GEN 499 week 2 assignment 1&2

1. To successfully complete this week’s assignment, “SAILS Exam,” complete the following exam:
   
   • SAILS Exam (Click on the hyperlink in the Assignment 1 instructions.)
     
2. To successfully complete this week’s assignment, “Critiquing Internet Sources,” search for and review the following resources in the Ashford University Library, which can be found within the left navigation toolbar:
   • Evaluating Internet Sources
   • Incorporating Sources into your Research Paper
      

Assignments
To complete the following assignment, go to this week’s Assignment links in the left navigation. 

1.  SAILS Exam
   
   This week you will be taking an information literacy exam known as the SAILS Exam. This exam is not graded, and your results are anonymous. The exam will exit from your screen immediately after completion, and you will not receive feedback or results. This is a nationally-normalized, standardized exam for students in universities all over the United States. The results of this assessment will guide Ashford University in developing the best possible library resources and research methodologies training. Results will be published (in aggregate) on Ashford’s assessment website. Your participation is voluntary, so thank you for your participation. Click on the link to access the SAILS Exam.

   After completing the SAILS Exam, in a one- to two-paragraph response, describe your experience in using the Ashford Online Library resources to conduct academic research in your written assignments. What concerns have you encountered while conducting research?  Areas of concern may be developing a research strategy, using the search function within a database, or evaluating sources.  How has this informed your experience in conducting research? The paper must be formatted according to APA style. For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar.

   Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
     

2. Critiquing Internet Sources
    
   Today, the Internet provides an unprecedented amount of information by way of blogs, videos, and podcasts. Conduct a critique of one blog, one video, and one podcast, which provide information that addresses the topic of your Final Research Paper. Assess the authors’ use of bias, validity, and applicability of information. Examine the influence of web-based information on global citizenship and multicultural understanding. Then, compile a list of three factors you believe should be considered when evaluating Internet sources for use in researching information.
   
   The paper must be three to four pages in length (excluding the title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style. In addition to the three multimedia sources you are analyzing, support your points with at least two scholarly sources. One of the scholarly sources must be from the Ashford Online Library. Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page. For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar.
   
   Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.