My Thinking:  This assignment is designed to represent 25% of the work for this class.  That is, since this is a 4 credit class, this assignment represents 1 graduate credit of effort.  Another way to consider this assignment is to look at hours expended.  The Board of Regents identifies a "credit hour" as 1 hour of instruction for a semester (15 weeks).  Traditionally, academics assume that it is not unreasonable for a student to spend 3-4 hours on homework per hour of credit in a graduate level course.  Thus, 15 hours (1 credit) + 45-60 hours (3-4 x 15) = 60-75 hours.  Since we have a 10 week semester, this represents a significant expenditure of time every week for the next 10 weeks.

Your task in terms of this assignment is to write a book chapter focusing on a specific population and their learning needs. Population in this context is understood to refer to an age group (e.g. middle school students), a group studying a specific discipline (e.g.learners of science), or a group sharing a specific trait (e.g. students with visual processing deficits). If appropriate to your professional obligation, you may focus your efforts on some combination of factors (e.g. early elementary students learning computer programming). I strongly encourage students to focus on a population that will further their own professional identity.

Your text provides a model of what your final paper will look like. Each paper will be divided into sections. Your text chapters include an introductory section, as well as sections entitled "Principles of [insert topic]", "Components of [insert topic]", "Principles of Instruction", "Educational Applications" and "Review of Theory." These (or a derivitive) provide a starting point for your own work. In some cases these titles may not be the most appropriate, but in all cases should be considered. In this process, it will be important to consider how these sections differ in the text to gain an awareness of how you will want to divide materials in your chapter. Students will not be held accountable specifically for these titles. However, the text chapters provide a model of the range of material that students will be held accountable for.

Your writing will be based on a thorough review of literature in your chosen area. A thorough review of literature may include skimming dozens of articles over the course of the semester and a careful review of 2 or more articles per week. I would suggest that an introductory compilation of 10-12 articles be amassed and reviewed. Then, based on your findings and newfound knowledge, a second group of articles be amassed. As necessary, the process may be repeated several times, working to fill in holes in your knowledge. I strongly encourage students to start collecting materials for review immediately, and working on the task for several hours each week. Initially, this may include reviewing materials and making notes. As the project progresses, an outline for a paper should be developed, followed by initial drafts. Drafts may then be revised as additional articles are read. Whenever possible, I encourage students to proof-read papers for other students. As a journal reviewer, I can assure you that even the best writers need editing assistance. There is no minimum nor maximum length for this paper. Chapters in your text likely represent 80 page papers, and while I have written 80+ page papers (I have examples in my office for you to see) for class, that is not my intent here. Rather, I anticipate papers 10 - 20 pages in length. A longer paper is not necessarily a better paper so length will NOT BE a grading criteria.

Materials to review: A knowledge of the literature suggests that you will explore a variety of types of materials. Research reports, case studies, demonstration projects, and theoretical writings all have their place in the developing knowledge base. It is likely that all will be represented in your work. In ALL CASES, your materials should include some primary outcome research designed to assess specific interventions related to student learning. Primary research signifies that the article is reporting on a specific study, performed by the authors, and reported here in its entirety. Secondary research signifies that someone is reporting on someone else's research, or on another research project, by the authors, reported on primarily in another article or written work. If you are unsure of this distinction, contact the professor. Every paper MUST include primary sources

The completed assignment: The completed chapter (hard copy) will be mailed or hand-delivered to the professor by the date specified. Included with the hard copy will be a minimum of 15 article abstracts. These abstracts should be photocopies or printouts (in the case of on-line materials) of the actual abstract as it appears with the article. Note: abstracts copied from computer-based literature searches (e.g. FristSearch, ERIC, etc.) are not acceptable. In the case of book chapters, books, or journal materials that do not contain abstracts, than a photocopy of the cover page including title should be included. As noted above, the entire paper should be completed in APA (4th edition) style, including cover page, abstract, and references. At your discretion, appendices may be included.

Completion Hint: This is a distance learning course, and many students will undoubtendly prefer to find their materials on the Internet. Please allow me to offer this caution: Information on the Internet is completely unregulated and the quality of materials varies widely. An example of a slick site with highly questionable information is here. Books can be helpful, but are generally several years old before they are actually in print. In addition, there is no professional review to ensure quality in books. I recommend their use sparingly. Websites (like my own) are full of bias and potential for misinterpretation. Even those maintained by Universities and professional associations have been found to be outdated and riddled with inaccurate information. Focus your efforts on materials from professional journals. The peer review process ensures some minimum level of quality in these journals. While peer review is flawed, it is all we have- take advantage of it. Think of it this way- when you go to see your doctor, would you prefer medicine is prescribed based on an article in the New England Journal of Health, Time Magazine, or WWW.ALTERNATIVEMEDICINE.COM? Your students deserve the same level of professional preparation.