Sample of Digital Tools in College Assignment: Padlet Internet Artifact (DRAFT)

GNED 1512 – Assignment 2 – Padlet Wall

***DRAFT***

Step 1:  decide if you're working alone or in a group.

This assignment may be completed by an individual or as a group of 2-4 students – your choice.  If you choose to work in a group you will all earn the same grade (there is no peer evaluation) – so make your choice wisely.

Step 2:  reserve a topic. 

Here’s a list of possible topics to help you get some ideas, but you can choose any topic within the course content.  If you're not sure about your topic, email your professor to get approval.

• Event (eg:  TAM 2014/2015)
• Person (eg:  James Randi)
• Place (eg:  Cassadaga)
• Pseudoscience topic (eg:  Haunted Houses)
• Belief (eg:  Psychology of Belief)
• Research (eg:  Research Studies about Near-Death Experiences)
• Experiments (eg:  scientific tests of Pseudoscience)
• Organization (eg:  JREF)
• Pseudoscience Red Flags (eg:  Appeal to Authority)
• Dangers of Pseudoscience (eg:  medical, financial)
• Historical Pseudoscience (eg: things we now know are Pseudoscience)

Screenshot of course topics:

Reserve your topic in DC Connect discussions:  Assignment 2 TOPIC reservations.  There are NO REPEATS; topic reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis.  If you're working in a group, only one student needs to reserve the topic for the group.  Once a topic is reserved in DC Connect discussions, no one else can use that topic, so YOU MUST read the other posts to check what’s already reserved.

Step 3:  learn how to use Padlet.

First watch this video to learn how to use Padlet (9:09):

View sample walls on the Padlet Gallery. 

Go to Padlet and create an account (to save your “wall”).  NOTE:  your wall will be shared on a course wall (accessible to all students). 

Step 4:  create the Padlet wall.

Your Padlet wall is an Internet artifact of your research on your topic.  Research your topic and include the following 11 posts on your Padlet wall:

• Post #1:  a suitable title for the wall and your full name (if you’re working in a group include all member names).

• Posts #2-10:  post 3 videos, 3 websites, and 3 images.  

Using Google or other Internet search techniques, look for 3 videos, 3 websites, and 3 images, and post these on your Padlet wall.  

Tip:  look for content that has some depth so you can analyze and write about it (keep reading!).

For each of your posts #2-10 write a brief paragraph (3-6 sentences).  Do not copy from a website, you must write your own paragraph!

The first sentence should describe the post (brief overview).  Then write 2-5 sentences analyzing your post through application of critical thinking and skepticism.  Your analysis sentences should include:

• identification and description of connections to course learning/terminology  - look for red flags, reasons for belief, other course learning/terminology;
• identification and description of limitations and flaws - look for mistakes, missing/incomplete evidence, fake evidence, assumptions, biases, emotions, credentials of the source, motivation of the source ($).

Helpful documents:  Week 2 Critical Thinking and Skepticism (PowerPoint file).pptx and Reasons for Belief and Red Flags Summary Page.docx.

Tip:  some posts have several course connections, limitations and flaws, while other posts have very limited course connections, limitations and flaws.  Therefore some paragraphs will be shorter than others, depending on the depth of the post and the learning connections you identify.

• Post #11:  post a Word document on your wall that answers the following reflective discussion questions:

1. What did you learn about the topic that most surprised you?
2. Provide a real-life example of how this topic is relevant or interesting for you.
3. Which research did you find most interesting?  Why?
4. What are you most likely to remember from this research?

Tip:  you will be graded on the overall organization and design of the Padlet wall so make sure your wall looks good, is easy to read, follows a logical order, and flows well.  Try looking at the Padlet Gallery to get some ideas.  Spend some time adding to the visual appearance (background, colours, drag to resize and reposition your posts).

Marking Scheme:

• Completion of all 12 content items:  20 marks
• Quality of content items and descriptive paragraphs:  30 marks
• Analysis (connections to course learning):  30 marks
• Organization and design of wall:  10 marks
• Mechanics of writing:  10 marks

Step 5:  submit your assignment in dropbox AND on the Padlet wall.

Submit to the dropbox for Assignment 2:  type a message in dropbox that includes a hyperlink to your Padlet wall, then attach the Word document that contains your reflective responses.  If you worked in a group choose one person to submit to dropbox, and make sure the dropbox message also includes all the group member names.

Post a link to your Padlet wall on the class wall at this link:  Winter 2016 GNED 1512 Course Padlet Wall.