career information literacy assignment (qep)

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Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

The goal of the NVC QEP is to equip students with Information Literacy skills that will show them how to Find, ethically Use, Synthesize, and Evaluate information in their classes and in their co-curricular programs.

The NVC QEP focuses on four student learning outcomes:

Outcome 1: Students will be able to efficiently and effectively Find reliable and relevant sources to meet their information needs by using library and various information sources appropriately to explore a topic.

  1a.  Students will be able to find and use College and student services to meet their academic and personal needs.

Outcome 2:  Students will be able to Use information ethically and effectively by applying appropriate citation/documentation systems to demonstrate understanding of relevant economical, legal, and social issues.    

Outcome 3:  Students will be able to Synthesize credible resources to effectively accomplish a specific purpose.

  3a. Students will be able to Synthesize student and college services by gathering and integrating resources into an ePortfolio.

Outcome 4:  Students will be able to Evaluate information and sources through identification of bias, authority, relevancy and credibility as it pertains to their information needs.

The topic was created with input from faculty, staff, students and the college stakeholders and aligns with the college mission and goals.  It reflects NVC's culture, values and expectations of educational excellence.

The Process for Selection was inclusive and related to strategic planning :

• NVC held 6 faculty and staff town hall meetings where QEP topic selection was discussed and voted on (results of Town Hall meeting available on SharePoint)
• After the Town Hall meetings, an online questionnaire was sent out to attendees to help narrow and focus the topic selection from the Town Hall meetings
• Research of internal and external data points was conducted based on feedback from questionnaire (looking at outside institutions and current research)
• A review of the strategic plan was conducted and the focus on the topic included alignment with Strategic Effort 2 - Learning, Learning Outcomes.
• The QEP Steering Team was created and based on the Town Hall meeting results, selected Information Literacy as a potential QEP topic.
• The QEP Steering Team presented the initial proposed topic to the NVC Eteam
• The Steering Team developed a survey for students (SDEV, Student Leaders, Phi Theta Kappa/MASA, students in Learning Communities)
• Along with the Student Survey, QR Codes table toppers were placed on campus to help notify students of the survey. Students were also offered the opportunity to place their name in for a drawing when they completed the survey
• A survey of Full time faculty, staff and adjuncts was conducted with almost 100% Full time faculty responding. The survey required comments from respondents.
• A survey of stakeholders was conducted with a large number of responses gathered.  The survey required comments from respondents.

Broad Based Involvement:

All members of the College community, including alumni, business partners, and community members, participated in the planning process of the QEP and are invited to continually participate in the QEP as it evolves. One of the many questions asked before finalizing the topic of Information Literacy was what makes this QEP ideal for NVC's conditions, population, and challenges? The qualities, characteristics and values of the organization are clear from the mission statement. The focus on collaboration, diversity, student-centeredness and shared leadership all support the distinctiveness of NVC's educational approach. This is further supported by the NVC vision statement which states that NVC creates "exemplary models for learning."

The NVC culture is a perfect environmental fit for an Information Literacy initiative because of the many benefits that will be received by faculty, staff, community members, and students both today and in the future:

• The QEP touches all students: On campus, extension campuses, and Distance Learning students;
• The QEP establishes intentional learning - having the entire campus focus on the one goal of helping NVC students become Information Literate;
• The QEP develops transformative use of information - asking our faculty and staff to critically consider how students will benefit from obtaining Information Literacy skills;
• The QEP creates crucial social and personal skills in the digital age - NVC students are young. They are developing an online identity. Helping manage this distinct social aspect of Information Literacy is a role the entire community can participate in and help shape;
• The QEP develops discerning scholars and autonomous, lifelong learners. A concerted effort to bridge the gap between college and the workplace will ensure that NVC students leave the College with skills that come from understanding how to manage and navigate information; and
• NVC will share progress from the QEP with faculty, students, staff, and community partners. Giving the entire community an opportunity to look over a summary of direct and indirect assessment measures will ensure transparency in the process, develop a shared goal of working to improve student success, and raise awareness of the concepts behind Information Literacy.

Assessment of the effectiveness of the QEP will be measured at both the course-level and the institutional level. Course-level assessments will involve direct and indirect measures, such as surveys, tests and rubrics. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies will be used. Institutional assessments will include survey results and assessment the ePortfolios.

In addition, the QEP will be incorporated into the college's strategic plan and become a routine element in institutional planning at both the department and the division levels.

Our response to the need to develop information literacy in the co-curriculum is to train students to best use the resources of our college including asking students to understand their role in developing their academic goals as well as their use of the advising system and the library resource center.

Timeline (more comprehensive timeline on the QEP document)  

Fall 2014                 Preparations for SDEV/EDUC pilot  

January 2015         Training for instructors of SDEV/EDUC pilot (15 classes)  

Spring 2015             

• Development of the QEP Rubric with assessment team  
• ENGL 1301, MATH 1442, BIOL 1308, HIST 1301, ARTS 1301  
• Further refinement of strategic initiative for college and student services (group advising introduction of ePortfolio)  

August 2015  

• Training for faculty teaching in Fall pilot
• Assessment of Spring pilot
• Implement assessment feedback loop
• Create repository for Best Practices

October 2015                           SACSCOC site visit  

January 2016          

• Training for Scale up  
• Assessment of pilots/Consideration of SACSCOC feedback  
• Scale up!  

Year 1 (Planning)  

• Add all items from timeline
• We came up with topic
• Working on formulating solid goals and outcomes
• Rolled out marketing plan
• Develop assessment tool (common rubric)
• Ask for student feedback on IL Modules
• Train faculty for pilot
• Begin eportfolio development
• Develop strategic plan for Student and College Services (group advising/eportfolio)
• Consider assessment of eportfolio in Year 2

Year 2 (Piloting)  

• Fall 2015 and Spring 2015 - larger pilot with EDUC 1300 and SDEV 070/071 and 5 courses
• Train all faculty on IL skills
• Include IL assessment in either EDUC/SDEV or ENGL 1301
• Assess on assessment day using common rubric
• Monitor scores on CCSEE and library data
• Begin assessment loop
• SACSCOC visit in 2015 - collect feedback and act on it

Year 3 (Full IL implementation)

QEP liaisons will be identified from each area on campus. The QEP liaison will be responsible for the following:

• Academic Area - Leading a team from their discipline to develop a discipline specific Information Literacy rubric. This rubric will be used to assess papers specific to their discipline on Assessment day each February. (Rubrics from the spring 2016 assessment should be complete and ready for piloting on January 30, 2016.)
• Student Success and College Services - Helping deliver information to their respective areas concerning the implementation of the QEP. Liaisons will also help develop assessment measures for their areas. 
• Training. Academic Liaisons will attend a training session on November 6th about rubric development
• All liaisons will attend two meetings with the QEP Steering Team to update the Team on QEP progress
• Liaisons will participate as members of the QEP Core Assessment Team for five years. Liaisons will attend one-two norming sessions prior to Assessment Day
• Liaisons will report results to members of their areas and adjust rubrics/plans as necessary 

Strategy 1 : Reaching all Students  

The QEP is designed to help all students at NVC with the acquisition of Information Literacy skills. While the initial focus is on FTIC students, Information Literacy skills will be scaffolded and delivered to students in all courses. Some instructors might be Information Literacy content experts, via the Information Literacy Academy or the Train-the-Trainer program, but all students will be taught by instructors with at least some level of training in Information Literacy. Advisors and other staff members will also be Information Literacy trained. Students in high enrollment courses (most of them also core courses) will have intensified Library Information Literacy sessions. These courses include ENGL1301, HIST1301, ARTS1301, STATS1442, and BIOL1308.

Strategy 2 : College-Wide Awareness

The NVC QEP process will involve each student and stakeholder. A college-wide awareness about what the QEP and Information Literacy (in FUSE ) is at NVC will ensure that every person is involved. Along with professional development, a media campaign  will focus on an element of FUSE  each month. Posters, banners, and the website will feature ways to, for example, ethically Use information.

Progress to date:

• Convocation 2014 - presentation on in FUSE  and handouts from SACSCOC
• Faculty Development Day 2014- presentation on inFUSE  and surveys for faculty
• Employee Development Day 2014 - speakers from Trinity University introducing concept of Information Literacy and asking each faculty and staff member to consider ways they can help
• QEP Wall August 2014- for students to gain awareness of FUSE  
• Banners across campus with QEP graphic and QR code leading to more information - ongoing
• Active website  - updates, new links for more information literacy information - ongoing
• Include a syllabus statement on all eSyllabus forms - Fall 2016
• Posters on campus with QEP graphic and QR code - ongoing
• T-shirts, water bottle bags, giveaways with QEP graphic - ongoing
• Train advisors to use ePortfolio and help students with functions - fall 2015
• Introduce Information Literacy concepts at New Student orientations - spring 2016
• Develop Student Success Core Team to create action plan for Student Success ePortfolio - May 2015
• Discuss FUSE with Academic Disciplines at chair meetings and at college meetings - ongoing status updates
• Develop workshops for professional development - fall 2015
• Train discipline leaders to build discipline specific rubrics for assessment of Information Literacy skills - fall 2015
• Develop discipline specific Information Literacy modules and training programs for high enrollment courses - fall 2015-2018
• in FUSE  Information Literacy Skills into coursework, beginning with SDEV and EDUC courses through Information Literacy Modules (developed by our librarians) - spring 2014

Strategy 3 :  Provide Professional Development  to help grow the skills necessary to support student attainment of Information Literacy skills. To ensure that faculty and staff enthusiastically incorporate the FUSE  competencies into the classroom and College environment, Professional Development  will be offered with varying degrees of commitment. The QEP website will provide training modules, webinars, and offer times and places where face-to-face training sessions will take place.

• Along with workshops, modules, and the Information Literacy Academy, conferences for faculty and staff will be available (ACRL, ALA, LOEX, SACSCOC Summer Institutes) through stipends and incentive grants. Faculty who attend the Information Literacy Academy, or a conference, or participate in Train-the-Trainer sessions will be asked to present at Faculty Development Days and at a proposed NVC Information Literacy Conference (spring 2018).
• Faculty and staff can participate in the Information Literacy Academy . This 16-hour course, will offer webinars, online workshops, and face-to-face workshops taught by external speakers as well as the NVC librarians. Employees who do not participate in either the IL Academy of Train-the-Trainer courses will still be able to attend bi-monthly professional development workshops.
• Faculty and staff may enroll in Train-the-Trainer programs. In these sessions, a small group of faculty will receive intensive Information Literacy training and, in turn, train their colleagues and help deliver Information Literacy library workshops. This approach contributes to the interdepartmental cooperation and communication that is essential for the success of this plan. This 8 hour training program will be taught by NVC library faculty and staff and external content experts. Instructors and staff completing this program will help assist in the flipped classroom teaching approach to discipline specific Information Literacy sessions (high enrollment courses - ENGL 1301 ARTS 1301, HIST 1301, STATS and BIOL1308).
• Faculty and staff development will be offered twice a month throughout the fall and spring. Online workshops, training sessions with the Student Success Core team, webinars, the Library research guide, and a repository of Best Practices will be available for all faculty and staff.
• Intensive training for pilot instructors and targeted training for scaffolded course modules (ENGL, HIST, STAT, BIOL, and ARTS) is available.
• Faculty Development days will also feature Information Literacy Workshops

Strategy 4 : Information Literacy Library Sessions will be scaffolded to help students as they move through the curriculum. In the SDEV/EDUC courses, modules are already focused on helping students F ind and ethically U se information. As students move into ENGL, HIST, BIOL, ARTS, and STATS courses, the modules will be more discipline specific and focus on evaluation and synthesis skills as well. Modules will be developed with input from content experts. Modules for the sessions will be aligned to our Student Learning Outcomes and be interactive. This is a move away from the "one and done" model of library instruction. This will allow for more student-to-content interaction. The modules for each discipline are designed to help students gain Information Literacy skills through multiple points of contact across the disciplines and are taught as a part of the flipped classroom model.

Strategy 5 : Student Success . Staff members, such as advisors , will help students with Information Literacy skills by reminding them at advising sessions about the importance of keeping an ePortfolio. Students will manage, evaluate, and synthesize information about the use of college and student services through the development of an ePortfolio. The QEP Director will ensure the following takes place:

• Monthly meetings with Student Success Core team
• Development of College Services Core Team
• Staff specific training and workshops available

Strategy 6 : Baselines  established at several points during the start of the QEP:

• Information Literacy skills pre-test for FTIC students
• Assessment process designed to look for Information Literacy skills in student work and on assignments
• CCSSE/CCFSSE questions
• ePortfolio checks
• Tracking Library visits
• Tracking Skill lab visits

To assess the effectiveness of the NVC QEP, students will take an Information Literacy skills test within the first week or two in their foundational course (EDUC1300/SDEV). The majority of these students are FTIC. The students who take the pre-test will be tracked and asked to complete a post-test after having completed 30+ hours of course work. Students being asked to take the post-test will be offered priority registration after completion of the test. Spring 2015, the initial pilot semester, was a success in that over 300 students voluntarily took the pre-test. This allowed for validation of the test, assessment of reliability, and time for needed modifications. Beginning in fall 2015, scores from the pre-and post-test will be used to establish baseline Information Literacy levels from which improvement may be measured. Students who took the test after being in a course that included an Information Literacy librarian taught section will be tracked to see how they compare with typical success and retention numbers from students in classes without this course.

To assess assignments and student work to see if Information Literacy skills are being enhanced:

• A baseline will be established by use of a pretest in the SDEV/EDUC courses and subsequent use of an assessment rubric. Both student work and corresponding assignments will be assessed
• A core team of assessment professionals will be trained to assess for a five year period of time. This will allow the QEP assessment process to have more consistency and produce more valid numbers
• Scaffolded training and assessment training will build on foundational work

Strategy 7 : Develop a grass-roots approach  to the creation of in-house, discipline  specific materials that are targeted to the NVC population:

• Ask faculty to lead the charge to develop rubrics that speak to their disciplinary needs
• Create modules that relate to the NVC student population
• Develop a bank of assignments and teaching methodologies like the flipped classroom
• Commit to helping students with ePortfolios across the College
• Create buy-in by honoring needs of specific areas and disciplines
• Identify QEP Liaisons in all disciplines to work on Core Assessment Team and lead discipline specific rubric design

Rubric Development :  

Pilot year - Development of generic rubric by assessment team

Development of discipline specific rubrics

Year 1 - Continued refinement and development of rubric in disciplines (Assess for practice spring 2016)

Years 2 - 5 - Full assessment - adjust as needed

Strategy 8:   Community and Stakeholder support  is a major priority for the QEP. The NVC Business Leader Coaching program will grow and students who participate in these classes may be tracked for success and retention data collection.

Include our constituents - the community, business leaders, etc and introduce ePortfolios.

• Keep the web site updated with information about our QEP successes and challenges and actions plans
• Recruit a community or business partner to take part in assessment day
• Scale up the NVC Business Leader program to help students with job skills and managing their Information Literacy needs.

Interventions  are planned for the end of each assessment measure. All areas of the College participate in annual planning and review to ensure continuous improvement. The Academic areas engage in strategic review at the August Faculty Development Day session. Broad based assessment and interventions to assure measures are successful are a key strategy of the NVC QEP. 

• There has been broad-based involvement in the development of the plan;
• A significant topic has been selected that focuses on student learning outcomes;
• Sufficient resources have been identified to initiate, implement, sustain and complete the QEP;
• Specific goals have been identified for the plan, including goals for student learning outcomes;
• There is an assessment plan for the QEP that will monitor how its goals are being achieved

A QEP is a five-year action plan developed by the college community to improve an aspect of student learning and/or the environment for student success. The QEP should relate to the mission of the College.

NVC is in agreement with the American Library Association (ALA) in believing that Information Literacy is “a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.” 

While Information Literacy skills are most assuredly being taught in classes across campus, there is no coordination of how these skills and concepts are integrated into the curriculum or a check to see if our students are, indeed, gaining the best Information Literacy skills to position them for their future goals.

By focusing our QEP on Information Literacy students will benefit by obtainment of stronger research and writing skills, critical thinking skills, and a broader knowledge of how to manage all the information students need from our college services. A collaborative effort between faculty, students and staff regarding Information Literacy skill building will naturally help students as they develop their academic and career profile during their time at our college.

Information Literacy skills are critical as a way to help students not only in the classroom, but as a means to effectively research graduate and professional programs and to guide them as they determine possible career paths.

Title: inFUSE

Topic: Information Literacy

The goal of the NVC QEP is to equip students with Information Literacy skills that will show them how to Find, ethically Use, Synthesize, and Evaluate information in their classes and in their co-curricular programs. 

The NVC QEP focuses on four student learning outcomes:  

  1a. Students will be able to find and use College and student services to meet their academic and personal needs.

Outcome 2: Students will be able to Use information ethically and effectively by applying appropriate citation/documentation systems to demonstrate understanding of relevant economical, legal, and social issues .     

Outcome 3: Students will be able to Synthesize credible resources to effectively accomplish a specific purpose.

Outcome 4: Students will be able to Evaluate information and sources through identification of bias , authority, relevancy and credibility as it pertains to their information needs . 

What we are going to do to ensure these goals are met:

Scaffolded Information Literacy Library sessions

Introduce students to the ePortfolio in group advising and have them begin to develop an ePortfolio in EDUC/SDEV courses as a way to synthesize and manage college resources

Training for EDUC Instructors on how to clearly communicate elements of Information Literacy into assignments

Pretest for all EDUC students and posttest once they reach 30 plus hours of coursework?

Assessment of student work using discipline specific rubrics.

Professional development for faculty and staff.

How to Assess:

Assess student work with a common rubric that looks for Information Literacy skills

Assess assignments to help clearly identify Information Literacy requirements

Assess ePortfolios to see if students are using college resources effectively

Watch CCSSE surveys for items identified as relating to Information Literacy

Watch for scores in Program Assessment relating to Information Literacy

Look for ways to improve based on assessment cycle. 

Mission of Northwest Vista College:  

Northwest Vista College creates opportunities for success by offering quality academic, technical and life-long learning experiences to its diverse communities in a collaborative, student-centered, data-informed and shared leadership environment.

The QEP is linked to the following essential institutional activities:

• Opportunities for students by enhancing student learning outcomes through improved teaching methodologies in Information Literacy skill building
• improved library and learning resources
• establishment of ePortfolios for use in both assessment and college resources such as advising

QEP stands for Quality Enhancement Plan. The QEP is a required initiative that outlines a new, long-term program chosen by this college to enhance learning for you - our student. A QEP is designed to complement existing programs, strengthen student learning outcomes, and support the mission of the institution.

The NVC Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) will help students learn how to find, ethically use, synthesize and evaluate information in their classes and reinforce those skills in their co-curricular programs.

We call our QEP Improving Information Literacy through in FUSE  because we want you to be in FUSE d with Information Literacy skills and we feel each part of the term in FUSE is important.  

The NVC QEP The definition of an information literate person extends beyond school and the application to academic problems--such as writing a research paper--and reaches right into the workplace.

The ability to use information effectively to Find  and manage information, and the ability to critically evaluate and ethically apply that information to solve a problem are some of the hallmarks of an information literate individual. Other characteristics of an information literate individual include the spirit of inquiry and perseverance to find out what is necessary to get the job done.

We live in the Information Age, and "information" is increasing at a rapid pace. We have the Internet, television, radio, and other information resources available to us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, just because so much information is easily and quickly available does not mean that all of it is worthwhile or even true. 

Because of resources like the Internet, finding high-quality information is now harder than ever, not easier! Finding the good stuff is  not always quick! And the good stuff does not  always come cheaply, either!

Core Requirement 2.12:  The institution has developed an acceptable Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that includes an institutional process for identifying key issues emerging from institutional assessment and focuses on learning outcomes and/or the environment supporting student learning and accomplishing the mission of the institution,  and  

Comprehensive Standard 3.3.2:  The institution has developed a Quality Enhancement Plan that (1) demonstrates institutional capability for the initiation, implementation, and completion of the QEP; (2) includes broad-based involvement of institutional constituencies in the development and proposed implementation of the QEP; and (3) identifies goals and a plan to assess their achievement.

• The QEP is part of the College’s accreditation process. The regional accrediting body, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), requires its member institutions to develop and implement a five-year plan that describes a detailed action plan that addresses a well-defined and focused topic or issue pertaining to the enhancement of student learning outcomes.
• The QEP enables achievement of the College’s mission to create a student-centered learning environment and to prepare students for a global and technological society.

NVC Fact Book (PDF)

NVC Student Achievement Outcomes 2018-2022 (PDF)

NVC Degree Program Inventory (THECB)

NVC Off-Campus Instructional Sites (OCIS)

Contact Information

Barbara Guerra Interim QEP Director Email: [email protected]

Denise Tolan QEP Faculty Lead Email: [email protected]

Information & Media Literacy QEP

• Information Literacy
• Data Literacy
• Digital Literacy
• Financial Literacy
• Critical Thinking

Dana Glauner

QEP stands for quality enhancement plan. This QEP is designed to increase students’ information, data, and digital literacy skills, ultimately increasing their workplace readiness as well as their appreciation for life-long learning. Through this QEP we will prepare students for success in and out of the classroom, armed with skills today’s employers require. It’s not enough anymore just to have “book knowledge.” Instead, today’s employers need employees who can retrieve information in many formats, can discern patterns and connections, can explore an issue deeply, can make valid judgments regarding information, and who can apply those skills in order to solve problems.

Scope & Implementation

This QEP involves all disciplines at SPCC by building on instruction in the classroom and providing students with projects that will embed information literacy skills in every area of their life.  SPCC graduates with strong information literacy skills will move into the future with an ability to manage information rather than letting information overload control them; they may find more fulfillment in their careers, and they may develop an appreciation for knowledge that will last throughout their lives. 

Recommended Reading

• How College Graduates Solve Information Problems Once They Join the Workplace
• How Handouts for Research Assignments Guide Today’s College Students
• Ten Things We Really Should Teach About Searching
• The Information Literacy Imperative in Higher Education
• Writing a Research Paper: Students Explain Their Process

Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to initiate research and determine what knowledge is required.
• Students will be able to find needed information using appropriate methodology. 
• Students will be able to critique the credibility of selected sources.
• Students will be able to analyze information critically.
• Students will be able to write about and present what they gleaned from their research and respond to feedback.
• Next: Information Literacy >>
• Last Updated: Dec 1, 2021 9:28 AM
• URL: https://spcc.libguides.com/qep

QEP Resources: Sample QEP Activities and Student Report

• QEP Resources
• Sample QEP Activities and Student Report
• MCTC Library Resources

Sample QEP Activities

• CIT Problem Solving Activity
• CIT Problem Solving Activity 2
• Nurse Aide Nutrition Proper Nutrition
• Astronomy Examples
• Snowstorm Survival
• Social Media Critical Thinking
• CAT Application

QEP Problem Solving Activity                                              

CIT ___ Assignment 1

CIT College Student

You are new college student and are taking a mixture of classes in person and online. Your instructor emailed you to welcome you to the class and encouraged you to become familiar with the course website, read the course text and to begin work on the first assignment.

You go to your favorite study site and pull out your laptop and attempt to connect to Blackboard, the course management system, and nothing happens…you remember seeing a website with a headline that claimed:

Study Show Students Taking Online Courses More Likely to Fail

http://neatoday.org/2011/07/26/study-shows-students-taking-online-courses-more-likely-to-fail-2/

and decide that won’t happen to you. What steps do you take to solve the problem?

• CIT Assignment, Example 1 Credit: Terry Pasley, Mike McNutt

CIT ___ Assignment 2

CIT Professional

You are a new IT professional and excited about your new job. Your supervisor says the company needs to improve their security protocols and has given you and your team the task or developing the requirements.

You know when employees having trouble remembering passwords, risky security behavior can result. A recent report stated:

                39% of Respondents Write Down Passwords and 49% of Respondents Reuse Passwords

https://digitalguardian.com/blog/uncovering-password-habits-are-users-password-security-habits-improving-infographic

You want to keep your job and impress your supervisor. How do you solve the problem?

• CIT Assignment Example 2 Credit: Terry Pasley, Mike McNutt

Problem Solving Activity

Proper Nutrition for the Elderly Population

Sarah works as a home health aide for a local company, under the direction of a registered nurse.  She   makes daily visits to the elderly.

She prepares meals and notes the typical diet to be as follows:

Breakfast: one egg and a small glass of mild orange juice

Lunch:  Lunchmeat sandwich with a small dish of applesauce and one banana

Dinner: One can of soup and a muffin

Sarah is concerned that her clients aren’t getting enough protein. She discusses her concerns with a friend who is taking a nutrition class.  Her friend told her that as long as the elderly eat a healthy breakfast, they are getting enough protein.  

As a result, Sarah believes that her clients are getting enough protein and doesn’t notify the RN of her concerns. She continues to provide meals as above.

• Examine the evidence :                           Is there evidence to support Sarah’s belief that her patients are getting enough

       protein? What additional evidence would be needed to better evaluate her       

       conclusion?

• Define the problem :                                What was the problem you or your team worked to solve
• Identify strategies :                                  What different ways did you consider in solving your problem?
• Analyze potential solutions :                 How did you decide which strategy was best?
• Implement the solution :                        How did you solve the problem?
• Reflect on the outcome :                        After reviewing the results, was the solution complete?

      Were there other factors to consider or additional work needed?

On a scale of 1 – 10, with 10 being the highest, how would you rate your problem-solving ability for this project?

• Nurse Aid Problem Solving Activity: Proper Nutrition for the Elderly Population Credit: Sally Parker

Fall 2019 QEP Examples:

Also, I used the following in my astronomy classes that am thinking would be open-ended enough for a QEP assignment for those classes:

One of the biggest discoveries that could be made in astronomy would be the detection of life elsewhere, either on another planet in our solar system or in star systems near to us. Recently, evidence has been put forth to suggest the existence of large planets around hundreds of nearby stars and that some meteorites recovered from Antarctica may have had their origins at Mars.  In one case, the claim has been made that evidence may exist within one of these of microfossils left by primitive Martian bacteria.  In your opinion, does such evidence warrant continued expenditures by our government for the search for extraterrestrial life?  Support your opinion using available budget allotments, potential impact on our civilization, and/or other material that you can use in support of you opinion. 

• Astronomy Problem Solving Examples Credit: J. Scott Miller

Below is a example of a class activity that could be used to incorporate problem-solving strategies into the curriculum to support the QEP. (See PDF version below.)

SNOWSTORM SURVIVAL

Here’s the situation:

It’s 2:00 P.M. on a Friday and you look out your office window. The sky is white and snow is lightly falling.

You keep working on a project that you’ve been involved with all week. By 4:00 PM the snow has increased but there are only 1-2 inches on the ground. You decide to keep working…

By 4:30 P.M. you realize you are looking out the window at a fierce blizzard. You can barely see the building across the street. You realize that if you’re going to get home, you’d better leave at once. You’re not too worried, since you have a six-passenger Jeep with four-wheel drive.

You text your spouse/significant other/family to say you are leaving and expect to be home by 7:00 P.M.

When you get to the lobby, you meet several of your colleagues who are trying to decide what to do, all of whom live forty miles north, in the same general area as you.

You offer to take anyone who wants to come along with you, and five agree. You finally make it to the Jeep, warm up the engine, and take off in four-wheel drive headed for the highway. At first, traffic is minimal but the highway is soon jammed and you decide to take a familiar detour through the country.

The snow continues and within an hour your sturdy Jeep is unable to make any headway against two-foot drifts. You stop and give your passengers the bad news. There’s less than half a tank of gas left, you’re at least five miles from the nearest farmhouse, and all you have are the following items in the Jeep:

The weather report on the radio is dire and the news sinks in:  You are stuck miles from shelter in one of the worst snowstorms to ever hit your area. It is now 7:00 P.M.

Directions:

• Within your group of 6, rank your top 5 items. Please rank additional items if time permits.
• Using the Problem-solving steps listed below, talk about each one as you worked on the Snowstorm example:           

Examine the evidence

Define the problem

Identify strategies

Analyze potential solutions

Implement the solution

• Snowstorm Survival Activity handout Credit: Dr. Dana Calland via New Hampshire Civil Defense Agency, Winter Survival; Department of Energy, Washington D.C.; Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); American Civil Defense Association

(See below for PDF version.)

Critical-Thinking

Social Media

Sara would like to be a nurse and is currently taking Anatomy and Physiology. While taking a break from studying, she sees a social media post about the importance of social skills. The post stated:

Harvard and Carnegie studies related to career success indicate that 85 percent of future success is based on social skills, with only 15 percent related to technical skills.

As a result, Sara believes her time is best spent on social media building her social network so she can be successful in her nursing career.

• How strongly does the information provided support Sara's conclusion?
• Provide two alternative explanations for the results of the study, besides Sara’s conclusion.
• Identify three types of additional information we would need to fully evaluate Sara’s conclusion that her time is best spent on social media. Explain why each type of information would be helpful.
• Social Media Activity handout Credit: Juli Gatling Book

Defined goals:   Knowledge of lab tests and interpretation to diagnose disease – be able to select appropriate lab tests based upon patient symptoms, be able to identify possible diseases and be able to select tests to differentiate each possibility.

Question prompt:   A 23 year old male presents to the ED with increasing fatigue, sore throat, earaches, headaches, and episodic fever and chills over the past week. Physical exam reveals erythematous throat and tonsils and swollen lymph nodes. The physician believes the patient has strep throat.

Skill 1:  How strongly does the evidence support the doctor’s preliminary diagnosis?

[Student should consider all possibilities for the patient’s symptoms.]

Skill 2:   Provide 3 alternative diagnoses for the patient’s symptoms other than strep throat.

[Student should consider leukemia or lymphoma, infectious mononucleosis, other viral infections.]

Skill 3:   Identify the laboratory tests and pertinent results that would help support each of the possible diagnoses.

[Strep throat could be detected with a positive rapid Strep A test or positive culture; leukemia/lymphoma could be detected with a CBC and peripheral blood smear or biopsy; infectious mono could be detected with a positive monospot test or atypical lymphocytes on peripheral blood smear; other viral infections could be detected with serological testing.]

• CAT Application handout Credit: Michelle Thoroughman

Student Report

QEP Student Report-- Let’s Solve it: Problem Solving Skills for Life

Student Name ________________________________            Instructor________________________________

Title of Assignment

Date                                  

• QEP Student Report Use this link to access a PDF version of the student report above.
• << Previous: QEP Resources
• Next: QEP Rubric >>
• Last Updated: Nov 6, 2023 1:27 PM
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Tips for Success in Writing (QEP)

• Writing Resources
• Writing Centers
• Tips for Success in Writing…

In some classes, you may take tests and quizzes that required short answers. The answers to these assessments should be approached in the same way that you approach writing a paper or completing any other written assignment and with the same care.

Here are some tips for answering short answer questions on tests and quizzes:

• Approach short answer questions just as you would any test/quiz. Give the best answer you can.
• First, read the question carefully and make sure that you understand it. Look for keywords or concepts that will help you to understand what is being asked.
• Then think about what you know about the topic. Consider everything you have read and learned in class about the question before you write the answer.
• Consider doing a little pre-writing. List everything you can think of about the question being asked. Then determine what you have listed best answers the question.
• Use complete sentences (unless you have been directed otherwise). Make sure that your sentences are easy to read and clearly answer the question.
• Read over your answer to make sure that it is the best answer to the question.

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Some of the tests or quizzes you take will require you to write a short essay or several short essays. Some tests or quizzes are essay-only tests. You should approach writing the answers to an essay test in much the same way that you would prepare to write a longer essay.

Here are some guidelines for writing answers to essay test questions:

• Approach essay questions just as you would prepare to write an out-of-class essay.
• Pre-write for your essay. Use the kind of pre-writing that works best for you. You might list everything you can think of about the question being asked. You may prefer to use clustering or outlining. Freewriting also works for many students. No matter what your preferred method of prewriting is, the key is to use it to prepare yourself to write your answer to the essay question.
• Use complete sentences and paragraphs. Write clearly and organize your essay so that you have a thesis statement that tells your reader what the essay will do and so that you can write the essay in an orderly way.
• Make sure that your sentences are easy to read and add substance to your essay. Strong sentences that clearly relate to the question you have been asked will ensure that you are communicating well with your reader.
• Write paragraphs that are organized and that work together to adequately answer the question you have been asked to respond to.
• Read over your essay to make sure that it is the best answer to the question.
• When you revise, you should read over the question again to make sure that you have addressed all parts of the question in your answer.
• After you have finished, read over the answer one last time.

In some of your classes, you may have to complete reflection essays, journal entries, answers to discussion questions online, lab reports, or short writing assignments that do not require research. When you complete these assignments, you will need to follow the rules of writing in an academic environment in addition to your professor’s guidelines. While these assignments may not seem less important than longer assignments, they are an important part of your learning process and can help you to become a better writer. Applying the skills you learned in writing papers in your English composition classes will help you to practice writing and to make a higher grade.

Here are some tips for completing short writing assignments:

• Approach short writing assignments just as you would any other writing assignment. Write clearly and concisely so that your assignment meets the requirements for the assignment and is well written.
• First, read the assignment directions carefully and make sure that you understand them. Look for keywords or concepts that will help you to understand what is being asked of you and how to express your thoughts on the topic.
• Consider doing a little pre-writing. Pre-writing is valuable for all kinds of writing no matter the length. List everything you can think of about the topic you are being asked to write about. Then determine what you should include in the assignment.
• Write clearly. Make sure that your sentences are easy to read and adequately meet the assignment requirements.
• Vary sentence structure. Don’t write all long sentences or all short sentences. Use a mixture of short, medium, and long sentences. Don’t try to say too much in one sentence.
• Conciseness Index
• Eliminating Words
• Revise the assignment, even if it is just a paragraph or two. Reading over what you have just read with an eye toward making sure your assignment is well written and fulfills the assignment requirements can lead to a higher grade.

When you write an email to a professor, an administrator, or another student, be sure that you write clearly and with respect. Students often need to email their professors for a variety of reasons, many involving important course questions.

Here are some guidelines for writing successful emails to your professors.

• Always greet your professor and use his or her last name (unless you have been instructed to use his or her first name): Dear Dr. Jones or Dear Professor Jones. Depending on the situation, you might also use a less formal greeting such as Hello, Dr. Smith or Hello, Professor Smith.
• Keep the email short and to the point. Be sure that you address only one question per email to avoid overwhelming your professor with too many questions or too many explanations.
• Respect your professor’s time and commitments. Often your professor cannot respond to you immediately. Give him or her at least 24 hours to respond. Usually, you will receive an answer within 24 hours.
• Use capital letters, punctuation, and complete sentences when you email your professor. These writing conventions make it easier for your professor to read your email and, therefore, respond to you more easily.
• Be polite. In some cases, you might be concerned about an issue such as a grade. Avoid a confrontational tone if you are asking for your professor a question about a grade or assignment.

Many students are not aware that they have a writing “voice,” a particular way they choose words, compose sentences, and form paragraphs. You may have had a comment on a paper that your tone was too informal or casual. An informal or casual tone of writing voice is not appropriate for most academic writing.

Academic writing is slightly more formal than writing you do in other situations. For example, when you text a friend or write an email to an acquaintance, your tone will be more casual. You may use abbreviations or slang. Any time you write, you need to understand who the reader of your writing is (audience), why you are writing (purpose), and the situation you are writing in (context). These considerations are called the Rhetorical Situation, and understanding your situation will help you to use the correct word choice and tone when you write.

For example, when you write an essay for a class at King University, you need to consider your rhetorical situation:

• Audience: Your professor, fellow students, others interested in your research
• Purpose: To write a competent essay on the assigned topic for a particular class
• Context: University study

When you analyze this rhetorical situation, you understand that your tone needs to be appropriate for a university audience and requires a well-written, serious response to your writing prompt or directions.

The suggested resources below can help you to learn to analyze your own rhetorical situation so that you can successfully complete writing assignments at the university level.

Suggested Resources:

Appropriate language for academic writing:

• Levels of Formality
• Academic Writing Index

Writing, creating presentations, and presenting them can be a source of stress for many students. Fear of public speaking is one of the most prevalent phobias in modern society. Preparation is the key to overcoming any fear of public speaking you may have and to helping you create a successful presentation.

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you prepare a presentation:

• Read over the assignment directions carefully to make sure that you understand the requirements of the assignment. Note time limits, slide requirements, and other directions outlined in the assignment.
• Give yourself plenty of time. A good presentation, like a good essay, takes time. Start early and give yourself time to practice and revise as necessary.
• Determine which visual aid is best for your presentation. You may be required to use PowerPoint or Prezi. You may be required to create a poster or handouts. Your assignment sheet will probably designate which visual aid you should use. If it does not, be sure to ask.
• Outline or write out what you want to cover in your presentation. You can then create slides or a poster that addresses your main points.
• Pay close attention to detail when you create the visual aid. Look for grammar and spelling errors. Be sure to cite sources of information and/or images.
• Practice, practice, practice. The more you practice, the more confident you will feel.
• Know your material. If you have a good grasp of the information, you will be less nervous.
• Stay within the required time limits given in the assignment. Do not go over or under the stated times.
• Make an appointment at King’s Speaking Center. Tutors are available to help you with all aspects of your presentation.
• E.W. King Library Webpage
• Errors in presentation slides
• OWL exercises

Issues in professional writing situations:

• General Workplace Writing
• Tone in Business Writing

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Many students do not feel comfortable expressing themselves in writing. These feelings are often the result of a lack of confidence in their ability to write grammatically correct sentences. For example, if you have to write a short answer or essay question on a test, you may be so concerned with overcoming any grammar issues you have that you do not spend the appropriate amount of time on the content of the answer, which is the most important part of the answer. Some students even suffer severe writer’s block because of the uneasiness they feel about their grammar skills. Spending some time reviewing grammar rules often helps students to become more confident in their answers on essay tests and quizzes.

Wordiness, or lack of conciseness, is another common problem that many students experience when they write. Wordiness often leads to long, complicated sentences, which, in turn, lead to grammar errors. One of the resources listed below can help you to identify whether wordiness is part of your problem with grammar and writing and how to address this problem if necessary.

Below, you will find resources that will help you to overcome any areas you believe you need to improve on: parts of speech, punctuation, sentence structure, conciseness and more.

• Minor writing/grammar issues on quizzes involving short answer/essay questions
• Errors in mechanics
• Grammar errors
• Conciseness

In some of your classes, you may have to complete an essay that requires research. Some research essays require more sources and research than others. When you complete these longer researched writing assignments, you will need to follow the rules of writing in an academic environment in addition to your professor’s guidelines. These assignments are an important part of your learning process and can help you to become a better researcher and writer. In addition, applying skills you learned in writing and researching the research projects in your English composition classes will make your research and writing process easier, and it can help you to make a higher grade.

Here are some tips for completing research essays:

• Approach long writing assignments as a long-term project. Do not try to write a research paper in a day or even a few days. Researching a topic and writing an essay based on that research takes time.
• Do some pre-writing. Pre-writing is valuable for all kinds of writing no matter the length. List everything you can think of about the topic you are being asked to write about. Then determine what you should include in the assignment.
• Be thorough. Meeting the word count of an essay is not adding meaningless extra, empty words to your essay. Instead, fill your paper with information and data from sources. Explain how the sources you quote, paraphrase, and summarize relate to the main idea (thesis) of your essay.
• Revise the assignment. Revision means “see” (vis) “again” (re), so you will want to read over your assignment seeing again what you have written. Give yourself time by putting the essay aside for a day if possible before looking at it again with a critical eye. Consider revising and editing your essay several times. Reading over what you have just written with an eye toward making sure your assignment is well written and fulfills the assignment requirements can lead to a higher grade.
• Citation Guide
• Evaluating books
• Evaluating periodical articles
• Evaluating websites
• Writing a research paper
• Genre and the research paper
• Identifying audiences
• Prewriting and planning
• Drafting the paper
• Editing and revising
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Thesis statements
• Paragraphs and Paragraphing Index
• Paragraphing
• Body Paragraphs
• Research and evidence
• Organizing arguments
• Overview of essay writing

In some of your classes, you may have to complete an essay that requires some research but is not a long research essay. These essays will require fewer sources than a typical research paper. When you complete these kinds of assignments, you will need to follow the rules of writing in an academic environment in addition to your professor’s guidelines. These assignments are an important part of your learning process and can help you to become a better researcher and writer. In addition, applying skills you learned in writing and researching the research projects in your English composition classes will make your research and writing process easier, and it can help you to make a higher grade.

• Approach research assignments that require fewer sources and less research just as you would any other essay. Do not try to write the paper in a few hours or a day. Researching a topic, even if you are only looking for one or two sources, and writing an essay based on that research takes time.
• First, read the assignment directions carefully and make sure that you understand them. Look for keywords or concepts that will help you to understand what is being asked of you and what kind of essay you should write. In the suggested resources below, you will find tips on writing different kinds of essays: expository, descriptive, narrative, or argumentative.

King University Writing Center materials:

Purdue’s OWL Website materials:

• Expository essays
• Descriptive essays
• Narrative essays
• Argumentative essays