Assignment 1: Discovering Values

COMM 105: Values, Ethics, and Community

Purpose:

Your values represent what you believe to be important in life. They are your guiding principles; your personal true north compass. This short assignment asks you to identify your core values so you can confidently declare what standards you wish to follow. When your values are clear, challenging decisions are easier to make, because you are able to take a long-term perspective of situations and outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

To uncover and commit to the way you wish to approach your work, your relationships, your responsibilities, and your life. To choose and present who you have decided to be, and to commit to further reflection and refinement of your values over time.

Guidelines:

This assignment is due Sunday, September 14 at 10pm Pacific Time.

It is worth 5% of your overall course grade in COMM 105.

Submit on Canvas through the assignment dropbox. Convert your documents to PDF and combine all parts into a single PDF file for upload. Multiple files will not be accepted.

Use single-spaced 11-point Arial font, 1-inch (2.54cm) page margins, and 8.5x11 inch pages. Ensure your assignment is easy to read. Use section headers to organize your assignment. Bold and italicize any course concept or framework that you reference in your work.

File naming convention: Last5NumbersOfStudent#-Sec#-AssignmentName.pdf (e.g. 12345-Sec101-DiscoveringValues.pdf).

This is an individual assignment. UBC policies regarding academic integrity and plagiarism apply. You may not work on this project with others.

AI is not permitted for this assignment. You may not use ChatGPT or other large language models for this assignment. The use of AI tools will be considered cheating; see 3.b(iv) of the Vancouver Academic Calendar. Keep all drafts and notes in case you are asked to demonstrate that you created this assignment without AI. Use a word processor that tracks edits (e.g. turn on Track Changes in Microsoft Word, or use Version History in Google Docs, etc.).

Assignment Components:

● Page 1: Cover Page

● Page 2: Your Takeaway from our What Matters Most lesson

● Page 3: Infographic

● Page 4: Self-Discovery Plan

● Page 5+: References List

Instructions:

Page 1: Cover Page

Include the assignment title, your COMM 105 section number, and the last five digits of your student number. We will be uploading assignments to Turnitin, so to protect your privacy, please do not include your full name or full student number anywhere in your assignment. View a sample cover page here.

Page 2: Your Takeaway from our What Matters Most Lesson

Share what was most useful in uncovering values from the What Matters Most lesson. This is not graded, but it helps to illustrate your thought process to your reader. You have two options:

● A picture of the personal symbol you created in class. You can make minor adjustments to your personal symbol if you wish.

● Answers to at least three of the guiding questions shared in class. The word count of this page does not matter and you may use any font (or a photo of your written notes).

Page 3: Infographic

Explain your personal core values using an infographic.

You may discover that you subscribe to many values, especially when you write them out, but this often feels like coming up with a list. So, recall what we did in class with the symbol activity. You were asked to ask yourself: “what’s most important to me in life?” When you do this, you will realize that you have to prioritize some values over others.

Arrive at a combination of 4 to 6 core values. Values should be specific enough that they can be expressed as a behaviour, but broad enough that they can apply in multiple contexts/situations. One way to reduce a larger set of values down to a small group of core values is to notice that some similar ones can be combined to form. a broader value. For example, concepts like prosperity and freedom might be combined to form. a value like achievement or independence.

On your infographic, each of your individual values should be accompanied with:

● A short, one-sentence explanation of how you define this value. Each description will be your interpretation of what the core value means to you, but should conform. to the definition of a “value” that was provided in class.

● A short, one-sentence description of how this value is reflected in your behaviour. This behaviour should be observable. For example, if one of your core values is respecting tradition, then a possible standard of behaviour might include maintaining a family tradition by attending family events. For someone else, respecting tradition might involve upholding religious traditions by celebrating religious holidays or attending services regularly at a church, mosque, or temple.

Present your values in an infographic. You may be inspired by examples online such as these. Use colour, images, art, and white space to creatively organize your ideas.

Note: You can go beyond the page margin limit for your infographic, and you may format your page in landscape or portrait orientation. You may also use a different font than Arial for your infographic (including hand-written text); keep your text legible and large enough to read.

Page 4: Self-Discovery Plan (250 word maximum)

The values you highlighted in your infographic on Page 3 should represent what you believe is important to you now. We hope that you will continue to check in with these values throughout your life, as well as explore how you came by them, and how they influence your sense of self. In this section, describe one (only one!) concrete action you will take to further your self-awareness. Be specific in describing the steps you would take to complete this action.

Also describe why this action will be uniquely helpful to improving your self-awareness. In other words, what is unique about you - or your current understanding of your self-awareness - that will make your proposed action useful?

When describing your self-discovery plan, make a clear connection to a specific course concept from our Self, Identity, and Authenticity lesson (either the prep videos or the in-class content).

As you continue uncovering, understanding, and revising your values in the future, you might consider what forces inform. them, how you arrive at self-knowledge, and whether the principles you think you have represent the person you are, and wish to become.

Page 5+: References List

This assignment does not require outside research or materials, but if you choose to do so, here is some guidance:

● Format all in-text citations and references using APA style, 7th edition. Citations are required when you directly quote outside sources, paraphrase ideas from outside sources, or use data or information from outside sources that is not common knowledge.

● Clip-art or stock images, such as those provided in design programs such as Canva, are generally royalty-free and do not need to be cited unless otherwise stated. Any other images or external materials you find on the internet must include an in-text citation and be included in this References List. In-text citations for external images should be placed next to the image.

● Class materials and course concepts (e.g. from prep materials, video lectures, or lecture slides) do not need an APA citation or reference as long as you are not directly quoting from these materials. However, you must bold and italicize each course concept that you reference in your work. For example, “Based on the concept of psychological asymmetry, I have realized that…“

● Citations do not contribute to word counts.

There is no limit to the number of pages of your References List. If you do not reference outside sources, you do not need to include a References List.

It is your responsibility to learn how to use the APA format. Assignments that are inadequately referenced (either lacking detail or using improper format) may be returned for correction and will be subject to penalties, including possible academic misconduct investigations.