PLEASE SEE NOTE AT BOTTOM and attachments for outline templates(***)
Final Paper Outline
This week, you will write an outline for your Final Paper. Before you submit the paper, you must do the following:
- Read this sample of an exemplary outline from a previous class. Please note that at that time students were required to cover different learning objectives. You are only required to make a plan for the three listed below.
- Do the “week two training quiz”.
- Use this outline template as a model for doing this assignment.
Before you begin your paper, you must review the Final Paper instructions in Week Five. You will see that you will be writing a letter of advice for a couple or group of co-workers, using the first five course learning objectives of this course. This assignment is designed to get you to create a preliminary plan for doing that final assignment that will be due in Week Five. For this week’s outline assignment you will focus only on the three learning objectives we’ve already covered in the first two weeks (listed below). Remember though that in the final draft you will be required to cover all five course learning objectives. Here are the learning objectives you must cover in this outline, and some advice for adequately addressing each:
- Explain the principles of and barriers to effective interpersonal communications. Be sure to address the significance of each principle in being an effective communicator. The best papers will list at least two barriers and provide advice for overcoming each of them.
- Analyze the role of communication in developing and maintaining one’s self-concept, self-image, and self-esteem. Be sure to define each term and directly connect each to communication. The best papers will address the relationship between psychology and communication and the importance of the relationship.
- Analyze the impact of gender and culture on interpersonal communications. Explain the relationship between gender, culture and communication and how acknowledging these elements is central to becoming an effective communicator. Consider the pros and cons of what are often deemed more “masculine” versus “feminine” forms of communication and how various styles can help us in particular contexts.
Remember, an outline is not full paragraphs. Instead, it is in bullet point form. However, you must provide a preliminary introduction and conclusion so we can see that you are on the right track. Those are the only places where paragraphs are appropriate. For more help on outlining, please review this information on outlining https://awc.ashford.edu/writing-tools-outline.html) Outline (Links to an external site.) created by the Ashford Writing Center.
The outline must contain
- An introduction with thesis statement. For help with the thesis statement specifically, please click here:
- All learning objectives, with details about how you plan to address each. Please be sure to explain how you plan to support all of your key claims from expert sources. For more information about how to do this, watch this video: Integrating Research (Links to an external site.). Though you will not be writing full body paragraphs, with the exception of your introduction and conclusion, you still must give your instructor a sense of how you plan to cover each objective with course materials, independent academic research, and personal experiences that correlate with those key points.
- A conclusion. The conclusion should restate the overall perspective offered in the paper, with a restatement of the thesis and the central points outlined in the paper.
- A reference page containing at least three academic resources. You should find at least two of these resources independently in the Ashford University Library. To get started, review the following resources. And if you need further assistance, please contact the Ashford University Library.
Remember, you will need to cite your sources in order to get credit for the use of course and academic materials, which is part of how you will be assessed. Please carefully review the grading rubric so you have a clear sense of how you will be graded. If you are having difficulties understanding any of these instructions, contact your instructor. You will receive feedback on this draft so that you can make the necessary improvements for your Final Paper submission during Week Five.
************You will need to use Week 5 guideline (FINAL PAPER), which is listed below:*************
The Final Paper
- Must be 8 to 10 double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style. For assistance, visit the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Essay Checklist for Students (Links to an external site.).
- Must include a title page with the following: (For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, please refer to the Formatting Instructions for MS Word 2013 (Links to an external site.))
- Title of paper
- Student’s name
- Course name and number
- Instructor’s name
- Date submitted
- Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper. For assistance on writing Introductions and Conclusions (Links to an external site.) as well as Thesis Statements (Links to an external site.), please refer to the Ashford Writing Center resources.
- Must use each learning objectives as a header dividing each section of the paper.
- Must use the textbook as a source. The Integrating Research (Links to an external site.) tutorial will offer further assistance on including supporting information and reasoning.
- Must use two additional course articles/videos and two academic articles the student has found independently. A total of five sources must be used in the paper and be on the reference list.
- Must document any information from a source in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s In-Text Citation Guide (Links to an external site.).
- Must include a separate APA References List (Links to an external site.) that is formatted according to APA style.
Before you submit your written assignment, you are encouraged to review The Grammarly Guide: How to Set Up & Use Grammarly (Links to an external site.) tutorial, set up a Grammarly account (if you have not already done so), and use Grammarly to review a rough draft of your assignment. Then carefully review all issues identified by Grammarly and revise your work as needed.