This assignment will assist you in navigating UMUC’s library, understanding plagiarism, writing a citation, synthesizing an article, and developing critical thinking skills. The assignment has three parts.

Part 1: Plagiarism

The purpose of this exercise is to ensure that you have an understanding of plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Activity

UMUC’s Effective Writing Center (EWC) has developed a wonderful tutorial entitled “How to Avoid Plagiarism.” This tutorial will give you valuable information concerning plagiarism and enable you to assess what you have learned in an end-of-session post-test.

Instructions

1.  Access the tutorial “How to Avoid Plagiarism” through our classroom.

a. Click the Course Content link.

b. Click the Writing Resources link.

c. Click the How to Avoid Plagiarism link.

2.   Review the material in the tutorial.

3.     At the end of the tutorial, take the Plagiarism Post-test. This post-test is meant to verify that you have learned the material by providing you with a certificate of completion.

4.     Copy and paste the certificate to a Microsoft Word document.

5.     Below the certificate, write a short paragraph discussing what you learned from this quiz.

6.     Once you have completed the quiz and the short paragraph, attach your document to the appropriate tab in your Assignments folder.

Part 2: Literature Review Analysis (Adult Learning and Student Success Research)

The library can be a student’s best friend when it comes to researching and writing course papers. The great news is that, as a UMUC student, you have access to an online library, http://www.umuc.edu/library. This assignment is meant to familiarize you with UMUC’s electronic library and its resources as they relate to finding articles. For those of you who are already familiar with UMUC’s library, this assignment will assist you in developing a further appreciation for adult learning and reinforce all that the library offers.

This part is divided into two sections that will guide you easily through your research:

1. finding an article using a UMUC electronic database

2. reading and writing about the article

Section 1: How Do I Find an Article Using a UMUC Electronic Database?

1.     From the library homepage (http://www.umuc.edu/library/index.cfm), click “Databases by Title (A-Z).”

2.     For the purposes of this class, click on the letter “E.”

3.     Click on “Education Research Complete.”

Hint: if you hover over a database name with your mouse (just move the mouse over the database name without clicking), a short description of the database will pop up. Reading a database description can help you choose a database that is relevant to your research needs.

4.     When you have chosen a database, click on the database name and, if prompted, log in to the database with your last name and EMPLID or library barcode. (login help) http://www.umuc.edu/library/libresources/barcodes.cfm#barcode)

(Database pointer 1: Before researching the database, write down keywords you would like to research.)

5.     Once the database opens, find the words “Full Text,” and click the box next to them.

Please note: For the purposes of this assignment, limit your search to full-text articles only. This will simplify your search, which can be helpful if you are new to using our online library. But in the future, for other research projects, do not limit your searches to full-text only; you will be able to find many more possible articles to use in your research by using the library’s Find It tool (http://www.umuc.edu/library/libhow/findit.cfm)

(Database pointer 2: “Full Text” means that the entire article is there for you to read online in the library database. See http://www.umuc.edu/library/database/articles.shtml.)

6.     At the top of the database screen, type in your keywords to find an article that interests you. For example: adult learning, student success, transitioning to college, change and adjustment, motivation, positive thinking, persistence, time management, stress reduction, learning styles, multiple intelligence, communication or listening skills, critical thinking, money management, goal setting, physical/mental fitness, your career, or any other topic from your textbook. (If you have doubts about your topic idea, ask me if your article is appropriate for the assignment.) 

a.     In many databases, when you want to search for an exact phrase (two or more words in a specific order), you will need to place the phrase inside quotation marks—for example, “transitioning to college.” It also helps to use AND and OR in database searching—for example, to find articles about physical fitness or mental fitness, you can search using this phrase: (physical OR mental) AND fitness

7.     After you have entered your keywords, press the Search button. Shortly thereafter, several search results will appear.

Section 2: Reading and Writing about the Article

Based on the search results, find and read the article that interests you the most.

1.     Find one direct quote from the article that could add to your discussion and/or opinion of the article. (If you like, you may jump ahead to part 3 below for full information on proper citation.)

2.     After reading the article, synthesize and summarize the article, using your critical thinking skills.

3.     In one paragraph, describe the major points of the article, and also give your opinion of it. When discussing your opinion, include some or all of the following:

a.     Do you agree with the major premise of the article? Why?

b.     What do you think are the pros and cons of the article?

c.     Do you think the article is applicable to you?

d.     Can you relate your opinion of the article back to what you read in the textbook or other literature, or what has come up in class discussions?

4.     Attach this write-up to part 3 (Proper Citation).

Part 3: Proper Citation

As discussed in the plagiarism review, proper citation is essential. The last part of this assignment is meant to reinforce the citation process.

1.     Watch the APA tutorial provided in the library’s website (http://www.umuc.edu/library/tutorials/apa/apa.shtml).

2.     Review your article once again.

3.     As required in part 2, find one direct quote from the article that could add to your discussion and/or opinion of the article.

4.     Incorporate the quote into your paragraph. As noted in the UMUC library web pages (http://www.umuc.edu/library/guides/apa.shtml#academicjournals), there are several ways to cite within your discussion.

5.     Below your paragraph, hit Enter three times.

6.     Center and type the word “References.”

7.     Provide the citation of the article in APA format.

Remember: Citing information is not always easy, so be patient with yourself. Use UMUC’s wonderful library resources to assist you. For additional assistance, visit http://www.umuc.edu/library/citationguides.shtml.

Submitting the Paragraph and Citation

In a single Microsoft Word document, submit parts 2 and 3 to the appropriate tab in your Assignments folder.