GUIDELINES FOR CASE DISCUSSIONS PAPERS

The following cases will be discussed online. The scheduled dates for each discussion will be noted on your WEBCT calendar. You must prepare and submit a short paper before the discussion in order to participate in the discussion.

Important: Read the guidelines before you begin your paper. Use the checklist. Answer each question completely.

1. Read the assignment discussion case carefully. You should use your textbook and online content . Keep your answers brief [less is more!] (no less than 1 ½ pages and no more than 2 ½ pages, double-spaced with 12 point font). These papers must be typed using English correctly. Grammar counts, spelling counts, as does coherence and clarity. Once finished, you should email them to me through WEBCT.

2. You don't need to write lengthy prose--just get to the point but make it clear. For example, you don't need to completely restate the question in your answer. This works:

1. The Erikson stage is_________ because of _________. (write as much as you need to make your point--but not more)

2. The non-Erikson issue is _________ and is relevant because ______________. (Again, write as much as you need to make your point--but not more)

3. etc., etc.

2. I'll provide a discussion question related to each Case Study. During the discussion, share your answers and ideas with your group. Read carefully to the ideas of the other group members. Each student should be given an opportunity to contribute ideas and information. Each student is encouraged to ask questions, make critiques and offer suggestions, but do so respectfully. Be sure to apply Miller's law.

3. As a group, try to help each other understand the issues and select the better actions to help with the problem. Although some answers are better than others, technically there are several possibilities and as a consequence there is no "absolutely correct" choice. If you don't agree with someone's reading of the case or their answers, explain why you disagree rather than trying to show how they are wrong (Remember, there are no absolutely correct choices). Of course, if you disagree with someone, you might want to ask yourself if you have applied Millers' law.

4. Your papers and discussion will be graded and are worth up to 20 points.

How to prepare:
Read the chapters in your text that apply to the stage of development being considered. Read the case description and the questions carefully. Make a brief outline or jot down some notes about your answers prior to writing. I expect you to turn in something other than a rough draft or a simple collection of notes.

Accept that some important information may not be included in these case descriptions. Stay within the case description and don't invent or add new things to consider-otherwise we'll be here all night. Remember to be brief and on point. If information is missing from the case study to make your point, you could offer questions to consider that would help answer the question.

Developmental issues

These are specific concepts in developmental psychology articulated within the text. You must understand these in order to move forward on your case discussion paper. The majority of these issues will be from the chapters covering cognitive and social domains of development, not the biological. You probably should have noticed by now that your book is divided into sections that cover biological, cognitive, and social realms of development. Therefore, in preparing your answers, you will have read these chapters.

What should be in your papers:

1. In each case, the first issue you will write about will be an Erikson's stage of psychosocial development. Find and read about the appropriate Eriksonian stage in you book. Do not spend energy summarizing Erikson's stages in your paper (although you should be able to for exams.) Once you understand the stage, explain why this stage is relevant to the discussion case, and DO NOT simply refer to the age of the child. The stage might be important to consider because of the unique circumstances of the case, or because of what the person does that shows he/she is struggling to resolve the crisis of development articulated by Erikson.

2. In addition to an Erikson stage of development, use your textbook to identify one other important developmental problem/issue that specifically applies to the case, or is clearly illustrated by the case. Only pick one other issue. Be specific! "Psychosocial development" is too broad and general, as would "family relationships" because every case has a psychosocial development issue and a family relationship, so you must be specific while using your own words. Don't re-define the issue (that's already done in the case). You have limited space to convey a large amount of information, so you should spend your time and energy on relating the text to the case.

3. Suggest actions that would help with the case. The 2nd half of your paper will be to provide ideas in dealing with the developmental issue based on the analysis of the first parts of the developmental issues and stages. Each developmental issue (including Erikson's) is a problem, challenge, or crisis, that can be handled in a variety of ways with specific actions. Self-esteem might be an issue, so a suggested action would address how to deal with someone's self-esteem. Be specific and NOT vague. "Love the child more" does not cut it.

4. Once you have suggested an action, you must explain or predict how the suggestion will effect the situation. You must spell it out and not rely on my powers of mind reading (however powerful they are) to help you.

Check list

* Select the correct Eriksonian stage and explain how it's relevant to the case
* Identify a 2nd, non-Eriksonian, issue define what it is, and explain how it's relevant to the case
* Offer a specific action for each issue identified above
* Explain how the suggestions will effect the case

In general:
* Answer completely.
* Use new paragraphs for each answer
* Pages should be: Typed, double spaced with 12 point font
* Grammar counts
* Spelling counts
* Length should be between 1.5 and 2.5 pages long