Grading Criteria for All Written Work

1. Understanding of the topic : Appropriate depth of understanding; correct summary of positions of various stakeholders, if relevant; grasp of relevant policies, regulations, or agency positions and responsibilities; appropriate use of concepts presented in class (mastery of the concepts, and correctly placing your arguments in the context of the appropriate concepts). As a guideline, to demonstrate you have recognized key topics presented by previous researchers, I expect your work to cite and reference at least 3 items from the scholarly literature, plus additional information from public agency sources or Web sites, to the extent those are helpful.
2. Quality of analysis : Depth and sophistication of the arguments; appropriate emphasis on important aspects of the topic; emphasis on critical assessment of the issues rather than descriptive summary; appropriate recognition of advantages and disadvantages of “both sides,” not limited to concepts supporting the preferred conclusion.
3. Conclusions : Depth and accuracy of assessment of the issue presented; conclusions valid and well-supported by the data, concepts, and arguments presented in the paper; recognition of limitations.
4. Writing style : CLEAR; polished and professional; grammatically correct; easy to read. Appropriate choice of language (adequately formal, precise, scholarly, accurate terminology). Appropriately cited and referenced in APA format: (Utilize the Web Resources to Follow)
5. Organization : Clear and well-organized; divided into sections as appropriate.

APA Documentation Method

Students are strongly encouraged to take the time to complete the following online APA Citation and Reference Tutorial offered by The American Psychological Association. One of the objectives of this class is that you learn how to use the APA documentation style. You can learn everything you need to know about how to use this method by studying the material at the following sites. Please understand that any of your discussion questions or your student presentation papers that are lacking in complete APA styled documentation will be returned to you and will not be graded until they are in order.

 

APA Documentation Aids:

A Guide for Writing Research Papers in APA Style

Purdue University: Using American Psychological Association (APA) Format

APA Citation Styles - University of Toledo

APA Style Sheet (Cornell)

Quick Guide APA Style (UNC)

APA Guide to Electronic Resources

APA Style for Videos

APA Style for Court Decisions

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding APA Style

Final Research Paper Assignment

The research paper will address a topic derived from the case studies found in The Environmental Case by Judith Layzer (2011) or one of the cases presented in Homegrown Ecopragmaitcs (Wimberley, 2018). Students will thoroughly research the literature around which the case has been developed and will update information on the case whenever that information is available. They will also compare the case they are working on to similar cases that have dealt with similar issues and critique similarities and dissimilarities.  The paper must be written in the case study analysis format provided under the link at the top of this web page which is entitled "Case Method." The case analysis must be well-supported with full citations and references.  The paper should provide a careful critical analysis of the policy and/or scholarly issue you are working on. You should cite (and make analytical use of) supporting documents from the scholarly literature and/or appropriate texts, as well as primary sources for government policy, in addition to the main document you are critiquing. The paper must be no more than 30 pages in length, double-spaced, with ample margins for instructor’s comments.

Homework

The principle purpose of weekly homework is to insure students read the assigned materials, view videos and show up in class prepared. Students who regualarly do so and submit thoughtful work cited and referenced in APA style can generally expect to recieve full credit for their work. Students participating in class sessions will, on a weekly basis, prepare their homework assignments and post their responses on Canvas email by 5:00 p.m. on the Sunday evening immediately following each on-campus class meeting.  However, all reading assigned for each class session must be completed prior to the beginning of each class meeting on campus to insure that all students are prepared to participate in the class discussion. All posted attachments must be in Word or rich text format.  Content written into or cut and pasted into the memo-field of the drop box will not be graded, nor will content submitted to the instructor via university email. All work must be attached as a Word or rich text format document. The instructor will only review the responses and the homework posted Canvas email as an attachment.

Typically, students should be prepared to spend 2 - 3 hours of preparation & study for every 1 hour of classroom time. This formula, which applies to general time commitment for both classroom and distant learners, should yield approximately 6 to 9 hours of course effort weekly. Some week's assignments may entail less time investment, while other class periods may entail more effort.  NOTE: If you have questions or issues that could get in the way of you completing any of your assignments you should contact the instructor by telephone at 239.405.4164. Dr. Wimberley is available virtually any time 24/7 to assist you if the issue you are working with serves as an immediate impediment of your completing your work.

Papers and Comp Exam Submission

Electronic submittals are required of ALL homework and papers to be submitted via Canvas email ONLY. The Comp Exam must also be emailed to the instructor via Canvas email and must be in Word or Rich Text format. Due dates for assignments are found on the course schedule page.