Discuss how the regional sample created is reflective of the national market. Compare and contrast your sample with the population using the National Statistics and Graphs document.

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  • Generate a Representative Sample of the Data
    • Select a region and generate a simple random sample of 30 from the data.
    • Report the mean, median, and standard deviation of the median listing price and the median square foot variables.
  • Analyze Your Sample
    • Discuss how the regional sample created is reflective of the national market.
    • Explain how you have made sure that the sample is random.
      • Explain your methods to get a truly random sample.
  • Generate Scatterplot
    • Create a scatterplot of the x and y variables noted above and include a trend line.
  • Observe patterns
    • Answer the following questions based on the scatterplot:
      • Define x and y. Which variable is useful for making predictions?
      • Is there an association between x and y? Describe the association you see in the scatter plot.
      • What do you see as the shape (linear or nonlinear)?
      • If you had a 1,200 square foot house, based on the regression equation in the graph, what price would you choose to list at?
      • Do you see any potential outliers in the scatterplot?
        • Why do you think the outliers appeared in the scatterplot you generated?
        • What do they represent?

What strategies might help to reduce unethical conduct in the workplace while respecting the norms and values of diverse populations?

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Selection of brick building blocksSelection of brick building blocksEthics and Diversity are two of the four Capstone Learning Outcomes, and collaboration is one of the SLA competencies associated with the course outcome of Communication. You will collaborate with your classmates throughout this course by providing feedback and suggestions for improvement on several course assignments, as well as participating in group problem-solving. Like all the pre-assessments, this activity allows you to demonstrate your current strengths and identify areas you’ll need to improve to successfully complete the Capstone. Specifically in this group exercise you will consider the relationship between academic honesty and workplace honesty. We hope you will find this an accessible topic. It’s essential you demonstrate your best work, as we will use the results to determine individual remediation needs and your own readiness for the Capstone.

In its most simple meaning, ethics is a system of moral principles. The study of ethics is a branch of philosophy examining standards of right and wrong. For a quick overview of major ethical theories, review the Ethics Resources [PDF File size, 26KB] document.

It’s also important that you pause to consider your personal experience with—or study of—diverse cultures and contemplate how personal biases, emotions, and stereotypes can affect the way cultural issues may be perceived. For a quick overview of cross-cultural theory, review the Diverse Cultures Resources [PDF File size, 84KB] document.

Achieving group consensus through collaborative communication is a skill employers increasingly find valuable. Learning with others is a synergistic process. Laal and Laal (2012) emphasize the potential value of collaboration as a learning tool, provided that individuals accept responsibility for their own actions and acknowledge the value of others’ contributions to a final product. The process of collaboration can help develop an individual’s critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills—skills employers tend to place on their “most desired” list for prospective employees.

Directions for the Collaborative Activity

Issues related to academic honesty and integrity are increasingly prevalent in higher education. When presented with the evidence of their academic dishonesty, some react defensively and claim they’re being falsely accused, while others allege discriminatory practices and blame anyone and everything except themselves for the situation. You’re probably most aware of plagiarism as an academic honesty violation. Here is a different type of problem.

Smart Strategy or Slippery Slope

A student thinks the degree “is just a piece of paper” needed to get a better job. The student decides to outsource capstone assignments, sends weekly materials to a ghostwriter saying “follow the instructions, don’t plagiarize, and don’t miss the deadlines.” She submits the assignments and gets good grades, until the ghostwriting arrangement is discovered. When confronted, the student has difficulty understanding what she has done wrong, since the work she submitted is original. After all, she says, successful business professionals know how to delegate tasks to achieve success.

Emerging research suggests such dishonest acts aren’t limited to the classroom, and that academic dishonesty may be a predictor of unethical behavior in the workplace. We wonder what might happen to that student in the work world.

During this collaborative discussion you will need to draw upon the following articles and other scholarly sources to support your work in this discussion. These are the sorts of articles you’ll be needing to use for your research. It’s all right if you don’t understand all the intricacies of social science research; you should be able to pick out the key points in these articles:

East, J. (2006). The problem of plagiarism in academic culture. International Journal for Educational Integrity, Retrieved from http://www.ojs.unisa.edu.au/index.php/IJEI/article/view/88

Elias, R. (2009). The Impact of anti-Intellectualism attitudes and academic self-efficacy on business students’ perceptions of cheating. Journal of Business Ethics, 86(2), 199-209. doi:10.1007/s10551-008-9843-8, Permalink: http://vlib.excelsior.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=37321611&site=eds-live&scope=site

Fawley, N. E. (2007). Plagiarism Pitfalls: Addressing Cultural Differences in the Misuse of Sources. [PDF, file size 538 KB] International Journal of Learning,14(7), 71-74.

Introna, L., Hayes, N., Blair, L., & Wood, E. (2003). Cultural attitudes toward plagiarism. Lancaster University. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/1362321/Cultural_attitudes_towards_plagiarism

Martin, D. E. (2012). Culture and unethical conduct: Understanding the impact of individualism and collectivism on actual plagiarism. Management Learning, 43(3), 261-273. Excelsior College Permalink: http://vlib.excelsior.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=tfh&AN=77340053&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Martin, D. E., Rao, A., & Sloan, L. R. (2009). Plagiarism, integrity, and workplace deviance: A criterion study. [PDF, file size 140 KB] Ethics & Behavior, 19(1), 36-50. doi:10.1080/10508420802623666 Excelsior College Library Permalink: http://vlib.excelsior.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=36323783&site=eds-live&scope=site

Maxwell, A., Curtis, G. J., & Vardanega, L. (2008). Does culture influence understanding and perceived seriousness of plagiarism? International Journal for Educational Integrity, 4(2), 25-40. http://vlib.excelsior.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edo&AN=35848987&site=eds-live&scope=site

Nonis, S., & Swift, C. O. (2001). An examination of the relationship between academic dishonesty and workplace dishonesty: A multicampus investigation. [PDF, file size 2.6 MB] Journal of Education For Business, 77(2), 69. Excelsior College Library Permalink: http://vlib.excelsior.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=5981574&site=eds-live&scope=site

Payan, J., Reardon, J., & McCorkle, D. E. (2010). The effect of culture on the academic honesty of marketing and business students. Journal of Marketing Education, 32(3), 275-291. doi:10.1177/0273475310377781
Permalink: http://vlib.excelsior.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=54651786&site=eds-live&scope=site

Teixeira, A. C. (2013). Sanding the wheels of growth: Cheating by economics and business students and ‘real world’ corruption. Journal of Academic Ethics, 11(4), 269. doi:10.1007/s10805-013-9192-9
Permalink: http://vlib.excelsior.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=91859448&site=eds-live&scope=site

Walker, M., & Townley, C. (2012). Contract cheating: A new challenge for academic honesty? Journal of Academic Ethics, 10(1), 27. doi:10.1007/s10805-012-9150-y
Permalink: http://vlib.excelsior.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=72246352&site=eds-live&scope=site

 

Initial Post: Why does academic integrity matter? You must frame your position within the context of ethical theory and cross-cultural research. Substantiate your position using a minimum of two scholarly sources, chosen from those provided for this activity or other scholarly resources you wish to share. Cite your work properly using APA format. In 300-400 words, post your contribution by 11:59 PM ET Wednesday, addressing the following, then move into response mode for the remainder of the week:

Identify the integrity issues presented in the ‘Smart Strategy or Slippery Slope” case study.

  1. What are the ethical implications of such behavior?
  2. How might cultural differences affect perceptions of academic integrity?
  3. How might these same perceptions carry over into the workplace?

Group Collaboration: Some research suggests that academic dishonesty may be a predictor of unethical behavior in the workplace. We look at that finding in the collaboration phase of this discussion. Read group members’ posts and respond only to those assigned to your group. Ask questions and challenge assumptions and unsubstantiated claims. Collaborate with group members to address the following by Sunday:

  1. What’s common among group members’ ideas?
  2. What are points of disagreement?
  3. What strategies might help to reduce unethical conduct in the workplace while respecting the norms and values of diverse populations?
  4. As a group, brainstorm and work toward consensus on the top 3-5 strategies. Substantiate your suggestions by drawing upon the sources cited by group members and other scholarly sources as needed.

Note: It is essential that you be proactive in contributing to this collaborative discussion. Ask questions, seek clarification where needed, and extend the conversation by building upon classmates’ ideas. Do not rely on restatement of others’ ideas or quotations from sources. (Quotations should not exceed 10% of your total post.)

Failure to post contributions by Wednesday will lessen the group’s ability to work together effectively. Likewise, minimal participation, arguments, and groupthink will also affect the group. Do not ignore such behavior! Address the resulting conflict in a productive manner.

Your individual and original contributions to the group discussion will be used to assess your readiness for this capstone course. Your work will be evaluated using the collaboration/ethics/diversity pre-assessment rubric. “Yes” scores on 4 or 5 of the rubric criteria indicate that you show adequate competency in collaboration and grasp of ethics and diversity principles. “No” scores point to areas where you should brush up your skills to improve your chances of success with later course assignments. You are responsible for checking out the relevant materials in the Student Resources folder to help you improve.

Consult the Discussion Posting Guide for information about writing your discussion posts. Work offline, proofread carefully, and correct any spelling or grammatical errors before you post it. Posts must be properly organized in logical paragraphs with appropriate transitions linking each paragraph. All citations must be in APA format. We expect all Capstone students to demonstrate senior-level college writing skill.

When you are ready to post, click on the “Create Thread” button for a new thread or “Reply” to respond to a previous post. Then, copy/paste the text from your document into the message field, and use the formatting tools in the message box to edit your work. Before posting, use the ‘preview” icon in the upper-left corner of the message box to view your work. When you’re ready to post, click “Submit.”

Do not post your work as an attachment for any reason.

References

Laal, M. & Laal, M. (2012). Collaborative learning: What is it?Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 31 (World Conference on Learning, Teaching & Administration – 2011), 491 – 495. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042811030217 Excelsior College Permalink: http://vlib.excelsior.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edselp&AN=S1877042811030217&site=eds-live&scope=site

Identify what Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology apply to the case and explain how they apply to the case.

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I have attached the three case files that are needed for this assingment..

For this assignment, you will read three forensic case examples and  apply your understanding of the APA ethics code as well as the specialty  guidelines for forensic psychology. The three case examples are found  in this week’s resources.

For each case, after reviewing your resources and reading the case example carefully, you will:

  • Identify any potential ethical issues related to the case.
  • Identify what APA guidelines apply to the case and explain how they apply to the case.
  • Identify what Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology apply to the case and explain how they apply to the case.
  • Give a description of how you would resolve this ethical dilemma. Use your guidelines and resources to explain your solutions.

Finally, you will write a 1-2 page reflection on the process of  working through these ethical dilemmas and your impression of the  ethical struggles of a forensic psychologist.

Length: 4-5 pages total; 1 page each per dilemma, 1-2 page reflection

Your paper should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas  and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and  insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect  scholarly writing and current APA standards.

Create a 4- to 8-slide PowerPoint presentation (not including title and reference slides) to present to the board of directors for the detention center that will cover the following: A detailed outline of each of the 3 to 4 programs/strategies that you would like to put into place at the center. (40 points)

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Research suggests a number of strategies to reduce intergroup conflict. To further explore these strategies, in addition to readings in your text, read the following article paying particular attention to pages 588 to 593. Hewstone, M., Rubin, M., & Willis, H. (2002). Intergroup bias. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 575-604.

You are a counselor in a detention center for delinquent adolescent boys. Your current project is to devise a way to reduce intergroup conflict that has been escalating between the boys at the center, many of whom were active in local gangs.

    • Discuss in detail the concepts that lead to the intergroup conflict, such as stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. How have these attitudes and behaviors created and perpetuated the ongoing conflict?

 

    • Discuss the different strategies to reduce intergroup conflict found in your text and the Hewstone article.

 

    • Looking back at the course discuss 2 to 3 additional concepts that could be applied in helping a person overcome these negative attitudes and behaviors.

 

  • Keeping these strategies and concepts in mind, what activities and/or programs can you create that will help these boys overcome this conflict and learn to work together, respect each other, and come to see each other’s differences as valuable. Briefly summarize each program/strategy in 2 to 3 sentences each in preparation for part 2 of this project.

Answer the above points in a 3- to 4-page paper. Your paper should be double-spaced, typed in 12-point Times New Roman font with normal one-inch margins, written in APA style, and free of typographical and grammatical errors. It should include a title page with a running head, an abstract, and a reference page.

 

Part 2:

Create a 4- to 8-slide PowerPoint presentation (not including title and reference slides) to present to the board of directors for the detention center that will cover the following:

    • A detailed outline of each of the 3 to 4 programs/strategies that you would like to put into place at the center.

 

  • Discuss for each program/strategy why you believe it will be effective within the context of your detention center.

By Monday, December 15, 2014 deliver your assignment to the M5: Assignment 1 Dropbox.

Assignment 1 Grading Criteria
Maximum Points
Discusses the concepts that lead to the intergroup conflict and how behaviors created and perpetuated the ongoing conflict.
44
Discusses the different strategies to reduce intergroup conflict and cites relevant resources for the text and the Hewstone article.
44
Discusses 2 to 3 additional concepts that could be applied to overcoming the negative attitudes and behaviors.
44
Develops and summarizes 3 to 4 activities and/or programs that can be implemented.
36
Create a 4- to 8-slide PowerPoint presentation (not including title and reference slides) to present to the board of directors for the detention center that will cover the following:

  • A detailed outline of each of the 3 to 4 programs/strategies that you would like to put into place at the center. (40 points)
  • Discuss why you believe each program/strategy will be effective within the context of your detention center. (28 points)
68
Standard presentation components:

  • Organization (16 points): Introduction, transitions, and conclusion.
  • Style (8 points): Tone, audience, and word choice.
  • Usage and Mechanics (16 points): Grammar, spelling, and sentence structure.
  • APA Elements (24 points): In text citations and references, paraphrasing, and appropriate use of quotations and other elements of style.
64
Total:
300