Before starting work on this assignment, examine your worldview and identify any existing or potential biases that may influence your perspective of the pr

Description:

Total Possible Score: 6.00

Distinguished – Thoroughly describes one's personal worldview.

Proficient – Describes one's personal worldview. Minor details are missing.

Basic – Minimally describes one's personal worldview. Relevant details are missing.

Below Expectations – Attempts to describe one's personal worldview; however, significant details are missing.

Non-Performance – The description of one's personal worldview is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished – Comprehensively explains how elements of the personal worldview could positively influence one’s perception of the problem.

Proficient – Explains how elements of the personal worldview could positively influence one’s perception of the problem. The explanation is slightly underdeveloped.

Basic – Minimally explains how elements of the personal worldview could positively influence one’s perception of the problem. The explanation is underdeveloped.

Below Expectations – Attempts to explain how elements of the personal worldview could positively influence one’s perception of the problem; however, the explanation is significantly underdeveloped.

Non-Performance – The explanation of how elements of the personal worldview could positively influence one’s perception of the problem is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished – Thoroughly, clearly, and accurately examines the worldview for existing or potential biases that may negatively impact one’s perception of the problem or potential solutions.

Proficient – Examines the worldview for existing or potential biases that may negatively impact one’s perception of the problem or potential solutions. Minor details are missing, slightly unclear, or inaccurate.

Basic – Minimally examines the worldview for existing or potential biases that may negatively impact one’s perception of the problem or potential solutions. Relevant details are missing, unclear, and/or inaccurate.

Below Expectations – Attempts to examine the worldview for existing or potential biases that may negatively impact one’s perception of the problem or potential solutions; however, significant details are missing, unclear, and inaccurate.

Non-Performance – The examination of the worldview for existing or potential biases that may negatively impact one’s perception of the problem or potential solutions is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished – Thoroughly describes at least two ways in which biases can be prevented.

Proficient – Describes at least two ways in which biases can be prevented. Minor details are missing.

GEN499.W2A1.09.2023

Describes One's Personal Worldview Total: 1.00

Explains How Elements of the Personal Worldview Could Positively Influence One’s Perception of the Problem

Total: 1.00

Examines the Worldview for Existing or Potential Biases That May Negatively Impact One’s Perception of the Problem or Potential Solutions

Total: 1.00

Describes At Least Two Ways in Which Biases Can Be Prevented Total: 1.00

Basic – Minimally describes at least one way in which biases can be prevented. Relevant details are missing.

Below Expectations – Attempts to describe at least one way in which biases can be prevented; however, significant details are missing.

Non-Performance – The description of at least two ways in which biases can be prevented is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished – Displays meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains no errors and is very easy to understand.

Proficient – Displays comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains only a few minor errors and is mostly easy to understand.

Basic – Displays basic comprehension of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains a few errors which may slightly distract the reader.

Below Expectations – Fails to display basic comprehension of syntax or mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains major errors which distract the reader.

Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished – Demonstrates methodical application of organization and presentation of content. The purpose of the writing is evident and easy to understand. Summaries, quotes, and/or paraphrases fit naturally into the sentences and paragraphs. Paper flows smoothly.

Proficient – Demonstrates sufficient application of organization and presentation of content. The purpose of the writing is, for the most part, clear and easy to understand. There are some problems with the blending of summaries, paraphrases, and quotes. Paper flows somewhat smoothly.

Basic – Demonstrates a limited understanding of organization and presentation of content in written work. The purpose of the writing is somewhat evident but may not be integrated throughout the assignment. There are many problems with the blending of summaries, paraphrases, and quotes. Paper does not flow smoothly in all sections.

Below Expectations – Organization and presentation of content are extremely limited. The purpose of the writing is unclear. There is little or no blending of summaries, paraphrases, and quotes. Paper does not flow smoothly when read.

Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished – Accurately uses APA formatting consistently throughout the paper, title page, and reference page.

Proficient – Exhibits APA formatting throughout the paper. However, layout contains a few minor errors.

Basic – Exhibits limited knowledge of APA formatting throughout the paper. However, layout does not meet all APA requirements.

Below Expectations – Fails to exhibit basic knowledge of APA formatting. There are frequent errors, making the layout difficult to distinguish as APA.

Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished – Uses more than the required number of scholarly sources, providing compelling evidence to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.

Proficient – Uses the required number of scholarly sources to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.

Basic – Uses less than the required number of sources to support ideas. Some sources may not be scholarly. Most sources on

Written Communication: Control of Syntax and Mechanics Total: 0.50

Written Communication: Context of and Purpose for Writing Total: 0.50

Written Communication: APA Formatting Total: 0.50

Written Communication: Resource Requirement Total: 0.50

the reference page are used within the body of the assignment. Citations may not be formatted correctly.

Below Expectations – Uses an inadequate number of sources that provide little or no support for ideas. Sources used may not be scholarly. Most sources on the reference page are not used within the body of the assignment. Citations are not formatted correctly.

Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

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2Developing a Lens of Understanding

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Module 2 Learning Outcomes

In this module, you will consider how your personal experiences and knowledge gained through your postsecondary general education courses inform your analysis and understanding of problems. After reading this module, you should be able to

ሁ Compare the limitations and functional benefits of a lens as a means of interpreting truth. ሁ Reflect on your individual cultural lens and the ways in which it impacts your understanding of

phenomena. ሁ Articulate how using a theoretical lens can focus and enhance your problem-solving efforts. ሁ Evaluate theories to determine their relevancy to a problem of interest.

© 2024 The University of Arizona Global Campus. All rights reserved. Not for resale or redistribution.

Part 4Module 2 Introduction

Module 2 Introduction In 1799, George Washington, the first president of the United States, died in his Mount Vernon bedroom after doctors had extracted nearly 40% of his blood volume while attempting to cure a throat infection. His wife, Martha, purportedly shared her concerns about this method of treatment, but Washington had requested it, believing it had cured him of past illness. While Washington’s exact diagnosis is unknown, he died within a day of his first complaints (Wallenborn, 1997). Modern physicians might infer that it was the bloodletting treatment that led to his rapid decline, but it would be inappropriate to criticize the doctors who admin- istered a method of care considered to be standard best practice for nearly 3,000 years (Greenstone, 2010).

The medical treatment of bloodletting was based on an understanding of disease theorized by Greek physician Hippocrates (approximately 460–370 BC) well prior to the discovery of molds and bacteria in the mid – to late-1600s (Nouri, 2011). Because germs were unknown in Hippocrates’ time, he believed disease to be the result of an imbalance of four bodily elements called humors: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. Bloodletting via small cuts and scraping was thought to restore that bal- ance and offer a cure. Leeches, a predatory worm, were added to the practice in the early 19th century (Greenstone, 2010).

As science has advanced, medical practice has also evolved. Hippocrates’ theory of bodily humors has been replaced by a modern understanding of anat- omy and medicine, and bloodletting is no longer a standard treatment. It is easy to reflect in hindsight on the errors of past thinking and practice (recall hindsight bias from Module 1), but imagine yourself as a mediaeval physician or as one of Washington’s doctors; you would have had to act on what you understood as truth.

Ask the ancient Greeks who first countered com- mon knowledge of a flat earth with a spherical hypothesis; truth, as it turns out, is a tricky thing. By definition, truth is based on proven fact or com- monly accepted reality. Ironically, this definition reveals truth’s flaws. First is the issue of “proven.” To offer proof, evidence must be produced accord- ing to an agreed upon method. Experts are often called upon to establish standard methods and to evaluate the accuracy of evidence. Therefore, proof is subject to expert opinion. Expert opinion is based on the wisdom and knowledge of the era—hence, bloodletting. Similarly, truth that is based on “commonly accepted reality” requires the shared subjective experience that something is true.

“A medical practitioner administers leeches” by Wellcome Trust is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

ሁ As our understanding of anatomy and medicine has evolved, so too has the way doctors treat patients. In the early 19th century, leeches were used for bloodletting, which was believed to cure various illnesses and restore balance to a sick patient’s body.

© 2024 The University of Arizona Global Campus. All rights reserved. Not for resale or redistribution.

Part 1Establishing a Lens of Understanding

Although an objective reality may exist that is not subject to human experience and interpre- tation, when discussing truth, humans are limited to what we have experienced either col- lectively or individually. In other words, objective truth may exist, but it may be unknowable. This module introduces how you might view the circumstances of a problem through the subjective lens of truth, noting that this lens is both a limitation and a potential advantage in bringing focus to complex issues. As you read this module, you are encouraged to reflect on your own lens of understanding, how it is informed by your strengths and preferences, and how you might apply this lens as you set out to analyze and solve problems.

Part 1: Establishing a Lens of Understanding With so much uncertainty about the nature of truth, it may seem unlikely that humans agree on anything, especially as each person views phenomena through their own lens of under- standing that serves as a filter through which information is perceived and interpreted. A basis for common understanding is formed through education. In primary and secondary school, students are often taught highly evidenced, basic facts. Examples include math facts like multiplication tables, the varying energetic intensity of clouds in producing storms, and witnessed historical facts, such as the order of the presidents of the United States. Education also provides students with fundamental skills for differentiating fact from opinion. Facts are defined as something that can be supported by evidence, whereas opinion is based on

2 Developing

a lens of understanding

4 Finding

solutions and gaining support

f02.00_UN_GEN499.ai

1 Identifying

and defining problems

3 Collecting

and considering data

5 Taking

action and leading change

 Self-reflect on your cultural lens and personal beliefs.  Map concepts related to the problem.  Conduct research to find relevant theories or existing models.

© 2024 The University of Arizona Global Campus. All rights reserved. Not for resale or redistribution.

Part 1Establishing a Lens of Understanding

subjective beliefs that may vary from person to person. For a fact to be a fact, it must be unaf- fected by what an individual thinks or feels about it. Students might list state capitals as fact, for example, but offer opinion as to whether each capital is a desirable vacation destination.

Discerning fact from opinion is key in analyzing the quality of a source. This is yet another skill that students hone throughout their education, but it can be a confusing effort. Students may find that different sources argue over the logical soundness of evidence used to support facts. Or some sources may offer evidence that directly conflicts with another’s statement of fact. As students develop information literacy, they learn specific strategies to evaluate such conflicts. Researching a source’s credentials, potential biases, and motivations can help in determining their credibility, or trustworthiness. However, it may still occur that equally cred- ible experts in a field disagree on the truth of a matter, each providing seemingly sound evi- dence to bolster their counterpoints. In these instances, a student might compare the experts’ varied worldviews, their individual experiences, and the theoretical lens through which they view phenomena. Often, an individual will be most inclined to believe or to agree with those whose “lens” is most aligned with their own.

Defining “Lens” In photography, the role of the camera lens is to adjust focus and depth of the field of view with the aim of drawing attention to specific subjects. There is more at play when compar- ing camera lens types and exploring creative pos- sibilities, but at a basic level the lens sheds light on what the photographer wants to see and influences the quality of that image. It is the tool used to deter- mine not only what is in the picture, but also what is excluded.

“Lens” in the figurative sense is much like the pho- tographic tool. It is a perceptual and cognitive tool through which information is filtered and inter- preted. Learned through both experience and edu- cation, your lens of understanding is the unique perspective through which you view the world. This perspective is informed by any number of demographic factors, including your gender, age, where you live, work, or go to school, who you inter- act with, and so on. Your lens helps you determine what you see as normal, right, or good. It is your truth-o-meter when truth is hard to measure. It is important to acknowledge that your lens is not the only way to see things, and that what you consider to be normal or right may seem strange or even wrong through someone else’s lens. You may also be completely unaware of your own lens, despite recognizing when your viewpoints differ from others’. Problem solvers, like trained researchers, make a conscious effort to examine their ingrained and adopted lenses. This awareness allows them to

“Pushing the Leaning Tower of Pisa – 3” by Barney Moss is marked with CC BY 2.0.

ሁ This tourist photo of the Leaning Tower of Pisa provides a further reminder that what is captured through a lens may be more a matter of perspective than reality.

© 2024 The University of Arizona Global Campus. All rights reserved. Not for resale or redistribution.

Part 1Establishing a Lens of Understanding

check their own biases, assess the validity of other perspectives, and note when their lens has limited their focus to the wrong thing.

Lens as a Potential Limitation Your lens may also be described as your worldview. Worldview is a philosophical term refer- ring to your conception of the world and humanity’s role within it. It is “a collection of atti- tudes, values, stories and expectations” that informs your thoughts, behaviors, interactions, and judgments of others (Gray, 2011, p. 58). Certain fundamental beliefs form the core of your worldview, such as beliefs about the nature of reality, the origins of man and the universe, the meaning and purpose of life, and the nature of values. Unlike the practice of bloodlet- ting, the philosophical debates related to these beliefs often transcend time and elude sci- ence—despite humanity’s best efforts to resolve them. In the absence of definitive evidence, it is impossible to conclude that one belief is entirely accurate while the opposite is entirely wrong.

While a worldview isn’t necessarily limiting, it has the potential to limit how you see the world. The beliefs that stem from your worldview are so central to your understanding that they may be taken for granted. You may find yourself arguing with others about something that seems quite obvious to each of you, only to discover that your differences aren’t in the validity of your reasoning, but in your respective worldviews. The failure to recognize these funda- mental differences can limit your ability to understand and solve problems. This is especially the case when you’re unable to identify your own interpretative lens and instead assume that your beliefs are undeniable truth. In lacking this awareness, you may fail to understand oth- ers’ experiences and perspectives. Recalling the photography analogy in this instance, your lens may define more of what you do not see, rather than providing further clarity and focus.

This limitation is also self-perpetuating. Because we view new experiences through our pre- existing lens, our interpretations of these experiences tend to validate and justify what we already believe. Confirmation bias, the psychological tendency to actively seek information and evidence that supports existing beliefs, also contributes to unchallenged worldviews. Understanding these tendencies can help you to appreciate why others might deny certain facts of a situation, or why you may also struggle to see another’s point of view.

Just as all lenses can be limiting, all lenses can be useful, too. Your worldview offers an impor- tant foundation to identify and examine issues in your life and helps form the basis of your opin- ions and perspectives. It is only when you close yourself off from learning and considering new information, and hearing others’ views, that your worldview is purely limiting. To ensure that your lens is not limiting, spend time reflecting on your beliefs, but also ponder possible alterna- tives. Actively seek to learn about other perspectives. Be open to feedback from others. Be will- ing to listen, and humbly seek truth in what others have to say, even if you ultimately disagree.

Lens as a Tool While a narrowed view of the world can be a limitation, when acknowledged, a lens can actu- ally serve a functional purpose. Being open to limitless possibilities may sound like a noble social ideal. The pursuit of lifelong learning may even lead you down many different intellec- tual paths. In the interest of being politically correct, some people even fear committing to a certain viewpoint. But there is a difference between considering all perspectives and accept- ing all possibilities as truth. Some views will always be mutually exclusive, wherein two or

© 2024 The University of Arizona Global Campus. All rights reserved. Not for resale or redistribution.

Part 1Establishing a Lens of Understanding

more possibilities conflict to the extent that they cannot coexist or be simultaneously true. To move forward with purpose and action, you must be willing to commit to a particular way of viewing or examining a problem.

As noted in the opening of the section, education offers students a common understanding of basic phenomena. In college or university studies, students begin to unpack the differences in their perspectives on these phenomena. Such differences may be found in relation to their peers, their instructors, and the scholars whose work they read. Rather than simply evaluate the credibility of a source, college students are asked to evaluate the quality of the source’s ideas. Critical evaluation of others’ competing claims for truth is a necessary step in a college student’s journey toward asserting their own claims. Guided by their instructors in the evalu- ation of others’ arguments, students are also encouraged to reflect critically on their own viewpoints. These efforts lead students to the goal of establishing a framework to test their own ideas (Perry, 1999). In other words, college students are led to assess the worldview inherited from their childhood experiences and develop an intentional lens—one that is still anchored in their values but informed by a deeper understanding of self and the world.

To understand how a lens could be used as a tool, consider the function of another device that makes use of literal lenses: the telescope. Attributed to physicist Galileo Galilei (1564–1642), the telescope is a device that enables astronomers to see objects at great distances, such as the Messier 51 galaxy that is located 31 million light-years from Earth (Garner, 2021; Macha- mer & Miller, 2021).

Hubble Space Telescope, a satellite telescope residing outside of Earth’s atmosphere, captures images from as far as 13.4 billion light-years away (Vogel, 2022). Telescopes use perfectly engineered optics, often a combination of mirrors and lenses, to concentrate light on regions of the night sky that an astronomer wishes to explore in greater detail (NASA Science, 2021). If an observer were to view the night sky without a telescope, they may only identify the faint stars of the constellation, Canes Venatici, where the Messier 51 galaxy resides.

“Hubble image of M51, the ‘Whirlpool Galaxy’” by dsleeter_2000 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

“CanesVenaticiCC.jpg” by Till Credner is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

ሁ Note the differences in these two images of the Messier 51 galaxy. The photo on the left was taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and the one on the right was taken without a telescope.

© 2024 The University of Arizona Global Campus. All rights reserved. Not for resale or redistribution.

Part 2Examining Cultural Lenses

Without a telescope, an observer sees the broader picture of many stars and galaxies from Earth’s viewpoint. With the telescope, the observer gathers a much more detailed image and understanding of a galaxy of interest. Similarly, by applying the lens of your worldview to a specific phenomenon, you’re able to see and analyze that issue in more refined detail. When you then consider other perspectives, you may lose that refinement, but see more of the larger context of possibilities.

For your lens to serve as a tool, rather than a limitation, you must regularly reflect on it. It is necessary to become critically self-aware of both your assumptions and those things you might be excluding from sight in favor of the clarity of narrowed focus. This module provides more detail in this regard in the sections that follow.

Part 2: Examining Cultural Lenses The ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle were the first to explore—or at least the first to document—ideas of worldview and individual perspective (Marshall, 1995). Their findings formed the basis for considering how individuals experience and make sense of their world. Philosopher Immanuel Kant was the first to describe these organizing structures of the mind as schemas (Kant, 1781–1787/1929). He theorized that individuals rely on prior experiences to categorize new information. As they encounter new information, people draw intuitive relationships, assigning categories as a means of intellectual efficiency (Pendlebury, 1995). In other words, when an individual encounters something new, they make sense of it through the lens of what they already know.

In his 1932 publication Remembering: A Study in Experimental and Social Psychology, psychol- ogist Frederic Bartlett adopted the term schema, introducing this theory to the field of psy- chology. Schemas, he reasoned, are the building blocks for learning, memory, and decision- making processes. They are the mental models that serve as the lens of individual experience. So to understand how an individual lens is formed, the influences that shape it, and to evalu- ate its malleability, it’s necessary to turn to the field of psychology where schemas have not only been theorized but demonstrated via empirical study and brain scans.

Schema Development As part of investigating the formation of schemas, cognitive psychologists have conducted experiments in which they presented research participants with a combination of previously familiar and previously unfamiliar sensory information in the form of video or pictures (Bal- dassano et al., 2018; Webb & Dennis, 2020). They then asked participants to view images

Part 1 Knowledge Check

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