Course Materials
TOPIC PROJECT ASSIGNMENT
In this assignment you will explore a topic related to media and children, write a paper on the topic, present and guide a discussion of it with the class, and write 3 or more questions suitable for the take-home final exam in the course.
The examination of the topic may be based entirely on traditional library research or based on a combination of some library research and a small research study (a survey, an experiment, a content analysis, or interviews). Each student will submit an outline of the project, use feedback on this outline to write a complete draft of the paper, then use additional feedback to revise the draft. Each version of the paper will receive credit, but the majority of the grade will be based on the final version and the class presentation/discussion.
Here's everything you need to turn in, followed by the details about each - see the syllabus for the dates each of these is due):
- Project outline
- Project draft
- Project paper
- Class presentation/discussion
- Project exam questions
1. Project outline
This first part of the assignment is an outline of what will eventually become the final version of the paper.
Begin by selecting a topic - the online signup sheet is here.
Next, use the textbook, the library, the internet, discussions with classmates and others, and your own experiences, to acquire information about your topic. Carefully consider the questions below, and write or type your answers out for yourself:
- What are the key terms, ideas, or concept(s) involved?
- Where are the best sources (newspaper or journal articles, web sites, experts you can talk to, etc.) to find information to answer your research question? Keep a list of the bibliographic information - author(s), year, title, publisher, etc. - for each of AT LEAST 5 reputable and trustworthy sources of information so that you'll have it when you write the paper.
- Using the information you gather, what answers, arguments, theories and research results do people most often refer to when writing/talking about your topic?
- Which of the answers, arguments, theories and results do you think are most credible, and why?
When you think you're ready, combine the ideas and information you've developed into an outline of your paper. The outline shouldn't follow the list of questions above, it should be an early outline of the actual paper you will write, and it should have this basic structure:
- Begin with a "hook" of some sort -- a scenario, example, implication, quotation, or question to get the reader's attention and that illustrates the importance and interest value of your topic (which should be stated clearly for the reader).
- Next, provide a "road map" for, or a "preview" of, the rest of the paper -- this can be just a sentence or two, but it tells the reader what to expect in each section of the rest of the paper so it's easier for them to read.
- Then include, in an organized, logical, and straight-forward manner, the information you want to present. The specific information and even the structure of the presentation of the information may change as you learn more about the topic, but try to divide the material you've considered so far into distinct logical units that together "tell a story" for the reader.
- Next the paper should have a conclusion in which you first summarize the major ideas in the paper and then provide your own perspective on the topic based on that summary.
- The final section will be the References which contains complete bibliographic information for each work you plan to refer to in the text (you must include this in the outline and there must be at least 5 substantial and credible references listed). They should be in the APA style, which includes alphabetical ordering by author(s) last name(s). We'll discuss this in class together.
Even though you won't be writing this part of the paper in long text format, this is probably the most difficult part of the assignment, so take your time and do it right! This outline will be graded in a pass/fail format. Don't be discouraged if you receive many comments on the paper -- contrary to what many of us are taught, writing is an iterative (repeating) process, and the comments are meant only as constructive and thought-provoking feedback designed to help you improve the final paper.
The length of the outline is not as important as its quality, but a good guideline for this part of the topic project assignment is 2-3 double-spaced, typed pages (with one-inch margins and standard 10 or 12 point fonts).
If you have ANY questions about this part of the assignment, please don't hesitate to ask!
2. Project draft
The next step is to translate your outline of the paper into a full text version. As you do this, consider carefully the comments you've received from the instructor and anyone else with whom you've discussed the paper, and any new ideas you've developed since you wrote the outline.
In the full text version the writing style should be clear and direct, so that the reader knows exactly where you are in your presentation. Be precise and businesslike; don't include extra words or lyrical prose. Use headings and subheadings to structure the paper and make it easier for the reader to follow the order and logic of your ideas -- the primary goal is to make your ideas clear to the reader. Imagine that your audience consists of bright people who simply don't know much, if anything, about your topic and research question. Your job is to engage them with your topic and help them learn the most important ideas about it in an easy-as-possible reading experience.
Try to avoid grammar errors, awkward phrases, typos, and other things that distract the reader and make your paper less effective. Here are a few grammer tips: Be consistent in your use of verb tense (throughout the paper write either "[the expert] argues that ..." or "[the expert] argued that...," but not both). Remember that 'media' is the plural form of medium (so "media are..." not "media is..."), that "it's" (with the apostrophe) is only used for the contraction of "it is," and that "affect" is a verb while "effect" is a noun (so "video games may affect users and that effect may be bad").
Put the "References" section on a separate page at the end of the paper. Do NOT include works in this section which you have not referred to (i.e., cited) in the text (because then the section would be a bibliography). Follow the guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA) (we'll discuss these in class and some video resources are below) for citations in the text (e.g., "Reeves (1994) conducted an experiment and found...") and for the references in the "References" section.
The paper needs to follow the
VIDEO:
Citation: A (Very) Brief Introduction (NCSU)
ONLINE RESOURCE: APA Style (Purdue Owl)
ONLINE RESOURCE: The Basics of APA Style Tutorial (APA)
VIDEOS: APA in Minutes (Humber Libraries)
ONLINE RESOURCE: Secondary Sources (aka How to Cite a Source You Found in
Another Source) (APA)
VIDEO:
How to Reference a Citation Within a Citation in APA Style (Memorial
University Libraries)
ONLINE RESOURCE: Knowledge Check: Secondary Sources (Walden University)
To make it easier to follow all the style and formatting rules of APA Style, you should use the MS Word template document here. We'll discuss how to use it in class.
As with the outline you wrote earlier, the length of the paper draft is not as important as its quality, but a good guideline for the draft of the full text version (excluding the title page and references) is 8 double-spaced, typed pages (with one-inch margins and standard 10 or 12 point fonts). This draft will be graded in a pass/fail format and again you'll receive comments when it is returned, including the letter grade it would receive if it were the final version.
As always, if you have ANY questions please don't hesitate to ask!
3. Project paper
The last step for the paper is to revise it once more and turn it in for its final grade. Make your revisions based on the comments you've received from the instructor, from others in the class, and your own continued thinking about the topic. Pay particular attention to the conclusion section, in which you should provide a brief summary of what you have covered in the paper (you should also mention any limitations you see in our current understanding of the topic and any suggestions you have for how to expand that understanding in the future).
If you have ANY questions please don't hesitate to ask!
4. Class presentation/discussion
On the day in class we cover it, you'll introduce your topic and key ideas about it to the class in an informal presentation and lead a discussion about it. You can use any format you'd like, including PowerPoint (or Google Slides, Prezi, etc.), audio and video clips, audio/video you produce, a short activity for the group, or something else. After or as you present information, involve the class by asking a series of questions that'll provoke thoughtful discussion.
In preparing for your presentation/discussion, try to put yourself in the position of the other students and come up with a creative and engaging way to present the material. In any case it's always good to use examples to illustrate the ideas. For the class discussion, write a series of questions or even tasks for the class to engage them in the topic.
A very general outline to use as a starting point is:
- Introduction (interesting example, overview)
- Examples of the phenomena
- Theories about the phenomena
- Research results regarding the phenomena
- What you found most interesting and surprising
- References
- Discussion questions
Again (!), if you have ANY questions please don't hesitate to ask!
5. Project exam questions
After you've turned in the final version of the paper and presented the material in class, write out at least three multiple choice, true/false or short answer questions that anyone who attended your class presentation/discussion should be able to answer. Make the questions focus on the most important, big picture ideas of your topic, not minor points that aren't important for us to know and remember. You're now the expert on your topic, but try to imagine yourself having to answer questions like the ones you're proposing for the other topics presented during the semester. E-mail the questions directly to lombard@temple.edu.