiki editor, see Prof. Keel's Wimba
archive (available in other formats, too) on "Creating a Personal Wiki
Page" in the same "Wiki Help" folder area of the class MyGateway
site's "Group Areas" page. See also: Wiki Help and Tips. Here's a link with detailed instructions for using the wiki editor: http://community.learningobjects.com/Groups/Documentation/Campus_Pack_4.4_User_Guide/Text_Editor and for general information: http://community.learningobjects.com/Groups/Documentation/Campus_Pack_4.4_User_Guide . You can access this link from your group's wiki by clicking
on the "Help" link in the upper right-hand corner of the wiki content frame. See
also, the tutorials for working in a wiki in the "Wiki Help" folder
on the "Group Areas" page of the class MyGateway site.
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Group
member responsibilities:
- Collaborate
on the overall group contribution throughout the group process.
- Actively
communicate with other group members on a weekly basis via differing modes
of communication (e.g., student email, wiki comments).
- Submit individual
and group work in a timely manner to fellow group members and in accord
with course requirements.
- Complete
and submit all parts of the group project.
- Utilize
a variety of wiki features throughout varying stages of the group project
(see course TAs for assistance using wiki).
- Maintain
an atmosphere of civility and maturity throughout group member dialogue.
- Include
your name and the class you are taking within your message when you contact
the instructor or TAs via email or by phone.
- Adhere to
all other expectations and requirements outlined in the course syllabus
and group project page.
- Interaction
and collaboration (we'll use wiki stats, comments you leave on
other's pages, and what you document on your "group communication " to assess your collaboration).
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Evaluation
More
specific information regarding the grades for each part of the project is
found in the directions for that part. General information can be found here.
- Each student is responsible for completing all parts of the group project, but you need towork together as a group.
- Your work, individual
and group, should be presented in your group wiki as a series of inter-linked
web pages. The wiki allows members of the group to share information and
collaborate on the development of a "website."
- Each
individual must complete all individual assignments, and contribute to all
group work (or complete designated elements of group work on their own). It is not necessary that every member to contribute
to every group report. However, each individual must contribute to group
work during all three parts, or they will be penalized. Partial work will
receive partial credit.
- You
are responsible for adhering to the university's technological use policies,
and treating all group members with respect. Disputes or problems
within groups should be brought to the attention of the TA or Prof. Keel.
- Pay
careful attention to all directions. Each group member is responsible
for ensuring that all group work, and his/her individual work, adheres to
the directions. You will not be eligible for full credit if this standard
is not met.
- Use
appropriate sources and academic procedures. Certain assignments
in the group project will require you to find newspaper or mass media sources;
do not use academic sources for these assignments. Other assignments will
require the use of academic sources: studies, articles, books, or websites
that meet the criteria for reputable
work (or here
); do not use inappropriate sources for these assignments. Be sure to correctly
cite all information used from research resources (in-text citations and
a list of references for each page) using the ASA manuscript
submission guide (local copy
with web citation guidelines or a full version of the
ASA Style Guide).
Additional assistance with referencing online resources can be found here.
Remember, we are undertaking an academic activity, so please refrain from
using opinion, unreliable or invalid resources, sensationalism,
and other non-academic practices in your own work. See the academic
integrity statement and Turnitin
information.
- Grading:
Each part of the activity is graded according to:
- Individual
Contributions: This refers to each individual group member's
work in the wiki for the project. Individual contributions are graded
according to the quality and quantity of work performed for the group,
as well as the presentation of their work.
- Group
Presentation: This refers to the final wiki presentation (style,
spelling, grammar, images, links to other resources, and overall quality
of the presentation) and the content of your presentation (use of
course materials, demonstration of sociological imaginations, and application
of course concepts, theories, and other relevant materials).
- Interaction
and collaboration (we'll use wiki stats, comments you leave on
other's pages, and what you document on your "group communication " to assess your collaboration).
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Here are some guidelines for using the wikis:
Here's a link with detailed instructions for using the wiki editor: http://community.learningobjects.com/Groups/Documentation/Campus_Pack_4.4_User_Guide/Text_Editor and for general information: http://community.learningobjects.com/Groups/Documentation/Campus_Pack_4.4_User_Guide . You can access this link from your group's wiki by clicking
on the "Help" link in the upper right-hand corner of the wiki content frame. See
also, the tutorials for working in a wiki in the "Wiki Help" folder
on the "Group Areas" page of the class MyGateway site.
Basic
tips:
- For help creating a personal wiki page, see Prof. Keel's Panopto tutorial, "Working in a Wiki" in the Wiki Help folder of the class MyGateway
site--Group Areas page.
- The first
page you come to when you open your wiki is the "home page."
Don't use this page for a personal page of anything other than the wiki's
"home."
- Do not edit any other student's page without discussing
such edits in advance. Wikis are collaborative tools, but use them
to collaborate, not dominate. Pay attention to "where" you are
when you do your editing.
- Leave
comments on your group members' page to provide help and assistance and
point out minor edits you've done for them, etc.
- Avoid
attaching Word documents and the like--do your work on the wiki page,
use the wiki to display your ideas and your research work--write your
essays as wiki pages.
- Always
insure you link together the pages you and your group create--use your
"home page" to provide access to sub-pages for the various parts
of the project as well as to group member personal pages and a communication
page. Use the sub-pages for the parts to provide links to the various
elements and individual essays for each part.
- Create
and use a "group communication " to document discussions
you have and the work/additions/edits you do in the wiki. Preface each
entry on this page with your name and the date/time.
To Create (or edit) a page:
- From any page in the wiki, click on "New" (or
"Edit" if you have already created it and are returning to edit).
- Give your
page a name. Format: Your last name, Your first name: short page
title.
- You'll see
a variety of "tools" to help you edit your page--you can choose
different fonts, and font sizes, format your text, and add tables. You
can also add images and links to other web pages (internal to this wiki,
as well as to outside web pages). Click the Image or Link buttons, and
follow the simple instructions).
- There's no spell check in the wiki, so I recommend typing
your essay in MS Word and saving it. Then, copy the text. Once you've
copied text from a Word, come back to your wiki page (make sure you are
in the "edit" frame), click to place your mouse cursor in the
page, and then use the "Paste from Word" button.
- If you know html, you'll find a button that allows you to
edit the source code.
- Be sure to click the "Save" button when you are
done!
- You'll be evaluated for content, style, and presentation.
- One member is responsible for editing the 'home' page (first
page you access when you enter the wiki), and to go through and link all
of the other pages together.
Contact the class TA or Mr. Keel if you have any questions.
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