Comparative Policy Research Assignment
Description
The purpose of this assignment is to give you an opportunity to examine an area of social policy, in depth, comparing approaches in two or more jurisdictions (i.e., countries or provinces). You can choose to compare Canada with other countries on a specific policy area or choose to compare the policies of different provinces, states, or territories within a single country.
Choose any area of social policy to analyze that you are interested in. Typical topic areas include such things as:
- early child development,
- childcare and family policy,
- social assistance and or poverty-related policy,
- child welfare policy,
- health care policy,
- social housing policy,
- policy regarding indigenous peoples or aboriginal self-government,
- pensions,
- education policy,
- employment policy, or
- immigration policy.
For this course, social policy is defined broadly to also include energy and environmental policy, and could include taxation and economic policy. You are advised to consult with the instructor in choosing an appropriate topic and appropriate jurisdictions.
Select any two or more jurisdictions that best illustrate and support your analysis. Focus your analyses on an in-depth comparison of two or three jurisdictions, though additional jurisdictions may be brought into the analysis depending on purpose and context of the analysis. If you wish to focus on historical comparative analysis, rather than inter-jurisdictional, you must obtain the professor's consent before starting.
Assignment Parts
This assignment is comprised of four parts, for a total of 60% of your final grade. See the Getting Started section at the bottom of this page for the required first steps in this assignment. For more information about each part of the assignment, see the following pages.
- Part A: Outline and Annotated Reference List (10%) – Due in Week 6
- Part B: Presentation (15%) – Due in Week 9
- Part C: Term Paper (30%) – Due in Week 12
- Part D: Topic Ideas and Presentation Feedback (5%) – Due in Week 2 and 9
Each part of the assignment will be due by the deadline specified in the Course Schedule.
Getting Started
Post Topic Ideas
In Week 2, each student is required to post at least one (1) and as many as 3 three ideas for her or his term paper topic (policy areas of interest and potential comparison jurisdictions) for classmates' and instructor suggestions and feedback. Those who know the area they wish to explore need not post more than one topic idea. Your group members will be providing feedback (the same groups used for the Study Circle Assignment).
The purpose of this exercise is to get you thinking about your term paper topic early in the semester, and to get your classmates' and instructor's help in nailing down a topic, refining it, and formulating an approach to studying it.
Post up to 3 topic ideas to your group discussion topic within the Comparative Policy Research Assignment Topic Ideas discussion forum. Discussions can be accessed by clicking Connect and then Discussions on the course navigation bar above.
Provide Feedback on Topic Ideas
Each student is required to write one (1) original post to at least 3 of their group members' topic ideas. You can ask clarification questions, make research suggestions, and provide constructive feedback. The purpose of this exercise is to help your classmates in refining their term paper topic. To ensure that everyone gets some feedback, no more than 3 posts will be permitted on any one topic idea. Feel free to join in the conversation on any of the topic ideas once everyone has had feedback on their topic ideas. The instructor will also provide feedback and guidance on term paper topic ideas.
Provide feedback in your group discussion topic within the Comparative Policy Research Assignment Topic Ideas discussion forum. Discussions can be accessed by clicking Connect and then Discussions on the course navigation bar above.
This participation activity will count towards a portion of your Topic Ideas and Presentation Feedback grade (Part D of this assignment). Review the Guidelines for Quality Feedback on Topic Ideas section to understand participation expectations for your responses and feedback to other students.
Part A: Outline and Annotated Reference List (10%)
Description
Now that you have received feedback from your classmates and your instructor on your topic and jurisdictions, you are ready to prepare a comprehensive outline that will constitute the structure of your term paper (Part C of this assignment). You must have a clear topic and an idea of how the topic will be structured. The outline must include at least five (5) annotated, academic references, (peer reviewed journal articles or books), that you expect to be central to the final term paper. The outline should contain some of the details of what the final term paper will cover, and a brief explanation of how each of the references informs the content of the paper.
The outline must be between 4-6 pages in length (no more than half a page for each annotation). Citations and references must conform to APA format.
How To Submit Your Outline
Please note that the following instructions pertain to this specific assignment. Instructions for other assignments may differ.
Your outline must be submitted online to the Part A: Outline and Annotated Reference List dropbox by the deadline specified in the Course Schedule. You may only submit one file and once to the dropbox. Dropboxes can be accessed by clicking Submit and then Dropbox on the course navigation bar above.
Your assignment must be submitted in the following file type:
- Microsoft Word (DOC or DOCX) (Recommended)
Please refer to the Submitting to a LEARN Dropbox page for general guidelines and how to submit to a dropbox.
Part B: Presentation (15%)
Description
Prepare a 15-minute digital presentation on your research topic. The purposes of this assignment are (1) to provide an opportunity for classmates to learn about a variety of policy initiatives and contexts, and (2) to provide the presenter with the opportunity to receive feedback and ideas from her or his peers before completing the term paper (Part C of this assignment).
Your presentation should be a snapshot of your term paper that describes the policy context you are exploring, highlights your most interesting discoveries and explains their significance, and raises questions and/or identifies key areas you plan to further develop for your term paper.
At minimum, your presentation should include:
- a clear description of the policy area and jurisdictions being explored;
- a brief justification for the jurisdictions selected for comparison;
- a summary of the most interesting findings of your research so far;
- some analysis of the key similarities or differences in policy approaches, policy development or policy outcomes (What accounts for the differences/similarities?What are the implications for policy-making in this area?);
- an identification of areas for further research and development in the term paper; and
- the identification of any methodological or conceptual ties you have discovered between your research and any of the lecture or study circle materials or concepts.
See How to Create a Digital Presentation for more information on preparing a digital presentation.
Provide Feedback on Presentations
Submitted presentations will be viewable by your group members (the same groups used for the Study Circle Assignment). Each student is required to review and to write one (1) original post to at least 3 of their group members' presentations. To ensure that everyone gets some feedback, no more than 3 initial posts will be permitted on any one presentation. Feel free to join in the conversation on any presentation once everyone has had feedback on their presentation.
Provide feedback in your group discussion topic within the Comparative Policy Research Assignment Presentation discussion forum. Discussions can be accessed by clicking Connect and then Discussions on the course navigation bar above.
This participation activity will count towards a portion of your Topic Ideas and Presentation Feedback grade (Part D of this assignment). Review the Guidelines for Quality Feedback on the Presentation section to understand participation expectations for your responses and feedback to other students.
How To Submit Your Presentation
Please note that the following instructions pertain to this specific assignment. Instructions for other assignments may differ.
- Your digital presentation must be submitted online to the Part B: Presentation dropbox by the deadline specified in the Course Schedule. You may only submit one file and once to the dropbox. Dropboxes can be accessed by clicking Submit and then Dropbox on the course navigation bar above.
- Your digital presentation must also be posted in your group discussion topic within the Comparative Policy Research Assignment Presentation discussion forum. Upload your presentation as an attachment to a message. Discussions can be accessed by clicking Connect and then Discussions on the course navigation bar above. The presentations are being posted so that you can provide feedback to your group members and receive feedback on your work.
Your presentation must be submitted in the following file type:
- Microsoft Powerpoint (PPT or PPTX) (Recommended)
Please refer to the Submitting to a LEARN Dropbox page for general guidelines and how to submit to a dropbox.
How Your Presentation Will Be Graded
Organization
/10 |
Extremely well organized:
- Introduces the purpose of the presentation clearly and creatively.
- Connects key points effectively using smooth, clever transitions.
- Presents information in logical, interesting sequence which audience can follow.
- Ends with a conclusion showing thoughtful integration and summation of key points and implications.
|
Generally well organized:
- Introduces the purpose of the presentation clearly.
- Connects key points, but transitions are unclear, awkward or choppy.
- Most information presented in logical sequence; a few minor points may be confusing.
- Ends with a summary of main points.
|
Somewhat organized:
- Introduces the purpose of the presentation.
- Articulates key topics, but transitions and connections among them are unclear.
- Student jumps around topics. Key points are difficult to identify or understand.
- Summary or conclusion does little to re-state or pull together the main points of the presentation.
|
Poor or non existent organization:
- Does not clearly introduce the purpose of the presentation.
- Uses ineffective transitions that rarely connect points.
- Cannot understand presentation because there is no sequence for information.
- Ends without a summary or conclusion.
|
Content: Depth and Accuracy
/30 |
- Covers all content elements clearly, accurately, and comprehensively, and makes numerous clear and logical connections to a range of lecture, readings and study circle materials and concepts.
- Information provided is consistently relevant and accurate.
- Analysis integrates insights from the literature with original ideas.
- Clear evidence of overall development of information or ideas since the term paper outcome.
|
- Covers most content elements clearly, accurately, and comprehensively.
- Makes vague, unclear, or occasional connections to lecture, readings, and study circle materials.
- Information provided is mostly consistently relevant and accurate.
- Analysis mostly summarizes literature, with some original ideas and analysis.
- Evidence of development of information or ideas since the term paper outcome, at least in some areas of the presentation.
|
- Some content areas are absent or under-developed.
- Makes very few connections to lecture, readings, and study circle materials.
- Presentation provides a reasonably accurate overall portrayal, but includes several inaccuracies or many irrelevant details.
- Little analysis is provided and is limited to a summarization of literature.
- Some evidence of development of information or ideas since the term paper outcome.
|
- A number of content areas are absent or under-developed.
- No discernible connections are made to lecture, readings, and study circle materials.
- Presentation is bogged down in factual errors or inconsistencies, and/or with irrelevant information and perspective.
- No analysis is provided that helps to explain similarities or differences in policy approaches or outcomes.
- Little evidence of development of information or ideas since the term paper outcome.
|
Research Effort
/20 |
- Went above and beyond to research information.
- Excellent use of a variety of sources, primarily current or recent academic sources (more than 8).
- Sources are clearly focused on presentation topic.
- Sources are used well to support analysis.
|
- Good use of up-to-date sources to describe policy context and convey main points (8 or more).
- Most sources are focused on the topic area of the presentation.
- Some elements or some sources integrated into presentation.
- Sources are sometimes used to support analysis.
|
- Minimal variety of credible, academic sources used (fewer than 8).
- Most sources not sufficiently focused on the topic area of the presentation, but conceptual links are nonetheless made to the topic area in most cases.
- Minimal integration of sources cited into the presentation.
- Little evidence of analysis drawing on research findings.
|
- Few sources used, most are out of date, non-academic, and/or are not sufficiently focused on main topic area and their links to the topic area is unexplained.
- Little evidence of integration of sources into presentation.
|
Presentation style
/10 |
- Excellent presentation style: voice/diction, pace, design and use of visual aids, etc.
- Length of presentation within 1 minute of allotted time.
- Creativity: uses the unexpected to full advantage; very original, clever, and creative approach that captures audience's attention.
- Excellent audience engagement; feedback from fellow students shows enthusiasm and considerable insight into the topic area.
|
- Good presentation style: voice/diction, pace, design and use of visual aids, etc.
- Length of presentation within 3 minutes of allotted time.
- Creativity: some originality apparent; clever at times; good variety and blending of materials/media.
- Good audience engagement; feedback from fellow students reflects engagement with presentation content.
|
- Satisfactory presentation style: but some problems with voice/diction, pace, design or usability of visual aids, etc.
- Presentation more than 5 minutes too long or too short.
- Creativity: little or no variation in visuals or slide design; a few original touches but for the most part material presented with little originality.
- Feedback from fellow students shows superficial grasp of presentation content or gaps in knowledge of what was presented.
|
- Poor presentation style: multiple issues with voice/diction, pacing, visual aids, etc.
- Presentation more than 10 minutes too long or too short.
- Little creative energy used; slides are uninteresting or sloppy.
- Feedback from fellow students is irrelevant or inconsistent with the presentation topic; feedback reveals difficulty in understanding the presentation.
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Total:
/70 marks |
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Part C: Term Paper (30%)
Description
The culmination of the Comparative Policy Research Assignment is a 12-15-page term paper comparing policy approaches in two or more jurisdictions (i.e., countries or provinces).
Using all the feedback you have received from selecting a topic, creating the outline, and preparing the presentation, you are now ready to write your term paper.
Requirements
The paper should at minimum include the elements, with most of the focus on comparing the jurisdictions and analyzing the factors influencing the differences and similarities. The following is a suggested weighting to assign to each content element, though some variance from this breakdown is expected for some topic areas.
| Content Elements | Approximate Weight / Importance |
|---|
| An introduction outlining the specific policy focus, and the nature and scope of your analysis (be sure to set realistic limits). The introduction should also include the identification and a brief description of the jurisdictions being compared, along with a rationale for selecting them (why do you believe these jurisdictions make for rich policy comparison?). |
10% |
| A description of the analytical perspective(s) to be used in the analysis as well as a rationale as to why you have selected the particular perspective(s). |
10% |
| A descriptive comparison of the jurisdictions being compared (what are the basic differences in policies and policy approach?) and an analytical comparison (what is the significance of the differences?). |
30% |
| An assessment of the ideological, social, cultural, demographic, political, and/or economic influences that account for differences or similarities in the policy approaches taken in the comparison jurisdictions. |
30% |
| Your overall assessment of the present and future implications for populations impacted by the policy, including promising policies or policy directions and of problematic trends in the policy area of your analysis. If it were up to you, what specific policies or what policy direction do you think Canada should adopt (and/or which should Canada avoid) in relation to the policy area you have examined, and why? |
20% |
| Total |
100%
|
Grading
Your term paper will be graded according to the marking scheme found on the Term Paper Grading Rubric page.
Format:
- the paper should be 12 to 15 pages in length
- double-spaced
- one inch margins and in standard font (e.g., Times New Roman 12)
- use American Psychological Association (APA) (6th ed.) format with proper citations and references
Academic Integrity
In order to maintain academic integrity, students must avoid presenting the ideas, words, or intellectual property of others as their own. This includes failing to use quotation marks when citing the words of another or not giving credit for sources in reference notes. Plagiarism is a very serious academic offense and the penalties can be severe: if you are confused about plagiarism, read the university's Policy 71 - Student Discipline.
Turnitin
Turnitin.com: Text matching software (Turnitin®) will be used to screen this assignment. Please see the University Policies section of your syllabus for details.
How To Submit Your Term Paper
Please note that the following instructions pertain to this specific assignment. Instructions for other assignments may differ.
Your term paper must be submitted online to the Part C: Term Paper dropbox by the deadline specified in the Course Schedule. You may only submit one file and once to the dropbox. Dropboxes can be accessed by clicking Submit and then Dropbox on the course navigation bar above.
Your assignment must be submitted in one of the following file types:
- Microsoft Word (DOC or DOCX) (Recommended)
Please refer to the Submitting to a LEARN Dropbox page for general guidelines and how to submit to a dropbox.
Shared from SDS 400R with permission from Dr. Robert Case
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