Orientation Week -2

Week-2 Orientation

23 August - 29 August

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UNIT 2: Being an Online Student: Strategies for Success

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• Learning Guide Unit 2Book
• Discussion Forum Unit 2
• Assignment Unit 2Workshop
• Learning Journal Unit 2Assignment
• Self-Quiz U

Learning Guide Unit 2

Introduction

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This week we will be talking to you about peer assessment, writing strategies and plagiarism. Here's why:

UoPeople designed an online university with a goal of creating learning communities as part of a new model for online learning. Specifically, it designed the peer learning process with the knowledge that deeper learning occurs when it is not one directional. When learning and teaching happen as multi-directional, we have the opportunity to create an expansive framework for conversations, dialogue, questions, and discussion in the classroom. This allows for deeper learning by helping you develop your own analytical thinking style, evaluation skills, and communication style in a classroom and gives you the benefit of learning from all people in your classroom community. 

It's a win-win situation because you are both a student and teacher simultaneously, collaborating with your peers in the classroom and supported by the guidance and direction of your course instructor who is always there to help facilitate the conversation.

You will begin to think a bit more about your identity as an online student, and the importance of writing at the University. It'll be important for you to remember to choose your words carefully and deliberately in your conversations with students.  If you're ever in doubt about whether to post something, our suggestion is to wait a bit and come back rather than posting. If you're thinking about it twice, you might want to change/adjust your words a bit more.

Once you get to the end of each reading, you can move on by either clicking the link provided or clicking on the next button in the top right-hand corner of your screen. The next reading is an Overview of 'Unit 2: Being an Online Student: Strategies for Success'.  

Learning Guide Unit 2

Introduction

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This week we will be talking to you about peer assessment, writing strategies and plagiarism. Here's why:

UoPeople designed an online university with a goal of creating learning communities as part of a new model for online learning. Specifically, it designed the peer learning process with the knowledge that deeper learning occurs when it is not one directional. When learning and teaching happen as multi-directional, we have the opportunity to create an expansive framework for conversations, dialogue, questions, and discussion in the classroom. This allows for deeper learning by helping you develop your own analytical thinking style, evaluation skills, and communication style in a classroom and gives you the benefit of learning from all people in your classroom community. 

It's a win-win situation because you are both a student and teacher simultaneously, collaborating with your peers in the classroom and supported by the guidance and direction of your course instructor who is always there to help facilitate the conversation.

You will begin to think a bit more about your identity as an online student, and the importance of writing at the University. It'll be important for you to remember to choose your words carefully and deliberately in your conversations with students.  If you're ever in doubt about whether to post something, our suggestion is to wait a bit and come back rather than posting. If you're thinking about it twice, you might want to change/adjust your words a bit more.

Once you get to the end of each reading, you can move on by either clicking the link provided or clicking on the next button in the top right-hand corner of your screen. The next reading is an Overview of 'Unit 2: Being an Online Student: Strategies for Success'.  

Overview

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Unit 2: Being an Online Student: Strategies for Success

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Topics:

• Obtain Information Using Our Systems
• Becoming a Better Writer
• Classroom Discussions
• Peer Assessments 
• Plagiarism 

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Learning Objectives:

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

1. Understand how to obtain information using UoPeople's systems
2. Develop the tools needed to become a better writer
3. Understand the important of classroom discussion participation
4. Comprehend peer assessments
5. Explain plagiarism and how to avoid it

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Tasks:

• Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments
• Read the Discussion Assignment
• Complete the Unit 2 Assignment
• Complete the Learning Journal
• Take the Self-Quiz

Click the 'next' arrow to your right or click here to move on to the next reading which is an introduction to the reading assignments of Module 2. 

Reading Assignment

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Welcome to the reading assignments for Week 2 of the Orientation Course! 

Click the 'next' arrow to your right or click here to move on to the next reading which is called 'Becoming the Confident Writer You Want to Be'. 

Becoming the Confident Writer You Want to Be

As you begin your college career at UoPeople, you will want to pause to think about ways to strengthen your academic writing. There are certainly lots of ways to do this, and each of you will have a different relationship to writing. Some of you will feel that this is a strength of yours to be further strengthened, and some of you will feel it's a weakness that you know you need to work on.

Whatever your experience, there is no doubt that you will need to take writing at the college level seriously, simply because every course will require you to write a great deal. As soon as you start your first class at UoPeople, you will be required to start writing immediately in your Learning Journal, Discussion Forum, Assignments, and Peer Assessments. 

So let's begin to think about academic writing systematically.  Here are 8 questions to review every time you sit down to write.  They are guiding principles for you as you begin your studies at UoPeople, and our hope is that you will use them so often that you end up knowing them intrinsically and instinctually; until then treat this like as a check list to review before you start writing. 

1. Do I understand the assignment? 
   It may seem obvious, but always review the instructions for your writing assignment once, twice, or even three times to be sure you understand what you're supposed to do.          
2. Have you completed all the readings for the week first?
   Reading always comes before writing.  It's the 'official' unofficial rule.  If you're trying to do it in the reverse order, think again, especially if you are supposed to comment on an article or reading and have not yet done the reading. 
3. Is there anything about the reading or assignment that I just really do not get/understand?
   It's hard to write when you are not sure you understand the reading and/or the assignment instructions; if that's the case, you should ask a classmate or your Course Instructor for assistance.  The best place to ask a question to all your classmates is in the Course Forum.
4. Do I know what I want to say?
   If you sit down to write and don't know what you want to say, you usually end up sitting for some time and write without any direction at all, or writing in circles. 
   Better to stop and pause to think before you start writing.  Many people like to think aloud as if they are having a conversation with themselves.  You may ask yourself, "Okay, what is the assignment again, and what are my own ideas about the topic?  What other ideas have been introduced to us this week in the reading or in previous weeks?” 
   Talk it out; think before you start writing to try to pull together your thoughts into some kind of coherent way; it doesn't have to be super coherent, but you should know what you're trying to say, more or less. 
5. Do I have enough time to let whatever I have just written 'sit' for a bit?  That is, have you left enough time to edit what you wrote?
   Usually when we write, the writing is rough and needs some fine tuning and polishing.  Or perhaps your thoughts are just not fully formed and you just need some further time to rework your ideas.
   
   Time away from your writing is always best.  If you write a draft and even just walk away for an hour and come back, usually you can see some obvious ways to edit and clarify what you have earlier written. 
   So going away and coming back to your writing is the #1 writing tip we can recommend to you.  This is why writing at the last minute is not a great approach; usually your best editing comes after you've stepped away from what you've written for even just a little while. 
   And you'll always want to edit anything you submit, at least a few times, until it seems ready.
6. Have I successfully quoted or paraphrased ideas that are not my own, and given credit where credit is due? 
   If you're not sure whether you may be in violation of the Code of Academic Integrity, go back and check before you submit anything.  You should surely be able to know if what you've written doesn't seem like your own writing, and/or you've used other ideas without citing the references.
   Golden Rule:  if your paper does not sound like you, it means you have been using too much of the writing of others and inserted it into your document.  Sometimes we do that because we've got a reading in front of us and the way the other person has written it sounds so great.  But stop immediately and go back; delete their words and write them in your voice/words and with your own explanation, and be sure to quote anything you want to directly quote from a text using the standard APA Style. 
   And then run your paper through an online plagiarism checker. 
7. Have I referenced the articles/websites/books etc in my paper?
   UoPeople follows the APA Style.  If you're not sure how to cite the source in your paper, refer to the OWL (Online Writing Lab) Citation Chart below from Purdue University: 2014 OWL Citation Chart 
8. Have I proofread the entire document before submitting my assignment?
   This is key and please don't skip the proofreading step.
   We recommend, if you can, to read your paper aloud to hear if your sentences make sense to you.  This process will help you be sure that what you want to submit is really what you want to submit.  This may seem obvious, but doing one last 'once-over' of the document should never be skipped and so often is.  Some people call this step 'dotting their i's and crossing their t's which is just another way of saying that you should make sure everything looks just right.
   So to be sure everything you write is really sharp and proofread; read through everything one last time before submitting your work.
   
   
   Click the 'next' arrow to your right or click here to move on to the next reading which is called 'Participating in Classroom Discussions'. 

Participating in Classroom Discussions

Golden Rule: Post Early!

If there were a list of golden rules at UoPeople, one of the first would surely be: post early and do not wait until the last minute!

Why?

Doing things at the last minute doesn't always work out and often means (not always!) that it was a rushed job.  And if you post or submit late, or take a graded quiz late, and then run into some technological difficulties requiring help from your Program Advisor or Moodle Support, it's best to be able to contact them earlier than later and before the end of the Learning Week.

Remember too that if you run into difficulties, be sure to let your Course Instructor know what's going on.

Finally, a reminder that the Learning Week starts at midnight between Wednesday and Thursday [more precisely, on Thursday at 12:05 am UoPeople Time (GMT-5 time zone)] and ends on the following Wednesday at 11:55pm UoPeople Time (GMT-5 time zone). 

Other tips: 

• Interacting is important. You can gain a lot out of the collaborative experience.

• Online discussions allow students to get to know the instructors. Take advantage of that!

• Every Thursday, your instructor will post discussion questions. You will do the readings and then start answering the questions by hitting reply.

• You will Peer Assess three other students.  

Click the 'next' arrow to your right or click here to move on to the next reading which is called 'Peer Assessment I: What is it and Why?'. 

Peer Assessment I: What is it and Why?

Why did UoPeople choose the Peer-to-Peer Learning Model?

Peer-to-peer learning is an important part of the University of the People classroom; therefore understanding this model of learning will be important for each of you.

A key aspect of peer-to-peer learning is that you are (1) given the opportunity to learn collaboratively by doing an assignment and then (2) given the chance to review your classmates’ assignments. What we know is that when you review and assess another person’s work after you have completed it yourself, you are able to dig in ‘just a bit deeper’ into the learning process. For example, when you peer assess, you are looking at a problem from a different perspective. You are also applying the knowledge in a reflective way (evaluation) instead of a direct application to solve a problem (application).

Don't worry too much if you are not yet sure how to 'do' peer assessment, and we understand that you might be nervous about it. Here's how it will work: To some extent you will be required to 'jump in' by assessing and scoring the assignments of the students taking courses with you, but it will be something that you will improve at as you go along.

Certainly it will mean that your skills in accepting and providing feedback will get better developed.

Learning peer assessment will allow you to further develop your communication and evaluation skills, and these are great skills to master! Your ability to master peer assessment will get fine-tuned as you progress through your studies. And remember that your course instructors are always available for any questions that you may have. Also, you will be introduced to peer assessment in the first course you take next term.

Peer assessment is monitored and supervised by course instructors who ensure that all students are assessed appropriately, and, if necessary correct unfair grades.

So 'Where' does Peer Assessment happen exactly? 

Each course will list your requirements for the week in the Learning Guide. The two areas where you will complete peer assessment are:

(1) on your peers' assignments, and

(2) on at least three of your peers' Discussion Assignment posts in the Discussion Forum.

1 - Peer Assessment with Assignments

Each week you will be required to submit an assignment by the end of a Learning Week which is always on Wednesday. A week later, you will berequired to peer-assess three (3)* of your classmates’ assignments (that had been submitted from the previous week) according to the instructions found in the Assessment Form. Moodle will group you randomly after the due date for the assignment so that you can assess each other. It is an anonymous assessment, and you will not know whom you are assessing. You will do your peer assessment in the feedback section of the Assessment Form. There, you will say why you awarded the grade that you did to your peer.

* Very rarely you might see more than three assignments to assess. Please ignore the extra ones. Again, you are only required to peer-assess three.

How does the grading work?

First, let's clarify that you will receive two grades for your weekly Written/Programming Assignment: one for the assignment you submitted the previous week, and the other based on the quality of the peer assessments you made the second week while reviewing your peers' assignments.

• The submission assignment grade is based upon the average score your peers gave you for that assignment. This grade is usually based out of 90 points.
• The assessment grade is based on how close you were to your peers when you assessed your grouped assignments for the week.  This is performed by Moodle’s algorithm.  This grade is usually based out of 10 points.
• Note: Peer assessment, although important to success, does not make the majority of one’s grade.  Individual work effort accounts for a larger portion overall.

But who am I supposed to peer assess?

Each week you will receive anonymous assignments to review for peer assessment. It’s random each time; you don't choose.

2 - Peer Assessment with Discussion Assignments

Each week of the course you will be required to complete a Discussion Assignment in the Discussion Forum. Afterwards, you will also need to rate and comment on at least three (3) of your peers’ postings in the Discussion Forum. Each week you will find specific instructions for peer assessing your classmates’ discussion assignments. The rating is anonymous, but the feedback is not, and it is a central catalyst for open discussion. Please do not state what grade you gave a student, but rather focus on the actual critical review of the student’s post.

Note that Discussion Forums are only active during the Learning Week, so it is not possible to contribute to the Discussion Forum once the Learning Week has ended.

How does the grading work?

You will receive one grade which will include a grade for your overall participation in the Discussion Forum which includes the initial post you wrote and the peer assessing you completed on three of your classmates' discussion assignments.

Who am I supposed to peer assess? 

You get to choose!

To summarize: Peer assessments on the discussion posts happen the same week that you are completing the Discussion Assignment, whereas peer assessment on unit Assignments always happens a week later.

Where can I find the criteria for my assessments?

Each Written/Programming assignment has a rubric that you can view during the assessment phase.

The Discussion Forum has its rubric as part of the discussion forum page.  In it, you will find what the basic scale (1-10) indicates and how to formulate your rating of a discussion post.

Before moving on to the next page, download and read also this Power Point document.

Click the 'next' arrow to your right or click here to move on to the next reading which is called 'Peer Assessment II- Is it fair, and is it actually required?'. 

Peer Assessment II- Is it fair, and is it actually required?

How is Peer Assessment Fair?

Since peer assessment is a component of every course, UoPeople has implemented several safeguards in the grading process to ensure fairness and consistency.

1. Peer assessors are assigned randomly in each course for assignments.
2. The questions for peer assessors are as objective as possible, designed to minimize potential inaccuracies and problems that might occur in the grading process.
3. Course Instructors oversee the entire process to ensure that all students are being assessed appropriately; they can correct any grades that they may consider to be unfair. In instances where Course Instructors believe that students have not been appropriately and accurately assessed, they can make adjustments to the peer assessment grades by overriding inappropriate, incomplete, or inaccurate grades.
4. If the required number of students do not complete their assessments and/or ratings, your Course Instructor will step in and do an assessment to ensure that every student receives the appropriate feedback. Also, if a student does not complete an assignment he/she will not be permitted to assess the assignments of three peers from the previous week.

Don't students lack the knowledge or experience to carry out the task?

Students might not feel confident or trust the process at first. However, students are supported, and the process is progressive—the more you experience it, the more you will learn. Students learn through effective training and practice as well as following the peer assessment process as described above. Tasks-related confidence grows as a result, and the peer assessment skills keep growing. Don’t we all want it and need it?

What Should I do if I Think I was Peer Assessed Unfairly?

First, you will want to contact your instructor.  Your instructor has complete oversight of the grades given in this course--and this includes peer assessed grades.  Your instructor will review the assessment and, if appropriate, they will change the grade.  This review can happen immediately or at the end of the term.  However, it is important to note that just because you think you were assessed unfairly doesn’t mean the assessment score/average is unfair.  Sometimes we may think we are being assessed unfairly when our peers are generous to us.

When you email your instructor, be sure to include detailed information such as the course you are taking (as some instructors teach more than one course), the Assignment #, Week #, Discussion Forum #, dates of both threads and responses, and then you will want to briefly share why you believe you’ve been unfairly assessed.

Is Peer Assessment Required?

Peer assessment is a requirement of the course.  If you do not assess your peers, you are not performing the entire assignment task, and you risk failure for that assignment and the course.   Further, by not assessing others, you are telling them that their hard work is not worth your time in reviewing.  This is counter to the philosophy of education as a human right, a philosophy upon which the university is built.

What if I Need Additional Help and Support with Peer Assessment?

There is a Peer Assessment Office (PAO) at UoPeople to help students fine-tune their peer assessment skills.  This office will be open and available after week three, once you begin your studies at UoPeople. You can find this office by looking under your courses tab. It will be listed as an Optional course.  If you cannot find this resource, please contact your Program Advisor for assistance.

Click the 'next' arrow to your right or click here to move on to the next reading which is called 'Academic Integrity and Plagiarism I-An Introduction'. 

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism I - An Introduction

Academic Integrity is one of the four core values of UoPeople. As stated in the Code of Academic Integrity (See the UoPeople Catalog):

"University of the People fosters a spirit of honesty and integrity fundamental to a university community. As an academic community whose fundamental purpose is learning and pursuing knowledge, every individual at UoPeople is responsible for following accepted standards of academic integrity, sharing a commitment to uphold these values in all academic pursuits."

One definition of academic integrity is being accountable for your own work. This means that all your academic work should result from your own efforts, and any contribution from others must be consistently and responsibly acknowledged. Please read/review:

1. The Code of Academic Integrity in the Undergraduate Catalog (Link)

2. A video entitled, "3 Ways to Avoid Plagiarism - Summary, Paraphrase and Quote." (Link)

3. Virtual Academic Integrity Laboratory (Link)

4. You Quote it, You Note it. A ten minute interactive tutorial on plagiarism (Link)

Click the 'next' arrow to your right or click here to move on to the next reading which is called 'Academic Integrity and Plagiarism II- Digging a Little Bit Deeper'. 

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism II - Digging a Little Bit Deeper

Here is what we know: Ensuring that you understand the fundamental rules to avoid plagiarism is absolutely key before you begin your studies at the UoPeople.

Please read/review:

1. The Plagiarism Tutorial from Simon Fraser University (Link). Here you will find four units in the tutorial, and we'd like you to complete the first two units this week. Reading through each and every section is highly worthwhile, but only when you have the time to focus and review it carefully:

Unit 1: Introduction (1.1 Welcome; 1.2 Introduction; 1.3 Plagiarism Self-test; 1.4 Consequences)

Unit 2: Citing (2.1 Citing Sources; 2.2 Citation Styles; 2.3 How Citing Works; 2.4 TheBibliography; 2.5 Summary; 2.6 Plagiarism Quiz: Citing)

2. Complete the final two units this week. Reading through each and every section is highly worthwhile, but only when you have the time to focus and review it carefully:

Unit 3: Writing Skills.(3.1 Note Taking; 3.2 Quotations; 3.3 Paraphrasing; 3.4 Patchwriting; 3.5 Collusion; 3.6 Summary; 3.7 Plagiarism Quiz - Writing Skills)

Unit 4: Conclusion (4.1 Conclusion; 4.2 Resources; 4.3 Glossary; 4.4 References)

Click the 'next' arrow to your right or click here to move on to the next reading which is called 'What is a plagiarism checker? Why might you use one?'. 

What is a plagiarism checker? Why might you use one?

If you're concerned that you are plagiarizing, you may very well be plagiarizing.

Or not.  

A reminder of the quick and easy definition of plagiarism: the act of either stating or implying that another person’s work or research is your own.  And any action you take which misleads someone into believing that someone else’s work/ideas/research is your own, can also constitute plagiarism.

So if you’re not sure you’re plagiarizing, you’re highly advised to double check using an online tool.

Here’s how: You can test the work you’re about to submit through a plagiarism checker before submitting your work each week. Check out a plagiarism checker called Paper Rater. 

And if you have others to recommend, please drop a note to UoPeople Program Advisors at advising@uopeople.edu.

Click the 'next' arrow to your right or click here to move on to the next reading which is called 'Article of Interest on Separating Fact from Fiction Online'.

Article of Interest on Separating Fact from Fiction Online

We highly recommend this article which was published on November 30, 2016, "A Shocking Number of Young People can’t Separate Fact from Fiction Online" by Nicole Dobo.

Click the 'next' arrow to your right or click here to move on to the next reading which is called 'Does being online mean I am anonymous?'. 

Does being online mean I am anonymous?

No! In fact, being a member of our online community means just the opposite: that you are present, ready to participate, and accountable for your contributions.

1. The Online Disinhibition Effect

Have you noticed that some people have a different online "personality" than in-person? Some people are more bold or daring online thinking there will not be the same repercussions as in a face-to-face situation. This phenomena was first called the online disinhibition effect by Psychologist John Suler (1994), and describes a, “loosening (or complete abandonment) of social restrictions and inhibitions that would otherwise be present in normal face-to-face interaction during interactions with others on the Internet." This effect is caused by many factors, but perhaps most importantly people may tend to think they are anonymous or have no consequences for their behavior while in a chat room, on YouTube, or in a virtual classroom.

2. Cyberbullying

It is no wonder then how this disinhibition can lead to Cyberbullying, or the use of information technology to repeatedly harm or harass other people in a deliberate manner (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2012). Please know that the UoPeople has a strict General Code of Conduct that does not tolerate offensive or harassing behavior. Please read this policy on the University Catalog.

3. Netiquette

Learning and practicing "Netiquette," or network etiquette, is an excellent way to engage in socially responsible behavior at the UoPeople. Please read: Netiquette: Rules of Behavior on the Internet

Citations: Suler, John (2004). "The Online Disinhibition Effect". CyberPsychology & Behavior 7 (3): 321–326 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2012). "What is Cyberbullying." 

You have completed the readings for Module 2! Click the 'next' arrow to your right or click here to move on to the next step which is the discussion assignment. 

Congratulations! You have officially completed all of the readings in Module 2. Now it is time to move onto the assignments that go along with the readings that will help solidify all of this new information. 

Last week we gave a general overview of the Discussion Forum and the purpose of the Discussion Assignment question.

To review briefly, your Course Instructors will ask you a specific question each week in the Discussion Forum that is connected to one of the main topics covered that week in your course. 

A goal of the Discussion Assignment is to ask you to think about something and write about it, and then read submissions from your classmates to the same Discussion Forum. Why? The short answer is that this process opens up the conversation, helps you gain other perspectives from those learning with you, and helps you go one level deeper into the learning process.

How exactly?

After you answer the question and post it in the Discussion Forum area, you then are required to not only review the Discussion Forum answers of 3 of your classmates and also post comments on at least 3 of them.

Next week:  we'll show you a sample Discussion Forum in action - so you'll have a sense of what to expect and will also allow you to begin imagining how you'll bring your own voice and experience into Discussion Forums at UoPeople.

Please access the submission page for the Unit 2 Discussion Assignment on the main course homepage; it will be listed inside the Unit, or by clicking here.

Click the 'next' arrow to your right or click here to move on to the next step which is the Unit 2 assignment. 

Unit 2 Assignment

The Assignment requires you to go to the link for the 2017-2018 Academic Calendar for UoPeople and mark down all the important dates for the upcoming term in whatever calendar system you utilize.

Please access the submission page for the Unit 2 Assignment on the main course homepage; it will be listed inside the Unit, or by clicking here.

Learning Journal

Learning Journal Question:

Do you feel that you understand what it means to paraphrase and quote another source in the way that is required?  Are you worried or do you feel confident about understanding the material covered on the topic of avoiding plagiarism in Orientation? 

We encourage you to really think about this question; if you are concerned about not understanding all the units on academic integrity, we suggest reviewing them again a second time.

Also, who are the individuals that are in your life that are committed to helping to support you as you begin your studies at UoPeople?  Having moral support and the encouragement of those around you at this time is key.  Or is this something you're doing alone?  It'll be important to identify the kind of support that is or is not available to you, with the reminder that you're entering a university and community where we will all encourage you through your studies.

You are welcome to think about and write the answer to this question on your own but during New Student Orientation (UoPeople Preview), you do not actually submit the Learning Journal in Moodle.

Please access the submission page for the Unit 2 learning journal on the main course homepage; it will be listed inside the Unit, or by clicking here.

Click the 'next' arrow to your right or click here to move on to the next step which is the Unit 2 self quiz. 

Self-Quiz

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During regular UoPeople courses, all quizzes open at the start of each Unit and also close at the end of each week/Unit of study. Normally, you will see the following message as part of the Self-Quiz chapter of the Learning Guide each week:

The Self-Quiz gives you an opportunity to self-assess your knowledge of what you have learned so far.

The results of the Self-Quiz do not count towards your final grade, but the quiz is an important part of the University’s learning process and it is expected that you will take it to ensure understanding of the materials presented. Reviewing and analyzing your results will help you perform better on future Graded Quizzes and the Final Exam.

Please access the Self-Quiz on the main course homepage; it will be listed inside the Unit.

Please note, the Self-Quiz will remain open throughout all of Orientation.  Go ahead and take the Self-Quiz once you have reviewed all of Unit 2's readings and resources. Be sure to complete the readings first; we promise you it'll help ensure you answer the quiz questions correctly!

Please access the Unit 2 self quiz on the main course homepage; it will be listed inside the Unit, or by clicking here.

Click the 'next' arrow to your right or click here to move on to the next step which is the Unit 2 checklist. 

Checklist

Before you move on to Module 3, read through this checklist to make sure that you have completed all of the necessary steps in Module 2. 

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Read the Learning Guide and Reading Assignments

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Read the Discussion Assignment

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Complete the Unit 2 Assignment

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Complete the Learning Journal

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Take the Self-Quiz

If you feel ready, feel free to move on to 'UNIT 3: Wrapping Things Up; Degree Requirements and LOA' by clicking here. 

Discussion Forum Unit 2

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Discussion Forum Unit 2

Thursday, 2 August 2018, 8:50 AM

For the purposes of Orientation only, this is only here to view as an example. Please do not initiate, post, or respond in this forum during Orientation and there is nothing to do here or submit here in the Discussion Forum area. But we suggest that you read the area below so that you are familiar with what the Discussion Forum area looks like so it's familiar when you start classes and do need to complete the Discussion Forum. 

During regular UoPeople courses, your weekly Discussion Forum will look like this, with the following instructions below. 

= = = = =

You are required to submit a substantial response to the Discussion Assignment, which will be posted by your instructor in the Discussion Forum below. A substantial response is one that stays on topic and fully addresses the assignment in a clear, concise, and meaningful manner. If your instructor requires a specific word count, it will be stated in the assignment.

After you respond to the assignment, you are then required to both give a rating and also leave a significant comment (3-4 complete sentences) to at least three (3) of your peers' responses, in order to receive full credit. Rate only the substantial responses that contribute to the promotion of the discussion, and not the comments of your peers.

Please review and follow the guidelines below for assessing your peer's responses to the Discussion Assignment.

Discussion Forum Rating Guidelines:
10 (A) - Excellent, substantial, relevant, insightful, enriching, and stimulating contribution to the discussion. Also, uses external resources to support position where required and/or applicable.
8 - 9 (B) - Good, quite substantial and insightful, but missing minor details which would have otherwise characterized it as an excellent response.
6 - 7 (C) - Satisfactory insight and relevance, but required some more information and effort to have warranted a better rating.
4 - 5 (D) - Limited insight and relevance of the material; more effort and reflection needed to have warranted a satisfactory grading.
0 - 3 (F) - Unsatisfactory insight/relevance or failure to answer the question, reflecting a poor or limited understanding of the subject matter and/or the guidelines of the question.

If at any time you suspect that a post in this Discussion Forum violates UoPeople's rules regarding plagiarism and/or any aspect of UoPeople’s Academic Code of Conduct, please notify your instructor immediately.

Remember that your instructor will be reviewing responses, ratings, and comments - and will adjust ratings if he/she believes that they do not seem warranted or supportable.

PLEASE WAIT FOR YOUR INSTRUCTOR TO POST THE DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT BELOW.

After reviewing the format of a discussion assignment, click here to return to Unit 2 . 

Assignment Unit 2 

Setup phase

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• Task infoThe workshop is currently being set up. Please wait until it is switched to the next phase.

Submission phase

Assessment phase

Grading evaluation phase

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Description 

For the purposes of Orientation only, this is only here to view as an example. Please do not initiate, post, or respond to this Assignment area during Orientation.

Note that we'd still like you do the Assignment for this week which you can find in Unit 2 Assignment chapter in the Learning Guide.  The Assignment has you to go to the link for the 2017-2018 Academic Calendar for UoPeople and mark down all the important dates for the upcoming term in whatever calendar system you utilize. 

Note that during regular UoPeople courses, your weekly Assignment prompts will appear here, as well as in the corresponding Learning Guide chapter. Then, in the following week after your Assignment submission, this space will change to give you access to an Assessment Form, where you will be required to peer assess 3 of your classmates' assignments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqdeeCFVewQ&feature=youtu.be

After reviewing the format of a unit assignment, click here to return to Unit 2. 

Learning Journal Unit 2

During regular UoPeople courses, all your weekly Learning Journal prompts will appear here, as well as in the corresponding Learning Guide chapter. Unlike Assignments, Learning Journals are instructor assessed, not peer assessed.

Note that the Learning Journal does not get submitted here during New Student Orientation (UoPeople Preview), but we encourage you to answer the Learning Journal question on your own.  In other words, we welcome you to think about and write the answer to this Learning Journal question on your own, but you will not actually submit the Learning Journal during orientation.

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Learning Journal Question:

Do you feel that you understand what it means to paraphrase and quote another source in the way that is required?  Are you worried or do you feel confident about understanding the material covered on the topic of avoiding plagiarism in Orientation? 

We encourage you to really think about this question; if you are concerned about not understanding all the units on academic integrity, we suggest reviewing them again a second time.

Also, who are the individuals that are in your life that are committed to helping to support you as you begin your studies at UoPeople?  Having moral support and the encouragement of those around you at this time is key.  Or is this something you're doing alone?  It'll be important to identify the kind of support that is or is not available to you, with the reminder that you're entering a university and community where we will all encourage you through your studies.

You are welcome to think about and write the answer to this question on your own but during New Student Orientation (UoPeople Preview), you do not actually submit the Learning Journal in Moodle.

After reviewing the format of a learning journal, click here to return to Unit 2. 

Submission status

Submission status	This assignment does not require you to submit anything online
Grading status	Not graded
Last modified	-
Submission comments	Comments (0)

Self-Quiz Unit 2

During regular UoPeople courses, all quizzes open at the start of each Unit and also close at the 
end of each week/Unit of study. Normally, you will see the following message as part of the Self-Quizzes in every Unit:

The Self-Quiz gives you an opportunity to self-assess your knowledge of what you have learned so far.

The results of the Self-Quiz do not count towards your final grade, but the quiz is an 
important part of the University’s learning process and it is expected that you will take it to 
ensure understanding of the materials presented. Reviewing and analyzing your results will help you perform better on future Graded Quizzes and the Final Exam.

Please note, this quiz will remain open throughout all of Orientation.  
Go ahead and take the Self-Quiz once you have reviewed all of Unit 2's 
readings and resources. Be sure to complete the readings first; we promise 
you it'll help ensure you answer the quiz questions correctly!

After the quiz, click here to return to Unit 2 or 
go back to the home page and scroll down to the unit.

Checklist Unit 2

Please check off the items you have completed.

All items: 

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1. 10 September - 16 September
2. Learning Guide Unit 2 
3. Discussion Forum Unit 2 
4. Assignment Unit 2 
5. Learning Journal Unit 2 
6. Self-Quiz Unit 2