DBFA 610 - Divorce, Marriage and Blended Families

DBFA 610 Discussion Board Forums (4)

Discussion boards are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each forum. Each thread must be at least 400 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge (Dr. Dobson’s assigned works and/or the core text, as well as video/audio content). In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to at least 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 200 words.

DBFA 610 Structured Interview Paper

The student will locate a mental health professional or pastoral counselor actively involved in counseling divorced and remarried couples and blended families in the student’s local area. The student will prepare at least 10 questions for a 45–60-minute interview with the professional, and then summarize his/her findings in a 6–8 page summary (not including Title Page) in current APA style documenting the interview, including a copy of the questions asked.

Potential Questions:

• From you experience, what are some of the most prevalent reasons couples divorce?

• What are the most common challenges you see in the first three months following separation?

• Do you recommend temporary separation as a technique in helping keep couples married? Why or why not?

• What are the biggest adjustments couples have to make during separation? Divorce? Remarriage?

• When and how do you tend to see the effects of divorce manifest in children?

• What are the most difficult adjustments you see in two families coming together?

• How do you counsel divorced individuals with kids to begin dating again? What do recommend for that process? What common mistakes do you see being made?

• What is your personal theology of divorce and remarriage? How does it fit with what you see and experience in your practice?

DBFA 610 Research Paper

The student will select a research topic related to Divorce, Remarriage, and Blended Families. Students will complete a minimum 10-page research paper in current APA format related to the focus of the course and course material. The paper should be a minimum of 10 pages in length (not including Title Page and References page) and follow APA guidelines, with at least 10 supporting sources from peer reviewed research/journal articles.

DBFA 610 Quizzes (2)

Each quiz will cover the Reading & Study, Video, and Audio material for the assigned modules/weeks. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 10 short answer questions, with no time limit to complete.

DBFA 610 4-MAT Papers

Student will submit 4–5 page 4-MAT papers for Helping Children Survive Divorce, and for The Smart Stepfamily. The 4-MAT REVIEW system is a way of responding to readings that requires the learner to interact with new ideas on several levels. Detailed instructions and a grading rubric are available in Blackboard.