Throughout the course, there will be a number of assignments. In an effort to make this class more interesting and challenging and less mundane, the assignments are a varied type. The exercises and activities will encourage you to apply what you read and learned from the text and Canvas course materials. The varied types are:
During the course of ADJ 107, Survey of Criminology five discussion questions will be assigned. Each discussion question is out of 25 points and the four discussion questions consist of 10% of your overall class grade or 2% per discussion question. Students are expected to log into Canvas once a week to view the responses to the discussion questions. Each discussion question should be answered in paragraph form using proper A.P.A. writing techniques. In order to obtain the maximum amount of points each discussion question should be answered in approximately 350-500 words. Students are welcome to elaborate over the 500-word limit. Students are graded on content, supporting their opinion or position, professionalism, and grammar. Students should then respond to another classmate's response in order to facilitate a class discussion on the topic. The instructor may respond to student postings as well in order to elbaorate on an opinion or position dicussed in the posting. Spacing issues are understandable, but please cite all material according to A.P.A. standards using both in-text citations and a references page.
During the course of ADJ 107, Survey of Criminology two writing assignments will be assigned. Each writing assignment is out of 50 points and the four writing assignments consist of 30% of the your overall class grade or 7.5% per writing assignment. Please answer the assigned questions in 3-6 paragraphs (4-6 sentences per paragraph) using proper A.P.A. writing techniques. Outside scholarly resources and the textbook will be needed to answer the questions. Please use Times New Roman 12 font and double space the document. The writing assignment will be graded on content, proper writing/grammar, A.P.A. formatting, and research. Please be detailed and remember to support all claims within the document. Please refer to Writing Assignment sample template and instructiorn for further information. Below is how the grade for each writing assignment will be broken down.
Content (15 points): Did the student answer the question in the proper context and provide sufficient evidence explaining their position. Additional scholarly resources supporting opinion expressed will be needed in order to maximize points. Remember each question should be 3-6 paragraphs (4-6 sentences per paragraph).
Grammar/Proper Writing (15 points): Students follow proper grammar and writing techniques. The writing assignment involves technical writing. Avoiding pronoun-antecedent agreement errors, use formal language, write in a direct and precise way, and avoid broad generalizations and journalistic rhetoric. Attempt to eliminate all typographical errors from the document. Use research to support any claims made within the answer while following proper writing techniques.
A.P.A. Format (10 points): Student should follow proper A.P.A. writing techniques including proper citations (in-text and reference) and formatting. Include a proper cover page and reference page. When paraphrasing please use the author’s last name comma year. For example, (Wofsey, 2019). If you are using a direct quote, add the page number for instance “….” (Jackson, 2014, p.164). The students should follow the template provided and consult an A.P.A. handbook for additional information regarding A.P.A. formatting.
Research/Support (10 points): Student should support claims and arguments with solid facts from outside scholarly resources along with the textbook. Limit the number of direct quotes, but paraphrase outside resources in order to improve the quality of the document. Each writing assignment should have at least 4-6 scholarly and peer-reviewed references. Some helpful hints include citing scholarly material found in academic databases such as, ProQuest, LexisNexis, or EBSCO. Try to avoid non-scholarly research such as, magazines, unsupported website, newspaper articles, and YouTube or television articles etc. Using scholarly material will allow students to be an efficient and effective writer. Remember Wikipedia is not a scholarly resource. Government websites, academic databases, and textbooks are prime examples of scholarly research.
The four proctored assessments provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your mastery of the course knowledge. Each assessment consists of 75 multiple choise questions A-E. The assessments are closed note and students must take the assessments by the date assigned. You can find the information on how to take proctored assessments in the Taking Proctored Assessments section of the Syllabus.