Learning Analysis One Basic Components and Questions

Learning Analysis One 

A hard copy of LEARNING ANALYSIS ONE is due on or before the end of Week Eight, Friday, March 1st, 3:00 P.M., at 

the latest, in AEB 228 or my office (AEB 236). The first complete draft does not receive a grade other than a number for 

the percent of the required components that are included in the first draft. Analyses submitted that do not include all of the 

required questions and components will not receive credit as a first draft. They will be returned without feedback and will 

receive a ‘0' for credit. They will need to be completed and resubmitted to receive credit as a first draft and be given 

feedback. You are expected to revise and rewrite your first complete draft of LEARNING ANALYSIS ONE for grades 

sometime before the end of the term. All final revisions are due on or before Friday, April 26th, 3:00 P.M., at the latest, in 

AEB 228 or my office (AEB 236). TO RECEIVE A GRADE FOR THE LEARNING ANALYSES PART OF THE 

OVERALL COURSE GRADE, YOU MUST SUBMIT A MINIMUM OF TWO VERSIONS OF LEARNING ANALYSIS 

ONE — A COMPLETE FIRST DRAFT THAT HAS RECEIVED CREDIT AND FEEDBACK AND A COMPLETE 

REVISION OF THE FIRST DRAFT. Generally speaking, you may revise LEARNING ANALYSIS ONE as often as we have 

time for you to make revisions, resubmit them, allow time for me to evaluate them, generate feedback for you regarding them, and 

then return them to you. A hard copy of LEARNING ANALYSIS TWO is due by the Friday following finals week, May 3rd, 

3:00 P.M., at the latest, in AEB 228 or my office (AEB 236). It can be turned in earlier in AEB 228 or my office (AEB 236). 

Typically, your essays are assessed in terms of your use of the intellectual processes of conceptualization, definition, analysis, 

synthesis, evaluation, and application. As has been discussed in class, your responses should always be well-reasoned (logical), 

clear, precise, accurate, deep, significant, relevant, and consistent. Be sure you have successfully attended to the “Necessary Details 

for all Writing Assignments” discussed in the Course Syllabus. 

O Where appropriate, include specific examples and connections from your own experience to illustrate the personal relevance 

of the ideas and to add greater clarity to your explanations. Be sure you articulate how aspects of your example are 

specifically relevant to the points you are making in your analysis. 

O The audience you are to write for is made up of peers, family members, friends, and others who have little, if any, understanding 

of the things you are studying for this assignment. Think of yourself as writing to this audience from the perspective of a budding 

behavioral and social scientist not just as a student in an upper-division, graduate-level course. Hence, your analytical and 

evaluative reasoning and writing is critical. It must be explicit, thorough, and “spelled-out”. 

O Keep in mind that you are to demonstrate that you have acquired deeper and broader understanding from the materials we have 

been studying in our reading assignments and class discussions. Particularly, you need to discuss what has been altered in or 

added to your initial or prior understanding — the things you hadn’t seen or considered or understood before you discovered 

this insight (in relationship to what you believed, thought, and understood before you discovered your insight). 

O Carefully select quotations that contain the most specific, essential, and critical information (i.e., your “data” and “evidence”) 

from the readings that help you clearly, precisely, and deeply articulate and analyze your insight and increased understanding. 

Some quotes will be far more pertinent than others to the logic and demands of your questions and analysis. 

O In the body of your writing, any reference you make to a particular phrase, sentence, or quote from an author should include the 

last name of the author(s), year of publication, and the page number(s) where the quote can be found in parentheses. Include 

a complete reference for each phrase, sentence, quote or definition in a footnote, an endnote, or a reference page. See the section 

in the syllabus entitled “NECESSARY DETAILS FOR ALL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS” for guidelines on referencing. 

Basic Components and Questions 

If you have increased your understanding about something and acquired insight about it, it will have a wholeness to it. Consequently, 

you should be able to articulate and explain your insight or enlightenment regarding the main idea and (1) its essential parts by 

themselves, (2) the important relationships between the parts, and (3) how your understanding from 1 and 2 helps increase your 

understanding of the whole (i.e., helped broaden and deepen your enlightenment about your insights). 

(Q1) YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT INSIGHT. From your reading and our discussion of relevant content in Newberg and 

Waldman’s book, Born to believe, identify, explain, and analyze EITHER [a] the most significant insight you have acquired 

so far this term about your understanding of what it means to be open-minded and what you would need to do to become 

more open-minded OR [b] the most significant insight you have acquired so far this term about your understanding of what 

it means to be a better believer and what you would need to do to become a better believer OR [c] SOME 

COMBINATION OF BOTH a and b. DEPENDING ON WHICH OPTION YOU SELECT, it will be helpful for you 

to also consider, think, and write about your answers to the following related questions: What does it mean to be closed-

minded? What is a believer? What is a bad or not-so-good believer? How is being more open-minded related to becoming 

a better believer? Etc. It may be useful for you to think of this assignment as a TAKE-HOME EXAM in which you write 

about the most important and specific things you have learned about the assigned questions from your study of Newberg and 

Waldman’s book. The focus is on what you have learned directly from the authors and how it has increased your 

understanding. They have quite a few very clear and specific ideas about these questions. Therefore, I will be looking for 

them amongst your selection of quotes and your analysis. Include the following components in your analysis. 

(A) REQUIRED PRELIMINARY DOCUMENTATION. Prepare the following preliminary documents. Use the derived 

information in your analysis where it applies, and submit the completed documents with your analysis. (It is acceptable 

to cut, paste, edit, and explain in greater depth the content from these documents into the body of your essay.) 

OUTLINE. Include an outline that includes (1) a statement identifying your main insight (in 50 words or less); (2) the 

two or three most essential parts of the insight by themselves; and (3) the most important relationships between the 

parts. 

LISTING OF RELEVANT QUOTES, WORDS, AND DEFINITIONS. (1) Identify and write down the quotation 

you plan to analyze. (2) List the words and the corresponding relevant definitional phrases that you will analyze and 

clearly identify which of the words is the synonym you will analyze. (3) Include a list of a minimum of an additional 

four phrases, sentences, and/or paragraphs from our reading assignments that you will use in completing component 

E — to help you identify, explain, and support your insight and analysis. (4) Include complete references for each quote 

(phrase, sentence, and/or paragraph) and each definitional phrase and synonym. 

(B) DISCUSSION OF PRIOR UNDERSTANDING. (1) What was your initial or prior understanding of the important 

ideas and terms from the quotations and author and dictionary definitions that you choose to analyze and (2) why did 

you think these things? Explain what your prior understanding was based on and where your thinking came from. 

(C) ANALYSIS OF QUOTATION. Integrate into your essay a thorough analysis and explanation of how the most 

significant words, phrases, and/or sentences from at least one quotation from our reading assignments in Newberg and 

Waldman’s book deepened and broadened your enlightenment about your insight. To do this, (1) first clearly and 

precisely explain what the key words and phrases of the quote or definition mean to the author or source (i.e., what the 

author is telling you are the specific ideas behind the key words and phrases); (2) second, clearly and precisely explain 

what you learned from the key words and phrases that you didn’t know or understand before your study of them; (3) 

clearly and precisely explain how this meaning is relevant to the particular selected quote and your insight; and (4) how 

it deepened and broadened your enlightenment about the quotation and your insight. 

(D) DEFINE AND ANALYZE CRITICAL TERM. Using relevant phrases and synonyms from at least one good 

dictionary and one good thesaurus, define and analyze thoroughly at least one word, term, or concept (and three other 

related useful words or concepts including one relevant synonym) from the quotation you have selected, and integrate 

what you learn about the definitions in your discussion. (1) Clearly and precisely explain what the key words and phrases 

of the quote or definition mean to the author or source (i.e., what the author or source is telling you are the specific ideas 

behind the key words and phrases). (2) Explain how the things you learn from the relevant content selected from the 

dictionary and thesaurus about the words, terms, or concepts deepened and broadened your enlightenment about the 

quotation and your insight. 

(E) EXPLAIN SUPPORTIVE CONTENT FROM RELATED QUOTES. Integrate into your analysis a discussion of 

a minimum of an additional four related phrases, sentences, and/or paragraphs from our reading assignments in Newberg 

and Waldman’s book (other than the phrase, sentence, or paragraph you analyze in component C above) that help you 

explain and support your insight and analysis. Explain how the things you learn from the relevant content of these 

supportive quotes are relevant to the analysis of your quotation and insight and how they deepened and broadened your 

enlightenment about the quotation and your insight. 

(Q2) As part of the conclusion to your analytical essay, answer the So what? question and its related questions: What difference 

does your new understanding make in your current thinking about the things you consider to be most relevant to your 

learning? How is your new understanding relevant to you and your life? Compare and contrast your prior thinking with your 

newly acquired and more enlightened thinking. What can you do with what you now know? How does it affect the way you 

perceive and think about relevant things?

REVISIONS OF LEARNING ANALYSIS ONE 

As I hope you already know, you will need to rewrite or revise all of your LEARNING ANALYSIS ONE before or by the end 

of the term in order to receive a grade for your analysis. Please remember that the first complete draft does not receive a grade. All 

final revisions are due on or before Friday, April 26th, 3:00 P.M., at the latest, in AEB 228 or my office (AEB 236). 

Revisions may be turned in earlier in class, AEB 228, or my office (AEB 236). You will also receive a grade for the quality of 

your revisions. (See relevant grading rubric below.) Consequently, one of the most important tasks of the revision process is to 

correct mistakes, include page numbering and prior omissions, be sure all required parts, components, and responses to questions 

have been included, and carefully proofread the text of your analysis, outline, list of quotations, and references. Failure to do so will 

significantly decrease your grades. Generally speaking, you may revise LEARNING ANALYSIS ONE as often as we have time 

for you to make revisions, submit them, allow time for me to evaluate them, generate feedback for you regarding them, and then 

return them to you. Each time you turn-in your LEARNING ANALYSIS ONE after you have made revisions, please submit the 

following: 

1. In all of your revisions, PLEASE PRINT IN CAPS (or some other form of emphasis such as underlining or a distinctly 

different font or highlight in a different color) ALL OF THE CONTENT YOU ADD IN YOUR REVISING to the previous 

version of your responses. 

2. THE FEEDBACK/GRADING SHEETS I HANDED BACK TO YOU 

3. YOUR PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF YOUR LEARNING ANALYSIS 

4. A PRINTED HARD COPY OF THE MOST RECENTLY REVISED VERSION OF YOUR LEARNING ANALYSIS 

ESSAY, OUTLINE, AND REFERENCE PAGE. 

I need all of these elements to be included with your revisions or I will not be able to grade them completely!! Be sure you 

have corrected all of your previous mistakes, included page numbering and prior omissions. Be sure all required parts, 

components, and responses to questions have been included. And carefully proofread the text of your analysis, outline, list 

of quotations, and references before submitting your revisions. Thanks! Your grades will appreciate your attention, 

accuracy, precision, and efforts in these regards. 

REVISION QUALITY. How effectively did you respond to previous feedback? Did you provide ample evidence of rethinking the assigned 

questions, your responses to them, and your insight in terms of how they are addressed, explained, analyzed? Does your new content add depth, 

breadth, detail, clarity, precision or is it more information at the same level? Is your increased understanding and learning directly identified, 

explained, and thoroughly analyzed? 

WRONG DIRECTION 

0 50 57 

There is no 

evidence of 

changes in your 

most recent 

version of the LA 

other than 

cosmetic, basic 

corrections. Few if 

any previously 

omitted 

components have 

been added. 

BASICS of 

revisions not 

included. 

NO DIRECTION 

60 64 67 

There is no evidence 

of rethinking 

questions, 

responses, quotes 

and insight in how 

they are addressed, 

explained, analyzed 

in new content. 

Many corrections 

ignored. Most 

changes are 


corrections. Few 

previously omitted 


been added. BASICS 

of revisions not 

included. 

DIRECTION UNSURE 

70 74 77 

There is some evidence of 

rethinking questions, 

responses, quotes and insight 

in how they are addressed, 

explained, analyzed in new 

content. Some corrections 

ignored. Many changes are 

cosmetic and basic 

corrections. Some previously 

omitted components have 

been added. Added 

information stays on the 

same level as before. No 

increased understanding and 

learning is evident. BASICS of 

revisions may or may not 

have been included. 

RIGHT DIRECTION 

80 84 87 

There is considerable 

evidence of rethinking 

questions, responses, 

quotes and insight in how 


explained, analyzed in 

new content. Necessary 

corrections have been 

made and previously 


been added. Much of new 

content adds depth, 

breadth, detail, clarity, 

precision. Increased 

understanding and 

learning is identified, 

discussed, and explained. 

BASICS of revisions 

included. 

BULLSEYE 

90 94 100 

There is a lot of evidence of 


responses, quotes and 

insight in how they are 

addressed, explained, 

analyzed in new content. 

Necessary corrections have 

been made and previously 


been added. New content 

adds much more depth, 



understanding and learning 

is clearly and thoroughly 

identified, discussed, and 

explained. BASICS of 

revisions included.

STATEMENT IDENTIFYING MAIN INSIGHT (in 50 words or less): 

We can be more open-minded by (1) learning from others by skeptically studying different points of view, (2) “questioning our own 

beliefs” to determine their strengths and limitations, and (3) discover and “override” our “biologically based cognitive biases.” (38 

words) 

TWO OR THREE MOST ESSENTIAL PARTS BY THEMSELVES 

A. learning from others by skeptically studying different points of view 

B. “questioning our own beliefs” to determine their strengths and limitations 

C. discover and “override” our “biologically based cognitive biases” 

MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE PARTS 

AB. “by questioning our own beliefs and recognizing their limits, we open ourselves to exploring different systems of belief” 

AC. discovering and overriding our “biologically based cognitive biases” helps us to not dismiss, disparage, or reject beliefs 

different from our own 

MAIN QUOTATION TO BE ANALYZED 

Newberg, Andrew, and Mark Robert Waldman. (2007.) “The power of belief” in Born to believe: God, science, and the origin of 

ordinary and extraordinary beliefs. New York, NY: The Free Press (Simon & Schuster), 10. 

One thing we can do is train ourselves to become more vigilant and cautious. Adopt a skeptical, open-minded attitude.…A skeptic 

is simply a person who chooses to examine carefully whether his or her beliefs are actually true. A skeptic keeps an open mind — 

a willingness to consider both sides of an argument. 

FOUR CRITICAL WORDS TO BE ANALYZED 

1. Open-minded 

DICTIONARY ONE PHRASE THAT INCREASED MY UNDERSTANDING: Having or showing receptiveness to new and 

different ideas or the opinions of others. [American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Houghton Mifflin, 2009. 

Retrieved September 27, 2012, from http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/open-minded] 

DICTIONARY TWO PHRASE THAT INCREASED MY UNDERSTANDING: not having preconceptions or prejudgments; receptive; 

tolerant; impartial. [Wordsmyth Online English Dictionary - Thesaurus, The Wordsmyth Organization, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2012, 

from http://www.wordsmyth.net/?ent=open-minded] 

2. Skeptical 

DICTIONARY PHRASE THAT INCREASED MY UNDERSTANDING: Marked by or given to doubt; questioning. [American 

Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Houghton Mifflin, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2012, from 

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/skeptical] 

3. Vigilant 

DICTIONARY PHRASE THAT INCREASED MY UNDERSTANDING: On the alert; watchful. See Synonyms at aware. [American 

Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Houghton Mifflin, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2012, from 

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/vigilant] 

4. Aware (synonym of vigilant) 

DICTIONARY PHRASE THAT INCREASED MY UNDERSTANDING: 1. Having knowledge or cognizance. 2. Archaic Vigilant; watchful. 

[American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Houghton Mifflin, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2012, from 

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry?id=A0551800] 

SYNONYM THAT INCREASED MY UNDERSTANDING: AWARE. These adjectives [aware, cognizant, conscious, sensible, 

awake, alert, watchful, vigilant] mean mindful or heedful: AWARE implies knowledge gained through one's own perceptions or 

by means of information. Watchful and VIGILANT imply looking out for what is dangerous or potentially so. [American Heritage® 

Dictionary of the English Language, Houghton Mifflin, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2012, from 

http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry?id=A0551800]

FOUR QUOTATIONS TO BE USED FOR SUPPORT 

(Plus two extra that you don’t have to include. I found all six useful, so I would include all six in my analysis. You need to include 

only four quotes for supportive purposes.) 

Newberg, Andrew, and Mark Robert Waldman. (2007.) “Preface” in Born to believe: God, science, and the origin of ordinary and 

extraordinary beliefs. New York, NY: The Free Press (Simon & Schuster), xix. 

…Although we are designed to have beliefs, all beliefs have limitations, and every one of them contains assumptions and 

inaccuracies concerning the true nature of the world. 


ordinary and extraordinary beliefs. New York, NY: The Free Press (Simon & Schuster), 5-6. 

Once our beliefs are established, we rarely challenge their validity, even when faced with contradictory evidence. Thus, when we 

encounter others who appear to hold differing beliefs, we tend to dismiss or disparage them.…Our brains are instinctually prone 

to reject information that does not conform to our prior experience and knowledge. 

Newberg, Andrew, and Mark Robert Waldman. (2007.) “Santa Claus, lucky numbers, and the magician in our brain: The biology 

of conceptual beliefs” in Born to believe: God, science, and the origin of ordinary and extraordinary beliefs. New York, NY: The 

Free Press (Simon & Schuster), 90. 

When we are faced with any belief that conflicts with our own, it takes additional effort and time to override these biologically 

based cognitive biases, but by doing so, we can become more open-minded.…History, of course, reminds us how hard it is to 

maintain an open mind. 

Newberg, Andrew, and Mark Robert Waldman. (2007.) “Becoming a better believer” in Born to believe: God, science, and the 

origin of ordinary and extraordinary beliefs. New York, NY: The Free Press (Simon & Schuster), 260. 

…Be open to modifying your beliefs. Then ask more questions, for questions help expand your perceptions of the world. Approach 

your questioning with enthusiasm for finding truth rather than a desire to denigrate and tear down other people’s beliefs. 

Extra quotes of support for discussion of differences new thinking makes. You do not need to include more than four quotes 

for support in addition to the main quote you plan to analyze. 


ordinary and extraordinary beliefs. New York, NY: The Free Press (Simon & Schuster), 6. 

If we understand the neuropsychology of the brain, our beliefs will be able to grow and change as we interact with others who have 

different views of the world. It is my hope that as we become better believers, we will exercise greater compassion in our search 

for meaning and truth. 

Newberg, Andrew, and Mark Robert Waldman. (2007.) “Becoming a better believer” in Born to believe: God, science, and the 

origin of ordinary and extraordinary beliefs. New York, NY: The Free Press (Simon & Schuster), 265. 

By questioning our own beliefs and recognizing their limits, we open ourselves to exploring different systems of belief. And as 

we learn from others, the boundaries that normally separate us begin to dissolve.

Related Content From Course Syllabus 

GRADING EXPLANATION. Typically, you are encouraged to include three different emphases in all of your writing and 

communicating in our class. These emphases are: (1) demonstrating what you learn and come to know, how/why your learning 

is important and relevant to you, and what makes it worth learning; (2) doing something with what you learn and come to know 

by articulating changes you could consider making to improve things as they are in your thinking and in the things that you do, 

the implications for you and important others of taking your changes seriously if they were implemented, and the opposition from 

yourself and others you could anticipate to your recommendations and your response to this opposition; and (3) your use of good 

reasoning and intellectual processes such as explaining, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating, and applying with clarity, precision, 

accuracy, consistency, depth, breadth, and careful reasoning. These are all things our class is designed to help you learn to do. 

GRADING SCALE. Your final course grade is computed using various weights for the different types of class assignments. 

Letter grades are assigned to percentages according to the scales listed below. 

GRADE “ - ” Range Letter only “ + ” Range 

A = EXCELLENT 90 - 93.9 % 94 - 100 % 

B = GOOD 80 - 83.9 % 84 - 86.9 % 87 - 89.9 % 

C = ADEQUATE 70 - 73.9 % 74 - 76.9 % 77 - 79.9 % 

D = INADEQUATE 60 - 63.9 % 64 - 66.9 % 67 - 69.9 % 

E = NO GRADE < 60 % 

LEARNING ANALYSES are evaluated according to the degree to which particular requirements of the assignment are 

included and how well they are demonstrated. An ‘A’ means the criteria for the requirement were met thoroughly and an ‘E’ 

means the criteria were not met at all. A letter grade of ‘A’ is given for excellent performance and superior achievement; a ‘B’ 

for good performance and substantial achievement; a ‘C’ for standard performance and achievement; a ‘D’ response for 

substandard performance and marginal achievement; and an ‘E’ response for unsatisfactory performance and achievement. 

Generally speaking, when evaluating an assignment, if I cannot find evidence that the requested information, explanation, or 

analysis was provided or required questions were answered, that particular part of the assignment receives an ‘E’ for a grade. 

A ‘D’ or ‘C’ is earned where I find responses to be characterized by any of the following: 

1. simply stated the obvious; only described things; summarized, reported, reiterated, repeated, restated, reworded, or rephrased 

what the text and/or others have already said; 

2. discussed something only in terms of whether or not you agreed or disagreed with it; approved or disapproved of it; liked 

or disliked it; 

3. stated as facts your conclusions, assertions, opinions, viewpoints, beliefs, etc. without qualifications, support, evidence, and 

relevant justifications; 

4. treated something problematic or complex as if it were simple, straightforward, self-evident, one-sided. 

Responses earn a ‘B’ when they specifically and clearly explain and analyze major points, conclusions, and how they were 

determined. An ‘A’ for a response is earned only when explanations and analyses include depth and personal insights. 

NECESSARY DETAILS FOR ALL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS. To help you be thorough and careful in your attention 

to very basic elements of written communication, please attend to the seven details listed below in your assignments. If they are 

omitted your assignment will not receive full credit and may be returned to you to be completed and resubmitted before it 

receives any credit. While attention to such details may seem unimportant to you, I assure you that the inclusion of each item 

makes an important contribution to the successful completion of a relevant piece of written communication from you to me or 

other members of the class. 

1. Please word-process (or type) your work if at all possible. WEEKLY QUOTES AND INSIGHTS can be single-spaced 

and LEARNING ANALYSES should be double-spaced. Proofread and edit all of your work before you turn it in and check 

for possible errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, wording, and sentence structure. Be sure you save or back-up your 

work every few minutes as you are word processing.

2. Please put your name, the name and number of the course, the name of the assignment, and the date of the day you complete 

the assignment at the top of your first page. 

3. Please number your pages and put them in order when you turn in an assignment that is longer than one page. 

4. You do not need to submit your assignments in files, folders, binders, or notebooks. A staple or paper-clip on the top lefthand 

corner of your printed pages will be sufficient. 

5. Any time a quotation is used in an assignment, the reference to it should include the following elements in an endnote, 

footnote, or reference list: Î full name(s) of the author(s); Ï the full or complete title of the article or chapter; Ð the full 

or complete title of the book or publication the article or chapter came from and the names of the author (s)/editor(s) of the 

book if they are not the same as Î above; Ñ the year of publication; Ò the place (e.g., city, state) of publication; Ó the name 

of the publisher; and Ô the page number(s) where the quote can be found. Two additional elements are necessary if the 

reading is on the internet or web: Õ the date that you last retrieved the article or reading on the internet or web; and Ö the 

URL or address on the web for the article or reading in which the quote is located. In the body of your writing, the reference 

for the quote should include the last name of the author(s), year of publication, and the page number(s) where the quote can 

be found. 

If, for example, the quote was from page 11 of Born to believe: God, science, and the origin of ordinary and 

extraordinary beliefs by Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman, you could write the reference in the body 

of your writing as (Newberg and Waldman, 2007, 11) and the reference in a reference page would look like the 

following: 

Newberg, Andrew, and Mark Robert Waldman. (2007). “The power of belief” in Born to believe: God, 

science, and the origin of ordinary and extraordinary beliefs. New York, NY: The Free Press (Simon 

& Schuster), 11. 

In the case of a quote from a chapter that is in a book of readings, the reference is a little more complex. If the 

quote you have selected is on page 33 of Feuds about families: Conservative, centrist, liberal, and feminist 

perspectives by Nijole Benokraitis, a useful way to write the reference in the body of your writing is (Fagan, as 

quoted in Benokraitis, 2000, 33). The reference in a reference page could appear like so: 

Fagan, Patrick F. (2000). “The breakdown of the family” in Nijole V. Benokraitis, Feuds about families: 

Conservative, centrist, liberal, and feminist perspectives. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 33. 

If the quote was from page 111 of the article by William Meezan and Jonathan Rauch that is available on the web, 

you could write the reference in the body of your writing as (Meezan and Rauch, 2005, 111). The reference page 

entry could be written as follows: 

Meezan, William, and Jonathan Rauch. (2005). “Gay marriage, same-sex parenting, and America’s 

children” The Future of Children, Fall 2005, 15(2), 111. Retrieved December 6, 2010 from 

http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/future_of_children/v015/15.2meezan.html. 

6. Be certain that you respond to and complete all assigned questions, components, and their subparts. Pieces of work turned-in 

that omit important assigned components are likely to be returned without credit until they are completed and resubmitted. 

These resubmitted assignments will be considered late. 

APA Style of Referencing a Dictionary in footnotes, endnotes, or a reference page 

In Print 

Examples of citing a general dictionary with and without an editor: 

Weber, C. (Ed.). (2002). Webster's dictionary (4th ed., Vols. 1-4). Chicago: Webster Press. 

Oxford dictionary (7th ed.). (2000). Hinsdale, IL: Penguin Press. 

Example of citing a specific dictionary entry with and without an editor: 

Quixotic. (1990). In N. Taparia (Ed.), Oxford dictionary (p. 345, 3rd ed., vol. 5). New York: Oxford Press. 

Quixotic. (1990). Oxford dictionary (p. 345, 3rd ed., vol. 5). New York: Oxford Press. 

Online 

Virulent. (2000). Dictionary.com. Lexico Publishing Group. Retrieved August 30, 2005, from 

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=virulent 

Tips & Warnings 

The date of publication is often not listed. If this is the case, use the abbreviation "n.d." (which stands for "no date"). 

The date listed in the actual definition is not the date of publication, but the date of earliest use. Do not use this in your citation.

TO BE INFORMED VS. TO BE ENLIGHTENED 

Excerpts from Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren (1972), How to read a book, revised and updated edition. New York: 

Touchstone, 11. 

Getting more information is learning, and so is coming to understand what you did not understand before. But there is an 

important difference between these two kinds of learning. To be informed is to know simply that something is the case. To be 

enlightened is to know, in addition, what it is all about: why it is the case, what its connections are with other facts, in what 

respects it is the same, in what respects it is different, and so forth. 

This distinction is familiar in terms of the differences between being able to remember something and being able to explain it. 

If you remember what an author says, you have learned something from reading him. If what he says is true, you have even 

learned something about the world. But whether it is a fact about the book or a fact about the world that you have learned, you 

have gained nothing but information if you have exercised only your memory. 

You have not been enlightened. Enlightenment is achieved only when, in addition to knowing what an author says, you know 

what he means and why he says it.…Being informed is prerequisite to being enlightened. The point, however, is not to stop at 

being informed. 

SELECTION OF CONTENT 

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF 

Are you seeking to be informed or enlightened? (see quote above) 

Does your selection help you be informed or enlightened? 

FROM THE AUTHOR 

What does the insight, quote, or definition tell you on its own terms and logic? 

What do you understand the author to be saying? 

What are the important underlying ideas? 

YOUR INTERPRETATION 

What does this mean to you? What does it add or alter to what you already know? 

What did you think about this before? What was the basis for your prior thinking? 

How is this similar to your prior thinking? 

How is this different from your prior thinking? 

What connections does this suggest or make for you? 

What do you understand more deeply and broadly because of this? 

What do you now wonder because of this.

QUOTE OR PHRASE ONE: 

— LIST SEPARATELY EACH OF 

— THE VARIOUS THINGS 

— YOU LEARNED FROM THE 

— QUOTE OR PHRASE. 

WORD ONE: 

— LIST EACH OF 

— THE THINGS YOU 

— LEARNED ABOUT 

— THIS WORD. 

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO? 

WORD TWO: 





QUOTE OR PHRASE TWO: 

— LIST SEPARATELY EACH OF 

— THE VARIOUS THINGS 

— YOU LEARNED FROM THE 

— QUOTE OR PHRASE. 

WORD THREE: 





AFTER YOU HAVE LISTED A BUNCH OF SPECIFIC THINGS YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM YOUR PARTICULAR 

SELECTION OF QUOTES, PHRASES, AND WORDS, RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. 

WHICH OF ALL THESE THINGS DID YOU KNOW BEFORE? 

WHICH OF ALL THESE THINGS DID YOU NOT KNOW BEFORE? 

WHICH OF ALL THESE THINGS DO YOU NOW UNDERSTAND DIFFERENTLY? WHAT IS DIFFERENT? WHAT 

DIFFERENCE DOES THIS “DIFFERENCE” MAKE? 

WHICH OF ALL THESE THINGS DEEPENED YOUR UNDERSTANDING? WHAT DEEPENED? 

WHICH OF ALL THESE THINGS BROADENED YOUR UNDERSTANDING? WHAT BROADENED? 

WHAT DID YOU THINK BEFORE? WHY DID YOU THINK THAT? 

NOW WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHY DO YOU THINK THAT? 

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH WHAT YOU NOW KNOW THAT YOU DIDN’T DO BEFORE BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T 

KNOW IT UNTIL NOW?

FCS 3240 — LEARNING ANALYSIS ONE FEEDBACK: BASICS 

BASICS. You are attentive to correct grammar, punctuation, word-selection, sentence structure, spelling, referencing, proof-reading, etc., or your 

writing has problems in the following areas: 

F GRAMMAR F PUNCTUATION F WORDING F SENTENCE-STRUCTURE F SPELLING F MISQUOTING F REFERENCING F PROOF-READING 

You are attentive to necessary details and include all assigned components or you have omitted or not completed necessary details and/or assigned 

components. LEARNING ANALYSES turned-in that omit too many necessary details and/or assigned components are highly likely to be returned 

without credit until they are completed and resubmitted. These resubmitted assignments will be considered late. 

— submitted work is word-processed or typed F ALL PARTS ARE WP/T F SOME PARTS ARE WP/T F FEW OR NO PARTS ARE WP/T 

— put pages in order and include page numbering F PAGES OUT OF ORDER F PAGE NUMBERS OMITTED 

— include outline of insight, parts, important relationship(s) F STATED INSIGHT F PARTS F RELATIONSHIPS F NOT SURE F ALL OMITTED 

— include accurate list of four words F ALL ACCURATE F SOME ACCURATE F NONE ACCURATE F ALL OMITTED 

— include accurate list of relevant definitions F ALL ACCURATE F SOME ACCURATE F NONE ACCURATE F ALL OMITTED 

— include accurate list of relevant references F ALL ACCURATE F SOME ACCURATE F NONE ACCURATE F ALL OMITTED 

— include accurate dictionary references in text F ALL ACCURATE F SOME ACCURATE F NONE ACCURATE F ALL OMITTED 

— include accurate list of all relevant quotes F ALL ACCURATE F SOME ACCURATE F NONE ACCURATE F ALL OMITTED 


— include accurate references in text F ALL ACCURATE F SOME ACCURATE F NONE ACCURATE F ALL OMITTED 

— use one dictionary for each of four words defined/analyzed F NO DICTIONARY EVIDENT F SYNONYM LISTED/IDENTIFIED F NO SYNONYM 

(1 critical word; 3 related words including synonym) F DID SYNONYM F DID 3 WORDS F DID 2 WORDS F DID 1 WORD F ALL OMITTED 

— thoroughly analyze one quote F LISTED F IDENTIFIED – NOT LISTED F NOT IDENTIFIED QUOTE ANALYZED: F NOT SURE F OMITTED 

— include four quotes for support F DID 4 QUOTES F DID 3 QUOTES F DID 2 QUOTES F DID 1 QUOTE F NOT SURE F ALL OMITTED 

— include complete and accurate references for quotes and definitions in a reference page or bibliography 

F ALL ACCURATE F SOME ACCURATE F NONE ACCURATE F ALL OMITTED 

NO CREDIT: 

CORRECT AND 

RESUBMIT ASAP 

0 50 57 

You do not convey 

an accurate 

understanding of 

this assignment 

and its 

requirements. You 

have omitted all of 

the required 

elements of this 

assignment. 

MINIMAL CREDIT: MANY 

CORRECTIONS NECESSARY 

WITH REVISIONS 

60 64 67 

You have far too many 

grammatical, proofreading, 

and/or spelling 

errors. It is difficult to 

follow your thinking 

because of so many run-on 

or incomplete sentences. 

You have omitted many of 

the required elements of 

this assignment. 

MARGINAL CREDIT: QUITE A 

FEW CORRECTIONS 

NECESSARY WITH REVISIONS 

70 74 77 

You have quite a few 

grammatical, proof-reading, 

and/or spelling errors. It is 

difficult to follow your 

thinking in some places 

because of run-on or 

incomplete sentences. Some 

required elements of this 

assignment are omitted. 

PARTIAL CREDIT: SOME 



80 84 87 

You have some 



errors. It is easy to follow 

your thinking in most 

places because there are 

few run-on or incomplete 

sentences. Most of the 


assignment are included. 

FULL CREDIT: FEW OR NO 



90 94 100 

You have a few or no 



errors. Your writing 

flows very well and is 

easy to follow. All 



It seems complete. 

PLAGIARISM. You need to credit and reference the relevant authors for all of their phrases or your paraphrases of the author’s ideas and language 

that you use as though they were your own; otherwise you are plagiarizing. Put the phrases in quotation marks, cite the page numbers where they can 

be found, or acknowledge the author as the source of the ideas and the page numbers where the author discusses the ideas you are borrowing, 

rephrasing, or paraphrasing. 

TOO MUCH 

PLAGIARIZING PRESENT: 

UNACCEPTABLE; PAPER 

RECEIVES A FAILING 

GRADE AS IS 

0 

A LOT OF PLAGIARIZING 

PRESENT: UNACCEPTABLE; 

MUST BE CORRECTED IN 

REVISIONS TO RECEIVE A 

PASSING GRADE 

50 

SOME PLAGIARIZING 

PRESENT: MUST BE 

CORRECTED IN 

REVISIONS TO RECEIVE 

A PASSING GRADE 

54 

A LITTLE PLAGIARIZING 


CORRECTED IN 



57 

NO PLAGIARIZING PRESENT; 

CREDIT FOR AND REFERENCES 

TO AUTHORS’ WORK IS 

ACCURATELY ACKNOWLEDGED 

AND REFERENCED 

NO LOSS OF CREDIT

LEARNING ANALYSIS ONE FEEDBACK AND EVALUATION 

PERSONAL INPUT. Your ideas, reflections, observations, concerns, and questions are useful, compelling, important, and discussed in a coherent 

and well-reasoned manner. All personal claims and opinions should be well-supported by relevant evidence and reasoning. All of your examples 

should be clearly explained and connected with relevant content. 

WRONG DIRECTION NO DIRECTION DIRECTION UNSURE RIGHT DIRECTION BULLSEYE 

I cannot make sense 

of your writing or 

reasoning. You 

discuss things 

primarily in terms of 

personal preferences 

(you agree or 

disagree with them, 

like or dislike them). 

Examples are omitted 

or are not explained 

and connected to 

relevant content. 

I cannot not make sense 

of much of your writing 

nor can I follow much of 

your reasoning. You 

discuss as facts most of 

your opinions without 

relevant evidence and 

reasoning. Examples are 

omitted or many of them 

are not explained and 

connected to relevant 

content. 

I cannot not make sense of 

some of your writing nor 

can I follow some of your 

reasoning. You discuss as 

facts some of your opinions 

without relevant evidence 

and reasoning while some 

evidence and reasoning are 

provided for others. Some 

examples are not explained 

and connected to relevant 

content and some are. 

Most of your writing 

and reasoning is 

coherent, sound, and 

easy to follow. Most 

of your opinions are 

supported by relevant 

evidence with 

relevant reasoning 

explained. Most 

examples are 

explained and 


content. 

All of your writing and 

reasoning is coherent, sound, 

and easy to follow. Your 

claims and opinions are wellsupported 

by evidence, 

accurately represent the 

context from which they are 

taken with relevant reasoning 

clearly articulated and 

explained. Examples are 

clearly and thoroughly 

explained and connected to 


Q1 MOST SIGNIFICANT INSIGHT. What is the most significant insight you have acquired so far this term about your understanding of EITHER 

[a] what it means to be open-minded and what you would need to do to become more open-minded OR [b] what it means to be a better believer 

and what you would need to do to become a better believer OR [c] SOME COMBINATION OF BOTH [a] and [b] from your reading and our 

discussion of Newberg and Waldman’s book, Born to believe? If you have increased your understanding about something and acquired insight about 

it…you should be able to articulate and explain your enlightenment regarding the main idea and (1) its essential parts by themselves, (2) the important 

relationships between the parts, and (3) how your understanding from 1 and 2…helped broaden and deepen your enlightenment about your insight. 



an accurate 






the required 


question. 

I cannot tell what 

your insight and 

its important parts 

and relationships 

are. You have 

omitted many or 

all of the required 


question. 

I have a sense of what you want to 

write about but your insight is not 

clear. Or, your insight is identified 

but not explained, developed or 

analyzed; its parts and important 

relationships are not specifically 

and clearly discussed. You may 

have too many insights to work 

with here. A few required elements 

of this question are omitted. 

Your insight, its parts, 

and important 

relationships are 

explained, developed, and 

analyzed to some degree. 

Some discussion of 

increased understanding 

is included. All required 

elements of this question 

are included. 

Your insight, its parts, and 

important relationships are 


explained and analyzed. How 

the analysis of your insight, 

its parts, and important 

relationships deepened and 

broadened your 

understanding is clearly and 

thoroughly explained . 

Q1B DISCUSSION OF INITIAL/PRIOR THINKING. What was your initial or prior understanding of the important ideas, terms, and definitions 

that you choose to analyze and why did you think these things? Explain what your prior understanding based on and where your thinking came from? 


You do not discuss your 

initial or prior 

understanding of the 

relevant ideas or terms 

and what your 

understanding was based 

on. You have omitted all 

of the required elements 

of this question. 

Little discussion of your 

initial or prior understanding 

of the relevant ideas or terms 

is included; little if any 

discussion of what your 

understanding was based on 

and where it came from. You 

have omitted many or all of 

the required elements of this 

question. 

Some discussion of your 






on and where it came 

from is included. A few 


question are omitted. 

Your initial or prior 






from are explained to a 

considerable degree. All 


question are included. 



relevant ideas or 

terms and what your 

understanding was 

based on and where 

it came from are 

clearly and 

thoroughly 

explained.

Q1C ANALYSIS OF QUOTATION. Integrate into your essay a thorough analysis and explanation of how the most significant words, phrases, 

and/or sentences from at least one quotation from our reading assignments helped broaden and deepen your enlightenment about your insight. (1) 

Clearly and precisely explain what the key words and phrases of the quote or definition mean to the author or source. (2) Then clearly and precisely 

explain how this meaning is relevant to the particular selected quote and your insight and how it helped broaden and deepen your enlightenment 

about the quotation and your insight. 


You do not include 

a quote or do not 

use one for the 

assigned purposes. 


an accurate 


authors mentioned. 

You have omitted 



question. 


your main quote is. 

Content from quote 

is simply inserted or 

reworded without 

discussion. Much of 

your writing does 

not convey an 

accurate 




many or all of the 

required elements of 

this question. 

Your main quote is identified 

but not explained or 

analyzed. Content of quote is 

simply inserted, reworded, or 

summarized in oversimplified 

or overgeneralized 

comments. Its key words and 

phrases are not specifically or 

clearly identified and 

discussed. Some writing does 

not convey an accurate 

understanding of authors 

mentioned. A few required 

elements of this question are 

omitted. 

The authors’ meaning of 

your main quote and its key 

words and phrases are 

defined, explained, and 


Some discussion of how this 

meaning applies to the 

quote and your insights and 

increased understanding is 

included. Most of your 

writing conveys an accurate 


cited and discussed. All 



The authors’ meaning of your 

main quote and its key words 

and phrases are clearly and 

thoroughly explained and 

analyzed. How this meaning 

applies to the quote and your 

insights and how your 


deepened and broadened is 


explained. All of your 



cited and discussed. 

Q1D DEFINE AND ANALYZE CRITICAL TERM. Using relevant phrases and synonyms from at least one good dictionary and one good 

thesaurus, define and analyze thoroughly at least one word, term, or concept (and three other related useful words or concepts including one relevant 

synonym) from the quotation you have selected, and integrate what you learn about the definitions in your discussion. (1) Clearly and precisely explain 

what the key words and phrases of the quote or definition mean to the author or source (i.e., what the author or source is telling you are the specific 

ideas behind the key words and phrases). (2) Explain how the things you learn from the relevant content selected from one dictionary and one 

thesaurus about the words, terms, or concepts helped broaden and deepen your understanding and enlightenment about the quotation and your 

insight. 



any definitions of 

critical terms or 

key words. You 


the required 


question. 

Some definitions of 

critical terms and 

words are included. 

No explanation of 

what definitions 

mean or how they 

are relevant. You 

have omitted many 

or all of the 

required elements 


Definitions of critical terms 

and words are simply 

inserted or summarized in 

oversimplified or 

overgeneralized comments 

or included with some 

explanation of what the 

definitions mean and how 

they are relevant. A few 



The meaning of the key words 

and phrases of a quote or 

definition as given by authors 

or sources are explained and 



meaning applies to the quote 

and your insight and increased 

understanding is included. All 



The meaning of the key 

words and phrases of a quote 

or definition as given by 

authors or sources are clearly 

and thoroughly explained 

and analyzed. How this 


and your insight and how 

your increased understanding 



explained.

Q1E EXPLAIN SUPPORTIVE CONTENT FROM RELATED QUOTES. Integrate into your analysis a discussion of a minimum of four related 

phrases, sentences, and/or paragraphs from our reading assignments…that help you explain and support your insight and analysis. Explain how the 

things you learn from the relevant content of these supportive quotes are relevant to the analysis of your quotation and insight and how they helped 

broaden and deepen your enlightenment about your insight and the quotation. 



quotes or do not 

use them for the 



an accurate 






question. 


your supportive 

quotes are or what 

they support. Content 

from quotes is simply 

inserted or reworded 

without discussion. 

Much of your writing 

does not convey an 

accurate 







Your supportive quotes are 

identified but how they support 

your main quote and insights is 

not explained or analyzed. 

Content of quotes is simply 

inserted, reworded, or 

summarized in oversimplified or 

overgeneralized comments. The 

relevant content and relevance 

of the quotes are not specifically 

or clearly identified and 






omitted. 

How the content of the 

supportive quotes 

contributes to your 

understanding of your main 

quote and insights is 

explained and analyzed to 

some degree. Some 

discussion of how this 

content deepened and 


understanding is included. 


conveys an accurate 





How the relevant content 

of the supportive quotes 


understanding of your 

main quote and insights 

are clearly and 


analyzed. How this 



understanding is clearly 

and thoroughly 


writing conveys an 

accurate understanding of 

authors cited and 

discussed. 

Q2 THE DIFFERENCE INSIGHTS MAKE. So what? What difference does your new understanding make in your current thinking about the 

things you consider to be most relevant to your learning? In other words, How is your new understanding relevant to you and your life? Compare 

and contrast your prior thinking with your newly acquired and more enlightened thinking. What can you do with what you now know? How does 

it affect the way you perceive and think about things? 


You do not discuss 

how your new 

understanding is 

relevant to you and 

things that you do 

and how it makes a 

difference in the 

way you perceive 

and think about 

important and 

relevant things. You 


the required 


question. 

You discuss little if 

anything about how 

your new understanding 

is relevant to you and 

things that you do and 

how it makes a 

difference in the way 

you perceive and think 

about important and 


have omitted many or all 



You discuss some 

things about how 

your new 






you perceive and 

think about important 

and relevant things. A 

few required elements 

of this question are 

omitted. 

You include some 

comparison and contrast of 

your prior thinking with your 

newly acquired and more 

enlightened thinking. How 

your new understanding is 

relevant to you and things 

that you do and how it makes 

a difference in the way you 

perceive and think about 

important and relevant things 

are explained to a 




You include a clear and 

thorough comparison and 

contrast of your prior thinking 

with your newly acquired and 

more enlightened thinking. 

You clearly and thoroughly 

explain how your new 

understanding is relevant to 

you and things that you do. 

The difference your new 

understanding makes in the 

way you now perceive and 

think about important and 

relevant things is clearly and 

thoroughly explained.

FCS 3240 — LEARNING ANALYSIS ONE FEEDBACK: BASICS 

BASICS. You are attentive to correct grammar, punctuation, word-selection, sentence structure, spelling, referencing, proof-reading, etc., or your 

writing has problems in the following areas: 

F GRAMMAR F PUNCTUATION F WORDING F SENTENCE-STRUCTURE F SPELLING F MISQUOTING F REFERENCING F PROOF-READING 

You are attentive to necessary details and include all assigned components or you have omitted or not completed necessary details and/or assigned 

components. LEARNING ANALYSES turned-in that omit too many necessary details and/or assigned components are highly likely to be returned 

without credit until they are completed and resubmitted. These resubmitted assignments will be considered late. 

— submitted work is word-processed or typed F ALL PARTS ARE WP/T F SOME PARTS ARE WP/T F FEW OR NO PARTS ARE WP/T 

— put pages in order and include page numbering F PAGES OUT OF ORDER F PAGE NUMBERS OMITTED 

— include outline of insight, parts, important relationship(s) F STATED INSIGHT F PARTS F RELATIONSHIPS F NOT SURE F ALL OMITTED 

— include accurate list of four words F ALL ACCURATE F SOME ACCURATE F NONE ACCURATE F ALL OMITTED 

— include accurate list of relevant definitions F ALL ACCURATE F SOME ACCURATE F NONE ACCURATE F ALL OMITTED 


— include accurate dictionary references in text F ALL ACCURATE F SOME ACCURATE F NONE ACCURATE F ALL OMITTED 

— include accurate list of all relevant quotes F ALL ACCURATE F SOME ACCURATE F NONE ACCURATE F ALL OMITTED 


— include accurate references in text F ALL ACCURATE F SOME ACCURATE F NONE ACCURATE F ALL OMITTED 

— use one dictionary for each of four words defined/analyzed F NO DICTIONARY EVIDENT F SYNONYM LISTED/IDENTIFIED F NO SYNONYM 

(1 critical word; 3 related words including synonym) F DID SYNONYM F DID 3 WORDS F DID 2 WORDS F DID 1 WORD F ALL OMITTED 

— thoroughly analyze one quote F LISTED F IDENTIFIED – NOT LISTED F NOT IDENTIFIED QUOTE ANALYZED: F NOT SURE F OMITTED 

— include four quotes for support F DID 4 QUOTES F DID 3 QUOTES F DID 2 QUOTES F DID 1 QUOTE F NOT SURE F ALL OMITTED 

— include complete and accurate references for quotes and definitions in a reference page or bibliography 

F ALL ACCURATE F SOME ACCURATE F NONE ACCURATE F ALL OMITTED 

NO CREDIT: 

CORRECT AND 

RESUBMIT ASAP 

0 50 57 


an accurate 






the required 


assignment. 

MINIMAL CREDIT: MANY 



60 64 67 

You have far too many 



errors. It is difficult to 

follow your thinking 

because of so many run-on 

or incomplete sentences. 

You have omitted many of 

the required elements of 

this assignment. 

MARGINAL CREDIT: QUITE A 

FEW CORRECTIONS 

NECESSARY WITH REVISIONS 

70 74 77 

You have quite a few 

grammatical, proof-reading, 

and/or spelling errors. It is 

difficult to follow your 

thinking in some places 

because of run-on or 

incomplete sentences. Some 


assignment are omitted. 

PARTIAL CREDIT: SOME 



80 84 87 

You have some 



errors. It is easy to follow 

your thinking in most 

places because there are 

few run-on or incomplete 

sentences. Most of the 



FULL CREDIT: FEW OR NO 



90 94 100 

You have a few or no 



errors. Your writing 

flows very well and is 

easy to follow. All 



It seems complete. 

PLAGIARISM. You need to credit and reference the relevant authors for all of their phrases or your paraphrases of the author’s ideas and language 

that you use as though they were your own; otherwise you are plagiarizing. Put the phrases in quotation marks, cite the page numbers where they can 

be found, or acknowledge the author as the source of the ideas and the page numbers where the author discusses the ideas you are borrowing, 

rephrasing, or paraphrasing. 

TOO MUCH 

PLAGIARIZING PRESENT: 

UNACCEPTABLE; PAPER 

RECEIVES A FAILING 

GRADE AS IS 

0 

A LOT OF PLAGIARIZING 

PRESENT: UNACCEPTABLE; 

MUST BE CORRECTED IN 

REVISIONS TO RECEIVE A 

PASSING GRADE 

50 

SOME PLAGIARIZING 


CORRECTED IN 



54 

A LITTLE PLAGIARIZING 


CORRECTED IN 



57 

NO PLAGIARIZING PRESENT; 

CREDIT FOR AND REFERENCES 

TO AUTHORS’ WORK IS 

ACCURATELY ACKNOWLEDGED 

AND REFERENCED 

NO LOSS OF CREDIT

LEARNING ANALYSIS ONE FEEDBACK AND EVALUATION 

PERSONAL INPUT. Your ideas, reflections, observations, concerns, and questions are useful, compelling, important, and discussed in a coherent 

and well-reasoned manner. All personal claims and opinions should be well-supported by relevant evidence and reasoning. All of your examples 

should be clearly explained and connected with relevant content. 


0 50 57 

I cannot make sense 

of your writing or 

reasoning. You 

discuss things 

primarily in terms of 

personal preferences 

(you agree or 

disagree with them, 

like or dislike them). 

Examples are omitted 

or are not explained 

and connected to 


NO DIRECTION 

60 64 67 

I cannot not make sense 

of much of your writing 

nor can I follow much of 

your reasoning. You 

discuss as facts most of 

your opinions without 

relevant evidence and 

reasoning. Examples are 

omitted or many of them 

are not explained and 


content. 


70 74 77 

I cannot not make sense of 

some of your writing nor 

can I follow some of your 

reasoning. You discuss as 

facts some of your opinions 

without relevant evidence 

and reasoning while some 

evidence and reasoning are 

provided for others. Some 

examples are not explained 

and connected to relevant 

content and some are. 


80 84 87 


and reasoning is 

coherent, sound, and 

easy to follow. Most 

of your opinions are 

supported by relevant 

evidence with 

relevant reasoning 

explained. Most 

examples are 

explained and 


content. 

BULLSEYE 

90 94 100 

All of your writing and 

reasoning is coherent, sound, 

and easy to follow. Your 

claims and opinions are wellsupported 

by evidence, 

accurately represent the 

context from which they are 

taken with relevant reasoning 

clearly articulated and 

explained. Examples are 


explained and connected to 


Q1 MOST SIGNIFICANT INSIGHT. What is the most significant insight you have acquired so far this term about your understanding of EITHER 

[a] what it means to be open-minded and what you would need to do to become more open-minded OR [b] what it means to be a better believer 

and what you would need to do to become a better believer OR [c] SOME COMBINATION OF BOTH [a] and [b] from your reading and our 

discussion of Newberg and Waldman’s book, Born to believe? If you have increased your understanding about something and acquired insight about 

it…you should be able to articulate and explain your enlightenment regarding the main idea and (1) its essential parts by themselves, (2) the important 

relationships between the parts, and (3) how your understanding from 1 and 2…helped broaden and deepen your enlightenment about your insight. 


0 50 57 


an accurate 






the required 


question. 

NO DIRECTION 

60 64 67 


your insight and 

its important parts 

and relationships 

are. You have 

omitted many or 



question. 


70 74 77 

I have a sense of what you want to 

write about but your insight is not 

clear. Or, your insight is identified 

but not explained, developed or 

analyzed; its parts and important 

relationships are not specifically 

and clearly discussed. You may 

have too many insights to work 

with here. A few required elements 

of this question are omitted. 


80 84 87 

Your insight, its parts, 

and important 

relationships are 

explained, developed, and 


Some discussion of 


is included. All required 

elements of this question 

are included. 

BULLSEYE 

90 94 100 

Your insight, its parts, and 

important relationships are 


explained and analyzed. How 

the analysis of your insight, 

its parts, and important 

relationships deepened and 


understanding is clearly and 

thoroughly explained . 

Q1B DISCUSSION OF INITIAL/PRIOR THINKING. What was your initial or prior understanding of the important ideas, terms, and definitions 

that you choose to analyze and why did you think these things? Explain what your prior understanding based on and where your thinking came from? 


0 50 57 

You do not discuss your 






on. You have omitted all 



NO DIRECTION 

60 64 67 

Little discussion of your 

initial or prior understanding 

of the relevant ideas or terms 

is included; little if any 

discussion of what your 

understanding was based on 

and where it came from. You 

have omitted many or all of 

the required elements of this 

question. 


70 74 77 

Some discussion of your 







from is included. A few 




80 84 87 







from are explained to a 




BULLSEYE 

90 94 100 



relevant ideas or 

terms and what your 

understanding was 

based on and where 

it came from are 

clearly and 

thoroughly 

explained.

Q1C ANALYSIS OF QUOTATION. Integrate into your essay a thorough analysis and explanation of how the most significant words, phrases, 

and/or sentences from at least one quotation from our reading assignments helped broaden and deepen your enlightenment about your insight. (1) 

Clearly and precisely explain what the key words and phrases of the quote or definition mean to the author or source. (2) Then clearly and precisely 

explain how this meaning is relevant to the particular selected quote and your insight and how it helped broaden and deepen your enlightenment 

about the quotation and your insight. 


0 50 57 


a quote or do not 

use one for the 



an accurate 






question. 

NO DIRECTION 

60 64 67 


your main quote is. 

Content from quote 

is simply inserted or 

reworded without 

discussion. Much of 

your writing does 

not convey an 

accurate 








70 74 77 

Your main quote is identified 

but not explained or 

analyzed. Content of quote is 

simply inserted, reworded, or 

summarized in oversimplified 

or overgeneralized 

comments. Its key words and 

phrases are not specifically or 

clearly identified and 






omitted. 


80 84 87 

The authors’ meaning of 

your main quote and its key 

words and phrases are 

defined, explained, and 



meaning applies to the 

quote and your insights and 

increased understanding is 

included. Most of your 






BULLSEYE 

90 94 100 

The authors’ meaning of your 

main quote and its key words 

and phrases are clearly and 


analyzed. How this meaning 

applies to the quote and your 

insights and how your 







cited and discussed. 

Q1D DEFINE AND ANALYZE CRITICAL TERM. Using relevant phrases and synonyms from at least one good dictionary and one good 

thesaurus, define and analyze thoroughly at least one word, term, or concept (and three other related useful words or concepts including one relevant 

synonym) from the quotation you have selected, and integrate what you learn about the definitions in your discussion. (1) Clearly and precisely explain 

what the key words and phrases of the quote or definition mean to the author or source (i.e., what the author or source is telling you are the specific 

ideas behind the key words and phrases). (2) Explain how the things you learn from the relevant content selected from one dictionary and one 

thesaurus about the words, terms, or concepts helped broaden and deepen your understanding and enlightenment about the quotation and your 

insight. 


0 50 57 


any definitions of 

critical terms or 

key words. You 


the required 


question. 

NO DIRECTION 

60 64 67 

Some definitions of 

critical terms and 

words are included. 

No explanation of 

what definitions 

mean or how they 

are relevant. You 

have omitted many 

or all of the 

required elements 



70 74 77 

Definitions of critical terms 

and words are simply 

inserted or summarized in 

oversimplified or 

overgeneralized comments 

or included with some 

explanation of what the 

definitions mean and how 

they are relevant. A few 




80 84 87 

The meaning of the key words 

and phrases of a quote or 

definition as given by authors 

or sources are explained and 




and your insight and increased 

understanding is included. All 



BULLSEYE 

90 94 100 

The meaning of the key 

words and phrases of a quote 

or definition as given by 

authors or sources are clearly 

and thoroughly explained 

and analyzed. How this 


and your insight and how 

your increased understanding 



explained.

Q1E EXPLAIN SUPPORTIVE CONTENT FROM RELATED QUOTES. Integrate into your analysis a discussion of a minimum of four related 

phrases, sentences, and/or paragraphs from our reading assignments…that help you explain and support your insight and analysis. Explain how the 

things you learn from the relevant content of these supportive quotes are relevant to the analysis of your quotation and insight and how they helped 

broaden and deepen your enlightenment about your insight and the quotation. 


0 50 57 


quotes or do not 

use them for the 



an accurate 






question. 

NO DIRECTION 

60 64 67 


your supportive 

quotes are or what 

they support. Content 

from quotes is simply 

inserted or reworded 

without discussion. 

Much of your writing 

does not convey an 

accurate 








70 74 77 

Your supportive quotes are 

identified but how they support 

your main quote and insights is 

not explained or analyzed. 

Content of quotes is simply 

inserted, reworded, or 

summarized in oversimplified or 

overgeneralized comments. The 

relevant content and relevance 

of the quotes are not specifically 

or clearly identified and 






omitted. 


80 84 87 

How the content of the 

supportive quotes 


understanding of your main 

quote and insights is 

explained and analyzed to 

some degree. Some 

discussion of how this 



understanding is included. 


conveys an accurate 





BULLSEYE 

90 94 100 

How the relevant content 

of the supportive quotes 


understanding of your 

main quote and insights 

are clearly and 


analyzed. How this 



understanding is clearly 

and thoroughly 


writing conveys an 

accurate understanding of 

authors cited and 

discussed. 

Q2 THE DIFFERENCE INSIGHTS MAKE. So what? What difference does your new understanding make in your current thinking about the 

things you consider to be most relevant to your learning? In other words, How is your new understanding relevant to you and your life? Compare 

and contrast your prior thinking with your newly acquired and more enlightened thinking. What can you do with what you now know? How does 

it affect the way you perceive and think about things? 


0 50 57 

You do not discuss 

how your new 



things that you do 

and how it makes a 

difference in the 

way you perceive 

and think about 

important and 



the required 


question. 

NO DIRECTION 

60 64 67 

You discuss little if 

anything about how 

your new understanding 

is relevant to you and 




you perceive and think 

about important and 


have omitted many or all 




70 74 77 

You discuss some 

things about how 

your new 






you perceive and 

think about important 

and relevant things. A 

few required elements 

of this question are 

omitted. 


80 84 87 

You include some 

comparison and contrast of 

your prior thinking with your 

newly acquired and more 

enlightened thinking. How 

your new understanding is 

relevant to you and things 

that you do and how it makes 

a difference in the way you 

perceive and think about 

important and relevant things 

are explained to a 




BULLSEYE 

90 94 100 

You include a clear and 

thorough comparison and 

contrast of your prior thinking 

with your newly acquired and 

more enlightened thinking. 

You clearly and thoroughly 

explain how your new 

understanding is relevant to 

you and things that you do. 

The difference your new 

understanding makes in the 

way you now perceive and 

think about important and 

relevant things is clearly and 

thoroughly explained.

REVISION BASICS AND QUALITY. How effectively did you respond to previous feedback? Did you provide ample evidence of rethinking the 

assigned questions, your responses to them, and your insight in terms of how they are addressed, explained, analyzed? Does your new content add 

depth, breadth, detail, clarity, precision or is it more information at the same level? Is your increased understanding and learning directly identified, 

explained, and thoroughly analyzed? 

— include BASICS of revisions F RETURNED PREVIOUS FEEDBACK/GRADING SHEETS F OMITTED 

F RETURNED PREVIOUS LEARNING ANALYSIS F OMITTED 

F HIGHLIGHTED NEW CONTENT F OMITTED 

F REVISED INSIGHT, PARTS, RELATIONSHIPS F SOME COMPONENTS REVISED F SOME COMPONENTS INACCURATE F NONE NEEDED F OMITTED 

F REVISED LIST OF WORDS F SOME WORDS REVISED F SOME WORDS INACCURATE F NONE NEEDED F OMITTED 

F REVISED LIST OF DEFINITIONS F SOME DEFINITIONS REVISED F SOME DEFINITIONS INACCURATE F NONE NEEDED F OMITTED 

F REVISED LIST OF DEFINITION REFERENCES F SOME REFERENCES REVISED F SOME REFERENCES INACCURATE F NONE NEEDED F OMITTED 

F REVISED LIST OF QUOTES F SOME QUOTES REVISED F SOME QUOTES INACCURATE F NONE NEEDED F OMITTED 

F REVISED LIST OF QUOTE REFERENCES F SOME REFERENCES REVISED F SOME REFERENCES INACCURATE F NONE NEEDED F OMITTED 

F REVISED REFERENCES IN TEXT F SOME REFERENCES REVISED F SOME REFERENCES INACCURATE F NONE NEEDED F OMITTED 

F REVISED REFERENCE PAGE F SOME REFERENCES REVISED F SOME REFERENCES INACCURATE F NONE NEEDED F OMITTED 


0 50 57 

There is no 

evidence of 

changes in your 

most recent version 

of the LA other 

than cosmetic, 

basic corrections. 

Few if any 





included. 

WRONG DIRECTION = E 

0 50 57 

NO DIRECTION 

60 64 67 

There is no evidence 

of rethinking 


quotes and insight in 

how they are 

addressed, explained, 

analyzed in new 

content. Many 

corrections ignored. 

Most changes are 


corrections. Few 





included. 

NO DIRECTION = D 

60 64 67 


70 74 77 

There is some evidence of 





content. Some corrections 

ignored. Many changes are 

cosmetic and basic 

corrections. Some previously 


been added. Added 

information stays on the same 

level as before. No increased 

understanding and learning is 

evident. BASICS of revisions 

may or may not have been 

included. 

OVERALL GRADE 

DIRECTION UNSURE = C 

70 74 77 


80 84 87 

There is considerable 

evidence of rethinking 


quotes and insight in how 



content. Necessary 

corrections have been made 

and previously omitted 

components have been 

added. Much of new 

content adds depth, 



understanding and learning 

is identified, discussed, and 

explained. BASICS of 

revisions included. 

RIGHT DIRECTION = B 

80 84 87 

BULLSEYE 

90 94 100 

There is a lot of evidence of 





content. Necessary 

corrections have been made 

and previously omitted 

components have been 

added. New content adds 

much more depth, breadth, 

detail, clarity, precision. 

Increased understanding and 

learning is clearly and 

thoroughly identified, 

discussed, and explained. 

BASICS of revisions included. 

BULLSEYE = A 

90 94 100

Learning Analysis One Basic Components and Questions

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