11 Sep Portfolio Assignment Instructions

1. The portfolio that contains elements you have been working on throughout the course; and

2. The final paper (problem analysis) that you will include as part of the portfolio.

Let’s look at the BIG picture first, the final portfolio.

What is a portfolio?

A portfolio is a collection of items organized in a notebook, file, or a similar format. By collecting this information throughout a course, you can clearly see the connections among assignments as well as the progress you have made. In ENGL110, your portfolio will reflect the work you have done in a specific discipline or topic, ending with the analysis of a problem you have explored. Here are the required elements of the portfolio. The required sections are included in the template.

Title Page

Table of Contents

Item 1 of the Portfolio – Tips for Communicating in Your Field This is the reflections portion (part 3) of the initial post you made in the week 2 discussion. You are to submit a final version of the post, including any changes recommended to you in the instructor’s feedback or observations you’ve made since you made the post.

Item 2 of the Portfolio – Annotated Bibliography for your Final Paper This is the assignment you submitted in week 4. You are to submit a final version of the annotated bibliography, including any changes recommended to you in the instructor’s feedback.

Item 3 of the Portfolio – Final Paper – Analysis of a Problem

This is the final problem analysis paper that is the culmination of all the work you have done in the course. Please see the complete description of the paper below.

Final Paper (Problem Analysis)

Assignment Instructions

This analysis project requires you to tackle a problem within your field of study by first exploring it, its causes, and its impacts. Then, if you want, you can recommend one or more practical solutions to solve the problem.

After deciding on the problem you wish to tackle, begin building questions about it. Your goal for the analysis is to answer the questions through your sources. Finding multiple angles and perspectives is ideal so that you explore those possibilities in the final paper before settling on your recommendation. Be sure to identify what is at stake.

Here are questions to help guide your analysis:

1. What is the problem being addressed (explain, describe, and “prove” that it exists)?

2. Who is affected by this problem?

3. Why does this problem exist? (Identify the root causes.)

4. Why does the problem persist? (Identify the major factors that contribute to the problem’s ongoing presence.)

5. What is at stake if the problem is not solved?

If you decide to include a solution, use these questions to guide you:

1. Who can take action?

2. What should they do, exactly?

3. Why would this help?

4. What are the positive and negative aspects of your solution(s)?

· PURPOSE: To analyze a problem and possibly provide a solution

· AUDIENCE: Classmates, others interested in the field

· LENGTH: 750-900 words (Times New Roman font). Please do not go significantly (~10%) under or above the word count requirement. This word count includes only the paragraphs in your final essay (not the Works Cited/References page or previously submitted sections).

· SOURCES: 5 (five) sources from the APUS Library (These may include sources you used in previous assignments. Going under this number will cost points in grading.)

· FORMAT: The citation style that is appropriate for your discipline

Submit your assignment as a Word document attached to the assignment link so it can be automatically processed through Turnitin. You can save your paper with a title like this: Your Name Portfolio Final Paper.

Turnitin Scores

Because parts of the portfolio (items 1 and 2) have already been processed in Turnitin, they are now part of Turnitin’s database. That means that, when a portfolio is submitted, Turnitin will identify the phrasing it has previously “seen” (such as items 1 and 2 of the portfolio).

Turnitin scores are likely to be high for all portfolios. Don’t panic. Review the Turnitin report and you are likely to see that much of the matching phrasing is from work you previously submitted. Your instructor understands this and will focus on the Turnitin matches in the final paper.