Week 8: Assess

Introduction

Open-book tests are a very particular type of assessment. They might at first sound very easy. What could be easier than having the book in front of you during the exam? It’s like sanctioned cheating! Nothing could be further from the truth. Open-book exams are about deeper understanding of the material, not simple regurgitation of facts and details; and they can be much harder than closed-book exams.

You may be expected to apply material to new situations, analyze relationships, synthesize material, or evaluate a statement using your material as evidence. On an open-book test, your time will be limited. You need to be able to find data, quotes, examples, and/or arguments quickly.

In this unit’s assignments, you will be asked to develop a plan for organizing your materials for an open-book test. Though you do not have exams in this course, this is a chance to create your strategy for success before you need it! You can use a well-thought-out plan throughout your college career. The organization skills will also help you in your new career.

1. Writing assignment 1: Reflect: Do I have Test Anxiety?

In class, or as homework, free-write for at least 15 minutes on the following questions or prompts:
What is my personal definition of test anxiety? What "symptoms" do I have?
If I have never had test anxiety, why is it that I like tests? Does this point to some clues as to what type of learner I am?

2. Exercise 1: Assess: Organizational Plan Step 1: Where Am I Now?

As with the other learning plans you have developed in the course, it helps to know where you want to go. How well do you want to do in your courses? Do you want to do well enough just to pass the classes? Do you want to get as much as possible out your educational investment? It helps to know this to set your plan for studying for tests, which will determine a large part of your grades in other courses.

It doesn’t take a tremendous amount of time to organize materials for an open-book test, but it does take a fair amount of energy and concentration. For this simple step, write a paragraph describing how you typically organize your materials for tests. Be specific, including how you would prepare for an open-book test, hypothetically, if you had one tomorrow.

3. Analysis 1: Plan: Organizational Plan Step 2: Where do I Need to Improve?

1. Create a chart like the one below using MS Word. List the results of your self-assessment of how you typically prepare for tests under the appropriate heading.
2. List the strategies presented in your text, Strategies for Learning in a Technical Environment or in the class discussions for how to improve your organization.
3. What do you need to do that is different?

4. Project 1: Apply: Organizational Plan Step 3: My Action Plan for Test-Taking Success

Create an action plan for getting to where you want to be by developing specific strategies you can incorporate into your study habits starting today. Use the study strategies you devised in past units and think about this test-taking strategy comprehensively.

You can choose your own format: PowerPoint presentation, as if you were presenting this strategy at a meeting, or a narrative in a MS Word document, or a chart outlining your strategy in an MS Excel document.

Delivery of this Unit’s Assignments:

Attach your reflection from the Writing Assignment and the paragraph for the Exercise. In addition, attach the chart for the Analysis and your deliverables for the Project.
Before you submit the assignments, check it first!
o Did you list how you typically organize your materials for tests?
o Did you assess your organization skills and write your assessment in the chart?
o Did you create your plan for improvement?

Lab 1: Microsoft Word 3

Microsoft Word Project 5 and 6

Microsoft Word Exam 3

Lab 2: ITT Technical Institute Program Roadmap: Moving Ahead

What is the purpose?
This week, you will enrich your understanding of your chosen program of study by delving into career options that can open for you upon graduation. Research is a critical part of the job-searching process you will undertake in a few years. Starting now, it’s important for you to understand what opportunities you will have and how you can best prepare yourself. In this Lab, you will use the ITT Tech Virtual Library and your ITT Technical Institute Program Roadmap to discover the possibilities.

What are the steps?

Task 1: Access the ITT Technical Institute Program Roadmap and navigate to the information on your school and chosen major. Refresh your memory on the core areas and skills you will be learning in the course of your study at ITT Tech.

When you have refreshed your memory and have in mind the skills you will need, open the ITT Tech Virtual Library. Conduct research on the ITT Tech Virtual Library to locate career information related to your field of study.

The following paths will help you to get started on the career research in the ITT Tech Virtual Library:

• ITT Tech Virtual Library> Reference Resources> Careers
• ITT Tech Virtual Library> Program Links> General Education/Technical Basics

Task 2:

Open a Word document and save it as "My Career Opportunities.doc."
In the document, list three job titles or job opportunities that you may be interested in and that you have found in your research.

Write a paragraph answering each of the following questions:

a. What are the main functions of each job? Use good formatting skills in Word to clearly display the job you are describing. For example, use Word formatting techniques that you have learned such as subheads, bold, italics, underlining, and lists that clearly show the skills you are writing about.

b. What educational and skill requirements are needed in order to perform each job?

c. Describe how your current field of study will prepare you for each of the three jobs.

Deliverables and Format:

Submit your answers in no more than three pages in a Word document, closely following the instructions of the Lab.
Font: Garamond; 12 point
Line Spacing: Single

Week 7: Remember

Reflect: How do I Study Best?

In class, or as homework, free-write for at least 15 minutes on the following questions or prompts:

Throughout my academic life, from grade school onwards, how did I learn to study?
Was I taught primarily to memorize and "regurgitate?" Was this effective?
What is the difference between "knowing" and "understanding?" Write few sentences comparing and contrasting the meanings of these terms.

Exercise 1: Assess: Your Learning Attributes Profile

As discussed in class this unit, the key to successful studying is learning and practicing the attributes of good learners. These do not have to do with I.Q; they are all possible to achieve with self-motivation, persistence, and the desire to learn! Plus, the same attributes that make people good learners make them successful in all of life.

You will see in this unit’s assignments a coming-together of many of the concepts you have already learned about: persistence, locus of control, and effective time-management, to name a few, and their strong connection to creating an effective personal study plan.

The self-assessment you will take this unit is for online learners, but it asks questions that relate to independent study, a critical component to success at ITT Tech. You might one day decide to take an online course, so readiness to learn online is a skill everyone should possess.

Please take the Personal Attributes Self-Assessment in READI.
To re-visit READI: Go to http://www.readi.info/itt. Follow the prompts under the Returning Users section by entering your e-mail address and PIN to return to your READI assessments.
Open the Personal Attributes section of the self-assessments. Take the assessment, save, and print your results.

Analysis 1: Plan: Your Learning Plan

Look at your Individual Attributes assessment results. Are you in the blue band, red band, or did you fall somewhere in-between? Read the assessment analysis carefully, and complete Steps 1 and 2.

Step 1: Create a Chart
Create your own chart in Microsoft Word with the following title: My Attributes Assessment Results

Add the following headings down the left side:

Academic Attributes
Help Seeking
Persistence
Procrastination
Time Management
Locus of Control

Add the following headings along the top:

My Interpretation
My Strengths
My Challenges

Step 2: Fill in your chart

Record your understanding of your assessment results in one or two sentences in the box under My Interpretation.

Record your primary strengths under My Strengths.
Record your primary challenges under My Challenges.

Project 1: Apply: My Study Strategy for Success

Take at least one day to consider your chart. It lays out your learning potential profile, which you must consider before creating an effective, personal study plan.

Step 1: Write two to three paragraphs outlining the following:

How do I plan to maximize my strengths in my study plan?
How do I plan to overcome my challenges in my study plan?
How can I maximize my dominant intelligence and learning style in creating an effective study plan?

Step 2: Create an Effective Study Plan

Now you get to be creative! Using the computer tool you like best, Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, create a presentation, chart or document outlining your personal study plan. It should include, but not be limited, to the following categories:

Overcoming my challenges
Maximizing my strengths
Using my dominant intelligence and favorite learning style
Long-term success: what would it mean to me?

Before you submit the assignments, check it first!

Did you take the Personal Attributes self-assessment, save, and print results?
Did you create a Word or Excel chart using the title and appropriate headers along the left side and top, or a proper PowerPoint presentation?
Did you fill in your interpretation of your strengths and challenges in your chart?
Did you write two to three paragraphs, fully answering the assignment question to Project: Apply?

Labs:

Microsoft Excel Project 2 and 3
Microsoft Exam 2
Microsoft Access Project 1
Microsoft Access Exam 1

Week 6: Respond

Make sure you have your Virtual Library username and password because you will need it for the class assignments.

Assignment for this week will be given during class.

MLA Website:

http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citmla.htm

Week 5: Read and Record

Writing assignment 1: Reflect: How Do I Feel About Reading?

Free write for at least 15 minutes on the following questions:
• I love to read (or do not enjoy reading) because ….
• Discuss your concentration level during reading. What does this mean to you?
• How can poor reading habits affect your life beyond college?

2. Exercise 1: Assess: Reading Speed and Comprehension: Where are You?

The purpose of this assessment is to assist you in realizing potential challenges in reading speed and comprehension.
Introduction:

Have you ever read something and then realized you had no idea what you just read? One of the top challenges confronting first-year college students is reading comprehension. Although college students have been reading for many years, they may not have developed the techniques to be able to comprehend, interpret, analyze, and evaluate what they read. Actually, most of us could improve our reading comprehension. Stop for a moment and think about your reading speed and comprehension. If you could read faster and comprehend more, you could successfully complete many of your assignments in less time.

Before we start, let’s see where you are, so that we can build on the skills you have.
Task:
Access the Reading Comprehension Assessment of READI.

• To re-visit READI: Go to http://www.readi.info/itt. Follow the prompts under the Returning Users section by entering your e-mail address and PIN to return to your READI assessments.
• Choose Reading Comprehension Assessment.
Take the assessment.
Print your results as a PDF document.

3. Analysis 1: Plan: My Reading Assessment Chart

From the READI analysis, write down your WPM/Speed and Comprehension in your word document for this project. Explain where your levels fall in relation to the average.

4. Project 1: Apply: Choose Your Assignment for Reading Comprehension Improvement

If you are above average and are satisfied with your reading skills, please complete assignment A. If you would like to improve your reading comprehension and/or speed, please continue with assignment B.

Project 1 Option A: Teach a Junior High Class how to Improve Reading Comprehension
You have been asked to speak to a junior high class on the importance of developing good reading habits. The goal of this talk is not only to motivate the students to develop good habits but also to provide at least three concrete tips they can use.

Write a short presentation for such an audience. Using Word or PowerPoint, create a five- to six-page/slide presentation for the students, telling them at least three concrete tips for improving reading comprehension.

Project 1 Option B: Personal Improvement Commitment Plan

Like other changes we have discussed, if you wish to improve your reading speed and comprehension, you must be intentional.

In a two column table created in Word, please write a Reading Comprehension Improvement Plan based on the tips for improving reading comprehension listed in Chapter 5 of your textbook and any additional reading you have done on this issue.

List three tips in the first column. In the next column, list your personal plan for integrating each tip into your study habits or life that you think can help you improve your reading comprehension.

Delivery of this Unit’s Assignments:

Use Arial 12 point font, non-bold, double-spaced with spaces between questions or paragraphs.
Attach your reflection from the Writing Assignment and the assessment report from the Exercise. In addition, attach your Reading Assessment chart for the Analysis and your deliverables for the Project.

Check it First! Did you…??

o Complete the Reading Comprehension assessment in READI?
o Print all Reports?
o Build your Reading Assessment Chart?
o Choose Apply Option A or B?
o If Option A: Complete your PowerPoint or Word presentation with at least THREE concrete tips for improving reading for a junior high class?
o If Option B: Complete your Personal Improvement Plan?
If you can check all of these, you have completed your assignment. Good work!

Labs:

Complete Microsoft PowerPoint Project 1 and Project 2
Complete Microsoft PowerPoint Exam 1

Week 3: Learn

Writing assignment 1: Reflect: How do I Think I Learn?

Spend 15 minutes in class/or as a part of homework free-writing on the following questions:
How do you think you learn? Were you surprised by the short learning style assessment you took this unit? What surprised you? If you were not surprised, what in your past experiences made you know you were dominant in the areas in which you tested strongly?

2. Exercise 1: Assess: Your Personal Learning Style and Personality Profile

Task 1:
To access READI:
• Go to http://www.readi.info/itt
• Enter into one of the individual assessments to begin.
• First-time User to READI, enter the code: ITT12345.
• Complete the registration information.
• Once you have initially logged into READI you will be issued and e-mailed a unique PIN. Your unique PIN, along with your Email address will expedite your login as you return to your READI assessments or begin new ones. You do not have to wait for your PIN to be e-mailed to you to complete your first assessment.
Take the Learning Style Assessment in READI.

Task 2:
Take the Personality Style test from SAL.
To re-visit SAL: Go to http://www.prenhall.com/sal. Click on Log in to Self-Assessment Library. Follow the prompts under the Returning Users section by entering your personal login name and password to return to your SAL assessments.
After entering the SAL, go to Assessments drop-down menu

Choose What about me? > Personality Insights
What’s My Basic Personality?
What’s My Jungian 16-Type Personality?
Am I Type-A?

3. Analysis 1: Plan: My Learning Style + My Personality x Focus and Effort = SUCCESS

Introduction:
Taking personality and learning style assessments can really be fun because it’s exciting to get to know yourself better. You might have been surprised at some of the outcomes. What’s really important is that you now think about maximizing your strengths in college and beyond.
That’s a big task and not one you can do overnight, though!
The first step is to get a handle on what any of this even means to you now.
Use the following worksheet available at this link.
Task 1:
Look carefully at your Learning Styles Assessment and Personality Assessments.
Write your dominant learning style and second-favorite learning style in the boxes on the left.
Next to them, write your personality traits.
Looking at these in one place, start to think of them as parts of an equation. Think of how you can maximize your dominant learning style and your personality in a successful learning strategy.

Next, think about your LEAST-favorite learning style. Then, think about your personality and how you think you can best overcome your weaknesses in this area, maximizing your personality traits to their highest potential.

4. Project 1: Apply: Visualize Your Best Self

Introduction:
You have spent a little time in this unit assessing your dominant learning styles and personality traits that influence the way you learn best. You put together a worksheet that shows your learning style personality equation.
That’s a fine first step. However, a long-term strategy for learning that maximizes your strengths and improves on your weaker areas is critical to your academic and professional success in the future.
A good way to succeed in a lot of areas is first to visualize yourself succeeding. Many top athletes say they have seen themselves winning before they in fact made that dunk shot or scored that serving ace.
So, the Assess assignment this unit asks you to do precisely this: visualize yourself using your strengths and improving your weak areas, and tell some other people about this vision!
You will also get the opportunity to use your dominant learning style in the assignment option you choose this unit. Let’s get started!

Task 1:

You get a choice from two options this unit! You have just learned how many ways there are to
learn the same material. Visual learners love charts and graphs; verbal learners prefer to take notes. Interpersonal learners love to work in groups, and intrapersonal learners might prefer to study alone and check in later.
So, this unit, choose the assignment approach that best suits your learning style. You don’t have to choose the style that the assessment revealed, necessarily. It’s okay to use an approach that you think you might like as well, or one that you’d like to explore.
Here are your options. Choose only one.

OPTION 1: Write about yourself

Write three or four paragraphs addressing the following questions:
a. What type of learning style do I exhibit the most? How did I develop this learning style? (Questions to get you started: Was your mom or dad the same kind of learner? Did your grade school teacher emphasize this learning style, or were you just "born this way?")
b. When you thought about entering your program of study at ITT Tech, did your dominant learning style have anything to do with your choice, now that you think about it? How do you think your dominant interests and dominant learning styles are connected?
c. Name the most positive aspect of your learning style and dominant personality that you think will help you succeed in your ITT Tech career. Explain why and how. Focus on the positive!

OPTION 2: Present Yourself
Create a learning style and personality development flow chart or another type of visual series.
o Starting with your childhood, draw or map out in a flowchart how you see the progression of the development of your personality and learning style. You can use a cartoon-like approach if you like to draw.

o If you think certain traits were with you at birth, indicate this visually. (You can show a baby in a crib with a calculator, if you were math-inclined since birth!)

o The chart or series of drawings with captions should take you from childhood through your decision to attend ITT Tech.

o You can show positive and negative experiences, those "Aha!" moments you may have had in school or in adult life that made you realize your interest in your program of study.

o The last frame or piece of your flowchart should "visualize you being successful." Show a scene of YOU succeeding, and indicate visually or in a caption beneath what elements came together in this vision. How did you maximize your best personality and learning style in a great moment?
Delivery of this Unit’s Assignments:
By this point, you should have gained enough familiarity with Word to complete your assignments using it.

Use Arial 12 point font, non-bold, double-spaced with spaces between questions or paragraphs.
Attach your reflection from the Writing Assignment and your assessment reports from the Exercise. In addition, attach your flow chart template for the Analysis and the responses to the Project.

Check it First!
Did you…??
o Complete the Learning Styles assessment in READI?
o Complete the personality assessments from SAL?
o Print all Reports?
o Fill out and turn in your Learning Styles + Personality = Success worksheet?
o Choose ONE of two options under Assess, and turn in to your Instructor in a Word document?
o Answer the questions thoroughly and honestly?
o Have a peer, friend, or mentor read your responses before submitting?
If you can check all of these, you have completed your assignment. Good work!

Week 2: Persist

Writing assignment 1: Reflect: Quote Regarding Fear and Motivation

In class, or for homework, free-write for fifteen minutes on what the following quotation means to you:

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face . . . you must do the thing you think you cannot do." – Eleanor Roosevelt

Exercise 1: Assess: Motivation, Needs, and Attitudes

Note: If you do not have home Internet access, take your online-based assessments right after the Labs using school computers, or make time to take the assessments on campus right after Lab or Class.

Task 1:

To access the Prentice Hall Self-Assessment Library (SAL):

1. Go to http://www.prenhall.com/sal
2. Click on Log in to Self-Assessment Library.
3. Click on New Users Please Register First.
4. On the registration page, under the Access Code section, enter the unique access code located in the box on the SAL Access Card packaged with your textbook. Do not type the dashes.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions. If you need help at any time during the online registration process, simply click the Need Help? Icon.
6. Once your personal login name and password are confirmed, you can begin using SAL. When you re-visit SAL for future assessments, you need only enter your personal login name and password.

Take the following seven Assessments in SAL.
To re-visit SAL: Go to http://www.prenhall.com/sal. Click on Log in to Self-Assessment Library. Follow the prompts under the Returning Users section by entering your personal login name and password to return to your SAL assessments.
Use your student access code to access the site and start your own assessments, which you can e-mail and print. On the Assessments drop-down menu in SAL, go to What About Me? > Motivation Insights >

1. What Motivates Me?
2. What Are My Dominant Needs?
3. What Rewards Do I Value Most?
4. What’s My View on the Nature of People?
5. What Are My Course Performance Goals?
6. How Confident Am I In My Abilities to Succeed?
7. What’s My Attitude Toward Achievement?

Task 2:

Print your Report for each Assessment and submit them to the instructor. You can e-mail the results of your assessments to yourself or your instructor by clicking on the SAVE or SEND button on the assessments page. This will ensure that you have a record of your results. However, this is NOT required. It is recommended that you use the same work station to re-enter SAL otherwise your Reports won’t accurately reflect Completion of past assessments while you indeed may have completed them.

3. Analysis 1: Plan: How do Motivation, Needs, and Attitudes Affect Persistence?

Introduction:

You just took quite a few personal assessments to learn what motivates you, your needs, and your confidence level, as well as a bit about your perception of others.
So, as usual, the assessment portion of your assignments for this unit indicates where you are.
Now, it’s time to look really closely at yourself, especially what motivates you, what you need, and what your attitudes are. In the end, all of these will directly impact whether you PERSIST.

Task 1:
Using the flow chart template available to you at this link, fill in the three motivational factors you discovered about yourself in the personal assessments you took, ranking #1 with the highest score you see, #2 with the second highest score, and #3 with the third-highest score. If you scored the same on any two factors, rank them according to your personal preference.
Next to the motivational factors, write a few words summarizing your interpretation of this motivational factor.

Then, look at the primary needs that were reported on your self-assessment. Fill in those under Primary Needs #1, #2, and #3.
Again, after the Primary Need as reported in the SAL report, write a few words summarizing what you think this means.
Finally, write out an Attitude that you see emerging from the Motivational Factor and Primary Need. These are not formal. Use your own words.

4. Project 1: Apply: Persist and Succeed!

Introduction:
The assessments you took on motivation, needs, and attitudes in this unit may have revealed some new information to you, about yourself. Or, perhaps you were not surprised with the top motivators, needs, and attitudes you possess.
In any case, it is universally true that what motivates you animates you. In other words, if you look closely at your primary motivating factors and needs, they can give you giant clues about strategies for persisting in these areas.
Task 1:
Step 1:
Look at the chart you developed in your Plan assignment for this unit. Look very closely at the Attitudes you described in your own words.
Now, take just one of these attitudes and take it a bit further: What will make you able to persist, considering this attitude?
Step 2:

o Write three paragraphs describing a strategy for persistence related to your attitude.
o In paragraph 1, write about how you would persist under great conditions.
o In paragraph 2, write how you might persist under sub-optimal, or not so great, conditions.
o In paragraph 3, summarize your overall strategy.

Here is a sample response.

One of my primary attitudes related to college is that I am here because I am seeking growth and more opportunity in life. Looking at my Primary Need related to this motivation for growth, I think instructors who provide good feedback will really be good for me. So, I should do really well in classes where the instructor is attentive and considerate about providing constructive criticism, and praise and recognition when it is merited. Under good conditions, I can persist by communicating frequently with my instructor and knowing where I stand.
However, how will I persist when instructors are less involved? I think I should consider this scenario, because it could definitely happen. If I find myself with an instructor who is not engaged, or who does not like to provide a lot of feedback, praise or otherwise, I think I should try to find other people to critique my work before submitting it. I can talk to classmates, people in the field I am studying, or past instructors or advisors who have been good to me. This way, I think I can compensate for instructors who are not really there for me.

In conclusion, I realize that I am a person who likes a lot of feedback from instructors. When I have instructors who provide it, I will persist by taking full advantage of a great instructor. When I find myself with an instructor who is not so interactive, I will engage other people for feedback: peers, friends, colleagues, and mentors.
Now, you try!

Delivery of this Unit’s Assignments:

You may handwrite these assignments, but it is highly recommended that you use Word.
Use Arial 12 point font, non-bold, double-spaced with spaces between questions or paragraphs.
Attach your reflection from the Writing Assignment and the deliverables from the Exercise. In addition, attach your flow chart template for the Analysis and the responses to the questions for the Project.
Check it First!
Did you…??
o Complete Assessments on the Self-Assessment Library?
o Print all Reports?
o Fill out and turn in your Primary Attitudes Worksheet?
o Write three (3) paragraphs of response to the questions in Assess, and turn these in to your Instructor?
o Answer the questions thoroughly and honestly?
o Have a peer, friend, or mentor read your responses before submitting?
o Save a copy for yourself?
If you can check all of these, you have completed your assignment. Good work!