Critical Thinking Major Assignment – Semester 1, 2017 Version 1.0 Page 1 of 3 Major Assignment – Semester 1, 2017 Overview This assignment is designed to give you the opportunity to: • identify a problem (which may originally have been intended as a solution) • examine factors that helped establish the problem and which are helping maintain the problem • suggest a solution • critically analyse your solution. Context Service industries If you are not sure what “service industries” are, you will need to find out. Theme It was a good idea at the time. Final assessment product There are three (3) components on which you will be assessed: 1. A two-minute video, with sound, which summarises the problem, your analysis, and your solution. 2. A detailed report supporting your findings. Maximum length: 3000 words. 3. Marking of the submissions of five other people. You will be assessed on the quality of your marking. Due dates Your video and report must be submitted by the end of Week 9. You must complete the marking of 5 other assessments by the end of Week 11. Critical Thinking Major Assignment – Semester 1, 2017 Version 1.0 Page 2 of 3 Details Identifying the problem Find a situation in the service industries in which there is an identified problem. For example (and now you can not use this one): businesses are saying they cannot afford to put on more staff on Sunday because of Sunday penalty rates of pay. The proposed solution is to lower Sunday penalty rates on the reasoning that business owners will then employ more staff. Analysis The types of areas you can include in your analysis are: • fallacies and culturally held beliefs • system dynamics (i.e. an examination of the causal effects within a system) • historical influences • examination of the quality of any identifiable deductive or inductive arguments that have been used in creating the problem situation • probability and use/misuse of statistics. The Report Your written report should be a maximum of 3000 words. It should contain at least the following sections: • Introduction • Description of the problem • Analysis of the problem • Your suggested solution and an analysis of your argument for the solution • Summary or Conclusion • A proper reference section. Use the Harvard Author-Date system. The Video Your video should be between 1:45 min and 2 min long. It will contain voiceover. It can be as simple as well produced slides with accompanying voiceover. It can be more creative as long as it covers: • What was the problem identified • What major influences gave rise to the problem and are currently sustaining it • What is your suggested solution • Key reasons for thinking your solution is actually viable. Critical Thinking Major Assignment – Semester 1, 2017 Version 1.0 Page 3 of 3 Submission Both your report and video will be submitted. If both can be submitted to Moodle then they’ll go there. If the video needs to be submitted elsewhere, the report will go to Moodle and it will need to contain a link to the video. Marking You will have to mark five (5) other people’s assignments. You will be assessed on the quality of your marking. Marking will be monitoring to make sure that the final mark that each of you receives is an accurate reflection of the quality of your assignment. You will award one of the following grades: • Coal – a stranded asset and not acceptable • Bronze • Silver • Gold • Platinum You will be provided with a marking rubric1 to guide in awarded a grade. 1 Not sure what a “rubric” is. Look it up.