Course Assessment Table
Course AssessmentsCourse Outcomes
Reflection Papers | 1, 2, 4, 5
Reflection Paper Discussions | 1, 2, 4, 5
Daily Personal Meditation Practice | 2, 3, 5
Mindfulness in Daily Life | 2, 3, 5
Community Meditation Reflection | 2, 5
Mindfulness/Meditation Share, Teach, Reflect | 2, 3, 5
Mindfulness and Meditation Final Reflection | 2, 3, 5
Assignment Outline
All papers are turned in through the CopyLeaks software program. Papers must have a green rating and have a rating of 25% or less to be accepted. Papers that are not rated green or have a rating of 25% or more for similarity will not be accepted for points. For information about SUU's Academic Misconduct policy, view the policy
hereLinks to an external site..
Announcement Agreement
Announcement Agreement - In this brief assignment you'll be asked to update your Canvas settings to allow for immediate notification when announcements are sent for this class. Additionally, it provides a statement that you'll sign and agree to, stating that you will read the announcements sent by the Instructor and/or CA of this course.
Reflection Papers
Reflection Papers (30% of your final grade). You are to complete a typed written reflection paper for every set of readings and videos. Each reflection paper is worth 10 points towards your final grade. There are 5 reflection papers over the semester, so there are 50 points possible.
After reading each chapter, any additional articles, and watching the module videos, write a minimum of 750 words (about a page and a half) of the main ideas and your reactions and thoughts about the principles in the readings and videos. Please write the reflection papers for yourself. Reflection papers should not be busy work but an opportunity for you to engage in the content in a meaningful way and learn new ideas to enrich your life. Your reflection paper should include four sections.
- The first section summarizes key principles from the readings
- The second section summarizes key principles form the videos
- The third section discusses what you learned and found most interesting from the readings and videos (These are ideas that you can discuss with your peers in the class discussions)
- The fourth section discusses how you can apply what you learned from the readings and videos into your personal or professional life.
Please use headings for each of the four sections in writing your reflection paper. I have attached a sample template of how you might organize your paper.
(Your reflection papers do not have to be this long if you don't want them to be, but this is a good example of writing your reflection papers for yourself and not me. Since this was written I separated the discussion of the readings and videos so you reflection organization will be slightly different).
Reflection Papers should be a minimum of 750 words (about one page and a half). Papers are single spaced, 12 point font, with a space between paragraphs. Reflection papers are turned in through the CopyLeaks software program. Papers must have a green rating and have a rating of 25% or less to be accepted. Please use quotes sparingly and be careful with paraphrasing to make sure you are using your own words. Since reflection papers are a summary and your own thoughts about the readings, they should be written mostly in your own words. Points will be deducted for papers that are under 750 words, do not include all four required sections, or lack thoughtfulness and clear writing. Please see assignment rubric for grading expectations.
Reflection Paper Discussions
Class Discussions (15% of your grade). 5 points will be given for each discussion. There are 5 discussions so there are a total of 25 points possible. Your initial post is due the day after your reflection paper is due. Your initial post will be your thoughts, reactions, and/or questions about the reading (not a summary since everyone has read the articles). These are the insights you gained from the reading and what you found interesting that you would like to share with your classmates.
After your initial post, you need to have a minimum of two more comments to other student’s posts. In summary, you will have a minimum of three posts per discussion. Please post your comments and reactions to the readings no later than the day after the reflection is due so it allows time to discuss and comment before the discussion closes. Please be kind and encouraging in the discussions.
Daily Personal Meditation Practice
Meditate at least five days per week for the designated amount of time as outlined in the weekly schedule. Your meditation practice is reported on the Weekly Report Forms (5 points each week). Your daily meditation practice report forms are worth 20% of your final grade.
- Weeks 1-2: 5-10 minutes per day
- Weeks 3-4: 10-15 minutes per day
- Weeks 5-6: 15-25+ minutes/day
You are welcome to use an app, guided meditations, or break up the time through the day.
Here are some suggested books for meditation:
Sockolov, M. (2018). Practicing mindfulness: 75 essential meditations to reduce stress, improve mental health, and find peace in the everyday. Emeryville, California, Althea Press.
Watkins, P. (2019). Meditation made simple: Weekly practices for relieving stress, finding balance, and cultivating joy. New York, Crestline.
There are many apps that can help you manage the time. I like using the Insight Timer App. You can choose how long you’d like to meditate, select a sound (such as a bell), and set how many chimes play at the beginning and end of your session.
Mindfulness in Daily Life
Choose an area in your life you are interested in exploring and practicing mindfulness (i.e., eating, emotions, studying, stress, anxiety, technology, single-tasking, relational mindfulness, etc.). Even though for this assignment you are intentionally exploring mindfulness in one specific area of your life, you will notice that the practice will flow into other parts of your life.
Once you choose the area you would like to practice mindfulness, apply mindfulness strategies (art, music, journaling, observing, seeing, listening, breathing, acceptance, body scanning, self-compassion, walking/movement, etc.) to this area of your life over four weeks (daily or minimum 5x week). You will be doing both a meditation and mindfulness tracking journal for the last four weeks. You are welcome to explore apps that track progress or enhance your experience.
After applying mindfulness to a specific area of your life for four weeks, you will include a reflection of your experience as part of your final paper. The details for this paper are found in the Mindfulness and Meditation Final Reflection assignment. The mindfulness section of this paper will include what you did (the area of your life you applied the strategy and the mindfulness skills you practiced), how your strategy went (including how long you practiced it), any challenges that arose, any benefits you noticed, and next steps. You will submit your tracking sheets weekly. The tracking sheets are worth five points per week and will count for 5% of your grade and the final paper that includes your reflections on your mindfulness experiences is worth 15% of your final grade. Thus, the tracking sheets and paper are 20% of your final grade.
Community Meditation/Mindfulness Reflection
You will attend a meditation or mindfulness related class or event in the community. You will turn in a one paragraph reflection of the experience.
You can check for community events in your local newspaper or you may visit a yoga studio or similar center that offers mindfulness or meditation experiences. If you choose to do yoga, find a class that is slower and more intentional rather than a workout based yoga class. In your reflection paragraph, include location, date, and how it went, your thoughts on the experience, and what you noticed. This assignment is worth 5% of your final grade.
Mindfulness/Meditation Share, Teach, Reflect
The best way to learn something is to teach it. This assignment will help you better internalize your mindfulness and meditation practice by sharing it with others.
You will teach an individual or a group about mindfulness or meditation. This can be informally with friends or family or formally in an educational or professional environment. You can use some lecture in your presentation to share key principles but your teaching should primarily be experiential. For example, a guided meditation or yoga flow experience. You can share with children, adolescents, or adults. If your audience is children, the resources we reviewed during Module 5 will be helpful. If you share with adults then you have several resources from throughout the semester.
This assignment is worth 10% of your final grade. You will be graded on your lesson plan, teaching the lesson, assessing the experience of your participants, and reflecting on the value of the experience.
Lesson Plan Examples 3450
Mindfulness Assessment
Mindfulness and Meditation Final Reflection
The purpose of this assignment is to summarize and reflect on your mindfulness and meditation practice over the term and the principles and lessons you have learned.
Write a letter to me on your strengths, challenges, and next steps of your mindfulness and meditation practice. This letter should be double spaced, 12 point font, and a minimum of two pages.
Begin with an introduction that explains how you implemented mindfulness and meditation into your life over the course of the term.
- Next, include two main sections with clear subheadings: one focused on your meditation practice and the other on your mindfulness in daily life.
- End with a conclusion that reflects on the key lessons and principles you learned—whether from your personal practice, course videos, or readings—and how you plan to carry these practices forward in your life.
For the body of the paper, it should include the following. The first section should follow this outline: 1) the practices, routines, rituals, and structure of your
meditation practice (what you did over the weeks of your practice), 2) any challenges you found in your meditation practice, and 3) your development and growth over the semester from meditating (how you changed).
The second section will be a reflection of your
mindfulness in daily life experience: 1) what you did in your weeks of intentional practice, the area of your life you applied the strategy, and the mindfulness skills you practiced, 2) any challenges that arose, and 3) any benefits you noticed.
See the assignment rubric for detailed grading criteria.
This assignment is worth 15% of your grade.
Example Paper Organization Template
Mindfulness and Meditation Final Reflection
Grade Scheme
The following grading standards will be used in this class:
Course Assessments
Points Percentages
Reflection Papers | 60 | 30
Discussions | 33 | 15
Daily Personal Meditation Practice | 60 | 20
Mindfulness in Daily Life Tracking Journals | 20 | 5
Community Meditation/Mindfulness Reflection | 5 | 5
Mindfulness/Meditation Share, Teach, Reflect | 5 | 10
Mindfulness and Meditation Final Reflection | 15 | 15
Total | 198 | 100
Final Grade Policy
Final grades are based on the work submitted and the grading criteria outlined in this syllabus and individual assignment descriptions. The grade you earn throughout the semester is the grade you will receive. Please plan accordingly and reach out early in the semester if you need support or clarification. Requests made at the end of the semester to submit missing work, complete additional assignments, receive extra credit, or adjust a final grade will not be considered. Requests for grade changes or re-evaluation after final grades are submitted will not be considered.
Grade Range
A | 100 % to 94.0%
A- | < 94.0 % to 90.0%
B+ | < 90.0 % to 87.0%
B | < 87.0 % to 84.0%
B- | < 84.0 % to 80.0%
C+ | < 80.0 % to 77.0%
C | < 77.0 % to 74.0%
C- | < 74.0 % to 70.0%
D+ | < 70.0 % to 67.0%
D | < 67.0 % to 64.0%
D- | < 64.0 % to 61.0%
F | < 61.0 % to 0.0%