Category: Nursing

Correlation does not imply causation – Weighing the Evidence Assignment

You may be familiar with the phrase, “Correlation does not imply causation.” For example, consider the following statistics:

99.7% of the people involved in air and auto accidents ate pickles within 14 days preceding the accident.

More than 90% of violent crimes are committed within 24 hours of eating bread.

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As the number of churches in an area increase, so does the rate of crime.

Obviously there is a faulty correlational link established in each case. This is an extremely significant concept to keep in mind when it comes to weighing the evidence in scholarly research. After researchers collect data and analyze it using the appropriate statistical tests and analyses, they must formulate interpretations about what the data, statistics, and analyses indicate. As a nurse engaged in evidence-based practice, it is important to understand how researchers generate conclusions so that you can recognize sound and unsound interpretations of data as you peruse the literature. Correlation does not imply causation – Weighing the Evidence Assignment.

This week, you examine how researchers have reached their conclusions based on their data and analyze if their claims are valid.

Weighing the Evidence Assignment References:

Anonymous. (1966). Pickles and humbug: A bit of comparative logic. The Journal of Irreproducible Results, 15(1), 18. Retrieved from 
http://www.jir.com/pickles.html

Reference:

Mikkelson, D., & Mikkelson B. (2006). Snopes.com: The dangers of bread. Retrieved from 
http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/bread.asp

Reference:

University of Michigan. (n.d.). Power in numbers: Mastering the math you think you know. Retrieved from 
http://www.umich.edu/~numbers/statistics/statistic…

Correlation does not imply causation – Weighing the Evidence Assignment Learning Objectives

Students will:

Evaluate the conclusions of a research study

Analyze areas for additional research on a specific research question

Develop a cohesive, evidence-based practice to address a specific PICOT question

Photo Credit: [alvarez]/[Vetta]/Getty Images

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus. Correlation does not imply causation – Weighing the Evidence Assignment.

Required Readings

Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2017). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (10th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

Review Chapter 2, Fig. 2.1

Chapter 29, “Systematic Reviews of Research Evidence: Meta-analysis, Metasynthesis, and Mixed Studies Review”
This chapter focuses on the different types of systematic reviews. The chapter discusses the advantages of this type of analysis and the steps for conducting a meta-analysis or metasynthesis. Correlation does not imply causation – Weighing the Evidence Assignment.

Dingle, P. (2011). Statin statistics: Lies and deception. Positive Health, 180, 1.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

In this article, the author outlines how misleading statistics are used to make false claims about the positive use of statin drugs in order to retain a market share of sales for pharmaceutical firms.

Katapodi, M. C., & Northouse, L. L. (2011). Comparative effectiveness research: Using systematic reviews and meta-analyses to synthesize empirical evidence. Research & Theory for Nursing Practice, 25(3), 191–209.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. Correlation does not imply causation – Weighing the Evidence Assignment.

The authors of this article assert that more comparative effectiveness research (CER) is necessary to accommodate the elevated demand for evidence-based health care practices. The article supplies a summary of methodological issues relevant to systematic reviews and meta-analyses used in the process of CER.

Stichler, J. F. (2010). Evaluating the evidence in evidence-based design. Journal of Nursing Administration, 40(9), 348–351.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

The quality of evidence used in EBP can vary considerably. This article highlights the necessity of critically appraising facility design research articles and using a hierarchical model to rate the strength of evidence. Correlation does not imply causation – Weighing the Evidence Assignment.

Bernd, R., du Prel, J.-B., & Blettner, M. (2009). Study design in medical research: Part 2 of a series on the evaluation of scientific publications. Deutsches Aerzteblatt International, 106(11), 184–189. Retrieved from 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC269537…

This article provides guidance in evaluating the study design of scientific publications for reliability and credibility. The authors suggest that the most important elements to consider are the question to be answered, the study population, the unit of analysis, the type of study, the measuring technique, and the calculation of sample size.

Walden University. (n.d.a). Paper templates. Retrieved July 23, 2012, from 
http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/57.htm

This website provides you access to the School of Nursing Sample Paper, which will serve as a template for formatting your papers.

Weighing the Evidence Assignment Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2012g). Hierarchy of evidence pyramid. Baltimore, MD: Author.

This multimedia piece explains the hierarchy of evidence pyramid. The piece offers definitions and key information for each level of the pyramid.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2012n). Weighing the evidence. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 6 minutes.

In this video, Dr. Kristen Mauk provides insight about how she analyzed her data and interpreted meanings of what the data showed. She describes how she drew conclusions based on the results and how she explained unexpected findings that were contrary to her initial hypotheses.

Weighing the Evidence Assignment

When conducting original research, the final step researchers must complete is weighing the evidence and interpreting the meanings of their data, statistics, and analyses. This is the culmination of the research process in which all of the research methods and designs can be synthesized into a meaningful conclusion. In this stage, researchers should formulate explanations for what their data indicates, determine whether the data answers their initial research question, identify areas of uncertainty, and consider directions for further research. Correlation does not imply causation – Weighing the Evidence Assignment.

In this Discussion, you focus on one of the research articles that you identified for Part 2 of the Course Project (Literature Review). You then explore the process of how the researchers generated conclusions based on their data, consider other possible interpretations of their data, and formulate ideas for further research.

To prepare for Weighing the Evidence Assignment:

Review this week’s Learning Resources, focusing on how researchers find meaning in their data and generate sound conclusions. Pay particular attention to Table 2 in the article, “Study Design in Medical Research.”

Revisit the 5 articles that you identified in Part 2 of the Course Project. Select one to consider for the purpose of this Discussion. Correlation does not imply causation – Weighing the Evidence Assignment.

Read sections of the chosen article where the data is presented, analyzed, and interpreted for meaning. What reasoning process did the researchers use to formulate their conclusions? What explanation did they give to support their conclusions? Were there any weaknesses in their analysis or conclusions?

Consider possible alternate conclusions that the researchers could have drawn based on their data.

Examine the findings that the article presents and consider how well they addressed the researcher’s initial question(s). What additional research could be done to build on these findings and gain a fuller understanding of the question? Correlation does not imply causation – Weighing the Evidence Assignment.

Assignment 1

WRITE an APA citation and brief summary of the research article that you selected. Describe the data and the results of any statistical tests or analyses presented in the article. Explain how the researchers formulated their conclusion, any weaknesses in their analysis or conclusions, and offer at least one alternate interpretation of their data. Propose at least one additional research study that could be done to further investigate this research topic.

Assignment 2: Course Project

Submit your Course Project. Reminder: You will combine Parts 1, 2, and 3 of your Course Project (assigned in Weeks 2, 4, and 8 respectively) into one cohesive and cogent paper. Note: In addition, include a 1-page summary of your project. Correlation does not imply causation – Weighing the Evidence Assignment.

For this final iteration you will need to:

Submit your paper to Grammarly and SafeAssign through the Walden Writing Center. Based on then Grammarly and SafeAssign reports, revise your paper as necessary.

Reminder: The School of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. Correlation does not imply causation – Weighing the Evidence Assignment.

Shattuck Lecture: A Successful and Sustainable Health System — How to Get There From Here

QUESTION 1: The Author Of The Assigned Article, “Shattuck Lecture:

This is a discussion post, ABOUT
250 WORDS
, tittle page not require In- text citation is required original work please, 
scholarly references
 are required for this assignment, 
website source strongly preferred
.

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QUESTION 1:
 The author of the assigned article, “Shattuck Lecture:

The author of the assigned article, “Shattuck Lecture: A Successful and Sustainable Health System — How to Get There From Here”

(
https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/docview/929159711?accountid=7374
) maintains that a sustainable health system has three key attributes. What are these three key attributes and what recommendations are offered to ensure efficiency, sustainability, and optimal functioning? 
A minimum of THREE academic references from credible sources are required for this assignment

Shattuck Lecture: A Successful and Sustainable Health System — How to Get There From Here

Essential Academic Writing Skills (Driverless Vehicles: A Vision for Singapore Transport​)

 Please bid for this assignment only if you can adhere to the following:

1. Stick to the given deadline, no extension will be given.

2. Send us the assignment when 50% is done and 100% done, this is for us to track your progress.

3. Be responsive 
(if you are sleeping, we can understand).

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4. No copy and pasting work, do not plagiarise. We use the Turnitin system to check for plagiarism, we do not recognise the StudyPool plagiarism checking tool. Essential Academic Writing Skills (Driverless Vehicles: A Vision for Singapore Transport​).

5. No using of fake references. (
references used must tally with content written)

Title of Assignment:

Essential Academic Writing Skills 
(Driverless Vehicles: A Vision for Singapore’s Transport
)

General Assignment Information:

Number of Words: 750

Number of References: 5

Referencing Style: APA

Deadline: 25 hours

Education Level: Degree

Please refer to attached document for 
FULL INSTRUCTIONS
.

Please 
read everything 
before bidding. Essential Academic Writing Skills (Driverless Vehicles: A Vision for Singapore Transport​)

COR160 Essential Academic Writing Skills Tutor-Marked Assignment 01 January 2018 Presentation COR160 Tutor-Marked Assignment TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT 01 This tutor-marked assignment is worth 45% of the final mark for COR160 Essential Academic Writing Skills. The cut-off date for this assignment is 2355hrs on 09 February 2018. ___________________________________________________________________________ Submit your solution document in the form of a single MS Word file on or before the cut-off date shown above. Additional instructions: 1. You will need to indicate clearly on the front page your name, student ID, course title and assignment number. Note also the following:  Spacing (between the lines): 1.5 or double spacing  Font style: Arial or Times New Roman preferred  Font size: 12 preferred (min 11 and max 13) 2. Essential Academic Writing Skills (Driverless Vehicles: A Vision for Singapore Transport​). Summarise using your own words as much as possible. You must document all information that you use from another source, or you will be penalized severely. You must acknowledge these by using the APA documentation style. This includes both in-text citations and end-of-text referencing. 3. If you copy from the work of another student, regardless of the course or programme, you will be severely penalized. You are not permitted to re-use material from past assignments whether in part or in full. All of the above actions can result in your failing the TMA. *Remember that accurate and proper documentation of information from secondary sources is essential because SUSS takes a very serious view on plagiarism. All information from secondary sources will be detected by the Turnitin software that your assignment will be put through in Canvas and anything that is not acknowledged and properly documented will be taken as an instance of plagiarism and your assignment may be failed. Scope You will find Chapters 3 (Critical Reading), 7 (Summary, Paraphrase, Quotation), 8a (Synthesizing), 8b (Synthesizing Sources) and 9 (Locating, Mining and Citing Sources) in your COR160 textbook useful. Refer also to the relevant on-line study units. SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUSS) Page 2 of 11 COR160 Tutor-Marked Assignment Learning outcomes  Cite sources in writing using the proper citation and referencing style.  Evaluate information critically from various sources to respond to a task.  Synthesise information from various sources in writing in response to a given task.  Develop a rhetorical structure of an essay. Question 1 Driverless vehicles: A vision for Singapore’s transport Imagine being able to get where you want to go, whenever you want, without the stress of driving. Imagine a neighbourhood with green and open spaces, with roads that are safe. The future of Singapore’s transport system could bring greater mobility for the elderly and the disabled. The enabling technology? Driverless vehicles. Exciting times Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technology is now coming into its own. Automakers have shifted their driverless vehicle research and development into top gear. Cities are racing to set up their regulatory and liability frameworks to facilitate the deployment of AVs. AV promises a more efficient transportation solution and lower environmental footprint by optimising road usage. In Singapore, the North-East and Downtown MRT lines, and LRT already use driverless technology to improve the punctuality of our mass transport and overcome our manpower constraints. AV-enabled mobility could be a central feature in our future town-planning, enabling commuters to get around effortlessly by offering first- and last-mile connectivity within neighbourhoods. The sharing of autonomous vehicles will reduce the number of vehicles on the roads, thereby increasing convenience to commuters. Charting new territory To this end, the Committee on Autonomous Road Transport for Singapore (CARTS) has been set up to chart the strategic direction for AV-enabled land mobility concepts in Singapore. Its members include renowned international experts, academics and industry representatives. Essential Academic Writing Skills (Driverless Vehicles: A Vision for Singapore Transport​). SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUSS) Page 3 of 11 COR160 Tutor-Marked Assignment To support the visioning work of CARTS, LTA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Singapore’s lead R&D agency, A*STAR, to set up the Singapore Autonomous Vehicle Initiative (SAVI), which will explore the technological possibilities that AVs can create for Singapore. Vision into reality Progress has been swift, with several AV research and development trials already underway. The public can try out the driverless buggies in the Jurong Lake District and the NUS campus; or the autonomous shuttle bus running from the NTU campus to Cleantech Park. On 1 January 2015, One-North will host the first public road network for the testing of driverless vehicles. Connecting Biopolis, Fusionopolis and Mediapolis, the test course comprises both light and heavy traffic routes, under real traffic conditions. A peek into the future 10 to 15 years down the road, an AV might take your children to school, before bringing you to work. Rather than being left unused at the carpark, it could then be routed to drop your parents off at the market. Such an automated system could enable car-sharing in a wider sense, with a potential to reduce passenger vehicles to a third of current numbers, according to a 2011 MIT study in Singapore. Even freight transport can be transformed. As a major air and shipping hub, Singapore has much to gain from developments in this area. With automated transport, we could be less reliant on manpower, and see improvements in safety and productivity. Optimised routes and schedules will boost performance and help keep our country at the top of the trade. A “Smart Nation” Efficient, environmentally friendly, time-saving and stress free, AVs could transform our lifestyles. Given the new challenges our city-state faces with a growing population and limited land area, a combination of new technology, new business models and forward-thinking regulation is needed to meet our needs. And AVs will play their part in this.  Adapted from Ministry of Transport website: Essential Academic Writing Skills (Driverless Vehicles: A Vision for Singapore Transport​).https://www.mot.gov.sg/TransportMatters/Motoring/Driverless-vehicles–A-vision-for-Singapore-s-transport/ There has been much discussion in the media with regard to the recent move by the Singapore government to introduce driverless vehicles on Singapore roads. Many issues in SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUSS) Page 4 of 11 COR160 Tutor-Marked Assignment relation to the implementation of such vehicles have been debated in the discussions. The two articles provided below reflect some of the sentiments regarding this issue. In about 750 words, write a synthesis essay on the factors that must be taken into consideration in implementing driverless vehicles on Singapore roads. You must formulate a thesis about this issue and provide evidence that will support your thesis. The thesis for this TMA01 is a viewpoint that does not have to be persuasive – that is, it is the conclusion you arrive at based on summarising and synthesising the information you researched on this topic. Relevant information for you to gather would be:  Issues (safety or ethical or legal or economic or etc.) surrounding driverless vehicles  Evidence for driverless vehicles  Evidence against driverless vehicles  Improvements to existing efforts to introduce driverless vehicles (100 marks) Guidance Notes 1. Use process writing to develop a rhetorical structure for your essay. 2. Strengthen your thesis with relevant examples and illustrations. 3. You may include any additional but relevant information to the ideas that have already been given in the scenario and articles. 4. You should use at least 5 research sources to help you write your essay. The given articles are considered as a separate research source each and can count towards the 5 research sources. Synthesise information from these various sources in your writing. 5. You are to use credible and reliable sources to help you write this essay. Evaluate information critically from various sources in your response. Marks will be deducted for non-credible and unreliable content. 6. Remember to use accurate grammar, correct sentence structures and a tone appropriate to academic writing. Cite sources in your writing using the proper citation and referencing style. Marks will be deducted for poor English. SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUSS) Page 5 of 11 COR160 Tutor-Marked Assignment Article 1: Driverless cars picking up speed in Singapore LAST UPDATED 03 NOVEMBER 2017 Challenges remain, but Singapore is pushing ahead with efforts to be a leading player in autonomous transport. By Annabelle Liang Last August, tech start-up nuTonomy became the world’s first company to offer inviteonly driverless taxi rides here in Singapore. The MIT spin-off company followed this landmark achievement a month later by announcing a partnership with ride-hailing company Grab that aims to make driverless rides available to the wider public. Driverless vehicles operated by nuTonomy have been travelling around a designated circuit within the one-north district since 2015, as part of an autonomous vehicle (AV) trial. The circuit has almost doubled in length to some 12km since the start of the trial. The high-profile initiative is just one of Singapore’s many efforts to use artificial intelligence (AI) in the transport sector. Essential Academic Writing Skills (Driverless Vehicles: A Vision for Singapore Transport​). Last year, the Government unveiled plans to introduce such technology to mass transport services for intra- and inter-town travel, on-demand shuttle services, freight transport, and utility operations such as road sweeping. This rising buzz of activity reflects Singapore’s efforts to become one of the leading players in a global shift towards autonomous transport. Benefits for society Novelty aside, the emergence of autonomous vehicles will result in a host of benefits for the country, beyond just the financial. These range from greater fuel efficiency and reduced road congestion to helping relieve demands on labour and land. “Autonomous vehicles are fast on its[sic] way to becoming a reality on our roads…They can enhance the efficiency and convenience of our land transportation system. Thus, it is SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUSS) Page 6 of 11 COR160 Tutor-Marked Assignment important that we do not impede their growth as some cities have done,” said Singapore’s Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng in Parliament in February this year. More significantly, experts believe that AV could also save lives by reducing the number of accidents on the road. A study by US-based non-profit Eno Centre for Transportation showed that if 90 per cent of the cars on American roads were driverless, the number of accidents would fall from 5.5 million to 1.3 million a year, and road deaths from 32,400 to 11,300. As driverless vehicles are designed to optimise efficiency, they would also boost fuel efficiency and, as a result, reduce carbon emissions. Essential Academic Writing Skills (Driverless Vehicles: A Vision for Singapore Transport​). A study by consultants McKinsey estimated that the adoption of autonomous cars could reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 300 million tons per year. Meanwhile, the elderly and disabled persons, such as the blind[,] may finally have a chance to “drive” independently with an autonomous vehicle, improving their quality of life significantly. A tricky road ahead? Despite the enormous potential of autonomous transport, there are still issues to be sorted out. On the ethical front, some have questioned who would be liable in an accident involving a vehicle with no driver. And while regulations around the world have focused on physical safety, far less has been said on the issues of privacy and cybersecurity. Autonomous vehicles require constant real-time communications between their users and the environment around them. The data collected in this process can include personal details such as location and driving habits that are valuable to marketers. Even now, certain cars feature advanced sensors that can determine if a child is on board. Such data can be used by retailers to push kid-friendly offers to the parents who are in the vicinity, for instance. Meanwhile, research has shown that vehicle controls are potentially vulnerable to hacks if there are inadequate security measures in place. “We are a long way from securing the non-autonomous vehicles, let alone the autonomous SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUSS) Page 7 of 11 COR160 Tutor-Marked Assignment ones,” said Stefan Savage, computer science professor at the University of California-San Diego, in MIT Technology Review last year. A Global Race Singapore is jostling with other countries to take the lead in the AV space, with at least 25 companies in the race. Google has been running trials in Texas and California, even as fellow tech giant Uber acquired self-driving trucking company Otto in August. Closer to home, Japanese car maker Nissan has been testing a prototype AV since 2013, while the Korean government granted a temporary license plate to its first driverless car, a Hyundai Genesis, in March 2016. Despite the progress, Minister Ng reckons that it could take 10 to 15 years for the technology to be widely deployed here Essential Academic Writing Skills (Driverless Vehicles: A Vision for Singapore Transport​). “As AV technology is not yet mature, during trials, accidents are not to be unexpected. LTA will, therefore, put in place a robust regulatory framework to minimise the possibility of accidents,” he said at a press conference in February this year, according to Channel NewsAsia. Progressively, he added, the government will put in place programmes to help Singaporeans who drive for a living, acquire new skills, and take on higher value-added jobs in an AV world. Source Link: https://www.imda.gov.sg/infocomm-and-media-news/whatstrending/2017/2/driverless-cars-picking-up-speed-in-singapore SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUSS) Page 8 of 11 COR160 Tutor-Marked Assignment Article 2: Can driverless cars survive Singaporean road users? Jeremy Au Yong Deputy News Editor PUBLISHED NOV 26, 2017, 5:00 AM SGT Human drivers cutting into their lane may be the least of multiple hazards faced by such AI cars As the country careens towards the reality of driverless cars on the roads, it is time we discuss an important ethics question that has been ignored for too long: Will robot drivers survive contact with Singaporean road users? This past week, the Government unveiled plans for robot buses to operate in three towns by 2022. That means, in just about four years, we are going to have cold, calculating robot drivers sharing our roads with human Singaporeans. The mere thought of it gives me grave concern Essential Academic Writing Skills (Driverless Vehicles: A Vision for Singapore Transport​)… for the robots. Now I know some people might think that I’m some kind of weird robot lover who has things the wrong way around. “Shouldn’t you be more worried about robots on our roads with the potential to kill us,” you are no doubt saying. And indeed, if one were to Google ‘driverless vehicles,’ one would find many articles where the primary concern is how these machines are going to deal with ethical problems. One famous example frequently brought up involves a modern-day version of the thought experiment known as the trolley problem. Imagine one day you are in a driverless vehicle going along your merry way when the brakes suddenly malfunction. You and the car are now heading straight for a group of school children crossing the street. The car could swerve to miss them but it would then plunge off a cliff, invariably killing you. The scenario throws up numerous difficult questions. How should the car solve this problem? Would it be able to make the same moral calculations that a human can? And could we ever be satisfied with either solution given that a machine has made a decision SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUSS) Page 9 of 11 COR160 Tutor-Marked Assignment about who should live and who should die? These are important philosophical problems that I’m sure will ultimately require several billions dollars [in] legal fees to resolve. But I find myself not entirely absorbed by them. For one thing, I believe instances where a machine would have to make this kind of decision will be incredibly rare – so much so that I think the number of lives lost in this manner would be infinitesimal compared to the number of lives saved by drivers that never get drunk, never fall asleep, always stick to their lanes, always observe the speed limit, do not check WhatsApp messages while driving and would never decide it’s a good idea to eat durians in the car while chucking the husk and seed out of the window (true story). However, I believe we may never get to the point where driverless cars can have this sort of positive impact if they are allowed to operate under real-world, everyday Singaporean road conditions. We have to go from zero to 100 per cent driverless vehicles at once or I fear the project will be snuffed out before it has had a chance to work. Why do I say that? I mean, ask any driver/pedestrian/cyclist and they’ll tell you: Road users here can be real %!#@$. Mix robot drivers with humans and there will be only two possible outcomes: 1) Passengers in driverless cars take forever to get anywhere. 2) Driverless cars become some of the most competitive, hyper-aggressive robots known to man – possibly heralding the dawn of the robot apocalypse. Let’s start with the first possibility. Given my understanding of how driverless cars are programmed, they will be the most polite, rule-observing, obliging cars on the road. The rest of human road users would thus instantly detect this weakness and exploit it. A passenger hoping to ride a driverless car to work during rush hour would find his ride being constantly cut off by human drivers who fail to signal. The driverless vehicle will end up immobilised in the middle of the PIE, unable to move forward because its human cousins are always cutting into its lane. And it can’t change lanes because human drivers consider giving way the equivalent of getting an involuntary lobotomy. Essential Academic Writing Skills (Driverless Vehicles: A Vision for Singapore Transport​). Going driverless: The future of Singapore’s transport system And these are just your more run-of-the-mill Singaporean road users. God knows how the driverless car will deal with that guy who reverses into you and then accuses you of driving into him; or that guy who does not understand the concept of a yellow box and insists on stopping in it even if it means blocking traffic. SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUSS) Page 10 of 11 COR160 Tutor-Marked Assignment What about that guy who rides an e-scooter on the expressway believing it’s a motorbike; or that guy who rides his $10,000 racing bicycle in the middle of the road because he believes that his legs can propel him at the same speed as a two-litre turbo engine. Then there is that pedestrian who leaps on the car hood feigning injury in the hopes of getting some kind of payout; that guy who plays the braking game; and whatever other genius way of using the road somebody will eventually come up with. I am sure any driverless car will malfunction within minutes of exposure to real Singapore road conditions. Of course, they don’t have to be programmed this way. They are, after all, artificially intelligent machines that can learn and adapt over time. That’s where I fear the second scenario – one where driverless cars essentially learn how to drive on Singapore roads. These robots will then be able to anticipate, counteract and beat road users at their own game. The Singaporean driverless car, would become – in essence – an uber kiasu driver (as opposed to a kiasu Uber driver). Imagine having to confront an army of focused, tireless, unrelenting Singaporean drivers. There will be only one way to stop them: ERP. —– END OF COR160 TMA01 —– SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUSS) Page 11 of 11 Essential Academic Writing Skills (Driverless Vehicles: A Vision for Singapore Transport​)

NUR-647 Cognitive Developmental Patterns and Individual Learning Styles

As faculty members, you have been asked to design a 4-hour Leadership Strategies course that would accommodate the learning styles for a selected 10 students. The students have all completed a learning style inventory in which three of the students are determined visual learners, four are kinesthetic learners, and the rest are auditory learners. NUR-647 Cognitive Developmental Patterns and Individual Learning Styles Note: The intended audience for the course can be either newly graduated nurses or experienced staff nurses as you choose.

Compose a 1,000-1,250-word paper which describes your plan to accommodate the learning styles of each student. This plan starts with defining course objectives; use the “A-B-C-D Method of Writing Objectives” resource as a guide. The objectives should incorporate Bloom’s taxonomy, be written at the appropriate level for the audience, and include at least two learning domains (cognitive, psychomotor, and affective). Make sure to include the following:

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An outline of the course content and agenda that will be covered.

Descriptions of the learning activities and the rationale for the learning activities selected

Strategies to assess learning, based on the learner objectives

Use at least three scholarly, peer-reviewed resources less than 5 years old in addition to the course materials. NUR-647 Cognitive Developmental Patterns and Individual Learning Styles.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is required.

Refer to “Learning Styles Rubric,” prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

Learning Styles Rubric

NUR-647 Cognitive Developmental Patterns and Individual Learning Styles

Criteria

% Value

No Submission

1: Unsatisfactory0-75%

2: Less Than Satisfactory76-80%

3: Satisfactory81-88%

4: Good89-92%

5: Excellent93-100%

% Scaling

0%

75%

80%

88%

92%

100%

Content – 75% NUR-647 Cognitive Developmental Patterns and Individual Learning Styles

Designed a 4 hour class that would accommodate the learning style of each of the students

15%

None

Barely designs a 4 hour class that does not accommodate the learning style of each student.

Minimally designs a 4 hour class that would accommodate the learning style of each student.

Designs a 4 hour class but does not clearly accommodate the learning style of each student.

Clearly designs a 4 hour class but does not clearly accommodate the learning style of each student.

Clearly designs a 4 hour class that would clearly accommodate the learning style of each student.

Composed the learner objectives for the course

15%

None

Incorrectly composes the learner objectives for the class design. Uses Blooms taxonomy and the A, B, C, D format for objectives with many errors.

Minimally composes the learner objectives for the class design. Uses Blooms taxonomy and the A, B, C, D format for objectives with some errors.

Composes the learner objectives for the class design. Uses Blooms taxonomy and the A, B, C, D format for objectives with few errors.

Clearly composes the learner objectives for the class design. Uses Blooms taxonomy appropriately and the A, B, C, D format for objectives, but not expertly.

Clearly composes the learner objectives for the class design. Expertly uses Blooms taxonomy appropriately and the A, B, C, D format for objectives.

Outline the class content and agenda

10%

None

Barely outlines the class content and agenda – substantially unorganized.

Minimally outlines the class content and agenda – somewhat unorganized.

Outlines the class content and agenda, but neither is clear.

Clearly outlines the class content or agenda, but not both.

Clearly outlines the class content and agenda.

Describe the learning activities and the rationale for the learning activities selected for the group of students

15%

None

NUR-647 Cognitive Developmental Patterns and Individual Learning Styles

Barely describes the learning activities and explains the rationale for the learning activities you have selected for your group of students.

Minimally describes the learning activities and explains the rationale for the learning activities you have selected for your group of students.

Describes the learning activities and explains the rationale for the learning activities you have selected for your group of students.

Clearly describes the learning activities and explains the rationale for the learning activities you have selected for your group of students. Description is not always comprehensive.

Clearly and comprehensively describes the learning activities and explains the rationale for the learning activities you have selected for your group of students.

Describe the strategies to assess learning based on the learner objectives

15%

None

Barely describes the strategies to assess learning based on the learner objectives. There is no logical connection between the assessment strategies and the learner objectives.

Minimally describes the strategies to assess learning based on the learner objectives. There is little logical connection between the assessment strategies and the learner objectives.

Describes the strategies to assess learning based on the learner objectives. There is a logical connection between the assessment strategies and the learner objectives.

Clearly describes the strategies to assess learning based on the learner objectives. Description is not always comprehensive.  There is a logical connection between the assessment strategies and the learner objectives, although the connection is not evident without description.

Clearly and comprehensively describes the strategies to assess learning based on the learner objective. There is a clearly evident logical connection between the assessment strategies and the learner objectives.

Scholarly references Utilizes at least 3 scholarly, peer-reviewed resources less than 5 years old other in addition to course materials

3%

None

Selected literature is irrelevant and insufficient. Does not meet stated criteria. Does not use evidence-based sources when available. Uses only course materials.

Weak selection of sufficient and relevant literature (less than 5 years old) no scholarly, peer-reviewed references used – other than course materials) Uses only course materials.

Fair selection of sufficient and relevant literature (less than 5 years old) at least 1 scholarly, peer-reviewed references used – other than course materials) Does not use evidence-based sources when available.

Partial selection of sufficient and relevant literature (less than 5 years old) at least 2 scholarly, peer-reviewed references used – other than course materials) Uses evidence-based sources when available.

Excellent selection of sufficient and relevant literature (less than 5 years old) at least 3 scholarly, peer-reviewed references used – other than course materials) Uses evidence-based sources when available.

Length

2%

None

Unacceptable adherence to assignment length criteria (less than or more than 50 percent of stated criteria).

Poor adherence to assignment length criteria (within 50 percent of stated criteria).

Weak adherence to assignment length criteria (within 25 percent of stated criteria)
.

Adequate adherence to assignment length criteria (within 10 percent of stated criteria).

Excellent adherence to assignment length criteria (within stated criteria).

Organization and Effectiveness – 20%

Thesis Development and Purpose

8%

None

Paper lacks any discernible overall purpose or organizing claim.

The main thesis claims are insufficiently developed and/or vague; purpose is not clear.

The main thesis claims are apparent and appropriate to purpose.

The main thesis claims are clear and forecast the development of the paper.  It is descriptive, reflective of the arguments, and appropriate to the purpose.

The main thesis claims are comprehensive; contained within the thesis is the essence of the paper.  Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear.

Paragraph Development and Transitions

7%

None

Paragraphs and transitions consistently lack unity and coherence.  No apparent connections between paragraphs are established. Transitions are inappropriate to purpose and scope.  Organization is disjointed.

Some paragraphs and transitions may lack logical progression of ideas, unity, coherence, and/or cohesiveness.  Some degree of organization is evident.

Paragraphs are generally competent, but ideas may show some inconsistency in organization and/or in their relationships to each other.

A logical progression of ideas between paragraphs is apparent.  Paragraphs exhibit a unity, coherence, and cohesiveness.  Topic sentences and concluding remarks are appropriate to purpose.

There is a sophisticated construction of paragraphs and transitions.  Ideas progress and relate to each other.  Paragraph and transition construction guide the reader.  Paragraph structure is seamless.

Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use)

5%

None

Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice and sentence construction are used.

Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register), sentence structure, and word choice are present.

Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are used.

Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. A variety of sentence structures and effective figures of speech are used.

Writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English.

Format – 5% NUR-647 Cognitive Developmental Patterns and Individual Learning Styles

APA Format

4%

None

Correct APA format is not evident in the paper.

Correct APA format is infrequently used in the paper: cover page, margins, double-spacing, font size, and all other elements of APA.

Correct APA format is inconsistently used in the paper: cover page, margins, double-spacing, and all other elements of APA.

Correct APA format is mostly used in the paper: cover page, margins, double-spacing, font size, and all other elements of APA.

Correct APA format is consistently used in the paper: cover page, margins, double-spacing, font size, and all other elements of APA. Such as headings and pagination.

Research Citations         (In-text citations for paraphrasing and direct quotes, and reference page listing and formatting, as appropriate to assignment)

1%

None

No reference page is included. No citations are used.

Reference page is present. Citations are inconsistently used.

Reference page is included and lists sources used in the paper. Sources are appropriately documented, although some errors may be present.

Reference page is present and fully inclusive of all cited sources. Documentation is appropriate and GCU style is usually correct.

In-text citations and a reference page are complete. The documentation of cited sources is free of error.

NUR-647 Cognitive Developmental Patterns and Individual Learning Styles

Strategic Human Resource Management Presentation

Review
 the strategic plan of your organization’s HR department.

Research 
professional Microsoft
®
 PowerPoint
®
 presentation design.

Create
 a professional 12- to 15-slide Microsoft
®
 PowerPoint
®
 presentation to present to your Chief Nursing Officer that details your research. Address the following areas in your presentation, including why each is important:

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Nurse retention rates for your organization

Various educational levels of nurses and a chart of your findings

Analysis of the employee satisfaction survey results and areas for improvement

What human resource management is

Plans to recruit specialty nurses

Why proactive action is important in the areas identified

Recommended interventions

Strategic Human Resource Management Presentation

Research
 at least 4 peer-reviewed journal articles less than 5 years old to support your assignment.

Include
 detailed speaker notes, and a slide with APA-formatted references.

Click
 the Assignment Files tab to submit your Strategic Human Resource Management Presentation assignment.

Grading Criteria: Strategic Human Resource Management Presentation

Content: 
9 points possible

Points possible

Points earned

Student accurately presents retention rates of nurses.

9

Student identified the different educational levels of the nurses.

Student analyses statistical satisfaction results and provide and listed areas for improvement.

Student describes organizations recruitment plans for specialty nurses.

Student provides at least two additional recommended evidence-based strategies to meet the human resource management goals of the organization.

Student used at least 4 peer-reviewed journal articles less than 5 years old.

Student provides detailed speaker notes.

Format: 
3 points possible

Points possible

Points earned

The presentation–including table and graphs, headings, title slide, and reference slide–is according to APA formatting guidelines and meets course-level requirements.

3

Presentation is 12 to 15 Strategic Human Resource Management Presentation slides.

Presentation is professional and has a scholarly tone.

Intellectual property is recognized with in-text citations and a reference page.

Presentation is organized and flows well; including an introduction and conclusion.

Follows the professional Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation design.

Rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation are followed; spelling is correct.

Total

12

Comments:

Quantitative research that has health care implications

Provide an example of a societal trend that will likely impact nursing education and patient education in the future. Provide a multidisciplinary strategy that would maximize the positive impact the trend will have. There are numerous examples that are available; therefore, it is not appropriate to repeat one that has already been provided, unless approved by the instructor. When responding to a post, provide feedback on the strategy suggested and add an additional strategy that may be effective as well. Quantitative research that has health care implications. The Future of Nursing Education and Patient Education

NUR 649E Week 7:

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Question 1=

Read “Thirty-Two Trends Affecting Distance Education: An Informed Foundation for Strategic Planning,” located on the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration website at 
http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall63/howell63.html
. Select one of the trends and explain how you think it will impact nursing education. This article was written in 2003. Is there a need to update the trend to make the article relevant for today? How? Quantitative research that has health care implications.

Anxiety Among School Children Discussion – Choose articles (peer reviewed and 4 years old ) that will answer answer this questions. Reference APA format.

My Title is: Anxiety Among School Children

Please attach pdf versions of articles used.

Level 1 Questions

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How do personal or family religious preferences affect on anxiety level at school?

Will cultural or sport activities reduce anxiety level among students?

Does spiritual education reflect on anxiety level during academic activities?

Level 2 Questions

How can cultural or spiritual activities effect on anxiety treatment?

Can cultural or lifestyle preference become a way of reducing anxiety and outcome to higher results on tests?

Will marijuana or smoking as a cultural preference become a legal treatment against anxiety at schools? Anxiety Among School Children Discussion

NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II Essay Assignments

NUR 649E
 
Weekly Assignments

Week 3:

(Application of Technology in Nursing and Patient Education)

Each student will select one technology application and describe its use within nursing in general or in patient education. Address the significance of the selected technology, attributes of the selected technology (i.e., accuracy, cost, accessibility, etc.), and provide specific examples with rationale of situations in which the technology application as an educational tool would provide advantages as well as disadvantages. In addition, relate the use of the selected technology application to the appropriate professional standards and competencies. NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II Essay Assignments.

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This assignment may be completed in one of the following formats (with quantitative criteria) listed below:

1.APA-formatted paper (1,000-1,250 words)

2.PowerPoint presentation with comprehensive speakers’ notes (12-15 slides)

3.Podcast (10-15 minutes)

4.Blog or Web page (1,000-1,250 words)

5.Any other technology application as approved by the instructor

After you have completed this assignment, you will further post the assignment to the Topic 4 Discussion Forum as specified by the instructor. Within the Topic 4 forum, select and review four technology applications that are new to you in that you have not experienced them in the nursing environment. Explain how each of the four reviewed applications may be modified or adapted for your specific field or to a specific patient population. Ask questions as needed to each classmate about the application. In addition to providing constructive feedback to your peers, your posts should include responses to any questions asked, as well as replies. NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II Essay Assignments.

APA format is required for essays only. Solid academic writing is always expected. For all assignment delivery options, documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

NUR 649E Week 1 
Question 1

Find a research article on designing learning activities that promotes critical thinking. Summarize the article for your classmates in 1-2 paragraphs. Explain why you chose this study and how this information could be used in your selected area of education (academic, staff, or patient). Be sure to include the entire citation in APA format. The article you select cannot be from any of the course materials or supplemental readings. NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II Essay Assignments. (Note: It is a violation of copyright law to post the entire text of an article to an online discussion board. Post only the citation information so that it can be referenced by others. Use correct APA format for citations.)

Question 2

Teaching in Nursing: A Guide for Faculty lists several principles for selecting learning activities. Select one of the principles and explain why it would be important to you in your selected area of education (academic, staff, or patient).

NUR 649E
 
Week 2: NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II

Question 1=

Review “Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education,” located on the American Psychological Association website at 
http://www.apa.org/science/programs/testing/fair-code.aspx
. What are your thoughts after reading the document? Did you realize it existed? How does the code apply to nursing education? The Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education is over 10 years old. Is it still relevant today? Why? If not, how should it be revised? Use correct APA format when citing.

Question 2=

What would be a reasonable evaluation strategy for patient education?

NUR 649E
 
Week 3:

Question 1=

Chapter 20 in Teaching in Nursing: A Guide for Faculty discusses the use of technology in nursing education. In addition to the technology mentioned in that chapter, there are many other types of technology devices available today such as eReaders, smartphones, and net books, to name just a few. Select one type of technology application and explain how it is changing the nature of the learning environment and/or the learner’s experience in it. NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II Essay Assignments.

Question 2=

Select a specific technology and describe how the use of that technology in nursing education would differ with different types of students.

Note: You may not select a technology that has already been posted by another student; you must select a different one. (This discussion question should be done in advance so that there will be no confusion on whatever technology is chosen).

NUR 649E Week 4: NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II

Question 1=

Review four new technology applications posted that you have not had experience with in the nursing environment. For each technology application, explain how it may be modified or adapted for your specific field or patient population. NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II Essay Assignments. Feel free to ask questions about the application as well. As classmates post to your assignments or ask questions, respond to each.

Question 2=

Present the history of one form of distance learning (other than online learning). Explain how the distance learning format originated. Would you consider using it in your practice? Address the advantages and disadvantages of the selected distance education format.

NUR 649E
 
Week 5:

Question 1=

Identify the personal characteristics of a student that would support his/her success in distance education. Faculty and students may need different competencies. Choose to discuss the competency needed by either faculty or students; you do not have to do both. NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II Essay Assignments.

Question 2=

What is the role of faculty in distance education?

NUR 649E
 
Week 6:

Question 1=

How might assessment of quality in distance education differ from assessment of quality in a traditional classroom setting?

Question 2=

Many schools hire adjunct faculty to fill online teaching positions. How might that practice impact the quality of the online education?

NUR 649E Week 7:

Question 1=

Read “Thirty-Two Trends Affecting Distance Education: An Informed Foundation for Strategic Planning,” located on the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration website at 
http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall63/howell63.html
. Select one of the trends and explain how you think it will impact nursing education. NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II Essay Assignments. This article was written in 2003. Is there a need to update the trend to make the article relevant for today? How?

Question 2=

Provide an example of a societal trend that will likely impact nursing education and patient education in the future. Provide a multidisciplinary strategy that would maximize the positive impact the trend will have. There are numerous examples that are available; therefore, it is not appropriate to repeat one that has already been provided, unless approved by the instructor. When responding to a post, provide feedback on the strategy suggested and add an additional strategy that may be effective as well. NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II

NUR 649E
 
Week 8:

Question 1=

Discuss whether there should be additional criteria to become a distance nurse educator. Explain your response. If you agree that there should be additional criteria, what standards would you set?

Question 2=

Predict the career potential for nurse educators in online education. Justify your response by referring to societal trends as studied in Topic 7. NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II Essay Assignments.

NUR 649E
 
Week 5: NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II

(Distance Education Learning)

Describe an issue that impacts distance-education learning. The selected issue can be a faculty issue, student issue, or administrative issue. Examine the issue and its significance to distance education.

Assume that you are in a leadership position for the development of either nursing or patient education. Propose strategies on how your organization can meet challenges posed by the issue you selected in order to continue providing quality distance-education learning. Support your proposal by incorporating evidence-based literature and relevant professional standards.

This assignment may be completed in one of the formats (with quantitative criteria) listed below (Note: You must select a format different than the format you submitted for the Topic 3 assignment):

1.APA-formatted paper (1,000-1,250 words)

2.PowerPoint presentation with comprehensive speakers’ notes (12-15 slides)

3.Podcast (10-15 minutes)

4.Blog or Web page (1,000-1,250 words)

5.Any other technology application as approved by the instructor

APA format is required for essays only. Solid academic writing is always expected. For all assignment delivery options, documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

NUR 649E
 
Week 7:

(Personal Class Design Project: Part 2) This is a group project. I will let you know what part in the team assignment I have. NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II Essay Assignments.

Using the “Personal Class Design Project – Part 1” assignment you began in NUR-647E, you will complete the course design to include learner objectives, outline, teaching strategies, and associated evaluation, and method.

Using Part I, write and revise the original learner objectives submitted.

Use the A-B-C-D method of writing objectives. The objectives should incorporate Bloom’s taxonomy, be written at the appropriate level for the audience, and include at least two learning domains (cognitive, psychomotor, and affective). Refer to “NUR-649E – Nursing Education Seminar II: A-B-C-D Approach to Objective Writing” and “NUR-649E – Nursing Education Seminar II: Learning Domains.”

Map out a class time frame, outlining when to cover each of the content areas. Refer to “NUR-649E – Nursing Education Seminar II: Lesson Plan Template.”

In addition to the content area, include the class time frame:

1.Time frame for covering each topic area

2.Teaching strategy for each objective

3.How the learning will be evaluated

Include rationale for each selected instruction and the evaluation method used.

There is no predetermined length for this assignment. It is intended that each student will develop a class that can be utilized in the student’s selected area of education.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II Essay Assignments. An abstract is not required.

NUR 649E
 
Week 8: NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II

(CLC – Critical Thinking Strategies Case Study)

This is a Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) assignment.

Each CLC group will design a case study (1,750-2,000 words) of an educational situation in an academic nursing or hospital-based educational setting. When designing the case study, do the following:

1.Identify the educational setting: Is it an academic setting as in a university, or is it hospital based?

2.Identify the educational needs that will be addressed using distance education.

3.Develop learner objectives and evaluation strategies specific to the case study situation.

4.Explain what technological applications will be utilized.

5. Include an assessment model as the basis for the evaluation plan (refer to Chapter 25 in Teaching in Nursing: A Guide for Faculty).

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II Essay Assignments.

Topic: New preceptors in hospital setting, hospital setting for new preceptors”. A case study for inpatient nurses for becoming new preceptors

Assignment: Develop at least 3 learner objectives for developing a preceptor class and develop critical thinking skills + Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the evaluation methods for the preceptor class (2 slides each part=4 slides) NUR 649E Nursing Education Seminar II Essay Assignments.

SOWK 627 Assignment 1: 
Policy Analysis

General Information about Course Assignments 1-4

The assignments for this course include a combination of individual assignments (1 and 2) and group assignments (3 and 4), all done in collaboration with an assigned Content Cluster (groups of 4-5 students) focused on one of five broad content areas (Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice, Education, Health/Mental Health, and Poverty), a common social problem and an identified area of systemic reform. For example, a content cluster focused on Child Welfare may identify the social problem of Transition Age Youth and Homelessness upon exiting the foster care system. Cluster members as their focus area. SOWK 627 Assignment 1: Policy Analysis. They should then begin by assessing what type of systemic reform is happening around their identified issue and then each member should choose a policy that contributes and/or is related in some way to the social problem, population and area of systemic reform. Content Cluster areas/groups will be decided on no later than Class Session 2 and Content Cluster. SOWK 627 Assignment 1: Policy Analysis.

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Assignment 1 will be an individual assignment focused on a policy change in support of an identified target population within the assigned content area. Assignment 2, also an individual assignment, will build off of Assignment 1 and asks students to research available quantitative and qualitative data (obtained through informant interviews) to support implementation of their chosen policy at the organizational level (agency or system). SOWK 627 Assignment 1: Policy Analysis. Assignments 3 (Capstone paper) and 4 (Capstone presentation), both group assignments, ask content clusters to shift their research from individual policy change to large scale reform, identifying relevant policy changes and available data in support of a previously identified area of systemic reform related to their content area. Groups will also be responsible for developing and presenting an innovative model for change to address the identified area of systemic reform based on one of the models/approaches discussed during class sessions 8-11. The focus should be on systemic reform rather than a specific program for a specific agency. Because group assignments 3 and 4 build off of individual assignments 1 and 2, it is essential that content clusters consult early on in the semester with one another and throughout the semester to ensure that their individual work completed for Assignments 1 and 2 will contribute to successful completion of Assignments 3 and 4. Content Clusters should identify and determine no later than Week 3  what their common social problem and large scale reform area will be and no later than Week 4 what their individual policy topics for Assignments 1 and 2 will be. SOWK 627 Assignment 1: Policy Analysis.

Assignment 1 Guidelines

Provide an analysis of a recent policy (policies may include an enacted law, resolution or ordinance) approved at the federal, state level (state legislature) or County level (County governing body) that is related to your identified content cluster area, target population and agreed upon (by content cluster) area of systemic reform SOWK 627 Assignment 1: Policy Analysis. The policy should have been enacted within the last 5 years. We will spend some time in class discussing strategies for identifying and researching relevant policies.

Each Content Cluster should email their instructor by Week 4 with this information to ensure that the individual policies chosen by each cluster member for Assignments 1 and 2 will serve as a foundation for the successful completion of Assignments of 3 and 4.

Your paper should follow the below outline:

Introduction, Social Issue and Context for change
 – (Suggested 2-3 pages)

Introduction, title and summary of the chosen policy

What need/social problem and target population(s) does the policy seek to address? Provide relevant research/data to help the reader understand the need for the policy and who it was intended to help.

Discuss the context for change – was it driven by demographic or socioeconomic changes? By lawsuits or complaints from the field? Was it informed by human rights or social justice concerns? SOWK 627 Assignment 1: Policy Analysis. Describe the relevant historical and social context.

Is this policy part of a larger reform effort or was it developed to address a single issue? If part of a larger reform effort, briefly discuss the larger reform effort and how this policy fits into these efforts?

Explain why/how you chose this topic? What if any connection does the policy/ topic area have to you personally and/or or professionally?

Key elements of the legislative decision making process
.  (Suggested 2-3 pages)

When, where (decision making body) and by whom (author) was it introduced?

Summarize the most relevant parts of the policy (what it aims to do and how)?

Describe the legislative process from idea to enactment. Who were the key decision makers? How long did it take to go through the legislative process? Describe any barriers the policy took toward enactment.

What is the current status of the policy? Is it time limited?

Who are the proponents/opponents of the policy and what are key arguments?

What is the budget/fiscal impact for this policy? What resources will be needed to ensure implementation of the policy? SOWK 627 Assignment 1: Policy Analysis.

What impact or outcomes are expected and/or have been seen since implementation? (Suggested 1-2 pages)

Based on available research, has the policy met its intended goal(s) and/or is it likely to address the intended goal(s)?

In what ways might/are social workers be involved in the implementation of this policy?

If the policy is already in implementation, discuss briefly what implementation has been like thus far, including any challenges/barriers to implementation. If it has not yet been implemented, discuss what is expected?

Conclusion- discuss the implications of this policy for social work, social workers or and/or intended target populations. In what way does/will this policy advance social justice? SOWK 627 Assignment 1: Policy Analysis.

SOWK 627 Assignment 1: Policy Analysis

POINT ALLOCATION RUBRIC

Section 1

                       7 points

Section 2

                       7  points

Section 3

                       4 points

APA, General Grammar, Structure and Flow

                       2 points

TOTAL

                            20 points

The paper should:

Be APA-formatted throughout and include a title page, reference page(s), running header and page numbers. Use of first person should be avoided per APA.

Use double spacing, 12-point font and 1 inch margins all around

Be between 6-8 pages, not including references and appendices. Points will be deducted for papers that exceed the page limit.

Include a minimum of 7 academic references. Academic references may include journal articles, policy/research reports/data from state, county or non-profit/private agencies and/or documents obtained from government/policy source as well as course readings.

Include a link to your policy in the reference section OR include a copy of your policy as an attachment to your paper.

Late submissions will result in a 5% deduction for each day of late submission (absent prior agreement between student and instructor)

Unit 4 Activity

What is AB 12?

AB 12 is the bill that allows foster care for eligible youth to extend beyond the age of 18 and up to age 21.

Who led the Implementation Planning?

Implementation Planning was led by was led by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), and involved a diverse group of stakeholders. CDSS and the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) SOWK 627 Assignment 1: Policy Analysis.

What are the elements of their proposed four-tiered framework?

The first tier is made up of stakeholders and informants which sustained the vision. The second tier is made up of a coordinating leadership team which was responsible for overseeing implementation. The third tier was made up of the Five Focus Area Teams which was responsible for guiding the efforts around the bill. The fourth tier was for stakeholder input. SOWK 627 Assignment 1: Policy Analysis.

For this Cultural Awareness and Health Literacy Level Essay Assignment Discussion, you will analyze a health-related scenario to determine how differences in health literacy levels may affect the success of a public health outreach program. In addition, you will consider the appropriateness of the outreach material from a cultural awareness standpoint, and how you might apply the lessons learned from the scenario to improve additional outreach efforts.

With these thoughts in mind:

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Consider the following scenario:

You are a public health or healthcare administration professional charged with implementing a new outreach program for colorectal cancer in an urban population. You are handed materials and protocols used in a previous outreach program targeting college-educated white adults. Be sure to take into account health literacy levels in your Discussion. Cultural Awareness and Health Literacy Level Assignment

Submit a 3- to 4-paragraph post that includes the following:

Explain how differences in health literacy levels may affect the success of your outreach program.

Next, using the concept of culturally competent care covered in this week’s Learning Resources, identify two ways in which the outreach material or protocols may not be appropriate for your population. Cultural Awareness and Health Literacy Level Assignment

What lessons can you take from this experience with colorectal outreach efforts, and how might you apply these lessons to improving breast cancer screening?

Refer to the Hasnain, Menon, Ferrans, and Szalacha (2014) article found in this week’s Learning Resources. Cultural Awareness and Health Literacy Level Assignment

JOURNAL OF WOMEN’S HEALTH Volume 23, Number 7, 2014 ª Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2013.4569 Breast Cancer Screening Practices Among First-Generation Immigrant Muslim Women Memoona Hasnain, MD, MHPE, PhD,1 Usha Menon, PhD, RN, FAAN,2 Carol Estwing Ferrans, PhD, RN, FAAN,3 and Laura Szalacha, EdD 4 Abstract Background: The purpose of this study was to identify beliefs about breast cancer, screening practices, and factors associated with mammography use among first-generation immigrant Muslim women in Chicago, IL. Methods: A convenience sample of 207 first-generation immigrant Muslim women (Middle Eastern 51%; South Asian 49%) completed a culturally adapted questionnaire developed from established instruments. The questionnaire was administered in Urdu, Hindi, Arabic, or English, based on participant preference. Internalconsistency reliability was demonstrated for all scales (alpha coefficients ranged from 0.64 to 0.91). Associations between enabling, predisposing, and need variables and the primary outcome of mammography use were explored by fitting logistic regression models. Cultural Awareness and Health Literacy Level Essay Assignment. Results: Although 70% of the women reported having had a mammogram at least once, only 52% had had one within the past 2 years. Four factors were significant predictors of ever having had a mammogram: years in the United States, self-efficacy, perceived importance of mammography, and intent to be screened. Five factors were significant predictors of adherence (having had a mammogram in the past 2 years): years in the United States, having a primary care provider, perceived importance of mammography, barriers, and intent to be screened. Conclusions: This article sheds light on current screening practices and identifies theory-based constructs that facilitate and hinder Muslim women’s participation in mammography screening. Our findings provide insights for reaching out particularly to new immigrants, developing patient education programs grounded in culturally appropriate approaches to address perceived barriers and building women’s self-efficacy, as well as systemslevel considerations for ensuring access to primary care providers. Introduction B reast cancer is a leading cause of death and disability globally and is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, regardless of race or ethnicity, in the United States.1 Early detection of breast cancer is a key to reducing morbidity and mortality. Substantial increases in mammography use in the 1990s resulted in up to 30% reduction in mortality attributed to breast cancer.2–8 Despite these advances, segments of our population have not benefited from cancer prevention and control efforts, and disparities in breast cancer screening and health outcomes persist for minority groups.1,9–15 Low mammography use has been associated with a variety of factors, including not having a medical home, not having health insurance, being a recent immigrant, and having low levels of knowledge and awareness about breast cancer.16–18 Migration to Western countries and increased length of stay are associated with increased risk of breast cancer,19 which in turn is attributed to a number of factors and is compounded by barriers to timely screening.20 Ethnicminority women residing in Western countries are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced-stage disease and hence have higher mortality rates.21 This often results from lower utilization of timely breast cancer screening services.22–26 Personalizing or tailoring education about mammography to 1 Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. 3 College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. 4 Center for Research and Transdisciplinary Scholarship, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. Cultural Awareness and Health Literacy Level Essay Assignment. This research was presented at Women’s Health 2012: The 20th Annual Congress in Washington, DC, and received the First Place Award in Community & Public Health Research from the Office of Research on Women’s Health, National Institutes of Health. 2 602 BREAST CANCER SCREENING FOR MUSLIM WOMEN patients’ culture and beliefs has the potential to increase breast cancer prevention awareness and screening utilization.27–33 The purpose of this study was to identify beliefs about breast cancer, screening practices, and factors associated with mammography use among first-generation immigrant Muslim women (born outside the United States) in Chicago, IL. In the United States, immigrant Muslim women represent a fastgrowing and understudied population whose healthcare behaviors and utilization of health services, including cancer screening, are influenced by religious and cultural beliefs.34–38 There is a paucity of rigorous theory-based, descriptive, and intervention research on this population, and few studies have evaluated breast cancer incidence, stage, treatment, and mortality rates for Muslim women. Preliminary evidence suggests that Muslim women underutilize mammography.34,39–40 More importantly, lack of cultural accommodation hinders Muslim women’s utilization of mammography services. When breast cancer screening programs are not structured in a manner consistent with their beliefs and customs, Muslim women choose not to participate.34,39–40 The number of Muslims in the United States is estimated to be 2–6 million (47% women) and growing.41–43 African American Muslims indigenous to the United States comprise the largest number of American Muslims. Apart from these, immigrant Muslims are extremely varied ethnically, coming from virtually every country where Muslims live. The largest group of Muslim immigrants in the United States is from South Asian (SA) countries (33%), followed by the Middle Eastern (ME) countries (25%).44 Hence, these two immigrant groups were the focus of our research. The limited literature on ME women indicates that breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in this group in their home countries, as well as when they immigrate to Western countries.45–51 Within the United States, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among SA women in California.52 In the United Kingdom, the risk of breast cancer among SA women differs according to their specific ethnic subgroup; Muslim women from India and Pakistan are almost twice as likely to develop breast cancer as their counterparts.53 In Australia, immigrants from Pakistan, a country with a predominantly (95%) Muslim population,54 present with the highest age-standardized breast cancer mortality rate.55 Multiple factors, such as language barriers; lack of medical insurance; geographical barriers; and limited knowledge, education, and access to healthcare services, contribute to barriers faced by immigrant women in accessing and utilizing healthcare.56 In order to identify factors that influence Muslim women’s decision making to engage in breast cancer screening, our study had the following three primary objectives: 1. Develop a culturally relevant survey to assess screening practices and to identify factors associated with mammography use by Muslim women. 2. Confirm psychometric properties of survey subscales in differing languages. 3. Explore the associations between mammography use and predisposing, enabling, and need variables. Cultural Awareness and Health Literacy Level Essay Assignment. Three theoretical models—the Andersen Behavioral Model of Health Services Utilization,57,58 the Health Belief 603 Model,59–61 and the Transtheoretical Model62–64—were used to guide the development of the study. Materials and Methods Study design and setting A cross-sectional study design was used to survey 215 first-generation immigrant Muslim women. The study was conducted in Chicago, IL, home to a large number of immigrant Muslims. According to estimates by the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, approximately 400,000 Muslims live in the Chicago area. Recruitment sites were several Chicago-based community agencies and faithbased institutions. Data collectors were bilingual or trilingual females and were trained research interviewers. Survey development and translation took place in 2008 and 2009; survey administration and data collection, in 2009 and 2010. The Institutional Review Board of the University of Illinois at Chicago approved this study. Measures and survey development A written survey was developed to collect information on two sets of core measures: 1. Breast cancer screening practices, with mammography the primary dependent variable. Participants were asked about their past mammography use and future intent to screen in order to assess stage of readiness. Mammography use was categorized as (a) never having had a mammogram (never-screened group), (b) having had at least one mammogram but none in the past 2 years (overdue group), and (c) having had a mammogram in the past 2 years (adherent group). For our study, the National Cancer Institute recommendations for breast cancer screening were used to define adherence: mammogram screening every 1–2 years, beginning at age 40.64 2. Predictors of mammography screening, organized into predisposing, enabling, and need categories (see Table 1). Three instruments—the Champion Breast Health Survey,65 Ferrans Cultural Beliefs Scale,66 and Suinn-Lew Asian SelfIdentity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA)67—were adapted, combined into one survey, and translated into the study languages (Urdu, Hindi, and Arabic). Focus groups were conducted to confirm that the survey items were understandable and culturally relevant to the target population (described later). Champion Breast Health Survey. The widely used subscales for breast cancer screening beliefs (perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and perceived self-efficacy), with established reliability and validity,68 were included in our study. All subscales have good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alphas greater than 0.70) and construct validity (demonstrated by confirmatory factor analysis; all subscales were unidimensional). Ferrans Cultural Beliefs Scale. This scale, which measures cultural beliefs about breast cancer, has previously been tested with African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian women. The instrument focuses on beliefs in three content 604 HASNAIN ET AL. Table 1. Predictors of Mammography Use Predisposing a Perceived risk (susceptibility) for developing breast cancer Perceived benefitsa— positive outcomes associated with screening for breast cancer Perceived barriersa—obstacles associated with breast cancer screening Self-efficacya—self-confidence in one’s ability to get a mammogram Knowledgea—cognitive information about breast cancer risk, screening recommendations, causes, treatment, and cure Emotional factors—fear and shame associated with breast cancer and mammography screening Cultural factorsb—cultural beliefs regarding breast cancer Global rating of importance of mammography—self-perceived overall importance of the need for getting a mammogram Enabling Need Education Income Insurance—third-party payer of healthcare costs Acculturationc—modification of the culture of a group or individual as a result of contact with a different culture Self-perceived health status Physician recommendation— patients’ perception of recommendation by their respective providers to screen a Source: Champion Breast Health Survey65 modified/refined via focus groups. Source: Ferrans Cultural Beliefs Scale.66 c Source: Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA).67 b areas: those that make women feel less vulnerable to breast cancer, those that discourage participation in breast cancer screening, and those about the lack of efficacy of breast cancer treatment. Higher scores on the Ferrans scale indicated that more cultural myths inhibiting screening were believed Cultural Awareness and Health Literacy Level Essay Assignment. The scale has demonstrated reliability (alpha = 0.73) and validity in the populations tested.69 Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale. The SL-ASIA67 was originally modeled after the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans70 and has been developed for and extensively tested with East Asian groups. The measurement approach recognizes the multidimensionality of the acculturation process and takes into account the issue of bicultural development. The instrument assesses cognitive, behavioral, and attitudinal areas, and its 21 multiple-choice questions yield five factors and a single acculturation score that range from 1:00 (low acculturation) to 5:00 (high acculturation). The scale demonstrated internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.88–0.91 in two studies) and concurrent validity.67 The questions in the scale are generic; to make the scale more relevant to our study population, we changed country/region names to represent those of our study population. Global rating of importance of mammography screening. A 10-point Likert-type scale measuring global rating of the importance of regularly getting mammograms (ranging from ‘‘not at all important’’ to ‘‘very important’’) developed for this study was also included in the survey. Cultural adaptation and refinement of survey via focus groups. To account for regional and ethnic differences in beliefs and to add culturally relevant content, two focus groups were conducted (one each for SA and ME women), with 10–12 participants in each group. To be eligible to participate in the focus groups, participants had to be female, Muslim (defined as those who self-identify with the Islamic faith), aged 40 years or older, first-generation immigrants (18 years or older on arrival in the United States) from the Middle East or South Asia and able to read, write, and speak English and one of the study languages (Urdu, Hindi, Arabic). Two of the study authors (Memoona Hasnain and Usha Menon, who are fluent in Urdu and Hindi), moderated the focus groups. An Arabic-language translator participated in the Middle Eastern focus group. We used a semistructured format to refine survey items and to identify new items. The process was used to confirm that the survey items were understandable and culturally relevant to the target population. Cultural Awareness and Health Literacy Level Essay Assignment. Based on participant input, the Champion scales were adapted; some of the items were reworded, some items were removed, and others were added. See Appendix 1 for the modified Champion scales. No changes were made to the Ferrans Cultural Beliefs Scale and SL-ASIA; both were determined to be understandable and culturally appropriate by the focus groups in their original form. Translation of survey. To address language barriers, the culturally adapted survey and other study documents (informational flyer and consent brochure) were translated into Urdu, Hindi, and Arabic. The committee-translation method71 was utilized, as it is a more rigorous process than using a single translator. A translation team consisting of three translators and a language expert (adjudicator) was established for each language to guide the translation. This systematic development of study survey and other documents BREAST CANCER SCREENING FOR MUSLIM WOMEN increased the likelihood of developing a culturally appropriate and psychometrically sound survey. Sample and data collection Sample size. Cultural Awareness and Health Literacy Level Essay Assignment. A sample size of 230 participants (115 per ethnic group) was planned on the basis of recommendations by Nunnally72 for measurement reliability. To account for incomplete data, we planned to oversample by 9% for a total 250 participants. First-generation immigrant Muslim women (same eligibility criteria as for those who participated in the focus groups) were eligible for the study. Given the exploratory nature of this study, self-reported mammography-screening practices were not verified via medical records. Recruitment and data-collection procedures. Participants were selected from a purposive sample of Muslim women residing in Chicago, IL. Participant recruitment and datacollection procedures were standardized and kept similar for both SA and ME women. Study flyers, in English and translated languages, inviting participation were circulated electronically and posted in community agencies and mosques. Trained research assistants approached women at community sites and used snowball sampling to accrue the proposed sample size. After obtaining full written informed consent, the in-person survey was administered to eligible participants at data-collection sites. Participants received a small monetary incentive to participate in the study. Statistical analyses In addition to psychometric assessment (reliability and validity) of the various scales used in each of the three language groups, descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, contingency-table analyses, analyses of variance (ANOVAs), and hierarchically nested logistic regression models were conducted. Owing to the significant differences in screening behavior based on ethnicity, we stratified by ethnicity for all bivariate analyses. For each outcome—(1) ever having had a mammogram versus not and (2) adhering to mammogram guidelines (mammogram within the past 2 years) versus not—modeling began with all sociodemographic characteristics. Model 2 contained only cultural and health-related predictors. Model 3 included all sociodemographic and cultural and health-related predictors significant in Models 1 and 2 at alpha = 0.10. We then tested for statistical interactions as was necessary. The sample size was insufficient to fit separate logistic models for ME and SA women. Therefore, we tested for ethnicity in the models. Finally, only one participant completed the survey in Hindi, precluding psychometric analysis for data collected in that language; hence, data from the Hindi survey were not included in the analysis. Data analysis was performed using SPSS v. 21 (IBM, New York). Psychometric analyses Each of the established scales, translated into Urdu and Arabic from English, was examined for reliability (internal consistency) and validity (correlations) within and across each language group. More than one-third of the participants 605 completed the survey in English (38.2%, n = 79), one-third in Arabic (35.3%, n = 73), and about one-fourth in Urdu (26.1%, n = 54). Every subscale was internally consistent, with alpha coefficients ranging from 0.72 to 0.92, and constructs expected to be related were significantly appropriately correlated (e.g., benefits and self-efficacy r = 0.53, p < 0.001, barriers and cultural beliefs r = 0.39, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences based on the language of the survey, so we analyzed the combined data. Results Sample characteristics The 207 participants had emigrated from 13 South Asian and Middle Eastern nations: The largest proportions were from Pakistan (30%, n = 65), Palestine (21%, n = 45), and India (17%, n = 37). Although 37% (n = 80) spoke primarily English, 35% (n = 75) spoke primarily Arabic, and 27% (n = 59) spoke primarily Urdu. The majority of participants were married (85%, n = 183), with a mean age of 52 years (standard deviation [SD] = 10.0). Almost one-third of the participants (31%, n = 66) were college graduates, and onethird (30%, n = 65) had a high school diploma. More than one-third (42%, n = 90) reported incomes less than $20,000, and one-third (34%, n = 70) reported having health insurance. In terms of mammography-screening practice (Table 2), 32% (n = 66) had never had a mammogram (never-screened group); 17% (n = 37) had had a mammogram but more than 2 years prior to the survey (overdue group); and 52% (n = 112) had had a mammogram within the past 2 years (adherent group). Only 20% (n = 44) reported a family history of breast cancer. Bivariate analyses There were significant differences in mammographyscreening practice based on sociodemo … Cultural Awareness and Health Literacy Level Assignment