Please describe the ways in which some of today’s music reflects each of the three philosophies: ethical egoism, nihilism, and postmodernism.

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Postmodernism is a response to modernism, the idea that our reasoning abilities provide us access to the Truth about reality. For modernists, it is through our reasoning abilities that we can best develop our moral and social characters. In contrast, postmodernists challenge the notion that there is any kind of universal truth. Indeed, what we perceive as truth is socially constructed. Accordingly, meaningful ethical action is often the result of challenging and subverting these dominant storylines or paradigms we create about our world. This activity aligns with module outcomes 1 and 3.

Discussion Question

Prepare for your discussion by studying the Module 4 readings and viewings. Then respond to the following:

  • To what extent do you believe our opportunity for creating meaningful, ethical action in the world lies more with the modernist perspective, such as Descartes and Kant (i.e. divine command theory, deontology, etc.), or the postmodern philosophies of Michel Foucault, Mike Ventimiglia and bell hooks? Please offer a specific example of how your chosen approach can serve to create a more ethically ideal world.
  • Please describe the ways in which some of today’s music reflects each of the three philosophies: ethical egoism, nihilism, and postmodernism. Please share links to music videos to illustrate your point. Be sure to reference specific lyrics in your posts.

Evaluation Critea

Initial Discussion Post

Your initial post should be at least 250 words and must substantively integrate the assigned readings from the module with proper APA style formatting. You may use additional sources and materials as long as they are relevant to the discussion and cited properly

Review all of your evaluations for each element and recommended improvements to the test, and write an overall evaluation and determination about the use of your selected test.

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Element 9 states that a test user, “evaluate(s) the available evidence on the performance of test takers of diverse subgroups . . . determine(s) to the extent feasible which performance differences may have been caused by factors unrelated to the skills being assessed.” Together, the previous course assignments and this current one involving Element 9 will provide you with the data, research, and literature reviews across all nine elements of the Code to assist your decision-making process about the appropriate selection of a test.

For this final assignment:

Locate reviews or research related to how Element 9 applies to your selected test. If the research or reviews do not address this element in any way, then you will need to cite the references your reviewed and note that they were lacking in in addressing this element, drawing appropriate conclusions for when a test is lacking such evidence.

Synthesize all of the data and information you gathered on your selected test throughout the course and identify highlights, both positive and negative, both advantages and disadvantages, according to all nine elements of the Code.

Evaluate your selected test based on these data and draw a conclusion about whether or not it is a test that you would select, recommend, or even defend, if necessary in practice. Note: You should not merely copy and paste your earlier assignments for the final paper. Instead you will be synthesizing the research you completed for each element into a summary of that element that you will offer in support of your final evaluation. (For example, note that the technical quality element (that is, Element 5) will be only a synthesis and evaluation and not a repeat of the annotated bibliography you completed in Unit 5.)

Identify the strengths or weaknesses for each element, and determine if the information about that element supports (or opposes) the use of your selected test in the field and population to be served.

Incorporate recommendations about ways to improve the selected test.

Review all of your evaluations for each element and recommended improvements to the test, and write an overall evaluation and determination about the use of your selected test. Would you recommend this test to a school district or business that you are employed as a consultant? Would you be able to defend the use of this test in a court proceeding?

Organize your paper using the following headings:

Title page (required) (one page).

Abstract (required) (one page).

The Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education (a minimum of four pages). (For each element, identify strengths and weaknesses, evaluate the selected test for the element, and make recommendations, if any for improvement, citing appropriate standards of practice.)

Element 1. Purpose: Define the purpose for testing, the content, and skills tested (see Unit 2 assignment).

Element 2. Appropriateness: Evaluate appropriateness of test content, skills tested, and content covered (see Unit 2 assignment).

Element 3. Materials: Evaluate materials for which clear, accurate, and complete information is provided (see Unit 2 assignment).

Element 4. Training: Test users have appropriate knowledge, skills, and training (see Unit 2 assignment).

Element 5. Technical Quality:

Synthesis of evidence of reliability (see Unit 5 assignment).

Synthesis of evidence of validity (see Unit 5 assignment).

Element 6. Test Items and Format: Evaluate test items, test format, directions, manuals and scores (see Unit 7 assignment).

Element 7. Test Procedures and Materials: Evaluate test procedures and materials to ensure that potentially offensive content or language is avoided (see Unit 7 assignment).

Element 8. Modifications and Accommodations: Evaluate if tests provide appropriately modified forms or procedures for test takers with disabilities (see Unit 7 assignment).

Element 9. Group Differences: Evaluate evidence on performance of test takers of diverse subgroups.

Summary (two pages).

Overall recommendation to use the selected test in the field and with populations to be served.

If recommending the use of the selected test, identify the greatest strengths you discovered and determined in its use. Additionally, identify any limitations or concerns that may still exist with its use regardless of the recommendation. Are there still concerns for the test in certain situations?

If not recommending the use of the selected test, identify the greatest weaknesses you discovered and determined in its use. Additionally, identify any strengths that may still exist with its use regardless of the opposition. Are there still uses for the test within set parameters?

References (required, use current APA format and style).

Submit your draft to Turnitin prior to uploading it to the assignment area.

Additional Requirements

Your paper should meet the following requirements:

References: A minimum of nine references. These may include journal articles, literature reviews, Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) reviews, and publisher Web sites. At least five of the nine references must be from professional journals. It is likely and appropriate that many of these references and citations were included in one or more of your previous assignments. Alternatively, you may want to supplement your paper with current, peer-viewed journal articles you located after completing an earlier assignment. Those inclusions would also be acceptable.

Length of paper: At least six pages (not including title page, abstract, or references).

Be a minimum of 3.5 and a maximum of 4.5 full pages, size 12 font Times New Roman, double spaced with 1 inch margins, NOT including the Title and References pages.

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For the paper, you will conduct a search of published literature discussing the conceptual differences between cognitive, behavioral, and neuroscience approaches to learning. Students will concentrate on the different areas that each approach emphasizes or deems most important in the learning process.  This paper should contain a minimum of four empirical research studies. This assignment should be 5 to 7 pages in length excluding the title page and reference page and must be complete in APA format (6th ed.).

The paper should include:

  • Be a minimum of 3.5 and a maximum of 4.5 full pages, size 12 font Times New Roman, double spaced with 1 inch margins, NOT including the Title and References pages.
  • A title page
  • Include the subheadings of: “Introduction”, “Cognitive Approaches to Learning”, “Behavioral Approaches to Learning”, “Neuroscientific Approaches to Learning”, and “Conclusions”.
  •  Introductory paragraph ending in a clear thesis statement
  • Several well-developed (5-7 sentences) body paragraphs that explore the assignment questions in detail
  • A summary and conclusions paragraph
  • Four references, of which cannot be from the class readings.For the paper, you will conduct a search of published literature discussing the conceptual differences between cognitive, behavioral, and neuroscience approaches to learning. Students will concentrate on the different areas that each approach emphasizes or deems most important in the learning process.  This paper should contain a minimum of four empirical research studies. This assignment should be 5 to 7 pages in length excluding the title page and reference page and must be complete in APA format (6th ed.).The paper should include:
    • Be a minimum of 3.5 and a maximum of 4.5 full pages, size 12 font Times New Roman, double spaced with 1 inch margins, NOT including the Title and References pages.
    • A title page
    • Include the sub headings of: “Introduction”, “Cognitive Approaches to Learning”, “Behavioral Approaches to Learning”, “Neuroscientific Approaches to Learning”, and “Conclusions”.
    •  Introductory paragraph ending in a clear thesis statement
    • Several well-developed (5-7 sentences) body paragraphs that explore the assignment questions in detail
    • A summary and conclusions paragraph
    • Four references, of which cannot be from the class readings.

. Should insurance companies be required to pay for breast reconstruction, birth control pills, or Viagra?

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Errors in Reasoning

In this assignment, you will select one of the claims listed below. Using what you know about the topic, describe at least four claims that might commonly be made that display some of the errors in reasoning covered in this module’s readings. You may have to do a bit of research to find popular positions on these topics.

For example, if the claim is: Children should not be allowed to play violent video games.

Then four common claims about the subject might be:

1. Children have always played violent games and they turned out okay.

2. Dr. Dre says that violent video games are okay.

3. Everybody knows that violent video games don’t cause problems.

4. Many countries banned violent video games and they have higher crime rates than we do.

And the errors they represent might be:

1. Children have always played violent games and they turned out okay (appeal to tradition and false analogy).

2. Dr. Dre says that violent video games are okay (argument by mistaken authority).

3. Everybody knows that violent video games don’t cause problems (appeal to common belief).

4. Many countries banned violent video games and they have higher crime rates than we do (post hoc ergo propter hoc).

Because

1. Any sentence that talks about how we have always done something as a way to justify doing it is an appeal to tradition.

2. The claim looks like it comes from an authority, but Dr. Dre is a musician, not a doctor.

3. Any claim that says that everyone knows something as a way to justify doing it is an appeal to common belief.

4. Showing that two things happened (that video games are accepted and crime is up) does not prove that the two things are related or that the first caused the second; this is called post hoc ergo propter hoc, which means after this, so because of this.

Select one of these topics. Using what you know about the topic and additional research you conduct, describe at least four claims that might commonly be made that display some of the errors in reasoning covered in this module’s readings.

1. Should people under 18 be subjected to legal curfews or restricted driving privileges?

2. Should libraries be required to install filtering software or otherwise censor the materials that they provide?

3. Should insurance companies be required to pay for breast reconstruction, birth control pills, or Viagra?

4. Should the use of camera phones be banned in gymnasiums or other locations?

Write your 600-word response in the Microsoft Word document format.

Assignment 2 Grading Criteria
Maximum Points
Provided at least four commonly made claims about your selected topic (four common claims).
40
Named the errors found in each common claim (the errors represented).
30
Explained what factors show that the error is present (definitions).
20
Applied current APA standards for editorial style, expression of ideas, and format of text, citations, and references. Professionally presented the response by using good grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
10
Total:
100