As we approach the middle of this ten-week semester—hardly seems possible, but here we are in Week 4 of 10 weeks already!—since we have lots of written work coming up, this week will be something of a light assignment for you.
- The Diversity & Re-Perception Quiz is mandatory but its score will not count toward your course grade. This is explained below.
- Your posting to the Discussions forum with your reflections on this quiz will count toward your final course grade. This is also explained below, with some prompting questions.
1) COMPLETE THE QUIZ
When it comes to issues of diversity and considering multiple perspectives, we know that individuals tend to draw back into their preconceived notions about issues of diversity. That is, rather than be truly open to new and different perspectives, it's part of human nature to stick to what feels familiar and safe and already in keeping with our previously established belief systems.
At the same time, however, it's also part of human nature to be curious and to want to change and improve and grow.
This seems especially true of your generation. Pew Research and other sources have clearly documented that your generation (for most of you, anyway), Gen Z, is one of the most diverse, accepting, and smartest generations this country has seen in decades.
Check out the research: "On the Cusp of Adulthood and Facing an Uncertain Future: What We Know About Gen Z So Far." Some highlights:
- Gen Z is more racially and ethnically diverse than previous generations
- Gen Z on track to be the best-educated generation yet
- Gen Zers and Millennials have similar viewpoints on many major issues of the day
- Younger generations see family, societal change as a good thing
- Gen Zers are much more likely than those in older generations to say they personally know someone who prefers to go by gender-neutral pronouns, and Gen Z is by far the most likely to say that when a form or online profile asks about a person’s gender it should include options other than “man” and “woman.”
This national research certainly resonates with what I see in my own students' essays over the past decade. More and more, I see topics and approaches that illustrate mindsets of a "love all, serve all" type attitude that embraces acceptance of a wide range of individual expressions. So bravo to all of you for your open mindedness!
Thus, I'm going to have you complete a quiz that aims to help you better appreciate the value of questioning what we think we know. This is called the Diversity and Re-Perception Quiz because it invites you to reconsider your perceptions of what is or might be true.
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- This quiz score does not count toward your COL101 grade but the quiz is mandatory, as it'll help you think about your perspectives on what you know, what you think you know, and what you don't know.
- Do NOT look up the correct answers! This is not a test of how well you can Google the answers. The idea is to get a general sense of how well you can respond specifically WITHOUT looking up the correct answers.
- After you complete the quiz, click the Grades link so you can see which questions you got right and wrong.
2) POST YOUR REFLECTIONS TO THE DISCUSSION BOARD
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- This part of the assignment DOES count toward your final course grade.
- After you review your quiz score, on the Diversity & Re-Perception Quiz discussion forum, post a brief paragraph describing what you think of the quiz. You can respond to some or all of these questions:
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- How did you do overall?
- Did any of the answers surprise you?
- Do you feel that your educational experiences up to this point have prepared you well?
- Does the quiz function for you as intended? That is, does it help remind you that it's important to pause, think, learn, and keep an open mind and ask questions and learn, etc., rather than just assume that you already know things?