BUS 1010 Civic Learning Project Think about who you will be in 2030, what problem you will be solving to contribute to the public good, describe the significance of the problem, How you will resolve this problem, what data you will be collecting, How you will collect the data, etc.

The project in Bus 1010 is meant to give you the understanding and an opportunity to apply business concepts to solving a problem in your community. The project consists of three major parts: research, evidence gathering and presentation. A paper assignment and a class presentation are required to complete the project. Students who successfully complete this assignment will be able to demonstrate the following civic learning objectives (CLO):

● CLO 1: Identify problems in a community that would benefit from statistical analysis. (Civic knowledge)

● CLO 2: Identify statistics from published research that show causes or degree of a real-world problem. (Civic skills)

● CLO 3: Conduct a basic statistical study (survey) in the workplace or community. (Civic skills)

● CLO 4: Effectively communicate statistical data through charts and graphs(infographic) in a manner that a member of the general public could understand. (Civic skills)

Please note the following steps to complete the assignment:

1. Define a problem in the community

It might be useful to look for articles in business journals/publications to define a problem in the community. Consider the following questions when you find the problem and be prepared to discuss in class:

a) Explain the problem's significance to you? Why do you consider it a problem? b) What are the consequences of the problem if it is not addressed? c) Why do you see this problem interfering with public good?

Please use your definition of civic engagement when answering these questions.

2. Evidence Gathering

Part 1: Academic and Statistical Research

Find 1-2 academic sources (e.g., journal articles) and at least 2 articles in business journals or magazines that provide insight into why this problem is important in your community. For each article:

a) Summarize the findings. b) State any statistics that are important to your problem. c) Explain how this article relates to your problem.

Be prepared to discuss your findings in class, in a group setting or with the whole class.

BUS 1010 Civic Learning Project Part 2: Determine what additional information you should compile. through a survey

Conduct a survey of at least 10 members of your community that helps provide insight into the problem. You could ask friends and family to complete your survey. When designing your survey keep in mind that the following elements will be required for your presentation: at least 1 question that requires qualitative or a quantitative answer, and at least 1 graph displaying the results. Therefore: Ask at least one question with an answer that is a qualitative or a quantitative variable. We will discuss more in class.

Most importantly, you must ask questions that will give you insight into why this problem exists and will suggest ways to alleviate the problem. Determine appropriate questions to ask to pinpoint the problem, and include questions asking your interviewees for possible solutions.

3. Project Report (Due at beginning of 10th week):

Write 3-4 pages report, APA format to answer the above questions,

1. Background on the topic: what is the problem, why is it a problem, etc. 2. Published research: a brief review of your collected research 3. Your research: key findings and quotes from your survey / interviews 4. An analysis of your findings:

a. What are the implications of your research? b. You should think about how your evidence can make the most impact. c. Will it persuade public officials to do something about the problem? d. Would your evidence be more useful for residents of the community? e. Could this evidence motivate community residents to contact public officials?

5. A call to civic action: What should be done to address the issue?

A very important part of civic engagement is the ability to disseminate collected information out to the community members, the media, and elected officials impacted by the problem. This is how you convert civic research into civic action (this is how your hard work will produce a positive outcome; what could and should be the outcome? – we’ll discuss in class).

4. Reflection

Now that you have identified a local problem, conducted research, analyzed your results, and presented your findings to a public audience, you will have the opportunity to reflect on the process and how this project changed your vision of civic engagement.

Briefly write down the answers to the below questions. In a group setting, your answers will be submitted and we will discuss your answers in class.

1. Compared to your initial definition of civic engagement, did your definition of civic engagement change as you researched your problem, developed your survey, analyzed your findings, or presented to an audience? If so, how? If not, identify parts of the process that confirmed the accuracy of your definition.

2. What challenges did you experience in completing this assignment? 3. What types of questions or feedback did your audience provide during or after your

presentation? Did any of the questions or feedback influence your perception of the problem or suggestions to address it?

BUS 1010 Civic Learning Project 4. Do you believe your audience was persuaded to take action based on your presentation?

Why/why not? What is the ideal action you would want audience members to take? What impact would these actions have on the community?

5. PowerPoint Presentation & oral video or voiceover:

Prepare a 15-20 minutes presentation on what problem you will be solving to contribute to the public good. You may choose to present your results in any way you see fit: video, PowerPoint, speech-based presentation. Your presentation may be divided into 4 main sections:

I. Definition of the problem with reference to scholarly sources or the evidence generated from your survey

II. Analysis of the degree, scope, or scale of your evidence and the consequences of the problem if it is not addressed

III. Suggestions (based on evidence from your scholarly sources or your statistical survey research) about how the problem might be addressed

IV. A reflection about completing the civic learning assignment

Documentation: Use APA in-text citations in the slides with full-text citations in the footer. A separate References slide is optional. Tone: Formal, with language accessible to those unfamiliar with disciplinary jargon. On the day you present, you will have a “public” audience. Depending on who is able to attend, you might present to:

✔ Students from your class or other Business courses ✔ Guests from some of the communities where you conducted surveys. This might include

community residents, public officials, teachers, or principals from local schools, etc. ✔ The audience will be invited to ask 1-2 questions after each presentation, so be prepared to

answer questions.