31 Dec Offer and support

Critical Thinking

As you should have noted throughout your master’s program, psychological knowledge stems mainly from research. Knowledge of the world, however, in addition to coming from direct experience and observation, comes from many sources including journals, textbooks, experts, and various media resources (television, newspapers, and the Internet). An important question regarding these resources is, “Are they all credible?” How do you distinguish fact from fiction in evaluating research information, regardless of its source? This Discussion addresses the importance of critical thinking in evaluating information obtained through various sources including psychological research. Critical thinking is an invaluable skill in life as well as for completing your Capstone Project.

To prepare:

Review Chapter 1 of the course text, Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking, focusing specifically on the importance of asking the right questions to evaluate the credibility of resources.

Consider the types of sources used in obtaining the knowledge learned in your master’s specialization.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 an explanation of the importance of critical thinking and the implications of not questioning information, both in general and as they relate to the Capstone Project. Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a probing question.

Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

Offer and support an opinion.

Validate an idea with your own experience.

Make a suggestion.

Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Week 2 discussion

Refining the Problem Statement

Now that you have chosen a topic, this Discussion provides the opportunity to share with your classmates your choice of topic and the problem that you have identified.

Note: Please complete the Application Assignment prior to the Discussion question this week.

To prepare:

Develop a brief summary of your topic to post to the Discussion board, including a justification for your choice.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 a description of the topic you chose for your Capstone Project and the problem you identified. Briefly explain why you selected the topic.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a probing question.

Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

Offer and support an opinion.

Validate an idea with your own experience.

Make a suggestion.

Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Week 5 discussion

Integration/Synthesis Challenges

Now that you have synthesized and integrated your resources, you will have a chance to share your experiences with your classmates. In this Discussion you will address some of the challenges you experienced as you synthesized and integrated the resources for your Capstone Project.

Note: Please complete the Application Assignment prior to the Discussion question this week.

To prepare:

Review the steps you used to write up the review.

Consider the difficulties you faced in writing the literature review.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 an analysis of the challenges you encountered as you synthesized and integrated the resources for your literature review.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a probing question.

Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

Offer and support an opinion.

Validate an idea with your own experience.

Make a suggestion.

Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Week 6 discussion

Problem/Issue Cause and Effect

Now that you have critically analyzed the problem/issue, it is time to present your findings to others in the course. Feedback from others is useful in ensuring that the critical analysis is on target. Select one of the causes deemed most influential in the development of the problem/issue and post it in this week’s Discussion. Pay close attention to the questions posted by your colleagues and use the information to further refine your critical analysis.

Note: Please complete the Application Assignment prior to the Discussion question this week.

To prepare:

Review Chapters 8 and 9 in the course text, Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking, paying particular attention to the questions to ask in determining cause and effect.

Review this week’s Application Assignment.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 an analysis of one cause/effect of the problem/issue you selected. Include in your analysis what happened and who was affected, negatively and/or positively.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a probing question.

Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

Offer and support an opinion.

Validate an idea with your own experience.

Make a suggestion.

Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Week 8 discussion

Potential Resolutions

For those identified problems/issues with many causes and effects, there are potentially many solutions, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. The solutions may impact just one of the effects or may impact several effects. The goal this week is to generate as many solutions as possible based on the critical analysis of the problem created earlier. At this stage, don’t worry about whether the solution is effective. Simply generate as many potential solutions as you can. Once you have generated a list, select two potential resolutions and identify the advantages and disadvantages of each solution. You will share these with your peers; pay particular attention to their responses about which solution might work best in alleviating the problem/issue you selected.

To prepare:

Review the “Problem Solving Template,” located in the Resources area on the left navigation bar.

Review the causes and effects that you generated in Week 6.

Review the critical analysis narrative that you prepared in Week 7.

Think about some potential resolutions to your identified problem and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 two potential resolutions to the identified problem/issue and explain their advantages and disadvantages. Provide specific examples.

By Day 6 respond to at least one colleague and suggest which potential resolution you think he/she should select and why.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Week 10 discussion

The Capstone

The focus of this week is to reflect on and evaluate your Capstone Project experience and how it has helped you to become a scholar-practitioner committed to fostering positive social change.

To prepare:

Reflect on your experiences with the Capstone Project including but not limited to the following questions:

What aspects of the Capstone Project and course have helped you to become more of a scholar-practitioner?

How have the program and project forwarded your contribution to positive social change?

What aspects of the experience were less beneficial in these regards?

What would you recommend to future students in the Capstone experience?

Think about your commitment to fostering social change.

Consider how participating in and completing the Capstone Project have contributed to your overall sense of yourself as a scholar-practitioner and as someone who fosters positive social change.

With this in mind:

Post by Day 4 a brief synopsis of your Capstone Project and a brief summary of your reflections on the Capstone Project experience.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a probing question.

Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

Offer and support an opinion.

Validate an idea with your own experience.

Make a suggestion.

Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.

Week 11 discussion

Personal and Professional Growth and Social Change

Now that you are at the end of your program, it is time to take a moment to appreciate those who have supported you in both big and small ways. It is time, too, to reflect on and analyze the impact of the MS in Psychology program on your personal and professional growth. This is a great way to see what you have learned and accomplished in the past few years.

To prepare:

Reflect on your journey through this program.

Evaluate what you have learned in this program.

Think about the knowledge, skills, and competencies you have acquired from this program and how they have contributed to your personal and professional growth.

Consider how this program has helped you develop as a social change agent.

Think about the support you have received from others around you and how you might reward them for supporting and “hanging in there” with you.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 an evaluation of the impact of your MS in Psychology program as it relates to your personal and professional growth. Be sure to indicate how this program helped your development as a social change agent. Finally, share how you will acknowledge and reward one person who has been a support to you during this course, in the Capstone process, and/or in the entire program.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond by Day 6 to at least one of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:

Ask a probing question.

Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

Offer and support an opinion.

Validate an idea with your own experience.

Make a suggestion.

Expand on your colleague’s posting.