Assignment Descriptions
Watson Caring Science Institute
Caring Science, Mindful Practice
Assignment Summary
Total points available in the course:
Required Discussion Board Postings |
200 |
Required Reflective Journal Postings |
140 |
Total |
340 |
Students earning 80% of the total points available in the course will receive a Certificate of Completion.
Grading Criteria
272 points and above will earn a certificate of completion
271.9 points and below will not earn a certificate of completion
Assignments Clarification
Discussion Board Postings (200 Points): Regular participation is integral to successful completion of this interactive course. A significant amount of knowledge development will occur through group discussion, sharing, and collaboration. It is important for you to read the assigned chapters, view the videos and Power Point presentations, and consider how it applies to your professional practice.
Discussion board postings will involve each student providing online responses to unit content, and thoughtfully responding to the postings of others in the class. Reading the unit chapters, reading the postings of classmates, forming opinions, and then mindfully and kindly communicating your thoughts are all important in this course. Communication in this course should be focused on embracing diversity, hearing every voice, and respecting others. In this process, there are no right or wrong answers or comments. Rather there is a valuing of all that is said. Courtesy, respect, and restraint are hallmarks of this approach. Please read the PDF article provided on the homepage entitled "Top Five Rules of Netiquette in an Online Course" as you will be responsible for demonstrating these rules throughout the duration of this course.
Please maintain anonymity/privacy related to the situations described in your postings.
Here is an example of how you will earn points in this course: There are 50 points possible for each of the 4 Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday learning modules--one per week for 4 weeks (200 points total). The 50 points possible per unit are broken down in this way: There are 25 points possible for your response to each unit question and 20 points possible for your responses to a minimum of 2 classmate postings within each unit. Proper use of Netiquette is worth an additional 5 points (total=50). Further explanation: Let's say you are in Week 1 of this course and have just completed the readings associated with Unit 1A of Week 1. If you go to the discussion board area for Week 1 Unit 1A, create and post a substantive response to the Unit 1A content, and then thoughtfully respond to 2 classmates' postings using appropriate netiquette, then you will earn 50 points (perfect score) for the required Unit 1A discussion board posting assignment. Let's continue by saying that your twin sister is also in the course and she only responds to 1 classmate instead of 2 (-10 points), so she ends up earning 40 points for the same unit.
Here is a grading rubric for the discussion postings:
Required Element |
Points Possible |
First person narrative response genuinely and thoughtfully explains connections to unit content, objectives, and readings OR Pointillism, mandala, or photographic image shows effort, creativity, and a genuine, heartfelt connection to required content. The brief explanation should clarify your intent in creating the image. |
25 |
Thoughtful online response to a minimum of 2 classmates |
20 |
Netiquette observed |
5 |
Reflective Journal Postings (140 Points): Personal reflection is integral to successful completion of this course. A significant level of understanding can only occur if you ponder and explore your own perceptions and understandings. It is essential for you to consider how the course content applies to you and then share your insights. Reflective Journal postings will require you to provide online responses to unit content that show how you have thoughtfully applied what you have learned to your own situations.
Here is an example of the point breakdown for Reflective Journal postings: There are 35 points possible for each of the 4 Thursday-Friday-Saturday learning units (140 points total). The 35 points possible per unit are broken down in this way: There are 35 points possible for your response to each units' content. Further explanation: Let's say you are in Week 1 of this course and have just completed the readings associated with Unit 1B of Week 1. If you go to the reflective journal posting area for Week 1 Unit 1B, create and post a substantive response to the content as outlined in the course calendar, then you will earn 35 points (perfect score) for the required Unit 1B Reflective Journal posting assignment. Let's continue by saying that your twin sister is also in the course, she writes a minimal 20 word response, and includes one hastily drawn stick figure to illustrate her response so she ends up earning 10 points for the same unit.
Here is a grading rubric for the reflective journals:
Required Element |
Points Possible |
First person narrative response genuinely and thoughtfully explains connections to unit content, objectives, and readings OR Pointillism, mandala, or photographic image shows effort, creativity, and a genuine, heartfelt connection to required content. The brief explanation should clarify your intent in creating the image. |
35 |
*Please note that nothing is due on Sundays.