Bryant & Stratton College
Parma
COMM 150: Introduction to Information Literacy
and Research
Winter Semester
Mr. Rossman
COMM 150 Portfolio Assignment
Professional Plan
(For distribution and completion during weeks 6 to 10)
COMM 150 Course Outcomes Assessed
Upon completion of this course students will be able to:
 Evaluate how technology can represent findings in a variety of textual and graphic methods that rely on
low, medium, and high technology communication platforms.
 Effectively use public access catalogs, bibliographies, and full-text and bibliographic databases.
 Identify different information formats and then choose the most appropriate format(s) for each research
need.
 Demonstrate an awareness of political, social, legal, economic, and intellectual property issues relevant to
print and electronic resources and successfully avoid plagiarism and copyright infringement.
 Evaluate information for reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, and point of view.
 Cite bibliographic references in APA format, properly instructing bibliographies and reference lists in
research papers and assignments.
 Investigate personal and professional interests, strengths and skills.
 Perform research on career development and lifelong learning opportunities.
 Complete a written career-related research project. Present research findings on career development and
lifelong learning through discussion and other oral presentation formats.
 Employ information literacy skills through the effective use of technology and information resources to
accomplish a goal.
Assignment 2: Professional Plan is worth 15% of your total grade for the course.
Purpose of Assessment
Mastery of information literacy skills is essential to success in many careers that offer the promise and potential for
personal and professional growth. That is why Bryant & Stratton College created this introductory course.
Introduction to Information Literacy and Research (COMM 150) is designed to develop your understanding and
development of information literacy skills and the many applications of information literacy within the career path
of your choice.
After successful completion of the Professional Plan, you will have a piece of evidence for your portfolio of your
initial information literacy skills. As you progress through your program of study you will produce more advanced
evidence of your information literacy skills. During job interviews you will want to highlight how you used research
throughout your program of study to support your ideas and thoughts.
The portfolio assignment, the Professional Plan, is described below. After reviewing the requirements for this
assignment, think about the question or questions you will have to answer to complete the assignment successfully.
As you approach working through the assignment, formulating questions will allow you to clarify the assignment
and move forward with greater confidence.
Revised 2/19/14
1
Assignment Requirements
1) You are to use the Virtual Library to find four sources that will support your answers below. Remember to
use the information literacy skills you gained thus far during your course of study in COMM 150 to help
you make judgments on the most appropriate sources to use. You may find the SocIndex with Full Text and
the Vocational & Career Collection databases helpful.
2) In addition, you may choose to interview a faculty member or a manager as a source of information that
you can use and cite in your assignment.
3) Use the learning’s from the sources chosen from the Virtual Library, interview, class discussions and
research, and other coursework in your program of study to help support your answers to the questions
below. Be sure to use correct APA style when citing in-text citations and references.
4) Use at least two graphic representations in your plan to depict one or more relevant aspects of careers in
your field of study listed below in 5a. One graphic representation must be created by you in MS Excel
2010. Be sure to choose the most appropriate representation for the data you are representing.
5) Compose a descriptive writing that answers the following essential questions:
a. What are the responsibilities, tasks, growth trends, salaries, lifelong learning opportunities, and
other relevant aspects of three (3) careers in your field of interest?
b. What areas from the listing above draw you to this career field and are most important to you?
Why?
c. What is the content knowledge expertise required for success in your field of interest. Through an
interview of faculty, or a manager who supervises similar positions, briefly describe the courses
and lifelong certifications that will help you realize future personal and career success.
d. As a final note following your reflective narrative think about and address the following question.
If you were asked by a student next semester how he/she should approach this assignment
(professional plan) to ensure good results, what advise would you give the student? Include it in
the paper’s conclusion. You will be asked to share your answer with the class the day the
paper is due.
Note: Your paper should be, at minimum, a three to four page document (spend approximately one page describing
each option), typed and double-spaced. There must be four unique sources from the Virtual Library used and
correctly cited using APA format in your final plan to support your answers, an interview, and at minimum two
graphic representations.
Include the Rubric pages at the end of your report.
Due:
March 31, 2014
Revised 2/19/14
2
Bryant & Stratton College
Rubric for COMM 150 Portfolio Assignment
Professional Plan
Level 4
Content
60
Level 3
46
45
Level 2
31
The writing fully identifies
and details the significant
features and details of career
positions and paths. The
student evaluates four (4)
sources, has ensured relevance
and reliability, and correctly
cites the sources within the
assignment and in the
“Reference Page”. Text
references are appropriately
integrated into the assignment.
The writing, for the most part,
identifies the significant features
and details of the career positions
and path. Student evaluates four
(4) sources; one is not relevant
and/or reliable. Minor errors
(< 2) are evident in the citation of
sources within the assignment and
in the “Reference Page”. Text
references are appropriately
integrated into the assignment and
cited in the “Reference Page”.
Two graphic representations
and an interview are included
and represent the most
appropriate depiction of
information.
One or two graphic representations
and an interview are included and
represent an appropriate depiction
of data.
30
Level 1
16
The writing lacks specificity in
describing significant features and
details of the career positions and
path, and the steps for
advancement. The student evaluates
fewer than three (<3) sources, and
demonstrates uncertainty in the
evaluation of sources. Consistent
errors (>3) occur in the citation of
sources within the assignment and in
the “Reference Page”. Text
references are not consistently
integrated into the assignment in an
appropriate way.
One or two graphic representations
and an interview is included;
however information is
inappropriately expressed.
15
0
The writing is too general in
describing the significant
features and details of the career
positions and path, and does not
attempt to describe the steps for
advancement. The student
evaluates fewer than two (<2)
sources, and does not attempt the
evaluation of sources. Frequent
and consistent errors (>4) occur
in the citation of sources within
the assignment and in the
“Reference Page”. Text
references are not appropriately
integrated into the assignment.
No graphic representations or an
interview are included are
included.
Comments:
Level 4
Research/APA Documentation
60
Level 3
46
The paper exhibits an
excellent ability to choose,
integrate, and document
source material in support of
the thesis. The writer
employs ample appropriate
source material to fully
support the thesis; integrates it
smoothly (as quotes,
paraphrases, “borrowed”
ideas) and effectively to
support his/her own original
writing; and thoroughly and
correctly documents the
sources (in text and in the
“Reference Page ” using the
APA style. The paper uses
sources in a way that
evidences thorough
understanding of legal and
ethical implications.
45
Level 2
31
The paper exhibits an adequate
ability to choose, integrate, and
document source material in
support of the thesis. The source
material the writer employs is
appropriate, though additional
support would strengthen the
paper; integration could be
smoother or more varied; and
documentation of sources is
thorough and correct overall, with
minor errors in using the APA
style.
30
Level 1
16
The paper exhibits a passable ability
to choose, integrate, and/or
document source material in support
of the thesis. There are places in the
paper where points are made but not
supported with source material;
when used, sources are awkwardly
integrated and/or poorly or
incompletely documented, though
no attempt to deliberately plagiarize
can be detected.
15
0
The paper exhibits an inability to
choose, integrate, and document
source material in support of a
thesis. Source material is never
used or is infrequently and/or
inappropriately used; source
documentation, if used at all, is
sketchy and not in keeping with
APA guidelines.
OR, plagiarism is evident.
The paper uses sources in a way
that evidences understanding of
legal and ethical implication
Comments:
Revised 2/19/14
3
Level 4
Grammar/Mechanics/Language/Structure
30
Level 3
23
The assignment is well
written according to the
rules of Standard English
and effectively
communicates the writer’s
purpose. The assignment is
error free for spelling and
punctuation. Excellence is
demonstrated in sentence
construction and use of
transitional sentences. The
paper is fluent and
effortlessly understandable.
The pattern of organization
is appropriate to the
assignment.
22
Level 2
16
The assignment is generally well
written according to the rules of
Standard English and communicates
the writer’s purpose. There are a few
errors (1 per page) but the errors do
not significantly detract from the
reader’s understanding of the
writer’s intention. There are a few
errors (1 per page) in spelling and
punctuation. There are a few errors
(1 per page) in grammar as
expressed through
subject/pronoun/verb agreement.
There is evidence of appropriate
sentence construction and
transitional sentences to connect
paragraphs and create meaning
within the assignment. The paper
has a clearly recognizable
introduction, body, and conclusion
and uses a pattern of organization
appropriate to the assignment.
15
Level 1
8
The assignment generally conforms
to the assignment requirements and
the writer’s purpose is evident,
although more development
according to the rules of Standard
English is required in order to
effectively communicate the
writer’s purpose. There are many
errors (> 2 per page) in spelling and
punctuation. There are many (>2
per page) errors in grammar as
expressed through
subject/pronoun/verb agreement.
There are many errors (> 2 per
page) in sentence construction.
Transitional sentences to connect
paragraphs and create meaning
within the assignment are generally
absent. Overall, many errors (>2
per page) in the writings interfere
with the reader’s understanding of
the assignment. The paper, though
it has an introduction, body, and
conclusion and so is basically
“correct” in its structure, is in need
of a clear organizational pattern.
7
0
The assignment barely meets the
minimum acceptable standards
according to the rules of Standard
English in order to effectively
communicate the writer’s purpose.
Frequent errors more than (>3 per
page) in spelling and punctuation,
frequent errors more than (> 3 per
page) in grammar as expressed
through subject/pronoun/verb
agreement are evident. Sentence
construction is minimally
acceptable due to frequent
appearance greater than (> 3 per
page) of sentence fragments.
Transitional sentences to connect
paragraphs and create meaning
within the assignment are absent.
Frequent errors greater than (> 3
per page) interfere with the
reader’s understanding.
Comments:
Final Comments:
150-135= A
134-119= B
118-103= C
102- 00= F
Revised 2/19/14
Point allocation:
60 pts. to content
30 pts. to
mechanics/organization
60 pts. to research
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