Why?

I envision this as largely a text-based e-portfolio with images, but  you are more than welcome to record audio or video for reflections or introductions! You can be creative and even use platforms like TikTok! As long as you can embed or provide a link to your e-portfolio, I am open to different formats. I'm also open to other formats entirely as long as you include all the required sections below. Just communicate with me! 

You can use a fake name or just your initials if you like instead of your real name! As long as I have the link submitted on Blackboard, I will know it is yours.  You can also share it with just me (dr.boppre@gmail.com and gradassistant.drboppre@gmail.com) and whomever you like instead of making your e-portfolio public. 

Module Reflections

In total, you'll need to complete 8 reflections throughout the class. These reflections will ask you to think critically about the course content, your experiences while learning, and how the content relates to your prior experiences.  You can use the bold prompts as headings (e.g., Module 2 Reflection). 

Activities and reflection help students connect with the material and become engaged in the topics covered. These interactive assignments will help build your critical thinking and informed opinions on often controversial issues. These assignments will also encourage you to reflect on your own learning experience. 

Part 1: Complete the Interactivities

Each module, you will have three interactivities to complete. Each interactivity will include watching videos, completing activities, and/or finding information from websites/news articles. Some interactivities will take longer to complete than others, they are not all equal. 

Videos: There is a link to the YouTube Playlist at the top and the playlist is embedded into Blackboard. Please watch the videos in order in the Playlist. 

Some interactivities contain Mini-Lectures with me. These are short videos (3-10 minutes) about specific concepts. Then, you may have supplemental videos to help enhance your learning to real-world contexts. 

Some documentaries may not be on YouTube, so there will also be links to external videos that you may need to log into through the SHSU library.  The total length of the video(s) is listed at the top. 

Websites/brief articles: For some interactivities, you will need to visit external websites to track down information about the topic. This is intended to help you practice finding information from reputable sources. 

Quizizz, Kahoot, or Other Activities: In a few interactivities, you will have activities through apps external to SHSU. These are intended to be fun short exercises. I will not record a grade for them. As long as you complete them, you will earn full credit. Choose a username that you will use throughout the semester for all the apps. It does not need to be your actual name.

There will also be optional readings/resources. These really are optional! I provide them if you'd like to dive deeper into the material, but you're not required to read them. You can include them in your reflections if you like. 

PART 2: COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THE MODULE REFLECTION

Reflection Prompts

Be sure you answer each of the prompts located on Blackboard in each Module. I provide recommended lengths, but as long as you fully answer the prompts, it is fine if your responses are over or under the recommended length.

I ask you to 1) summarize the content and 2) reflect on your learning.

Although I grade these reflections, they are really for you! They are intended to help you remember the content and apply it to long-term memory. By thinking about the content and your experiences learning, you are more likely to recall the information later in life. Also, you'll now have something you can always access and look back on outside of Blackboard!

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

You must complete all the tasks in the interactivities and then complete your module reflection using the prompts above. I will also give you tips in each module for content/topics to include in your reflection. Sure, you could Google the answers. However, they might be slightly off from the material in the interactivities.

Summarize the material

Imagine you are writing these reflections like a blog post: a discussion or informational web post consisting of discrete, often diary-style text entries. Imagine you are explaining the material to someone outside the class who may have little-to-no backboard in Victim Studies or Criminal Justice. Then, you are reflecting and describing your experience in the course, which research indicates helps you connect with and remember the material long-term.

I help guide you through this process by giving you specific questions to answer in each module. You can go beyond these questions, but at the minimum, you should answer the questions. I will never mark you down for providing more information. In order to explain/summarize what you learned, you must have responses to the questions. 

You will be graded on whether you fully answered all questions in the prompt as grounded in the information from the interactivities. You can and should use content summarized in this class to formulate your responses. You can also use outside sources, but must link or cite them. You can also talk about your personal experiences, but please remember that I am a mandatory reporter, which includes course assignments. To avoid triggering a report, leave out specific dates, names, and locations (unless you want me to report, which I will!).

Reflect on your learning

Research shows that when we actively reflect on our learning experiences, it helps us better connect and remember the material. There are no right or wrong answers here. Just be sure to provide some detail on your experience learning that module. I provide you with specific questions to respond to.

The best reflections will fully answer the prompts, use specific examples, definitions, and statistics/figures from the course, and represent logical coherent thoughts written with full sentences.

Module reflections are best completed by each Monday 11:59pm

Course Glossary

Throughout the course, you'll be asked to create and add definitions to a course glossary. The terms are provided in each module in the corresponding interactivities. The interactivities will provide the definitions, whether in videos or readings. You can use external sources, but everything you need is in the interactivities. Each week, add the term and its definition to your e-portfolio! You are also welcome to add any additional terms you learn throughout the course!

This glossary is intended to help you track what you've learned over time throughout the class. By having a handy page with all the terms learned, it will help you remember the content beyond this course! 

As long as you have all the terms and definitions in your e-portfolio in some format, you'll earn full credit at the end of the term. 

FINAL reflection

On Blackboard, you'll be asked to respond to a series of questions (similar to the module reflections). Type your responses in your e-portfolio and submit the link on Blackboard. 

Submitting your final reflection will also submit your final e-portolio to be graded! 

Optional Content

Assignment Reflection Page

You can also reflect on what you created in the course! Think of this as a "show and tell" page! If you include this page, I will give you 10 points extra credit on your final e-porfolio! 

For each item (share an image or file), reflect by answering the following prompts: 

What is the item you created? Provide a brief description. 

Why did you choose to share this item? Why are you proud of it?

What did you learn in the process of creating the item? How does it relate to the course content? 

Trainings/Certificates

In addition to the required content, you may also include other content as you wish. For example, you could include any training certificates you earned as part of the class (e.g., Safe Zone, Open Mind). 

Resume/CV

You can also include your resume/CV to share!