An integrated critical analysis involves conducting a concurrent critical analysis of more than one set of ideas, in the case of this assignment, that will mean two articles. The question posed will link the two articles and will serve to guide the analysis.

GUIDELINES: (follow these guidelines carefully for each of the two assignments)

1. Choose two articles from scholarly periodical literature, pertinent to the assigned topic.(*see below) Please find articles on Critical Thinking and Classroom Testing

2. Study the two articles carefully to grasp the content.
Pose a question to guide your integrated critical analysis of these articles; use this question as the title of your paper. The question you pose should relate to the assigned topic and should serve as a way to pull these two different articles together around the assigned topic area. Work to make the question an analytic one, rather than simply a descriptive one. Ask yourself what meaningful question can I explore, using these two articles as a resource?.

Write a brief paper, including
a. Title page
b. Brief summary of each article
c. Integrated critical analysis of the content of the two articles, comparing and contrasting the two in relation to question you have posed in a way that ultimately results in a conclusion that offers an answer to the question that guided the critical analysis.
d. Reflection on specific insights you have gained from studying two views of the topic.
e. Reference page in APA format

Use subtitles that clearly distinguish parts b, c and d: Summary; Analysis; Reflection.
The paper is to follow current APA guidelines, and not to exceed 3 pages of content, excluding title page and reference page.

Name file as follows: your name, followed by the number of assignment.doc; for example for the first integrated critical analysis paper, if your name is Sally Field, the file name would be: SField N530 CA1 07.doc. Save file as a .doc file or an .rtf file; transmit via blackboard under appropriate assignment tab.

EVALUATION:
1. Quality of readings selected
2. Accuracy and insight demonstrated in brief summaries
3. Quality of integrating question posed to guide analysis
4. Depth of comprehension demonstrated in integrated critical analysis
5. Depth of personal meaning/practical application developed in reflections
6. APA format and style

Rubric
Critical Analysis (paper) is worth 50 points.

Critical Analysis Rubric
Possible Points Points Received
Introduction: Quality of readings selected 5 points
Summary: Succinct but adequate to communicate basic ideas of articles. Accuracy and insight demonstrated in brief summaries
5 points
Analysis: Integrated critical analysis of the content of the two articles, comparing and contrasting the two in relation to question you have posed in a way that ultimately results in a conclusion that offers an answer to the question that guided the critical analysis. Quality of integrating question posed to guide analysis & Depth of comprehension demonstrated in integrated critical analysis
15 points
Reflection: Specific insights gained from studying two views of the topic. Depth of personal meaning/practical application developed in reflections 15 points
APA format: Appropriate reference citations; proper grammar, spelling, sentence composition
5 points
Conclusion 5 points
Total Points 50 points

*SUGGESTED PERIODICALS
Although the journals listed below are not the only ones in which to find scholarly work on education and nursing education, serious thought in the fields of education and nursing education is concentrated in these journals. You should use this assignment to become familiar with most if not all of these journals; selections for analysis should represent a range of these journals. It is a good idea to include some non-nursing journals in this assignment; when choosing one article from a non-nursing journal, be sure to choose the second reading from a nursing journal so that you get a nursing perspective on the issue. Many of these journals are available online through EbscoHost Academic Premier and/or OVID. Most of the non-nursing journals are available through the ERIC database accessible through EbscoHost.

Suggested Nursing Journals:
Journal of Nursing Education
Nursing Education Perspective
Nurse Education Today
Journal of Professional Nursing
Journal of Advanced Nursing
Journal of Nursing Scholarship (formerly Image)
Advances in Nursing Science
Nursing Science Quarterly
Nurse Educator
International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship http://www.bepress.com/ijnes/

Suggested Non-Nursing Journals:
Change
Journal of Higher Education
Journal of Applied Research in the Community College
Journal of Philosophy and History of Education
Review of Higher Education
American Education Research Journal
International Review of Research in and Distance Learning (http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl)
Innovate: Journal of Online Education (http://www.innovateonline.info )
Mountainrise: