Grand Canyon – UNV 104 Entire Course

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Entire Course UNV104  

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 1 Discussion 1

Alana has been employed as a cashier at the local grocery store for two years, is always on time, and has excellent customer service skills. An assistant store manager position will be available soon and Alana’s manager is considering her for the position. She will be the only internal candidate considered. To prepare for the selection process, Alana’s manager has asked her to prepare a report that provides ideas for how the store could be improved and remain competitive with other grocery stores. Describe how Alana might create the report by using the information literacy skills of:

• Recognizing when information is needed

• Locating, evaluating, and effectively using the needed information

What specific skills will she need to do these things well? Could you successfully complete this report if you were Alana? What challenges would you have?

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 1 Discussion 2

In this module you are required to begin the development of your expository essay by completing several prewriting strategies. Share with your classmates two examples of brainstorming that you seem to prefer. Did you brainstorm? If so, was brainstorming helpful to you? If not, why didn’t you? How confident do you feel about completing the essay? Do you have any concerns or questions? Locate at least one resource on the Internet (remember what you learned about information literacy) that may be useful to your classmates in writing their essays. Provide a link to the resource and a brief summary of why you think it will be useful.

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 2 Discussion 1

The module lecture and readings have reviewed the reasons and importance of using library resources in your research. Explain why it is important to use resources retrieved from the online GCU Fleming Library vs. a general Internet search. In those instances where you need to do a search on the Internet, what guidelines should you follow? Why?

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 2 Discussion 2

In this module, you will be working on a Library Scavenger Hunt. The lecture from this week also discusses how to use the library to find sources when writing. As you’ve worked on this module, what have you learned that you feel will be the most useful to you when searching for a resource to support your essay? Suppose a new GCU student needs assistance with locating resources to complete an essay. Based on what you’ve learned this module, provide at least three tips to the student for navigating the GCU Library.

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 3 Discussion 1

Access the “Paraphrasing Resources” document. Use the resource to practice paraphrasing a text. Copy and paste a quote from the article you found to support your Expository Essay. Include a citation in GCU style. Below the quote, paraphrase the information from the quote. Comment on the paraphrasing completed by your peers. Are their paraphrases an accurate summary of the quoted material without copying the actual words from the quote? Why or why not?

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 3 Discussion 2

Review the reading strategies on pages 70-73 in the textbook. Use one of the reading strategies to complete one of the required readings or your article for this module. How effective was the strategy you used? Explain. Which reading strategy are you most likely to use in the future, and why?

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 4 Discussion 1

A thesis statement guides the reader to what the writer is going to say in the body of an essay. Reply to this post with the thesis statement for your expository essay. Respond to two of your peers’ posts, commenting on the clarity and other qualities of their thesis statements. For each of your peers, explain the type of evidence you think he or she would need to provide in order to adequately support their thesis statement?

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 4 Discussion 2

Why is it important to use prewriting strategies when developing an essay? Which prewriting strategy featured in the multimedia piece works best for you and why?

Reply to two of your peers’ posts that chose a different strategy. Comment on pros and cons of using the strategy your classmate chose.

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 5 Discussion 1

When someone’s writing is not focused, clear, and precise the message is often lost. To succeed in today’s competitive professional world you must be able to communicate effectively, especially through writing. Describe a situation (real or fictional) where not having a focused message in your writing could lead to a problem. Describe how you can use the writing process to ensure your writing is focused and effective.

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 5 Discussion 2

After reviewing the readings from Chapter 5 this week, discuss the importance of verbal communication and how it is different from other forms of communication (body language, etc.). Please provide an example of each form of communication and how it is linked to literacy in the classroom.

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 6 Discussion 1

Imagine you created a piece of writing such as a book, song, or poem. Suppose someone else used that piece of writing without giving you credit for creating it. How would that make you feel? Find an instance on the Internet where there was a dispute involving copyright issues. How was the problem resolved?

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 6 Discussion 2

Describe a time you delivered information you thought was clear, but the receiver did not. What could you have done to improve your communication in this situation?

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 7 Discussion 1

What do you find most difficult about taking exams? Which of the strategies outlined in this module’s chapter do you think will be the most useful to you and why?

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 7 Discussion 2

How have the strategies and skills learned throughout this course influenced your learning? How will you use the information and communication literacy skills you’ve learned in this course in your future courses?

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 1 Assignment 1

Class Wall Biography

Details:

Getting to know other students in your class is important in creating the online community at GCU. The Class Wall is a place for students to network and get to know one another. Your first post to the Class Wall will be a short biography to introduce yourself to your fellow students.

Access the “Sample Bio” and “Biography Outline” documents and use them as resources to help you organize some facts about yourself. Use your completed outline to write a biography formatted in a similar fashion as the sample biography.

Once other students have posted their bios, go back to the Class Wall and read them, and also your instructor’s bio.

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 1 Assignment 2

Expository Essay: Pre-Writing Worksheet

Details:

Before you begin any writing assignment, it is often necessary to complete several “pre-writing” activities. This worksheet will assist you with several of the pre-writing activities necessary for completing your expository essay including selecting a topic, developing a thesis statement, and identifying the audience for you essay. Follow the instructions to complete these pre-writing activities.

1. Choose a Topic

Here is a list of possible essay topics to use for your expository essay.

Please choose only one topic. You will indicate the topic you have chosen within the table below.

· Video games AND violence

· Internet AND workplace

· Exercise AND obesity

· Academic achievement AND library

2. Read the Module 1 lecture and review “The Writing Process” media piece.

Be sure to read your Module 1 lecture and review the “The Writing Process” media piece for instructions on how to develop a thesis statement and how to identify your audience. You will need to know how to do this in order to complete the table below and successfully begin your writing process.

“The Writing Process”

Ø “Menu”

ü “Who is the audience?”

ü “How should I brainstorm?” (Because you are required to choose your topic from the list above, not all brainstorming examples will be pertinent to this assignment. When reviewing the “Brainstorming Examples”, “Break down Topic” may be a good one to start with. However, be sure to review them all to determine which works best for you.)

ü “How do I develop a thesis?”

ü “How do I organize my brainstorm into an online?” (You will complete this in Module 4)

3. Complete the following table as demonstrated in the “Example Student Response” below. Submit this completed worksheet to the Expository Essay: Pre-Writing Worksheet drop box by the end of Day 7 of Module 1.

UNV 104 Grand Canyon Week 2 Assignment

Expository Essay: Pre-Writing Worksheet

Details:

GCU Fleming Library Scavenger Hunt and Gathering Resources Worksheet

Overview: The GCU Fleming Library will be a vital resource for you during your academic career. The Library contains a wealth of resources that will help you find, research, and broaden your understanding on any given topic. Learning to correctly use resources to support your writing is an essential component of your academic success.

Directions: Each step of this assignment will ask you to navigate and explore different components of the GCU Fleming Library. There are seven steps, each containing a question. Record your answers to the questions in the appropriate sections.

Before starting this Scavenger Hunt, review the short walk-through tutorial on the GCU Fleming Library. This tutorial consists of five short segments:

http://tutorials.gcumedia.com/libraryWalkThrough/vp02.swf

If you have time, you can also attend the GCU Library Introduction Webinar. Sign up on this page: http://www.gcu.edu/Student-Life/Library/Webinar-Sign-Up.php

Step 1: How to Access the Library

There are a number of ways to access the library’s website. Use one of these to reach the Library Research & Resources page:

1. Go directly to the GCU Library Research & Resources page by typing http://www.gcu.edu/Student-Life/Library.php into your Internet browser and clicking “Enter”.

2. Under the “Access Library Resources” section on the right, select the “Library Research and Resources Page”.

Question 1: List three ways you can contact the library for assistance, as listed on the Library Research &Resources page.

Step 2: How to Find Books

Books have increasingly become available electronically. Unfortunately, these are rarely free, unless they are in the public domain. Most public domain books are quite old, so if you wish to find more current books, the best place to go is the library website. Because you have access to the GCU Fleming Library, you have access to over 100,000 books—free.

Note: The library also lists the physical books available on the Phoenix campus. You can remove those from your search for your convenience. See below for instructions.

1. On the Library Research & Resources page, click the link that says: “Find Books and More”.

2. In the search box type: “study skills” and click the Search button.

3. Under “Form of Item” in the column on the left, click “Electronic”.

4. To access an electronic book of your choice, under the listing of the book, click the link below the word “Online,” or if that is not available, click the title of the book, and click the link that says “View E-resource” in the box below the title information.

Question 2: Write the Title, Author, and Publisher of the 3rd book in the list of results you retrieved.

Step 3: Library Databases

The vast majority of resources available are in the library’s databases. These are collections of articles that you can access using various search platforms. Resources available include magazines, newspapers, reports, journal articles, encyclopedias, and streaming videos. The easiest way to find articles on your topic is to search in a database that specializes in your subject area. This allows you to search for more relevant information without having to sort through masses of sources not related to your topic.

1. On the Library Research & Resources page, click the link that says: “Find Journal Articles.”

2. Choose a Subject in the list located under “Find Databases by Subject.” (Hint: Choose one related to your degree program.)

3. Scroll down to see all of the databases relevant to this subject. Those in the first section under “Recommended” are the top databases in that area.

Question 3: State what subject you chose and list the first three databases in this subject area:

Step 4: Narrowing Your Search for Articles

For this section, you will be working in a database called “Academic Search Complete.” ASCis a multidisciplinary database containing a variety of topics and types of resources including magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals and publications. There will be times when it may seem easier to use magazines and newspapers, but in general, focusing on scholarly sources (mostly located in peer-reviewed journal articles) will bring a stronger academic quality to your research. Follow the instructions below to access and begin searching in Academic Search Complete.

1. On the Library Research & Resources page, click the link “Find Journal Articles.”

2. In the box to the right titled “Don’t Know Where to Start.” click on “Academic Search Complete.”

3. Sign in if prompted, using your GCU login and password.

4. On the Search page, scroll down to the “Limit Your Results “section.

5. Check the box beside “Scholarly” (Peer Reviewed) journals and make sure “Full Text” is checked as well.

Question 4: Explain why checking the boxes beside “Full Text” and “Scholarly” (Peer Reviewed) journals are important. When might you not check the box beside “Scholarly “journals?

Step 5: Finding Journal Articles

The key to successful searching is using keywords appropriately. Combining terms and thinking of alternative words (such as synonyms) will help you find better and more relevant articles.

A quick note about databases: EBSCO is the name of the company that provides this database, the actual name of the database is “Academic Search Complete.” You may see other databases similar to this one provided by EBSCO as well, but the most important factor is what collection you are in, as each collection contains different kinds of articles and resources.

1. On the page you ended at in Step 4, scroll to the top. (Make sure the Peer Reviewed and Full Text boxes are still checked.) In the first search box to the right of the EBSCO Host circle, type the words “classroom management.”

2. In the second box down, to the right of the word “and”, type the words “learning disabilities.”

3. Click the Search button located to the right of the search boxes.

4. Scroll down to see the articles retrieved by the database.

Question 5: Provide the title of the third journal article that is listed in the results.

Step 6: Article Details

In addition to the actual full text of the article, the databases will provide valuable information about an article. You will see things such as authors, source, subject terms, and abstract. The abstract is a brief summary of the article you found.

1. Click on the title of the third article you found in Step 5.

2. Scroll down this page and find the Article Abstract.

Question 6: Copy and paste the abstract below. Explain how an abstract is valuable to your research process and how it will save you time.

Step 7: Permanent and Persistent Links

Databases are designed as powerful searching tools; unfortunately, this means the website link located at the top of any page in a database is temporary and is based on your search at the time. Should you try to save that link as a bookmark or copy and paste it to use at a later time, it will not work. However, the databases have links that are tied directly to the articles you find. Follow the steps below to find the permalink (persistent, durable link, or document URL)to the article you accessed in Step 5.

1. On the same page where you found the abstract, look to the right for the “Tools” column.

2. Click on the link that says “Permalink.”

3. A box will pop up above the article title with a permanent link.

Question 7: Copy and paste the permalink to the article here:

Step 8: Using Library Databases to Cite Articles

Another important option under the tool bar is the “Cite” button. In academic writing, citing your sources is very important. It will tell your reader that the information that you are using is the property of someone else. It will also show your reader exactly where you found this information and how to access this information again. This is a necessary step in avoiding academic dishonesty issues like plagiarism.

Note: Remember, GCU Style required for your undergraduate coursework is a simplified version of APA.

1. On the same page where you found the abstract look to the right for the “Tools” column.

2. Click on the link that says “Cite”.

3. A box will pop up above the article title with different citation styles.

Question 8: Copy and paste the APA citation below. According to the GCU Style Guide, where should you include this information in your essay?

Gather Resources Worksheet

Complete the Resource Worksheet: Use the skills you learned above to locate a resource to support your essay. The resource or article you find should be about the topic you chose when completing the Module 1 Pre-Writing Worksheet. Then complete the table below (to assist you, an example table has also been provided):

Your Topic Resource Name Resource Type Explain how you accessed your resource Explain how the resource is relevant to your essay topic?

Permalink

Abstract

GCU Style Citation (APA Style)

Example Table

Topic Resource Name Resource Type Explain how you accessed your resource How is the resource relevant to your essay topic?

Adults and Online Learning Journal of Educational Technology & Society Academic Journal Clicked on the link above to the library home page. Selected “Find Journal Articles”. Clicked on “Education” under “Find Databases by Subject”. Selected “Academic Search Complete”. Used keywords “Adults and Online Learning” Describes a study done to determine whether characteristics are different for successful adult online learners and those that dropout.

Permalink http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=44785109&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Abstract The number of adult learners who participate in online learning has rapidly grown in the last two decades due to online learning’s many advantages. In spite of the growth, the high dropout rate in online learning has been of concern to many higher education institutions and organizations. The purpose of this study was to determine whether persistent learners and dropouts are different in individual characteristics (i.e., age, gender, and educational level), external factors (i.e., family and organizational supports), and internal factors (i.e., satisfaction and relevance as sub-dimensions of motivation). Quantitative data were collected from 147 learners who had dropped out of or finished one of the online courses offered from a large Midwestern university. Dropouts and persistent learners showed statistical differences in perceptions of family and organizational support, and satisfaction and relevance. It was also shown that the theoretical framework, which includes family support, organizational support, satisfaction, and relevance in addition to individual characteristics, is able to predict learners’ decision to drop out or persi