Annotated Bibliography

Policy Analysis and Debate Assignment                    Combined Value: 40%
This is a 2-part assignment, and each part is worth 20 % of your course grade! This assignment allows you time to research a policy that is interesting, and/or meaningful to you. The assignment starts with the selection of a topic for your research.  Topics and teams will be selected in class on Thursday.  When  topics are chosen, we will also create teams, with 2 students per team. The outcome of your individual research portion will be reported in an Annotated Bibliography. Details will be posted in Canvas and discussed in class. The topics will need to be refined, and research questions created. We will have 3-5 different topics so that several students will be doing research on the same topic, thereby expanding access to learning from more research. Examples from past classes include Raising the Minimum Wage, Criminal Justice Reform,  and Homelessness Policy Change. First decide on your own topic of interest, in class we will discuss all interests and vote. You will meet in class with your team and develop your research question. I’ll review the research questions with each team, and they will post the team names and topic questions in Canvas. Then you start your  research, using the Delaware County Community College Learning Commons, with support from the Reference Librarians, if needed. Teams will need to meet to plan their Policy Debate. I will try to incorporate 30 minutes in class, but time will also be needed outside of class for the research and planning meetings.
Policy Analysis, Annotated Bibliography       Value: 20%   Due: Sunday, 4/24.    Each student must include a minimum of 5 academic journal or news articles about your topic. Each team will be researching and preparing to present either a pro or con side of that policy. I will assign students to a pro or con side of the debate. In social policy development, it is particularly important to know your side of the policy but also to be knowledgeable about the ideas and goals of the opposing side of that policy. Time in a class session is valuable, so please try to be in class on time. Thursday you will be able to note your topic of interest, vote on topics, be placed in teams to develop research questions. You will leave class ready to research.
The Policy Debate                         Value: 20%    Date: 4/26 or 4/28, in class                                                  Research teams will debate during class Tuesday/Thursday, 4/26, 4/28. Start your work now! The debate process will be structured, and students come prepared to discuss the research evidence to support their side of the debate.  You will need time at home to prepare and practice since each team will only debate for 10-12 minutes. Students often share that they do not prefer certain policies that guide or limit social work practice. Students have identified government policies that can be changed to better support our fellow citizens and decrease the punitive nature of many of our social welfare policies, especially in the criminal justice and addiction treatment systems. This combination of research and debate will allow students the time to explore the research that supports their policy interest.

Policy Analysis and Debate Assignment                    Combined Value: 40%
This is a 2-part assignment, and each part is worth 20 % of your course grade! This assignment allows you time to research a policy that is interesting, and/or meaningful to you. The assignment starts with the selection of a topic for your research.  Topics and teams will be selected in class on Thursday.  When  topics are chosen, we will also create teams, with 2 students per team. The outcome of your individual research portion will be reported in an Annotated Bibliography. Details will be posted in Canvas and discussed in class. The topics will need to be refined, and research questions created. We will have 3-5 different topics so that several students will be doing research on the same topic, thereby expanding access to learning from more research. Examples from past classes include Raising the Minimum Wage, Criminal Justice Reform,  and Homelessness Policy Change. First decide on your own topic of interest, in class we will discuss all interests and vote. You will meet in class with your team and develop your research question. I’ll review the research questions with each team, and they will post the team names and topic questions in Canvas. Then you start your  research, using the Delaware County Community College Learning Commons, with support from the Reference Librarians, if needed. Teams will need to meet to plan their Policy Debate. I will try to incorporate 30 minutes in class, but time will also be needed outside of class for the research and planning meetings.
Policy Analysis, Annotated Bibliography       Value: 20%   Due: Sunday, 4/24.    Each student must include a minimum of 5 academic journal or news articles about your topic. Each team will be researching and preparing to present either a pro or con side of that policy. I will assign students to a pro or con side of the debate. In social policy development, it is particularly important to know your side of the policy but also to be knowledgeable about the ideas and goals of the opposing side of that policy. Time in a class session is valuable, so please try to be in class on time. Thursday you will be able to note your topic of interest, vote on topics, be placed in teams to develop research questions. You will leave class ready to research.
The Policy Debate                         Value: 20%    Date: 4/26 or 4/28, in class                                                  Research teams will debate during class Tuesday/Thursday, 4/26, 4/28. Start your work now! The debate process will be structured, and students come prepared to discuss the research evidence to support their side of the debate.  You will need time at home to prepare and practice since each team will only debate for 10-12 minutes. Students often share that they do not prefer certain policies that guide or limit social work practice. Students have identified government policies that can be changed to better support our fellow citizens and decrease the punitive nature of many of our social welfare policies, especially in the criminal justice and addiction treatment systems. This combination of research and debate will allow students the time to explore the research that supports their policy interest.