In a short paragraph, summarize the most important points about the role of “desirable difficulties” in learning in Elizabeth and Robert Bjork’s TED Talk, How to Study to Maximize Performance. • In a second paragraph, explain your reaction to the research the Bjorks shared and how you might change your approach to learning new information and acquiring new skills in light of it. • Cite the Bjorks’ talk in–text and on the References page using APA format. See the APA format instructions on eLearning. You’ll be following the same format as in Paper #1 because you’re citing another TED Talk. Assignment Format • Standard heading in the top left corner of the first page (single-spaced): First and last name, class name, assignment name, date, draft # (Please do not include a separate title page.) • Centered above your two paragraphs, include an assignment title in title caps (This is the name you give your work to help readers understand what the content will be about. It’s not the name of the assignment, e.g. Application Paper #3. That goes in the heading. Also, your title should refer to both paragraphs at the same time, not just one or the other.) • Total length approximately 2 – 2.5 pages (excluding the heading, title, and References page). Going over by a few lines is fine, but you should not go over by more than ¼ of a page. Writing concisely is part of the challenge of this assignment. (Note: I won’t read or grade anything longer than 3 pages, so please don’t turn in anything that long.) • Double-spaced; 12-point Times New Roman font • Standard 1-inch margins; left-aligned Assignment Content (IMPORTANT: 2-paragraph limit) Summary paragraph (Paragraph #1) • Topic sentence/introductory sentence = General summary statement that identifies the title of the TED Talk and the full names of the speakers and provides a big picture understanding of what the talk is about. Includes the year the talk was given for APA citation purposes. • Length = Approximately ½ of a page, not to exceed ¾ of a page (not including the heading or assignment title) • Content = In your words, identify the most important content from the Bjorks’ talk. Remember to change the order and combinations of information significantly from the original talk. Changing just the words is called word substitution, and that isn’t enough to avoid plagiarism. • Links/Transitions between one sentence and the next (and one idea and the next) • Concluding sentence(s) + transition to the topic of the second paragraph Application paragraph (Paragraph #2) • The topic sentence tells the reader what the rest of the paragraph will be about and should include 2 topics: o Topic #1: Your reaction to, or thoughts about, the “desirable difficulties” learning research the Bjorks discuss in their talk. o Topic #2: How might your approach to learning change in light of the “desirable difficulties” research? • The body of the paragraph should include: o 2 Claims: What’s a claim? A claim is a sentence the audience can reasonably disagree with and that introduces evidence. o Claim #1 will be about your reaction to the Bjorks’ conclusions about the role of “desirable difficulties” in learning. (Topic #1) ? Note: It’s up to you to narrow the focus of this claim enough to be able to successfully support it in just ½ a paragraph. You won’t be able to include all of your thoughts. Just pick one topic. For instance, does the research surprise you? Why? Were you ever taught a skill in the way the Bjorks suggest? Does that experience now make more sense? In other words, do you remember being frustrated during the practice sessions, but ultimately successful with that approach? Or have you been taught using the methods that make the practice sessions easier, but long-term retention more difficult? These are just two examples. You can take this claim in whatever direction you prefer, as long as it’s narrow enough to be covered successfully in ½ a paragraph. o Claim #2 will be about how your approach to learning new information and acquiring new skills might change now that you are aware of the “desirable difficulties” research. (Topic #2) ? When providing support for this claim, you’ll need to explain how the proposed change(s) reflect(s) the research covered in the talk. For instance, how what you are proposing is a type of interleaving and why that’s important for long-term retention. o A minimum of 2 pieces of evidence after each claim ? What’s evidence? Evidence is data, examples, and/or expert opinion that support(s) the claim. Here, the evidence is likely to come from your thoughts and experience. See the examples I listed under each claim topic above. o Sufficient explanation to make the claims and supporting evidence persuasive ? What’s explanation? Explanation provides any necessary context for understanding how the claims and evidence work together to create a persuasive argument. o Links/Transitions between one sentence and the next (and one idea and the next) o Concluding sentence(s) About the conclusion: o The conclusion is not a separate paragraph. It is a few sentences at the end of your second paragraph. Use the conclusion to expand your focus from your own thoughts about and possible plans to incorporate “desirable difficulties” into your learning process to how these ideas might be applied more widely. Should anything about our schooling change? What about training for sports? How do we get buy-in when at first it will seem that less learning is happening because we’re no long drilling individual skills in blocks? o Do not simply repeat or re-state your topic sentence position. The paper is quite short, so the reader will still remember what your topic sentence position was at the end of the paragraph. Please do not simply repeat that same idea in the conclusion. APA format References page & APA format in-text citations • Use APA format as explained on eLearning and in the GGU Business Library APA Guide (In-text and References page) • Include at least 2 uses of reporting language in the summary paragraph after the topic sentence. A list of reporting verbs will again be provided on eLearning, including words such as pointed out, explained, argued, maintained, etc. They are used with the author’s or speaker’s name in a complete sentence, such as: “Sanchez (2017) reported that most respondents were optimistic about the future.”
