About this Assignment.
Current Trends in Computer Science & IT are forever changing. Even for IT professionals, the task of keeping up with trends in technology can seem daunting. There are certain areas of technology that become more sought after than others but as IT professionals you must have a little understanding of all areas. For example: Database Management, Application Design and AI just to name a few. For this assignment, you will write two essays based on the following prompts, which focus on current topics in Computer Science & IT.
Prompt.
Write a 1,500-2,000 word essay demonstrating how the concept of blockchain technology can be useful for protecting electronic medical records.
Using Sources.
You may refer to the course material for supporting evidence, but you must also use at least three credible, outside sources and cite them using APA format. Please include a mix of both primary and secondary sources, with at least two sources from a scholarly peer-reviewed journal.
- Primary sources are first-hand accounts such as interviews, advertisements, speeches, company documents, statements, and press releases published by the company in question.
- Secondary sources come from peer-reviewed scholarly journals. You may use sites like JSTOR and Google Scholar to find articles from these journals. Secondary sources may also come from reputable websites with .gov, .edu, or .org in the domain. (Wikipedia is not a reputable source, though the sources listed in Wikipedia articles may be acceptable.)
If you’re unsure about how to use APA format to cite your sources, please see the following lessons:
- What is APA Format? Definition & Style
- How To Format APA Citations
Grading Rubric
Both of your essays will be graded based on the following rubric:
| Category | Unacceptable (0-1) | Needs Improvement (2-3) | Good (4) | Excellent (5) | Total Possible Points |
| Thesis (x3) | Essay has no clear thesis and does not address the assignment. | Essay has incomplete or ill-defined thesis, and does not completely address the assignment. Content sometimes strays from the assigned topic. | Essay has thesis that addresses assignment. Some parts of essay could have more thoroughly supported thesis. | Essay has clear thesis that thoroughly and insightfully addresses all aspects of the assignment. All parts of the essay support the thesis and clearly and accurately make case. | 15 |
| Organization (x3) | There is no apparent organization to the essay. It shows some coherence but ideas lack unity. | There is some level of organization though digressions, ambiguities, irrelevance are too many. Transition evident but not used throughout essay. | Essay is coherent and logically organized with transitions used between ideas and paragraphs to create coherence. Overall unity of ideas is present. | Essay shows high degree of attention to logic and reasoning of points. Unity clearly leads the reader to the conclusion and stirs thought regarding the topic. | 15 |
| Content (x3) | Essay lacks evidence of critical thinking. Uses superficial, simplistic, or irrelevant reasons and unjustifiable claims. Makes illogical, inconsistent inference. | Essay is primarily opinion without valid support. Little critical thinking is evident. Follows existing evidence to obtain conclusions. | Ideas are logical and reasoned, but demonstrate lesser degree of originality. Follows evidence and reason lead to obtain justifiable, logical conclusion. | Writer develops logical and reasoned independent ideas that go beyond predictable outcomes or the conclusions of researched materials. Follows where evidence and reason lead in order to obtain defensible, thoughtful, logical conclusions or solutions. | 15 |
| Grammar & Mechanics(x2) | Sentences are unclear and many grammatical errors in structure make essay virtually unreadable. Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and vocabulary usage contain major flaws that impede readability. | Most spelling, punctuation, and grammar correct allowing reader to progress through essay. Some errors remain. | Essay has few spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors allowing reader to follow ideas clearly. Very few fragments or run-ons. | Essay is free of distracting spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors; absent of fragments, comma splices, and run-ons. | 5 |
