This document provides instructions for an assignment assessing problem solving and information literacy skills. Students will choose a scenario to develop a persuasive proposal on, define their topic and explain its importance. They will identify their audience and how the topic is important to them. Students will then research their topic, finding 5 credible sources including one opposing view, and summarizing each source. They will explain how each source supports their argument and analyze the credibility of sources. The goal is to practice locating valid evidence and analyzing how it can ethically support a persuasive proposal.

1. Skill(s) Being Assessed: Problem Solving (Information Literacy) Criteria for
Success:
Skill(s) Being Assessed: Problem Solving (Information Literacy)Criteria for Success: In this
assignment, you will:Define a topic for a persuasive proposal, and explain the importance of
the topic to you within the context of the scenario and your own life/career.Describe the
potential audience for a persuasive proposal and the importance of the topic to the audience
within the context of the scenario.Identify five credible sources, including one opposing
source, relevant to your chosen topic.Summarize each source, including the who, what,
when, where, and why. Summaries are clear and concise (1–2 complete sentences
each).Describe how each source would be used to support the persuasive argument,
including an analysis of the credibility and relevance of the source.Discuss how the selection
of effective, purposeful sources represents a variety of perspectives and an ethical approach
to research.Produce writing that is clear and well organized and applies appropriate SWS
style. Writing contains accurate grammar, mechanics, and spelling.What to Submit /
Deliverables: A completed Assignment 1 Template (downloaded from the Webtext), and
completed as a Microsoft Word document.What is the value of doing this assignment? In
your personal, academic, and professional life, you will encounter countless situations
where you will need to convince family members, friends, coworkers, committees, and
other audiences to adopt new policies, consider different processes and perspectives, or
make changes that will impact others. Being able to convince others will allow you to have a
voice in your own life and impact the lives of others. In order to do this, you will need to
develop strategies for persuasion. You will be more convincing if you are able to provide
credible evidence to support your point. Having valid and credible evidence to support your
arguments plays a large role in how persuasive you are, how others receive your
information, and the credibility you can build for yourself.In this assignment, you will also
have the opportunity to practice your problem solving skill by locating and analyzing
sources for validity and credibility. You will analyze how information is used to persuade
audiences to adopt or change perspectives and also examine ethical considerations. You will
then build upon the information you have gathered and analyzed to plan and write a
persuasive proposal in Assignments 2 and 3. Additionally, the information literacy
strategies you are practicing can be applied to any source you encounter in the course of
your daily life. By understanding how to identify what a source is really saying, you can
search for the subtle ways in which it is trying to persuade you. Also, when you understand

2. how to tease out the true meaning of a source, you can better equip yourself to determine if
it will be of use to you as you communicate with and attempt to persuade others.Further,
you will continue to develop your innovation skill by brainstorming and considering
different solutions for your proposal. You will have the opportunity to select a topic that has
some meaning for you and clearly articulate your goal in putting together a persuasive
proposal. Having clarity around the topic and goal of your persuasive communications can
help you better identify evidence to support your argument. When you are transparent and
ethical about your proposal and provide valid evidence, you will have a better chance of
making a real impact in the world.Your goal for this assignment is to: Build your problem
solving skill by locating credible and valid sources of evidence and analyzing how those
sources can be used to support a persuasive argument in an ethical manner. This
assignment will help you define the topic and initial sources of evidence that you will use in
Assignments 2 and 3.Steps to complete: In Week 3, submit your assignment in Blackboard
by following these steps:STEP 1: Review the scenarios below, which you were introduced to
in Week 1. If you have not already, choose the scenario you will use as the basis of your
assignment. Then, review Assignment 1 in the webtext.If you are wondering which scenario
would be best to choose, think about concerns, issues, or projects that you are passionate
about in your own life and career. For example, if you keep coming back to how the empty
lot on your block would make a great community garden space, you may want to consider
choosing Scenario 1. If your workplace is experiencing a delay in receiving supplies, and you
want to explore a solution to this problem, you may want to consider choosing Scenario
2.Scenario 1: You are trying to convince a community group or municipal committee to
provide funding for a particular event or initiative to benefit the area (you may also take the
stance of asking for a particular policy to be changed). How will you persuade the
committee to change their minds?Example Topics for Community ProposalsConverting
existing space into a new park, garden, playground, or community center.Funding for a
celebratory cultural diversity event.New recycling or conservation program.Fundraising
event for a particular program or cause you support.Preserving a cultural monument or
artifact.Instituting or removing a community curfew.Transportation options (e.g., bike
lanes, bike sharing, other options to reduce traffic).Scenario 2: Your office, department, or
company has a problem (perhaps as simple as training, purchase of supplies, flexible
scheduling, off-site working, criteria for filling a position, or any number of other problems).
Several solutions have been proposed, but none have proven satisfactory. You have
analyzed the problem and developed what you think is a good solution. How will you
convince the committee in charge of solving the problem to accept your solution?Example
Problems/SolutionsTraining employees in new software or a new process.Budgeting issues
to cover supplies or travel.Flexible scheduling.Off-site working.Criteria for filling a position
or finding the right employee for a particular position.Reducing turnover or improving
employee satisfaction.Data privacy or monitoring.Fitness at work.STEP 2: Make sure you
have completed the following prewriting activities in your Webtext:Week 1: Select Your
Topic.Week 2: Audience and Topic Importance.Week 3: Research Organizer and Research
Questions.