GEN 105 Week 3

CheckPoint: Technological Tools

You may have noticed that certain course resources have been made available to you in digital and Web-based formats. For example, you can download some of the audio appendixes to your desktop or to a portable device like an equipped cell phone, MP3 player, or PDA, and listen to them later. You can access an extensive online University library, view digital stories about course activities, and use tutorials about Axia College resources to be academically successful.

Resources: Course audio appendixes, tutorials, and the University Library

Due Date: Day 4 [Individual] forum

Take a moment to explore these technological resources by downloading an audio appendix to your computer or to a portable device, by perusing the library a little more, or by reviewing one of the tutorials. Audio appendixes are located in Week One (Appendix B: Audio) and Week Two (Appendix D: Audio) of your aXcess course page.

Post a 200- to 300-word response to the following:

o Describe your opinion of the technological tools provided by Axia College, including the audio appendixes, the digital stories, and the tutorials. Explain why you feel the way you do.

o Does the option to download appendixes in an audio format improve the quality of your educational experience? Does it make learning more convenient because of its portability? Does it help you to learn in different ways? Or is it something you will not use? Describe your attitude toward this option.

Assignment: University Library Article Search

Resources: Appendix E, University Library

Due Date: Day 7 [Individual] forum

Review Appendix E to recognize article characteristics.

Find two articles in the University Library about any one topic or combination of topics listed below. One of your articles must be a peer-reviewed article, which is an article that has been reviewed by a group of experts in a certain field.

o Distance learning at college

o Ensuring academic honesty

o Effective personal goal setting

o Time management skills for college students

Take time to choose the best database for your chosen topic(s), and use a different database (such as EBSCOhost or Thomson Gale PowerSearch) to find each article. Whenever applicable, practice using the Boolean and wildcard search strategies you learned about in the University Library Interactive Tutorial.

Provide the following information for each article:

o What keyword search did you use to find the article?

o What is the title of the article?

o Who is the author(s)?

o When was the article published?

o Was the article peer-reviewed?

o In what database did you find the article?

Summarize what each article is about in 2 to 3 sentences per article. If there are specific opinions or facts in the articles, be sure to document them.