Congratulations, because you are reading this post, you have successfully found the Course RSS Feeds section on our course site. I will be posting regular blogs here throughout the duration of our very short 8 weeks together. Many of these blogs will pertain to course content and my expectations for your success. I will also give you group feedback on papers, discussion forums, etc., here. I encourage you to pay particular attention to what I regularly communicate via blog because I will assume that you have.
Successful completion of this course will require good writing skills. This includes applied critical thinking, making the flow of your written thoughts logical, supported and easy to follow. In addition, you are strongly urged to pay very close attention to grammar, word usage and spelling. All of us miss things at times but I want to be clear, the standards are high. At the risk of sounding overly testy, it is not my job to proof your work. If the job of grading your papers is made more difficult because I can't make sense of your sentence structure, grammar, spelling, etc., it will reflect itself in your grade. You may have great ideas and clear understanding but if I can't read and assimilate what you've written, you will be probably be disappointed in my assessment of your work. The overall professionalism of your paper, both content and formatting, will be weighed heavily as well. At the graduate level, successful completion of assignments should encompass all of this analysis, not just pure content.
If you believe any of this might be a struggle for you, please seek help through Avila’s Learning Center sooner rather than later. It is a wonderful resource, staffed by very helpful professionals and provided as a free service to every student. In addition, please find someone who can regularly proof your papers for you.
If you believe any of this might be a struggle for you, please seek help through Avila’s Learning Center sooner rather than later. It is a wonderful resource, staffed by very helpful professionals and provided as a free service to every student. In addition, please find someone who can regularly proof your papers for you.
Here are a few of my own suggestions related to successful completion of the written assignments:
1. Unless the focus is intended to be different, consider the concepts as an OD practitioner would. While you are in this course, that should always be your default perspective. For example, when applying facets of a theory or OD method to a particular case, please don’t turn in book report-type content, where one simply summarizes what the chapter or case study story was about. Instead pull out specific facets of the theory/method you are examining and use them to assess problems revealed in the case, including any subsequent recommendations. Be thorough; scrutinize every crucial detail provided to you.
2. I am always impressed when students make correct use of their own personal examples (drawn from interaction in work, religious or civic organizations) to illustrate a point they are making. This can bring personal practicality into what is otherwise an academic exercise. It also illustrates to me that you are automatically trying to apply what you are learning. Of course, be sure that any example you choose applies well and aids understanding of the point you are trying to make. For instance, when completing the first written assignment (linking Joan Gallos’ Reframing method to the case Reputation in Jeopardy), you must thoroughly link the four frames (Structural, Human, Political, Cultural) to the conflict and change described in the Home Savings organization but if you wish to further illustrate your point with a personal example, it may strengthen your written opinion.
3. In your papers, address specific facets of the theory rather than generalizing. When you generalize, you are writing in a single loop way. Probe deeper and unpack the concepts you refer to, asking yourself probing questions about the material and how it might be applied practically.
For example, a statement which is too general might sound like this:
“The problem relates to insufficient resources. If they were given everything the situation required, they would have been successful.”
Now if “the problem” and “resources” and what “the situation required” and “success” have each been specifically defined previously in your paper, this might make a good summary statement to end with. But in most cases, there is little detail provided when I read general statements like this from students. As the author, you may have the additional details in mind when you write the summary above but good writers record the flow of their thinking so there are no jumps in logic for the reader.
Before you submit your written assignment, take a fresh look about your paper.
1. Have you considered the case and theory implications as an OD professional would?
2. Is it specific enough? Are there any generalizations which are ill-defined?
3. Does it include your critical assessment and any applicable suggestions related to next steps you would recommend to help remedy the problem(s) (as applicable)?
4. Is the flow of your writing logical and easy to follow?
5. Have you proofed your text for grammar, word usage and spelling errors?
What you learn about effective writing now will pay professional dividends later.
Committed to your success,
Diane
