TCOM103
FALL 2004
Group Project
Instruction Sheet
Learning
Objectives:
-
To present
a controversial media topic effectively with critical thinking
-
To explore
a controversial media topic in depth that adds new knowledge
-
To learn
how to find information for a media topic and present a paper in correct
APA citation style
-
To learn
to work in groups and be able to utilize and respect each group member’s
expertise and perspectives
The
media newsletter project should focus on one of the topics listed in the
course syllabus. The topic must be approved by the instructor before the
preparation of the final report.
You
will develop a title for the newsletter related to the theme of the newsletter.
The newsletter should consist of 5 to 10 items (short articles on the topic
from various perspectives).Each
item (article) should be between 200 to 1000 words. The format is open
so you can design in whatever style you like as long as you cover the topic
thoroughly and meet the content requirement. The content should be up-to-date,
reflecting the latest development of the topic that you have chosen.
The grading of the project consists of two parts:The
progress reports and mini-presentations (20 points) and the final report
with the computer file in MS Word or HTML (100 points).The
citations
of the written report should follow the APA style guide.Your
source of information MUST include at least one non-Internet sources.The
final report is graded on the following criteria:
|
Content
|
30 points
|
(apply the critical thinking process and
collect adequate information to present the arguments)
|
|
Organization
|
20 points
|
(smooth flow from one topic to another)
|
|
Clarity
|
10 points
|
(no vague statements) |
|
Accuracy
|
20
points
|
(free
from typos, grammatical mistakes, and conform to APA style)
|
|
Source Completeness
|
10 points
|
No missing in-text citations and important articles related to the
topic |
|
Creativity/Innovativeness in Design
|
10 points
|
|
When
choosing group project topics, you should avoid topics such as illegal
activities, drug and alcohol use, sexual abuse.If
those topics will involve contacting a human subject as it would require
independent review from the Human Subjects Review Board.If
any of your project topics will involve human subjects such as interviews
or surveys, you have to:
Submit
your group’s recruiting documents for approval by the instructor before
recruiting any subjects.It should
specify how you are going to recruit the subjects and any announcement
script that will be used for subject recruitment.The
basic principle is to assure voluntary participation.No
misleading promise should be made to potential participants during the
recruiting effort. You cannot recruit vulnerable subjects such as children
without prior approval from the instructor.
·Prepare
consent forms approved by the instructor
·Submit
questionnaire or interview questions for approval by the instructor before
you can administer them.
Sample
consent forms are shown on the course web site for your reference.
Duties
of the team leader:
-Keep
the meeting log for the group
-Responsible
for turning in the report and floppy disk to the instructor
-Responsible
for collecting the report from the instructor (he/she can designate someone
else to collect it with written notice to the instructor)
-Present
in the group project progress mini presentation
A
meeting log sheet will be distributed to each group’s leader for logging
group meeting attendance and write a progress report after each official
class meetings.The progress report
should include items under each report listing and your group’s
discussion on the questions in bold italics for that meeting.All
progress report memos must be submitted via e-mail to the instructor and
copy to all group members the same Friday after the meeting before
5 p.m. If the writer of the report fails to copy to all members with
correct e-mail addresses or follow the subject heading format, he or she
will be deducted 1 point from the progress report score. The instructor
will provide feedback via e-mail to the entire group on the following Monday.
Each group member will take turns to write the progress report.
Group
Meeting #1: Progress Report (2 points)
-Report
at least one strength and a short description of each group member
E.G.,
JOHN DOE- GOOD AT WRITING, MAJOR IN ENGLISH,LOVE RAP MUSIC…
–Group
Name
–Team
Leader's Name
–Verify
and write down the e-mail addresses and the telephone numbers of all group
members
·Who
are you?What's your strength and
how can you contribute to the project?
·Why
do you want to be a team leader/not to be a team leader?
·What
grade do you expect from the group project and how much time you are willing
to contribute for the project?
·Did
the top group projects reflect the critical thinking process (discuss the
Part I of your web site report)?In
what aspect should your group model after them?
Group
Meeting #2: Progress Report (2 points)
-Topics
under consideration and rationale
-Each
member submit a 300 word report on taking the library's "web wizard module."
Report what you learned from each module.
(additional
10 points, not counted in the group score)
http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/infosrv/lue/webwizard/
or click under the course web site.
·What
criteria do you use in proposing the topics? How does the web site report
affect your choice?
·What
tips did you get from the web wizard module to location information for
proposed topics?
·How
do you plan to use your group project meeting time?
Group Meeting
#3: Progress Report (2 points)
-
Write the final topic selected and rationale behind the selection
-
Progress from each group member in finding information sources for their
own proposed topic.
-
Assignment of duties (including deadlines)
-Information
sources identified
·Where
can you find information on the topic and what help do you plan to seek?
·For
those who did not propose the final topic, how do you think you can become
interested in the topic?
-
Group Meeting
#4: Progress Report (4 points)
-Progress
on gathering information from each individuals for topic selected
-
Assignment of duties (including deadlines)
-Write
up a complete list of reference sources in APA style
-Prepare
mini group project progress presentation
-
What
are the characteristics of APA citation style? How are they different from
those you have learned in ENG 110/112?
-
What
are the problems in citing the sources?
-
What
types of sources are you using? Can you think of other alternatives sources
that you are missing at this point?
Group
Project Progress mini presentation (6 points)
Duration:
3 minutes for each group
Content:Group
Name, Topic chosen and reason for choosing that topic, introduce each group
member, methods/approaches to gather information (e.g., interviews, library,
etc.), update on information sources identified, assessment of the group's
progress.(students are allowed to
defect to other groups within a week after the mini presentation). Presence
of every member is mandatory.
Group
Meeting #5:Progress Report (2 points)
-Format/design
of the newsletter
-
Progress from each individual on writing the article
-
Assignment of duties (deadlines)
-Division
of labor in writing and preparing the final report
e.g.,
editor – Joe Doe
proofreader
– Jane Smith
web
page designer – Jack Jones
writers
– John Wayne, Britney Spear, Elizabeth Taylor
·What
is the best way to present your materials for the group project?How
can you make the project attractive to our fellow students in the class?
·Does
any one of you know how to create a web page?If
not, do you want to seek help from Student Tech Center at Saddlemire Bldg
or just turn in a word document (either one is acceptable)?
Group Meeting
#6: Progress Report (2 points)
-Title
of the project
-Titles
of the articles to be included in the newsletter
-
What
should be the theme of your project? How
should the title reflect the project theme?
-
What
is the shortcoming/weakness of your articles written so far (critique each
one)?
-
What
are the things that you are still short of from the group project final
checklist? Who will take care of those missing stuff?
-
How
can you get in touch with each other during the week before the project
is due?
APA Reference
Style Guide
Check
the following example on when to capitalize letter and use italics and
the format of each media source.All
the sources should be put at the bottom of each item in your newsletter
aligned to the left. Initialize the first and middle names of the author
in the reference list at the end of the project report. .Italicize
the title and volume of the book or journal.Write
the author’s last name and publication year in parentheses in the text
of the article.
In
the text of the article: Many
people say media violence effects depend on what type of people (Edgar,
2000)…..
At
the end of the newsletter,
put the sources in the following way.Arrange
in alphabetical order according to the author’s last name.No
need to categorize by source type/medium.For
an
example of a full paper, please visit the course web site.
References
Newspaper
Article:
Levenson,
L. (September 22, 1992).Textbook
economics: Why those volume costs so much?Chronicle
of Higher Education, 44(4), PA5/11.
Magazine
Article:
Advertising
Age
(December 12, 1997).Average Base
Salary by Gender and Agency Size in 1997, p. 20.
Journal
Article:
Bunda,
M. A. (1992). What should one look for in selecting a college textbook?Instructional
Exchange, 4(2), 1-4.
Book
Chapter:
Grossberg, L. (1992). The affect sensibility of fandom.
In L. A. Lewis (Ed.), The adoring audience: Fan culture and popular
media (pp.50-65). London: Routledge.
Book:
Herlihy,
J. G. (1992). The nature of the textbook controversy. Norwood, NJ:
Ablex.
Online/Web
Site:
Schlosberg, J. (2000, March 5). Television is an ideal medium
for driving traffic to Web sites.
Media Life Magazine. Retrieved October 20, 2000, from
http://www.medialifemagazine.com/news2000/feb00/news30201.html.
Audio/TV:
PBS
(May 20, 1998).Education and
textbooks: A documentary.9:30
p.m.-10:30 p.m.
PROGRESS REPORT FORMAT EXAMPLE
To: louisah@bgnet.bgsu.edu
From: xxx
cc: all group members' email addreesses, pdangel@bgnet.bgsu.edu
(if you belong to groups 10-18)
Subject: TCOM103 GROUP X PROGRESS REPORT #1
Group Members Absent in today's meeting: xxxx,
xxxx
Discussion Items (listed according to the instruction
under each meeting)