Six Essential Elements of Scholarly Assignments Cheryl Keen, Ed.D. Specialization Coordinator, Foundations and Core Courses, Interim Transition Points and Major Assessments Coordinator COEL Ph.D. Program

Fall 2012 PROPOSAL TO AGP CAP accepted: 2 Regarding Six Essential Elements of Scholarly Assignments

Six Elements derived this fall by Core Course Instructors with help of the Writing Center 3 1. Spelling and grammar check 2. The paper uses template 3. The paper includes the rubric 4. The paper has an introductory paragraph 5. The paper includes references and in-text citations 6. The paper provides citations for all material quoted or paraphrased

Instructor’s procedures after quick assessment: 4 If I find you have not addressed one or more of the above elements, I will return your assignment to your gradebook with an indication of what is missing, and place a zero as a placeholder for your grade. If I return your assignment, within 5 days please include the missing element(s) and resubmit your assignment to our course and send it in an to me as well. I will then assess your assignment and adjust the grade accordingly. Please know that a late penalty will apply to a returned assignment.

The following principles undergird this initiative: Faculty led reform. Faculty support rewrites. Faculty will be able to focus on content-rich feedback. University policy supports departments raising the bar. Fair as is it part of all classes. Can be refined for individual classes. 5

Faculty won’ t have to be editors first, and then teachers! 6

We expect this initiative to have the following outcomes: improved scholarly assignments in the later classes. Students will use the Writing Center resources more Students will manage time better Students will have consolidated these habits by the 4 th or 5 th of 9 content courses. Students will receive more content-rich feedback on their assignments and rubrics. 7

Already faculty in our advanced Core courses report: 8 Students’ papers are better Faculty can focus on content We don’t yet know where the tipping point is for consolidation of learning so students also can more effortlessly comply

Resources offered for each expectation. 1. Checked for grammar and spelling Your assignment has been checked and revised using a spelling and grammar check software. If you are unsure of how to use Microsoft Word’s helpful tool, see this short guide. If you need additional help, you can try Grammarly, another Writing Center resource.this short guide pell_Check.pdf

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2. Use the template, if there is one 11 Your assignment uses the general Walden University template or the course assignment template if one is provided. ….cover page and APA-compliant margins, page breaks, page numbers, and spacing. … If there is no template provided, a template for a cover page can be found at …An APA list of headings and subheadings can be found on page 62 of your APA Manual, 6 th ed.

Templates: 12

3. Use APA formatting for citing references Your assignment includes references and in-text citations that demonstrate your attention to APA formatting. In EDUC 8110 and EDUC 8111 courses, we know this skill is still being perfected. By EDUC 8112 and later classes, your Instructors will expect accurate references and in- text citations. Use the examples on this page or in Chapter 7 of your APA Manual, 6 th ed., to check your format….on this page 13

Link to APA referencing examples 14

4.Checking for plagiarism Your assignment provides citations for all material quoted or paraphrased from other sources, but is not dependent on excessive quotes or paraphrases. See this link for hints on when and how to cite your sources in APA style. Check your assignment again if it has more than 20% similarity rating in your Turnitin submission.this link 15

Checking Turnitin: 16 Meditation Self-hypnosis Talking partners Create a narrative about your past and your intentions Return regularly to joyful activities Symbols, ritual, etc. Ideal workspace Exercise, yoga Positive affirmations

5. Use the rubric, if provided: 17

6. Introductory paragraph, if appropriate 18

Help writing introductions 19

Any questions? 20 If we have time, gather a small group, by school or program, to explore applicability of the ideas. Thanks for your participation!