Month: May 2026

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Cross-presentation

Cross-presentation

Victoria Ereskina

Architecture

BTech3

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Upon completion of research and design, students are to comment on, grade, and occasionally present one another's' work.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

In the field of architecture, engineering, building physics, and construction, the work done by someone in the office is always part of a set of other drawings, specifications, or other deliverables. These are presented to stakeholders and colleagues by just one or a small handful of project representatives that usually haven't completed all of the work on the page.
This is radically different from the studio and college environment when work presented is always done by the presenter or someone who is co-presenting shared work together.

The activity aims to point out that work bust speak for itself. Drawings are a form of communication. There are symbols, colors, line weights, dimensional convention, layout, sequence, orientation of views, progressive scale, tabulation, annotation, and information strategically omitted for the sake of clarity.
When these conventions aren't followed, and the person who prepared the work isn't there to clarify questions, it becomes obviously a struggle to communicate the design and tectonics of the scope of constructed work.
Presenters , in turn, learn to take responsibility for the terminology they wield to identify parts of a stair, steel assembly, curtain wall, rainscreen, or full building.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

Between 15 and 40 minutes is enough for this. Presentations of work on Miro happened in the beginning of class. Longer presentations, up to 1 hour, would happen when the final iteration of the work would be due.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

The activity is low-stakes because the work on the page speaks for itself and is the actual object graded in the end. But presenting it means that students must communicate their work to one another in advance, as they would have to do in their future careers in this industry, no matter the specialization.

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

The activity is assessed based on both the work presented and the student presenting the work. Articulation and knowledge of the building components on the part of the presenter was analogous to the lineweights, drawing organization, clarity of geometry, and technical correctness of the work being presented.

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

I would say that the challenge was shyness and punctuality. Students started seeing what they would want their classmates' work to look like for it to be clear and internalized the importance of those visual elements for their future work. I would repeat this assignment.

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVGKBSa6I=/

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

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Why Do Companies Fail? A Financial Analysis Perspective

Why Do Companies Fail? A Financial Analysis Perspective

Kate Lee

Hospitality Management / School of Professional Studies

Hospitality Accounting

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

"Why Do Companies Fail? A Financial Analysis Perspective" is a team-based project in a Hospitality Accounting course. Students analyze the financial performance of publicly traded companies using publicly available financial statements. Each team is assigned one financially struggling company and selects one of three successful companies for comparison. Students evaluate key financial ratios, cash flow, and overall business strategies to identify factors contributing to success or failure. Based on their analysis, teams develop two financially and operationally grounded recommendations to help the successful company improve future performance. Project deliverables include a written report, a PowerPoint presentation, and a self- and peer-evaluation reflecting on the team learning experience. During the presentation phase, students evaluated team presentations using the project rubric provided by the instructor.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

The primary goal of this activity is to help students understand how financial performance influences a company's long-term success or failure. Through financial ratio analysis, students compare a failed company with a successful company to identify key differences in financial health, business strategy, and overall performance.
Students learn how to analyze publicly available annual reports, evaluate a company's financial condition, and interpret financial information in a meaningful business context. The activity also encourages students to investigate the factors that contribute to business failure and sustainable success in the competitive hospitality industry.
In addition, students develop a broader, strategic perspective by connecting financial results to business decisions, allowing them to view organizations holistically rather than focusing only on individual financial metrics.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This activity is implemented during the second half of the semester after students have learned the fundamentals of accounting and financial statement analysis.

Weeks 1–7: Students learn basic accounting concepts, financial statements, and financial ratio analysis through lectures, exercises, and assignments.

Week 9: Following the midterm exam, students complete a case study on the failed hospitality company Sonder. Materials include a Wall Street Journal video and Sonder’s 2025 Q2 financial statements. Students discuss the company's rise and decline, analyze potential causes of failure, and complete a short reflection assignment.

Week 10: The team project is introduced, and the project guidelines and evaluation rubric are shared with students. Teams are assigned randomly through a drawing process.

Week 11: Each team selects one successful company from a list of three publicly traded companies (Hilton, Starbucks, or Shake Shack) to compare with Sonder. Approximately 30 minutes of class time is devoted to team formation, project planning, and discussion. Financial statements and annual reports for all companies are provided.

Week 12: The instructor reviews key financial ratios and project expectations. Teams receive guidance and have the opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback on their progress. Approximately 30 minutes of class time is devoted to project work and consultation.
Weeks 13–14: Teams conduct their financial analysis, research company strategies, and prepare their reports and presentations outside of class. Students may bring questions to the instructor for guidance and feedback during this period.
Week 15: Teams submit their written reports, deliver PowerPoint presentations, complete peer evaluations of other teams using the project rubric, and submit self- and peer-evaluations of team contributions.

The project spans approximately five to six weeks. Students spend about 2–3 hours of in-class time on project-related activities and are expected to devote approximately 8–12 hours of out-of-class time to research, financial analysis, team meetings, report writing, and presentation preparation.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

Preparation

Before beginning the project, students learn fundamental accounting concepts, financial statements, and financial ratio analysis during Weeks 1–7 of the semester. Following the midterm exam, students complete a case study on Sonder (NYSE, SOND-not trading), a failed hospitality company. Using a Wall Street Journal video and Sonder’s financial statements, students discuss the factors that contributed to the company's decline and bankruptcy. This case study serves as a foundation for the team project.
The instructor prepares and provides all project materials, including financial statements, annual reports, project guidelines, and evaluation rubrics. Teams are assigned randomly, and each team selects one successful publicly traded company—Hilton (NYSE: HLT), Shake Shack (NYSE: SHAK), or Starbucks (NYSE: SBUX)—to compare with Sonder.

Instructions

Students are asked to investigate the question: Why do some companies remain financially successful while others fail?

The project consists of four main components:

1. Company Selection (Low-Stakes): Teams select one successful company and review the background information for both the successful company and Sonder.
2. Financial Ratio Analysis (Low-Stakes): Teams gather and analyze financial data using selected ratios, including operating margin, current ratio, debt ratio, and operating cash flow ratio.
3. Strategy Analysis (Higher-Stakes): Teams identify the successful company’s current business strategy and compare it with Sonder’s strategy to understand key differences that may have contributed to success or failure.
4. Recommendations (Higher-Stakes): Based on their financial and strategic analysis, teams develop two recommendations that could help their selected company improve future performance. Recommendations may focus on financial, operational, marketing, pricing, or other business strategies.

Deliverables

Teams submit a written report (less than three pages), deliver a PowerPoint presentation (fewer than ten slides), and complete self- and peer-evaluations. During the presentation session, students also evaluate other teams using the project rubric.

Stakes

The project combines both low-stakes and high-stakes learning activities. Company selection, data gathering, and preliminary financial analysis are low-stakes activities designed to build understanding and confidence. The strategy analysis, recommendations, final report, and presentation are higher-stakes components that require students to synthesize information, apply critical thinking, and communicate their findings effectively.

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

This project was designed to assess students' inquiry and analytical skills using elements of the AACU Inquiry and Analysis VALUE Rubric, particularly:

1. Existing Knowledge, Research, and/or Views
2. Analysis
3. Conclusions

The central question of the project is: Why do companies fail? Students compare a successful company with a failed company using financial ratio analysis, annual reports, and other relevant sources. Based on their analysis, students identify key factors contributing to success and failure, draw conclusions, and propose recommendations for future improvement.

The project accounts for 15% of the total course grade. Assessment is based on three criteria:

1. Problem Diagnosis (5 points) – Students identify and analyze the root causes of the company's success or failure using financial and strategic evidence.
2. Strategy and Commercial Logic (5 points) – Students evaluate the company's current strategy and develop well-reasoned recommendations supported by their analysis.
3. Communication and Presentation (5 points) – Students clearly and professionally communicate their findings through written and oral presentations.

The project rubric was developed based on my professional experience in hospitality revenue management and commercial strategy. In industry practice, professionals are expected to accurately diagnose business problems, interpret data and market information, and develop actionable strategies. These competencies align closely with the principles of inquiry and analysis.

This course is part of the college-wide General Education assessment initiative and supports the General Education outcome of Quantitative Reasoning. The project provides students with an opportunity to apply quantitative analysis to a real-world business problem and communicate evidence-based conclusions.

<Rubric used for evaluation>
1. Problem Diagnosis (5 points)

Level Description
5 (Excellent) Clearly identifies core problem; distinguishes root causes; strong commercial understanding.
4 (Good) Identifies main issue but lacks depth.
3 (Satisfactory) General description with limited diagnosis.
2 (Developing) Focuses on symptoms or misidentifies problem.
1 (Insufficient) Little to no understanding.

2. Strategy & Commercial Logic (5 points)
Level Description
5 (Excellent) Clear, integrated strategy; well-justified; considers short- and long-term impact.
4 (Good) Reasonable strategy but lacks depth.
3 (Satisfactory) Basic recommendations with limited reasoning.
2 (Developing) Unclear or weak strategy.
1 (Insufficient) No logical strategy.

3. Communication & Presentation (5 points)
Level Description
5 (Excellent) Clear, professional, well-structured; strong delivery.
4 (Good) Generally clear; minor issues.
3 (Satisfactory) Some organization but lacks clarity.
2 (Developing) Difficult to follow.
1 (Insufficient) Disorganized and unclear.

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

This activity worked very well in my Hospitality Accounting class. During my first semester teaching at City Tech CUNY, I observed that many students perceived accounting as one of the most difficult courses in the curriculum, and several students struggled to pass the class. After participating in the Living Lab workshop in January 2026, I redesigned part of the course and introduced this project to help students connect accounting concepts to real-world business situations.

The project increased student engagement and helped students see that accounting is more than working with numbers or bookkeeping. Instead, they began to understand accounting as the language of business and a tool for telling a company's story. My goal was for students to view financial statements not as isolated reports, but as tools for understanding the overall health of a business and the relationship between financial performance, strategy, and management decisions. Through this project, students were able to connect financial analysis with business success and failure in a meaningful way.

I would definitely repeat this project in future semesters. Overall, the quality of the reports and presentations exceeded my expectations, and I was proud of the students' work. The project encouraged critical thinking, teamwork, and the application of accounting concepts to authentic business problems.

One challenge was that some students initially focused only on calculating ratios rather than interpreting what the numbers meant. To address this issue, I incorporated the Sonder case study before the project began and provided additional guidance on connecting financial results to business strategy. This helped students move beyond calculations and think more analytically about business performance.

In the future, I may add more structured checkpoints during the project and provide additional examples of strategic analysis.

Student feedback indicated that they enjoyed applying accounting concepts to real companies and understanding how financial information influences business decisions. Several students commented that the project helped them appreciate the practical value of accounting and its relevance to the hospitality industry.

Some representative student comments include:
• “I learned how to analyze financial statements, manage costs, and understand the ‘why’ behind the numbers.”
• “I learned more about why accounting is important to a company/business and how a company’s income statement can influence investment decisions. As for the class, I enjoyed coming every week.”
• “I learned a lot in the class about Hospitality Accounting and its usefulness.”
• “I learned about the financial factors that can make or break a company, and the ways to ideally keep a company in good standing.”
• “I learned the importance of accounting in the hospitality industry and how financial information helps businesses make decisions.”

These comments suggest that the project successfully helped students connect accounting concepts to real-world business challenges and develop a deeper appreciation for the role of accounting in hospitality management.

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

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Mystery Pastry Reading Project

Mystery Pastry Reading Project

Brigitte Malivert

Hospitality Management

HMGT 1204

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

The Mystery Pastry Reading Project is a two-part reading comprehension and critical thinking activity that replaces one of three unit quizzes in the HMGT 1204. Part I is an in-class, closed-note quiz in which students receive five anonymized pastry passages, each describing a product from a curated list (eg. Napoleon, Eclair, Cream Puff, Palmier, Croissant), and must identify each product through close reading and textual evidence. Part II is an out-of-class assignment in which each student creates a single PPT slide for their individually assigned final presentation product, embedding clues through a narrative passage, ingredient list, tools list, and production timeline without naming the product. Part II connects directly to the final presentation: students are already researching their assigned product, and the slide requires them to translate that research into precise descriptive writing. The activity culminates in a class reveal event during the last session before presentations, in which slides are displayed in randomized order, the class guesses together, and the sequence of correct identifications sets the presentation order.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

This activity is designed to develop and assess the following competencies:
• Students will demonstrate close reading skills by identifying key details, drawing evidence-based conclusions, and distinguishing relevant information from supporting context in professional culinary texts.
• Students will apply discipline-specific vocabulary and product knowledge to decode and produce written descriptions of pastry items.
• Students will compare and contrast technical characteristics of multiple pastry products, including ingredient composition, equipment requirements, and production logic.
• Students will practice professional writing by composing a structured, technically accurate mystery passage that integrates culinary terminology, process description, and sensory language.
• Students will connect reading comprehension skills to their ongoing product research, reinforcing the relationship between reading, writing, and practical knowledge in a professional culinary context.
• Students will engage in peer learning through a structured class activity that rewards precise writing and attentive reading.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This activity is best placed near the end of the semester, after students have had sufficient exposure to foundational pastry products and techniques and have received their final presentation product assignments. Ideal placement is Week 12 or 13, when students have some familiarity with the products on the mystery list but may not yet have made all of them.

Part I in-class time: One class session of 45 minutes. Students receive the five passages and the sample passage for orientation, complete their written responses individually, and submit before leaving. No outside research is permitted. A brief debrief discussion of the sample passage can open the session before timed work begins.

Part II out-of-class time: Students should plan for two to three hours outside of class. This includes reviewing their existing product research, drafting the narrative passage, assembling the ingredient list and tools list, building the production timeline, and laying out the slide. Because Part II draws on research already underway for the final presentation, the additional research burden is minimal.

Presentation: Class session post final exam, dedicated to displaying and guessing slides as a group. The instructor randomizes the slide order before class. Each slide is displayed for approximately five to eight minutes of reading and discussion before the class commits to an identification. The sequence of correct identifications determines presentation order for the following session, which creates genuine engagement with each slide.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

Preparation for Part I requires the instructor to compose five mystery passages in advance, one for each product on the list. Passages should be written so that no single passage is significantly easier or harder to decode than the others. Each passage should contain at least three strong, product-specific clues distributed across the narrative, ingredient list, and tools list. The sample croissant passage included in this document is provided to orient students to the format and should not be used as one of the five graded passages.

Part I is administered as a closed-note, in-class quiz. Students will have to review the semester's production thus allowing them to also prepare for the final exam. Students receive the passage packet and a separate response sheet. Annotating the passages is encouraged. Response sheets are collected at the end of the session. Since students must write their own evidence-based responses citing specific language from the passages, the analysis requirement substantially limits the value of guessing or sharing answers.

For Part II, each student's assigned product is the same product they are researching for their final presentation, so no new product assignment is needed. Students submit their slide to Brightspace before the reveal session. The instructor collects all submissions, removes any accidentally included product names from file names, randomizes the order, and prepares a single display deck for the reveal session. Keeping the product names out of file names is important for maintaining the game format.

For the reveal event, the instructor tracks guesses on the board. A simple point tally (one point per correct class identification) can be kept as a group score, or individual students whose slides are correctly guessed can receive a small bonus point as recognition for clear writing. The presentation order for the final session is announced at the end of the reveal event.

This is a medium-to-high-stakes assignment. It replaces a unit quiz and therefore carries real grade weight. Part II is also preparation for the final presentation, making it doubly consequential.

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

This activity is assessed using the modified AAC&U VALUE Rubric for Reading included in this document, which evaluates four dimensions: Comprehension, Context, Analysis, and Interpretation. The rubric applies to both the Part I written responses and the Part II slide narrative. A point-based grading breakdown is provided in the document. Part I accounts for 50 points total: 20 for correct identification across all five passages and 30 for the quality of textual evidence and explanation. Part II accounts for 50 points distributed across narrative quality and clue integration (20), ingredient and tools accuracy (15), timeline realism (10), and slide readability with all four components present (5).

The rubric was adapted from the Association of American Colleges and Universities VALUE rubric framework to reflect the discipline-specific reading demands of a culinary and hospitality program. The original rubric was modified to address the inferential and comparative reading required when working with professional culinary texts, including ingredient lists, process descriptions, and production timelines.

This course participates in the college-wide general education assessment initiative. The reading rubric used here is aligned with the college's information literacy and communication general education outcomes and may be submitted as part of departmental assessment reporting.

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

This activity was designed in response to two related observations: students in the pastry sequence often had difficulty extracting and applying information from professional culinary texts, and the standard unit quiz format did not give students a meaningful way to connect reading skills to the hands-on and research work they were already doing. Replacing the quiz with this two-part activity addressed both issues by making the reading task concrete, discipline-specific, and consequential in more than one direction. This will be officially implemented in the course in Fall of 2026.

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

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Digital Project Management with Miro Board: Transferring Skills for On-Time Assignment Completion

Digital Project Management with Miro Board: Transferring Skills for On-Time Assignment Completion

Anmol Dhamrait

Communication Design

COMD 1200 — Graphic Design Principles II

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Students were introduced to Miro Board as a digital project management tool to help them organize, track, and complete their design assignments on time. The Miro Board was structured as a Kanban-style workflow with three buckets: Not Started, In Progress, and Complete. Each major project was broken down into smaller, manageable tasks mapped to both weekly and daily milestones. Students moved tasks across the board as they progressed, giving them a clear, visual overview of their workload at any point in the semester. This activity was used alongside four design projects — The Icon, Type/Lettering, & 3D Project

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

To build independent time management and self-regulation skills in students by introducing digital project management tools used in professional creative environments.
To help students transfer organizational skills across multiple projects and deadlines throughout the semester.
To encourage students to take initiative in breaking down complex design projects into actionable steps.
To develop student awareness of their own learning process and progress through regular reflection on task completion.
To prepare students for professional workflows in the design industry by simulating real-world project tracking practices.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

Students were expected to update their boards weekly outside of class. During in-class sessions, I projected the Miro Board to review tasks in the In Progress bucket together as a class, keeping students accountable and allowing for real-time discussion of where each project stood. After the initial setup, students referenced their In Progress tasks independently throughout the semester, using the board as an ongoing guide for managing their project workflow week by week.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

Students accessed the Miro Board using a free account on Miro.com. Miro-Board provided a pre-built Miro template with the three-bucket Kanban structure (Not Started, In Progress, Complete) and a task breakdown for each project tied to weekly and daily milestones. I added the tasks in-progress bucket for class and homework. The activity was low-to-medium stakes — it was not graded as a standalone assignment, but task completion on Miro directly supported on-time project submissions. Students were encouraged to refer to their boards before each class session and update task statuses regularly.

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

This activity was assessed in relation to the Foundations and Skills for Lifelong Learning VALUE Rubric (AAC&U), specifically through the criteria of Initiative, Independence, Transfer, and Reflection. Students who actively maintained their Miro Boards demonstrated initiative by identifying and pursuing structured steps toward project completion beyond what was required in class. Their ability to break projects into tasks and self-regulate their progress aligned with the rubric's Independence and Transfer criteria. At the end of assignments, students were asked to reflect in writing on whether the Miro Board helped them stay on track — these responses were used to assess the Reflection criterion. The activity also supported the course's general education outcomes related to Lifelong Learning and Professional/Personal Development.

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

Overall, this activity worked well. Students who engaged consistently with the Miro Board reported that it helped them manage their workload, reduced procrastination, and gave them a clearer sense of weekly expectations. Several students noted that breaking the project into smaller tasks made larger assignments feel less overwhelming. One student shared that the labeled task buckets made it easier to sort and prioritize by deadline. Challenges included students who did not update their boards regularly outside of class, which limited the tool's effectiveness as a self-management resource. In future semesters, I would incorporate a brief weekly board check-in at the start of class to build the habit more consistently. I would also add a short mid-semester reflection prompt directly tied to the board to deepen the connection between task tracking and self-awareness. Students generally responded positively to the visual and interactive format of the tool.

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

The Miro Kanban Board template and project task breakdowns are linked on the course OpenLab site. Each project's tasks were mapped to specific class dates and due dates so students could see exactly what was expected week by week.

Here is an example of students actually submitting Project 1, The Icon, on time. It was due on 2/19/2026. Some students started the OpenLab post before the due date and then submitted on time.
https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/comd1200spring2026/category/student-posts/project-posts/project-post-1-due-02-14-2025/
Miro Kanban Board: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/comd1200spring2026/miro-kanban-board/

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

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Term-Long Case Report

Term-Long Case Report

Daniel DeBonis

New York City College of Technology

PSY 1101

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

A case study is an in-depth, detailed investigation into a single person, small group, or specific event. Choose ONE of the following options:

1. Create a FICTIONAL person and tell me a bit about them — their age, where they are from, what some of their family and friends are like, and what their general vibe is.

2. Find a small group (3–10 people) from history that you find interesting. Tell me a bit about the group members and what this group does. This group can be anything: a music group, a small sports team, a cult, etc.

3. Choose a specific event from history and tell me about the event. What happened? Who was involved? Who was impacted? Is this event seen as positive, negative, or are there shades of gray? Examples include: the COVID-19 pandemic, a music festival, the Great Depression, Woodstock, etc.

Each week of the term, students will apply the concept discussed in that week's chapter to their topic of choice. At the end of the term, the students will combine the writings from each week to create one, comprehensive case study.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

Creative Thinking. By tying the case study to a topic that the student finds interesting, my hope is that creativity can take center stage. Half of the assignments are informal, allowing students to use their voice in connecting their topic with course content.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This project spans the entire semester and 1-3 hours each week will likely be dedicated to this project outside of class.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

Each weekly writing assignment is worth 6% of their total grade, and the final case study is worth 16%. This makes each assignment low-stakes, while allowing room for experimentation and creativity. The final case study is ultimately the high-stakes assignment. Each week, detailed instructions are given regarding what is to be written and the style in which to do so.

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

Each activity is graded on a rubric, with 2 points being dedicated to quality of course information, 2 points being dedicated to the intersection of course information and the student's topic, and 2 points dedicated to meeting the requirements of the assignment (word count, formatting, etc.). The specifics of this vary from assignment to assignment, and each has it's own specific rubric.

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

I didn't implement this activity in Spring 2026, but spent the term preparing it. I look forward to implementing it in the Fall 2026. The main challenge I predict is student's relating the prompts to their specific topic. My plan to remedy this challenge is through open and frequent communication. My hope is that students enjoy the creative and iterative nature of the activity.

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

Final Case Study Assignment Prompt:

Write a 6–10 page case study on the subject you have been investigating all term. Your paper should be organized as follows:

Introduction: Briefly introduce your subject and explain why it is worth studying. (Revised and expanded from Week 1)

Background & Context: Developmental, historical, and situational context. (Drawing from Weeks 8, 9)

Biological Factors: Neurological, genetic, and physiological dimensions. (From Week 3)

Psychological Factors: Learning, cognition, memory, emotion, motivation, and personality. (From Weeks 5, 6, 7, 9, 10)

Social & Environmental Influences: Social psychology, organizational context, and health. (From Weeks 11, 12, 13)

Clinical Picture: Psychological disorders, DSM-5 criteria, and diagnostic considerations. (From Week 14)

Treatment & Interventions: What evidence-based treatments or interventions are relevant? What would you recommend, and why?

Conclusion: What did you learn? What questions remain? What was most surprising or meaningful?

References: Minimum 6 peer-reviewed sources, APA format.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab