Assignments Overview:
Click on the titles below to learn more about assignment instructions:
Discussion Board Posts
Discussion board posts will be our way of engaging in knowledge sharing, idea exchange and reflections based on the learning material. You are expected to respond to the prompts posted on the discussion boards every week based on the instructions. Discussion board questions will be posted each week, and will close by end of day Tuesday of the week due. Points may be deducted for late posts or missed instructions. Points will also be deducted for language or messages that do not reflect netiquette or social work competencies.
Weekly Quizzes
Students will take weekly online quizzes to assess learning toward the core competencies. Quizzes will consist of multiple choice and open-ended questions and will cover the assigned readings. For the purposes of this class, quizzes are a learning tool and will be graded for completion. You may make multiple attempts on your quizzes during the assigned week and are open note/open book. Quizzes will close at 11:59pm on Tuesdays.
Assignment 1: Foundations of Mental Health Treatment Essay
Write an essay 3-5 pages (no fewer than 3 pages, double-spaced, 12 point font, no title page is needed, however, please use APA guidance for quotations and references) to demonstrate your understanding of the content of weeks 1-2. Pick one theme or topic from the course content of weeks 1-2 (such as stigma, access/barriers to mental health treatment, inequities, etc.). Address the following:
- What theme in mental health are you addressing?
- Why is it important for social work and social workers to understand this theme related to mental health?
- How might social work uniquely contribute to strengthening this topic or theme? How could things improve? (this could be related to better practice skills, more equitable practices, healthier work environments, etc.)
- What do you want others (including other social workers and non-social workers) to understand about this topic? Why is it that important and what could be the benefits?
Assignment 2: Case Presentation and Discussion
In small groups, you will be assigned a vignette describing a person experiencing a mental health disorder. Your group will schedule time to review the case together. As a group, you will receive information about the person in the vignette, including diagnostic information. Your other classmates will not know anything about the case until the day you post your presentation. The goal is for the rest of the class to question you and to discuss a potential diagnosis and an evidence-based plan for the case. And to apply their knowledge of the DSM and readings to make a case for a specific diagnosis, assessment questions to consider in treatment, etc. As a small group you will create the presentation then present it on Blackboard during your assigned week. Everyone must participate in the group consultation process as part of your individual grade. It is recommended that you begin this assignment no less than two weeks before your presentation date.
Assignment 3: Final paper – Analysis and Critique of a Mental Health Topic
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate your grasp of the course content and apply knowledge to analyze and critique a topic of mental health either through a written paper, or through a visual recorded presentation. As an individual or as a group (you will decide what you prefer), you will decide on a mental health topic discussed during the course and analyze and critique an identified intervention, theme, treatment modality, problem, strength, and/or social media presence to write about. Detailed instructions including prompts, examples, and guidance will be provided on Blackboard.
Format Options: Will be discussed during course but students may choose either to work independently or with a group and may also choose to either write a paper or turn in an audio-visual presentation (length of papers and presentations will depend on the number of people contributing to the project).
Grading:
| Assignments | % Final Grade |
|---|---|
| Weekly Quizzes | 25% |
| Assignment 1: Foundations of mental health paper | 15% |
| Assignment 2: Case presentation and discussion facilitation (small group project) | 25% |
| Assignment 3: Analysis and critique of a mental health topic (choice of individual or group paper or presentation) | 20% |
| Participation: Includes weekly Blackboard discussions with classmates and small group project | 15% |
Criteria for the School as a whole are outlined in the Student Handbook. Requests for a letter grade must be made in writing to the professor by the second week of the semester. Once agreed upon, the request of a letter grade cannot be rescinded. For this class, students’ grasp of the course content will be reflected through their attendance, demonstrated use of the readings, meaningful involvement in class discussions, timely participation in online discussions, weekly quizzes, and satisfactory completion of oral and/or written assignments. Grading in this course will consider the following elements:
- You are expected to produce quality written, oral, and audio-visual (video/GIF) work. You must read and respond to the guidelines set forth in each assignment to ensure that you complete each assignment as instructed. Your instructor will provide you with a rubric for any assignment so that you understand, in advance, how your work will be graded. The range of grades that meet criteria for Honors, Credit and No Credit (letter grade conversions are available to students who make this request) are detailed below.
- You must apply the theoretical concepts you are learning throughout the course to your clinical conceptualization of human behavior through your use of field examples and/or case studies.
- You must complete assignments (including discussion posts and quizzes) on time. Should you request an extension, there will be an automatic reduction in your grade. Your instructor retains the right to not accept late assignments.
- You are expected to produce graduate level written work for all assignments. This includes careful preparation of written material with attention to spelling and grammar using the APA Manual of Style, 7th edition for proper citing and referencing of source materials. Your work should be clearly organized with appropriate use of language, headings, logical progression of ideas etc.
Credit. A grade of “Credit” indicates an acceptable graduate-level work equivalent to a B or better. It reflects a combination of satisfactory through very good completion of all course work, written and oral communication, standardized examinations, class participation, and on-time class attendance. This includes the ability to accurately report on the content of the readings, identify main ideas, draw relevant conclusions, self-reflect on the material, apply material to practice and contemporary issues, and reference assigned readings.
Honors. An “honors” grade indicates superior graduate level work equivalent to an A+ or better. It reflects work that meets all of the requirements for a grade of Credit and demonstrates outstanding capacity for critical thinking that includes the contextualization and synthesis of main issues, integration of ideas from several readings, recognition of debated points, and creative application of material to practice and contemporary issues.
No Credit. A “No-Credit” grade indicates a combination of poor quality of work on assignments, insufficient mastery of reading and lecture materials, weak descriptive and conceptual skills, minimal class participation, and excessive absences or lateness.
Incomplete. Grades of Incomplete may be given at the discretion of the instructor. Instructor and student must agree to a date for completion of the work. Failure to meet the agreed-upon date will result in an automatic No Credit. Students who do not achieve credit level work at the end of a course may not receive an incomplete grade.
Recent Comments