who I am and where am I going

Sample Research Proposal Instructions

Personal Student Profile

· Discover a preferred learning style and apply it to the academic experience.

· Develop a personal set of (S.M.A.R.T.) academic and professional goals, and summarize them into a cohesive mission statement and an accountability plan.

Academic Placement Pre-requisites

1) Certain intermediate courses have pre-requisites assigned to them to prohibit registration until the pre-req has been met. They are:

a) MAT 100 is a pre-req for MAT 120

b) MAT 120 is a pre-req for MAT 121

c) UNV 105 is a pre-req for ENG 101

d) BIO 181/L is a pre-req for BIO 201

2) A student can fulfill the pre-requisite in one of three ways:

a) Through taking the actual introductory course

b) Through successfully completing the placement test

c) Transfer in the course equivalent

3) Official transcripts may represent course equivalencies to either the introductory courses or the intermediate courses; as a result, students may be allowed to waive either or both courses in a subject without taking the placement test.

4) Students may choose to opt out of the placement testing and be automatically registered into the introductory courses. The introductory courses may not count toward the degree, but may be able to qualify as an elective, depending on the program of study.

5) If you want to try the placement tests but have not done so yet, please follow the instructions below to complete the tests in the Angel classroom environment.

a) Log into ANGEL at http://angel.gcu.edu

b) Select Find a Course in the Courses section on your ANGEL home page

c) Enter GCU Placement Testing in the Keyword Search box

d) Click on the “Enroll by pin” link for GCU Placement Testing

e) Enter the PIN SOAR to self enroll

f) They will be timed, 50 minutes per test

g) Tests may be taken twice.

h) Students may see and print their scores upon completion.

i) For additional questions, please speak with an Academic Counselor.

Readings

1) Textbooks:

a) Ellis, chaps. 1 and 3

2) eLibrary: None

3) Electronic Resources:

a) Nikitina, A. (n.d.). SMART goal setting. http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/smart-goals.html

4) Web Sites: None

5) Lectures/GCU Resources:

a) Module 2 Lecture

6) Other: None

7) Optional: None

Assignments

1) Individual: Who am I and Where am I Going?

a) Who am I as a student?

i) Using the following link, complete the Discovery Wheel: http://college.hmco.com/masterstudent/series/becoming_a_master_student_concise/11e/students/index.html

(1) In the column on the left side, click Discovery Wheel.

(2) On the following screen, click Start Here.

(3) Answer each question.

(4) The Next button navigates through the wheel.

(5) On the Conclusion screen, click Print Project; do not go on to complete the questions electronically.

ii) Read the Learning Style Inventory information on pp. 33-34 in the Ellis textbook.

(1) Complete the Learning Style Inventory (LSI), p. LSI-1. Before reading p. LSI-2, score the inventory by following directions on p. LSI-3.

(2) Continue working through the LSI pages, being careful to follow directions.

iii) Write an essay of 500-750 words that encompasses your S.M.A.R.T. goals, and Discovery Wheel and Learning Style Inventory exercises, using the following prompts:

(1) The Discovery Wheel is an accurate picture of my ability as a student because…

(2) My self-evaluation surprises me because…

(3) The two areas in which I am strongest are…

(4) The areas in which I want to improve are…

(5) Regarding my preferences for learning, I discovered that…

(6) Given my preferences for learning, I intend to…

iv) APA format is not required, but solid writing skill in APA style and a title page are expected.

b) Where am I Going?

i) Read the Nikitina article in the Electronic Resources above. Develop a set of personal, academic, and professional goals based on the S.M.A.R.T. model. Summarize them into a cohesive mission statement.

ii) Then, consider how these might be accomplished by developing an accountability plan.

iii) Rather than meeting a required word count, please be as thorough as you need to be to have a usable document that can be a resource for you at this time in your life.

iv) Attach the S.M.A.R.T. goals with mission statement and accountability plan to your essay as one deliverable.

c) Submit the assignment to the instructor by the end of Module 2.

2) Collaborative Learning Community: None

Discussion Questions

The instructor will post this mandatory DQ to the Discussion Forum for class discussion.

1) What are the advantages to knowing your personal learning style? How does this improve the academic experience for a student?

The instructor will assign selected DQs and post them to the Discussion Forum for class discussion.

2) Does only one learning style apply to each of us? Can all three be equally dominant? Why or why not?

3) A person tells you that a goal statement does not need to have a specific time applied to it. How would you respond to this person?

4) What learning challenges exist in terms of students adapting to an online environment?

5) Is there a learning style that is best suited for your program of study? If so, which one(s) and why? Provide an example.

6) How might one with a kinesthetic learning style be able to learn effectively in a traditional classroom setting?

7) How might one with a kinesthetic learning style be able to learn effectively in an online classroom setting?

Comments

[Everything Counts]

A life without direction is as foolish as going to sea without a compass. A ship with a broken rudder may maintain a full head of steam, but never reach a port, unless by accident. And if it does find a port, its cargo may not be suited to the people, climate or culture. Life, much like a ship, must be directed to a definite destination for which our cargo of core skills and aspirations are best suited. Aimless drift is an absolute no to success.