walden psyc6393 full course

28 Jun walden psyc6393 full course

Question
Week 1 discussion

Critical Thinking

As you should have noted throughout your master’s program, psychological knowledge stems mainly from research. Knowledge of the world, however, in addition to coming from direct experience and observation, comes from many sources including journals, textbooks, experts, and various media resources (television, newspapers, and the Internet). An important question regarding these resources is, “Are they all credible?” How do you distinguish fact from fiction in evaluating research information, regardless of its source? This Discussion addresses the importance of critical thinking in evaluating information obtained through various sources including psychological research. Critical thinking is an invaluable skill in life as well as for completing your Capstone Project.

To prepare:

Review Chapter 1 of the course text, Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking, focusing specifically on the importance of asking the right questions to evaluate the credibility of resources.

Consider the types of sources used in obtaining the knowledge learned in your master’s specialization.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 an explanation of the importance of critical thinking and the implications of not questioning information, both in general and as they relate to the Capstone Project. Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a probing question.

Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

Offer and support an opinion.

Validate an idea with your own experience.

Make a suggestion.

Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Week 2 discussion

Refining the Problem Statement

Now that you have chosen a topic, this Discussion provides the opportunity to share with your classmates your choice of topic and the problem that you have identified.

Note: Please complete the Application Assignment prior to the Discussion question this week.

To prepare:

Develop a brief summary of your topic to post to the Discussion board, including a justification for your choice.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 a description of the topic you chose for your Capstone Project and the problem you identified. Briefly explain why you selected the topic.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a probing question.

Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

Offer and support an opinion.

Validate an idea with your own experience.

Make a suggestion.

Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Week 5 discussion

Integration/Synthesis Challenges

Now that you have synthesized and integrated your resources, you will have a chance to share your experiences with your classmates. In this Discussion you will address some of the challenges you experienced as you synthesized and integrated the resources for your Capstone Project.

Note: Please complete the Application Assignment prior to the Discussion question this week.

To prepare:

Review the steps you used to write up the review.

Consider the difficulties you faced in writing the literature review.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 an analysis of the challenges you encountered as you synthesized and integrated the resources for your literature review.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a probing question.

Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

Offer and support an opinion.

Validate an idea with your own experience.

Make a suggestion.

Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Week 6 discussion

Problem/Issue Cause and Effect

Now that you have critically analyzed the problem/issue, it is time to present your findings to others in the course. Feedback from others is useful in ensuring that the critical analysis is on target. Select one of the causes deemed most influential in the development of the problem/issue and post it in this week’s Discussion. Pay close attention to the questions posted by your colleagues and use the information to further refine your critical analysis.

Note: Please complete the Application Assignment prior to the Discussion question this week.

To prepare:

Review Chapters 8 and 9 in the course text, Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking, paying particular attention to the questions to ask in determining cause and effect.

Review this week’s Application Assignment.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 an analysis of one cause/effect of the problem/issue you selected. Include in your analysis what happened and who was affected, negatively and/or positively.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a probing question.

Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

Offer and support an opinion.

Validate an idea with your own experience.

Make a suggestion.

Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Week 8 discussion

Potential Resolutions

For those identified problems/issues with many causes and effects, there are potentially many solutions, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. The solutions may impact just one of the effects or may impact several effects. The goal this week is to generate as many solutions as possible based on the critical analysis of the problem created earlier. At this stage, don’t worry about whether the solution is effective. Simply generate as many potential solutions as you can. Once you have generated a list, select two potential resolutions and identify the advantages and disadvantages of each solution. You will share these with your peers; pay particular attention to their responses about which solution might work best in alleviating the problem/issue you selected.

To prepare:

Review the “Problem Solving Template,” located in the Resources area on the left navigation bar.

Review the causes and effects that you generated in Week 6.

Review the critical analysis narrative that you prepared in Week 7.

Think about some potential resolutions to your identified problem and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 two potential resolutions to the identified problem/issue and explain their advantages and disadvantages. Provide specific examples.

By Day 6 respond to at least one colleague and suggest which potential resolution you think he/she should select and why.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Week 10 discussion

The Capstone

The focus of this week is to reflect on and evaluate your Capstone Project experience and how it has helped you to become a scholar-practitioner committed to fostering positive social change.

To prepare:

Reflect on your experiences with the Capstone Project including but not limited to the following questions:

What aspects of the Capstone Project and course have helped you to become more of a scholar-practitioner?

How have the program and project forwarded your contribution to positive social change?

What aspects of the experience were less beneficial in these regards?

What would you recommend to future students in the Capstone experience?

Think about your commitment to fostering social change.

Consider how participating in and completing the Capstone Project have contributed to your overall sense of yourself as a scholar-practitioner and as someone who fosters positive social change.

With this in mind:

Post by Day 4 a brief synopsis of your Capstone Project and a brief summary of your reflections on the Capstone Project experience.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a probing question.

Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

Offer and support an opinion.

Validate an idea with your own experience.

Make a suggestion.

Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Week 11 discussion

Personal and Professional Growth and Social Change

Now that you are at the end of your program, it is time to take a moment to appreciate those who have supported you in both big and small ways. It is time, too, to reflect on and analyze the impact of the MS in Psychology program on your personal and professional growth. This is a great way to see what you have learned and accomplished in the past few years.

To prepare:

Reflect on your journey through this program.

Evaluate what you have learned in this program.

Think about the knowledge, skills, and competencies you have acquired from this program and how they have contributed to your personal and professional growth.

Consider how this program has helped you develop as a social change agent.

Think about the support you have received from others around you and how you might reward them for supporting and “hanging in there” with you.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 an evaluation of the impact of your MS in Psychology program as it relates to your personal and professional growth. Be sure to indicate how this program helped your development as a social change agent. Finally, share how you will acknowledge and reward one person who has been a support to you during this course, in the Capstone process, and/or in the entire program.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a probing question.

Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

Offer and support an opinion.

Validate an idea with your own experience.

Make a suggestion.

Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Week 1 assignment

Application: Time Line

Planning a major project requires organization and planning. Creating a time line is useful in planning the various stages of the project. This Application Assignment will assist you in planning and completing your Capstone Project by having you identify the various stages of the Project and create the time line for its completion.

To prepare:

Review the “Capstone Project: PSYC 6393” PowerPoint presentation in this week’s Learning Resources to determine the components of the Capstone Project.

Review the document, “Creating a Time Line for the Capstone Project,” located in the Resources area on the left navigation bar.

Review the Syllabus, paying particular attention to the Weekly Course Schedule.

Review the document, “Writing a Capstone: Things You Should Know,” in this week’s Learning Resources.

The assignment:

Create a time line for the accomplishment of your Capstone Project.

Capstone Project:

The Capstone Project will address a specific problem or issue related to your MS in Psychology specialization. The Capstone Project is a major paper that must include a problem statement and an integrative literature review using critical analysis that leads toward resolution of the specific problem. The Capstone Project is due by Day 7 of Week 10.

Week 2 assignment

Application: Problem/Issue Selection

Note: Please complete the Application Assignment prior to the Discussion question this week.

Now that you have selected a topic, you will identify an important problem within the broad topic that you would like to explore. In choosing the problem/issue, consider the following questions: Do you want to address a work problem, community problem, or problem that affects the larger society? Why is this problem of interest? Keep in mind that the more complex the problem, the more complex the analysis and potential solutions.

To prepare:

Review the “Capstone Project: PSYC 6393” PowerPoint presentation from Week 1 that describes the Capstone Project, paying particular attention to the discussion of how to choose a topic.

Assess the critical considerations and how they relate to your topic.

Read Chapter 3 of the course text, Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking.

Think about a problem/issue that you would like to explore in your Capstone Project, using the provided web sites for identifying a topic if necessary.

The assignment:

In 1-2 pages, respond to the following:

Describe the topic you have selected for your Capstone Project.

Describe the problem/issue related to the topic.

Justify your selection of the problem/issue.

Week 3 assignment

Application: Problem Statement

Problem statements help to further define the nature of a problem/issue, as well as provide the rationale for why a particular problem was chosen. In this Application Assignment, you will write a problem statement for the problem/issue you selected.

To prepare:

Review the “Problem Statement Description and Examples” document in this week’s Learning Resources, keeping in mind your Capstone Project.

Review your justification for the topic you selected in Week 2.

The assignment:

In 1-2 pages, respond to the following:

Write a problem statement for the problem/issue you have selected for your Capstone Project.

Week 4 assignment

Application: Critical Resource Review

The literature review provides the empirical justification for the project. Literature reviews involve collecting resources directly related to the selected problem, critically analyzing those resources, and synthesizing them into a coherent narrative. The critical analysis not only considers the validity of the argument, but the credibility of the source as well. Where did the information come from? Was it the author’s personal opinion? Did he or she conduct a study or analyze data? These questions should be considered in completing a critical review of literature.

In this Application Assignment you will collect resources related to your problem statement and demonstrate your skills in critical analysis

To prepare:

Review the Torraco article in this week’s Learning Resources on writing an integrative literature review.

View the links on how to critically evaluate resources.

Watch the course media segment on “Literature Reviews” to gain a general understanding of the purpose of the review.

Find 10-12 research resources related to your problem statement (including at least 4 peer-reviewed journal articles).

Review your problem statement.

The assignment:

In 2-3 pages, please complete the following:

Briefly synthesize one of the resources you selected.

Critically analyze that resource.

Cite 10-12 resources for you literature review. Four of these resources must be peer-reviewed journal articles.

Week 5 assignment

Application: Resource Synthesis and Integration

Note: Please complete the Application Assignment prior to the Discussion question this week.

Synthesis and integration involve succinctly summarizing the main points of the chosen resources and combining the summaries into a coherent narrative. Synthesis and integration require skills that improve with experience.

To prepare:

Review the Torraco article from Week 5, focusing specifically on synthesizing and integrating the literature review.

Of the 10-12 collected resources, choose the 4 peer-reviewed journal articles that most closely address the problem chosen for your Capstone Project.

The assignment:

In 2-4 pages, respond to the following:

Cite the four resources you have chosen to synthesize and integrate into a narrative. (You may copy and paste the citations from the list of resources you submitted last week.)

Synthesize and integrate the four resources into a coherent narrative that:

Begins with an introduction

Includes an integrated synthesis of the resources

Relates the narrative to your problem statement

Week 6 assignment

Application: Critical Analysis I

Note: Please complete the Application Assignment prior to the Discussion question this week.

Often there are many contributing causes in the development of a specific problem/issue. These causes may be complex and may involve individuals, institutions, and/or environmental factors, for example. This complexity increases the difficulty in creating a solution for the problem. Thus, prior to developing solutions, there must be a critical analysis of the problem/issue. The analysis must address the many potential causes of the problem/issue and determine which had the most impact on its development. Critical analysis relies on the literature and resources that address the specific problem.

In this Application, you will focus on a critical analysis of the problem utilizing the findings from the literature collected in Weeks 4 and 5.

To prepare:

Review the resources you collected and summarized in Weeks 4 and 5.

Review the questions in the “Critical Analysis Template,” located in the Resources area on the left navigation bar.

Think about the causes of the problem or the issue you have identified, and consider who or what are the major contributors to this problem.

Think about the impacts of the problem.

The assignment:

By Day 7, briefly describe, in 2-3 pages, the problem/issue and the problem statement you developed.

Identify the major contributors to the problem (who, what) and briefly explain how they contribute to/cause the problem.

Explain at least two causes of the problem.

Explain at least two effects of the problem.

Week 7 assignment

Application: Critical Analysis II

Week 6 involved the identification of several causes and effects of your identified problem/issue. This Application Assignment requires that you integrate the top four causes and effects into a critical analysis narrative. A critical analysis narrative includes a thorough discussion of each cause (fully describe the source) and its effects (fully describe who is impacted and how). Following the description of all four causes and effects, a critical analysis narrative ends with a final paragraph that briefly summarizes the four causes and your reaction to the relationship between these causes and the development of the problem/issue.

To prepare:

Review Chapter 10 in the course text, Asking the Right Questions.

Review the list of identified causes and effects that you generated in Week 6.

Review the “Critical Analysis Template” (located in the Resources area on the left navigation bar), paying particular attention to the components of the critical analysis narrative.

Analyze causes and effects of a problem/issue.

Apply research to critical analysis of problem/issue.

Integrate causes/effects into a critical analysis narrative.

The assignment:

In 2-3 pages, respond to the following:

Identify the four causes and effects you have selected to incorporate into an integrated critical analysis narrative.

Write an integrated critical analysis narrative that incorporates the four causes and effects you identified.

Explain your reaction to the results of your critical analysis. Could these causes have been prevented? Which one do you think was most important in leading to the problem?

Week 9 assignment

Application: Proposed Resolution

The last component of the Capstone Project involves the identification and critical analysis of a potential resolution to the identified problem. In this Application Assignment you will critically analyze one of the potential resolutions you proposed in Week 8. What would be the challenges and barriers to implementing the resolution?

To prepare:

Review the “Problem Solving Template” (located in the Resources area on the left navigation bar), paying particular attention to the section on analyzing the solution.

Review the list of potential resolutions generated in Week 8 and identify the resolution you deem most likely to address the identified problem.

Review the feedback provided in the Week 8 Discussion.

Consider the following questions for the resolution you have selected:

Is the resolution realistic?

What are the consequences of the resolution, and who would be impacted?

What would be the challenges and barriers to implementing the resolution?

The assignment:

Submit a 1- to 2-page description of the selected resolution with its advantages and disadvantages. Also explain challenges and barriers to its implementation.

Week 10 assignment

Capstone Project

It is now time to complete and submit your Capstone Project.

To prepare:

Review the PowerPoint presentation, “Capstone Project: PSYC 6393,” located in the Resources area on the left navigation bar.

Refer to other documents and templates in the Resources area on the left navigation bar and in each week’s Learning Resources area as needed.

Review previous Applications and Discussions in this course.

Contact your Instructor with any specific questions.

The assignment:

Complete and submit your Capstone Project.