Assignments

Assignment 1: Integration Journal A (8%)

Note

Recommended due date is the end of Lesson 4.

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Description

The integration journal assignments are located in each of the course lessons. The integration journal provides you with opportunities to explore and express your ideas, values, perspectives, and your experience related to the new concepts or perspectives provided in the course material and readings. Therefore, after you complete each lesson, we recommended that you complete the integration journal activities and assignments. Journal entries will often assist you with completing other assignments.

The Integration Journal

Please access your journal in Blackboard Learn and ensure you know how to make entries. A tutorial is provided on the course Home Page. Your journal is confidential and cannot be viewed by other students in the course, although your Open Learning Faculty Member will be able to review it.

Write your journal using an academic format. When you incorporate ideas from the course readings, reference them using American Psychological Association (APA) style.

Integration Journal A: Lesson Activities and Assignments

The integration journal is made up of four components. Following is a list of the Integration Journal A topics for each lesson.

Journal Lesson Topic
1 1 Self-reflection on evidence-based practice
2 2 De-stigmatizing substance use disorders—Is it willpower or a disease of the brain?
3 3 Personality traits—Their role in the etiology of substance use problems
4 4 A prevention program framework for Aboriginal youth

 

Following are the journal component activities located in the course lessons:

Integration Journal #1: Self-reflection on evidence-based practice

Each professional discipline has a different perspective on the utilization of evidence-based practice. However, the Canadian Center on Substance Abuse (CCSA) competency standards have been written with evidence-based practice in mind. Write approximately a page (500–600 words) summarizing your personal/professional perspective on evidence-based practice. In your discussion, include your current experience with integrating evidence-based research into your practice, as well as the benefits and challenges associated with developing a stronger evidence-based practice model.

Integration Journal #2: De-stigmatizing substance use disorders—Is it willpower or a disease of the brain?

In the previous lesson, we reviewed how substance use disorders are stigmatized by the public. In part, this stigmatization is due to the prevalent myth that substance use disorders are “chosen” by individuals, and that with enough willpower, they could change. This lesson focused on the evidence that substance use disorders are complex neurobiological diseases affected by the social environment. You have been asked to present a summary of this perspective in your local paper. Using the videos and readings associated with this lesson, write 500–600 words that supports an argument that substance use disorder is a “brain disease.” The aim of your article is to reduce the public stigma associated with substance use disorders by clearly and persuasively presenting the evidence associated with the brain disease concept.

Integration Journal #3: Personality traits—Their role in the etiology of substance use problems

The literature on the role of personality traits in the etiology and continuation of substance use problems is unclear. From your readings, write approximately 500–600 words that clearly identify your position using evidence about the myth of an addictive personality type and whether personality traits may be related to the early onset of substance use and the risk for addiction.

Integration Journal #4: A prevention program framework for Aboriginal youth

Substance use in the Aboriginal youth population is disproportionate and has significant health challenges. Write a 500–600 word abstract identifying the issue, an etiological explanation, and a framework for a prevention program. When writing this entry, think about how it could be used as an abstract for an initial proposal submission for program funding.

Criteria for Assessment

Marking Rubric (for each entry)

Exemplary  100% Excellent  85% Very Good  75% Satisfactory  60% Unsatisfactory  40%
Shows exemplary understanding of the lesson content. Shows a high level of integration of the reading material. Goes beyond analysis to show new meaning and conceptualizations. Shows linkage to other lessons and a developmental response. Written extremely well with APA referencing and no grammatical errors. Shows a high level of understanding of the lesson content. Shows very good integration of the reading material. Response is analytical and can connect different ideas for a coherent response. Can link the ideas in this reflection to other core concepts from the course. Written very well with APA referencing. Very readable with minor errors. Shows some understanding of the lesson content but may be missing one or more central elements. Response is primarily descriptive or personal reflection but doesn’t show linkage to other core concepts from the course. The written response may be weak either in readability, APA referencing, or grammatically. A superficial response that doesn’t provide clarity of understanding of the major concepts. May be mostly personal reflection, rather than an integration of personal awareness and theoretical knowledge. Response isn’t linked to the integration question or shows little awareness or understanding of the social welfare concepts in this module.