Dear Class Members,
We find the most common error on assignments occurs when inadvertently, the instructions
are not followed. For example, for Assignment #1, the most common error is to submit an
incorrect number of annotations or annotations for the wrong readings.
Please read these instructions carefully and post questions if anything is not clear.
As you work on the assignment, check back with the instructions periodically to
ensure that you are following them--that is, annotating the correct readings and
writing annotations that meet the requirements as set out in the descriptions and
examples. And, of course, never hesitate to ask questions.
Reminder: Please do not forget that you can use the services of Brenda Ledford,
the 608 Writing Coach for this assignment, and you are encouraged to submit the
assignment to Turnitin to check for any instances of unintended plagiarism prior to
submission for grading. These services are intended to assist you in continuing to
improve your writing and citing skills. (See details in separate postings in the
Course Management and the Writing Coach Q & A Conferences. If you have
questions about how to use Turnitin, please direct these to Allison.)
Which Readings Do I Annotate for Assignment 1?
You will annotate all of the 15 required readings for Unit 1. These are comprised of 5
readings in the Introduction, and 10 readings in Elements of Learner Support (3 for Tutoring
and Teaching, 3 for on Advising and Counselling, and 4 for Library, Registry, and Other
Administrative Services). This assignment is due on February 16th. The instructions are
posted in this first section of Unit 1 so that you can begin to work on your bibliography at
the same time as you start the readings.
What is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is an informative reference list that includes an annotation or
short description of each reference. An annotation is a summary of content plus information
that would help another reader decide how useful the piece would be for them. This should
include a value statement about the reading (e.g. the clarity with which it is written, the
quality of the research on which it is based, the credibility of the source, etc.) as well as
information about the intended audience and/or in what circumstances it would be helpful
(e.g."this article would be particularly helpful for those interested in cost/benefit analysis" or
"the article includes helpful suggestions for practitioners").
The summaries should start with the reference in APA format, be written in full sentence
format (not point form), and should demonstrate a clear understanding of the main
intent and key point(s) of a particular reading. Hence, always start an annotation
with a sentence that identifies the type of reading (journal article, research report,
government document, website, etc.) and describes the overall thrust or purpose
of the reading (e.g "This journal article reports on a comparative study of attrition
across three institutions and provides recommendations for institutions that
want to improve learner persistence".) The other main points should flow logically from
this (major findings, conclusions, recommendations). You can then conclude with your
assessment of the value or usefulness of the reading. Each annotation need not be longer
than about 4 to 6 sentences (about one paragraph of 100-200 words) for each reading. For
example, a lengthy complicated reading might require about 200 words in an annotation.
The purpose of an annotated bibliography is to create an efficient reference tool that can be
used to scan a particular body of literature (for example, when doing a literature review for
a thesis, a major research paper such as the one required in OMDE 670 in this program, or
other types of research into a particular topic). Someone other than yourself reading
one of your annotations should be able to quickly see from your summary what
the original reading is about and evaluate whether the article might be useful for
their particular purposes. Examples of annotations are provided below. Note that each
one has a comprehensive first sentence that describes the type of source material (journal
article, article describing a study, chapter, etc.) and gives a comprehensive overview of the
whole piece followed by the main points covered. If you have questions or comments about
the assignment, please post them in the Conference so that others may benefit from the
discussion.
For further discussion of annotated bibliographies please consult the resources in the
classroom including Webliography (you will find a couple of helpful websites listed) and the
Library Module for MDE 608 which you will find in the lefthand menu under Course Content.
You will see that the last tab on the top of the home page of the Library Module is called
Annotated Bibliographies. If you click on this tab, it will take you to a page that describes
annotations, gives a good example, and provides more links for further information. One of
the resources that you will find on this page is a link to the very good tutorial provided by
the UMUC Library http://www.umuc.edu/library/tutorials/bibliography/bibliography.shtml
Important Note about Assignment Deadline: The first assignment is due
on February 16th and will contribute 25% to the final grade. Please note that
UMUC policy requires that any request for extension to an assignment deadline
must be made in advance of the deadline and will be granted only in extraordinary
circumstances for a limited period of time. If you have questions in this regard,
please consult the specific UMUC regulations with respect to grading and
extensions.
Technical Requirements
1. With respect file formats, we recommend using .rtf, .doc, or .docx.
2. File names should follow this format: 608-LastnameFirstinitial-A#.doc, where "#"
represents the assignment number. For example: Joan Smith's paper for Assignment 1 has
the file name 608-SmithJ-A1.doc.
3. Attachments must be scanned with antivirus software before posting to the Assignments
Folder, and a note indicating the antivirus software and virus signature update version
posted in the notes section. For example: "Scanned with ESET NOD32 Antivirus Virus
signature database: 5810 (20110123)."
4. Please number your pages and for reasons of consistency we suggest the following
header on top of your document:
[Your Name]
[OMDE 608]
[Section: 9040]
[Date]
[Title of assignment]
In case you face technical problems with WebTycho, you may also send your assignment as
E-mail before Midnight on February 16th (EST) to: jbrind@uwindsor.ca
As noted above, please post any questions regarding the assignment in the conference so
that all students may benefit from the discussion. If questions are of a more personal
nature, please send them to Jane at the above email address.