applying theory and research to a topic in your specialization.

applying theory and research to a topic in your specialization.

Write a 4–6 page paper or create a PowerPoint presentation of approximately 15 slides applying theory and research to a topic in your specialization.

INTRODUCTION:

For this assessment, you have the option to either create a paper or a presentation.

The focus of the paper or presentation is a topic within your specialization, and the application of both theory and research to the topic you chose. You will identify the topic, naming the specialization. You'll search for and summarize three scholarly articles from the Capella library on the topic. You'll apply at least one psychology theory to understanding the topic, and finally will apply the scholarly information and research findings from the articles to the topic.

PREPARATION:

For this assessment, you have a choice to write a paper or create a presentation focused on a topic of interest in your psychology specialization. The instructions for the content and requirements on the scoring guide are the same whether you choose a paper or presentation.

Consider your area of specialization and a topic within it. You'll be applying theory and research to the topic whether the goal is to better understand a phenomenon or to solve a problem.

• Topic: Search the Capella library for topics within your specialization. Current research might help you identify a good topic that has recently been explored.
• Theory: Once you choose your topic, consider the learning theories you have explored in the course and choose one to apply to the topic, intervention, or solution that is the focus of your work. The theory may be applied to give insight into the topic, or it can be applied to support an intervention or other solution.
• Research: Locate three scholarly articles from the Capella library that address the topic. Sources such as popular online information sources, any information generated by artificial intelligence (AI), or textbooks do not qualify for this part of the assessment. The articles must be from scholarly journals. Two of the articles should be about original research (research that was conducted by the authors of the article). The third can also be research, or it can be theoretical or informational in nature.

INSTRUCTIONS:

For this assessment:

• Describe the topic you chose to explore related to a particular psychology specialization.
• Apply a learning theory to your topic.
  • Be sure to link concepts from the theory to specific elements of the topic.
• Summarize each of the three articles you found.
  • Describe the purpose of the research or information.
  • Describe each of the main points. For research articles, give a brief overview of the research and how it was conducted. Explain the conclusions made by the authors.
  • To reach distinguished on the scoring guide, provide a synthesis of the information across the articles. For example, consider if there was a common theme that ran through each article, or if the information from each article fit together in a way that you found useful.
• Apply the research findings from your articles to understand your topic in psychology.

Include the following in your paper or presentation. Note: If you create a presentation, include speaker's notes at the bottom of each slide that will inform your instructor what you would be saying if you presented the information live to an audience.

• An introduction to the specialization and topic.
• Application of one theory to a topic or problem within the specialization.
• Summarization of each of three scholarly articles (with at least two containing research), and a discussion of how the information integrates across the three articles.
• Application of the research and other scholarly information to the topic.
• A conclusion that brings all of the information together.
• References.

REQUIREMENTS:

Your assessment should also meet the following requirements:

• Written communication: Write coherently to support central ideas, in appropriate APA format, and with correct spelling and grammar.
• Tone: Write in third person.
• Length of paper: If you choose a paper, include 5–6 typed, double-spaced pages of content, in addition to the title page or reference page.
• Length of presentation: If you choose a presentation, include a title slide and one or more references slides based on the number of references you include. You will need approximately two slides to present the topic, two slides to present the theory and apply it to the topic, two slides for each of the three scholarly articles, plus one to two slides to synthesize the information and draw a conclusion, for a total of approximately 15 slides. However, you may need more than 15 slides, depending on your presentation style.
• References: At least four professional and scholarly sources. Three of the four sources should be scholarly articles (from peer-reviewed journals) with at least two of those containing original research. Books or other professional sources can be used as the other source. Do not use information from AI. The sources must be credible published sources. You are welcome to use additional professional published sources beyond the four if needed to support your ideas. All sources must be cited and referenced.
• APA format: Follow current APA guidelines for style and formatting, as well as for citing your resources in the body of your paper and in alphabetical order on the Reference page. See the Writing Center for APA resources specific to your degree level.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Note: In graduate-level writing, you should minimize the use of direct quotes. Lengthy quotes do not count toward assessment minimums. Direct quotes should be used only occasionally, and your analysis of what you learned from the source and how it applies should be present. It is your interpretation of the material and its application to practice that is assessed.

SOURCES:

Introduction to Theories

Reviewing the following resources from Assessment 1 will assist you with this assessment as you choose one or more theories to apply to a topic of your choice in your specialization.

• Schunk, D. H. (2020). Learning theories: An educational perspective (8th ed.). Pearson.
  • Chapter 1, "Introduction to the Study of Learning."

In addition to the textbook reading, check out the following resources:

• Theories of Learning.
  • This activity is a knowledge check to see what you have learned about different learning theories.
• Introduction to Learning Theories reading list.
• Working With Theory reading list.

Learning Theories

Behaviorism

• Schunk, D. H. (2020). Learning theories: An educational perspective (8th ed.). Pearson.
  • Chapter 3, "Behaviorism."
• Behaviorism reading list.
  • These resources will provide you with examples and applications of classical conditioning.

Cognitive Theory

• Schunk, D. H. (2020). Learning theories: An educational perspective (8th ed.). Pearson.
  • Chapter 5, "Information Processing Theory: Encoding and Storage."
  • Chapter 6, "Information Processing Theory: Retrieval and Forgetting."
  • Chapter 7, "Cognitive Learning Processes."
• Cognitive Theory reading list.

Social Learning and Social Cognitive Theories

• Schunk, D. H. (2020). Learning theories: An educational perspective (8th ed.). Pearson.
  • Chapter 4, "Social Cognitive Theory."
• Social Learning and Social Cognitive Theories reading list.

Constructivism and Connectivism

• Schunk, D. H. (2020). Learning theories: An educational perspective (8th ed.). Pearson.
  • Chapter 8, "Constructivism."
• Constructivist and Connectionist Theories reading list.
• Siemens on Connectivism reading list.
  • Siemens explains the development of his theory and how his own experiences led to his formulations. Then, he delves into his concerns and the future directions of the theory.

Finding Research Articles

For this assessment, you'll need at least three scholarly articles.

As a review, there are different types of articles you will encounter while completing your library search:

• Research articles present original research.
• Review articles discuss research already presented elsewhere.
• Survey articles are comprehensive review articles that discuss an entire field or area of research, and may include meta-analyses.
• Theoretical articles explain an emerging theory.

All of these types of articles can be appropriate for your assessment. You'll need two of the articles to contain research, so that you have research findings to apply to your topic. As you search for articles, you will need to ensure that they are appropriate, credible, and valid. The Master's in Psychology Library Research Guide will help with this.

In research articles, the author will present the following:

1. A research design.
2. A theoretical orientation or principles as the basis of the research.
3. Research methods.
4. Data collection methods.
5. Analysis.
6. Research findings and conclusion or discussion.

The following library and media resources may be helpful for you in finding appropriate scholarly articles for your assessments, and in understanding how to break down the sections of empirical studies for understanding.

• Finding Empirical / Non-Empirical Articles in Capella Library.
• Finding Learning Theory Articles at Capella Library.
• Understanding Research Articles.
• How to Read a Research Article.

GRADING COMPETENCIES:

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Apply learning theories, principles, and concepts to educational practices.
  • Describe a specific topic in a psychology specialization.
  • Apply a theory to a specific topic in a psychology specialization.
• Competency 2: Analyze the relationships between learning theories and research.
  • Apply research findings to understand a specific topic in psychology.
• Competency 3: Analyze research methodology and findings in psychological and educational interventions.
  • Summarize research from multiple scholarly articles.
• Competency 4: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly and consistent with expectations for professionals in the field of psychology.
  • Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.
  • Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing with few errors.