SALISBURY UNIVERSITY

Guidelines and Best Practices for Sociology Coursework

General Guidelines express best practices, general procedures, and efficient student strategies for learning sociology.

Assignment Guides

guide Each course activity/assignment is described in a 1-2 page Assignment Guide found below. These guides provides step-by-step instructions to completion of the respective activity. Read through each guide to familiarize yourself with the assignment requirements, and then refer to the guide as you begin your work. Students who carefully follow these guides and rubrics will learn the course material thouroughly and, as a result, will earn the highest possible grade for the activity.

Assignment Rubrics

A Rubric is a "definitive rule of procedure" - each assignment rubric will help you identify primary aspects of the assignment, as well as specifying exactly how the assignment will be graded. These rubrics are not meant to limit your creativity in fulfilling the assignment, but as you become familiar with using them you will recognize how critically helpful they can be as you study and learn.

Note that RUBRICs use a common 4-column format: Optimal; Competent; Below Average; Unacceptable.
Presentations, (IOT) and Writing Assignments utilize a point scale, whereas all others are based on percentages.
The TOTAL points are clearly marked.

Learning Aids

include short videos and other visual, as well as additional 'How To' documents to help 'fill in the gaps' between what you have read in the Assignment Guides/Rubrics and the methods and practices you may already be familiar with in MyClasses. Reviewing these will reinforce what we have covered in class or that you have discussed with other students in Forum or in group work.

Writing

Writing Assignments provide an opportunity to share your understandings of weekly required materials. Achieving the Week's Learning Goals will be reflected in your writing.

Note-Taking

The process of writing or typing notes results in more efficient retention and understanding. Notes provide a record of key elements of written, visual and/or oral material. Notes create a ‘template’ for your study which prepares you to think critically about new material and how it relates to what you already know.

Bring To Class

Bring to Class (BTC) work reveals individual students' progress toward the Week's Learning Goals. BTCs are tools to organize student participation in classroom activities. Format reflects organized thinking; sources chosen and content reflect student engagement; citing and referencing demonstrate appropriate practice of scientific inquiry.

Student Choice

IOT is a TEAM exercise; cooperation and a high degree of engagement are expected from team members. The IOT Team’s job is to meet one or more of the Week's Learning Goals. You may be offered particular issues to focus on or themes to pursue but much of the direction is up to your Team.

BLACKBOARD VIDEO EXERCISES

ASSESSMENTS ►	Taking a Quiz or Test Online	GRADE CENTER ►	Checking Your Grades
GROUPS ►	Working In Groups	BLOGS ►	Creating a Blog Entry
FORUM ►	Creating a Forum Post	WIKIS ►	Creating and Editing a WIKI
	Creating a Forum Reply		Viewing Your WIKI Post
	Organizing Forum Posts	ASSIGNMENTS ►	Submitting An Assignment
	Viewing Forum Grades	PROFILE ►	Editing Your Personal Information

Resources; Documents; Media

Documents

The Hazards of Youth

Transnational Distribution of GLobal Population - McMichaeL

The Scarcity Fallacy

World System Theory

Media

Earth Lights

Open Court: Black History Month on NBA TV

Neoliberalism As Water Balloon

Models; Policy; Philosophy

Salisbury University cultivates and sustains a superior learning community where students, faculty, and staff are viewed as teachers, scholars, and learners, and where a commitment to excellence and openness to a broad array of ideas and perspectives are central to all aspects of University life. Our learning community is student-centered, where students are taught by professional educators in small classroom settings, where faculty serve as academic advisors, and where virtually every student has an opportunity to undertake research with a faculty mentor. We foster an environment where individuals make choices that lead to a more successful development of social, physical, occupational, emotional, and intellectual well being.

Models

A course syllabus must be provided for each course and must be handed out at the first class meeting. The syllabus should include information about the purpose of the course; prerequisites; whether or not the course satisfies a General Education requirement and if so, in which group; textbook(s) to be used; topics to be covered; and schedules of major tests.

Philosophy

As a premier comprehensive Maryland public university, Salisbury University's highest purpose is to empower our students with the knowledge, skills, and core values that contribute to active citizenship, gainful employment, and life-long learning in a democratic society and interdependent world.

Information Technology commitment

The Mission of Salisbury University states, “Our highest purpose is to empower our students with the knowledge, skills and core values that contribute to life-long learning and active citizenship in a democratic society and interdependent world.” In the 21st century, information technology is a crucial component in that process of empowerment. Therefore, it is the policy of Salisbury University that all students graduating from this institution can demonstrate an appropriate level of fluency with information technology with regard to disciplinespecific requirements within academic departments. Salisbury University recognizes that fluency in information technology requires three kinds of knowledge: contemporary skills, foundational concepts, and intellectual capabilities. This knowledge is attained in four broad context areas namely: ◊ Basic Operations and Concepts; ◊ Accessing Information through Technology; ◊ Communicating Effectively using Technology; ◊ Organizing and Analyzing Information with Technology

⇒ ⇒ ⇒ THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS