Group Assignment: Research Journal

The objective is to understand the evolving dynamics of work-life balance in the context of online
learning and identify gaps in existing knowledge that could be addressed in future research. You will use
the Group Assignment as a foundation to build on for the Group Project.

Please note that I will not be forming groups. It is up to the students to form groups. If you are having
difficulty forming a group, then please post a thread in the Class Discussion Forum to try to find other
students for your group. The group size can be between 1 to 6 students. Note that you can complete this
assignment individually if you like. The groups you form for the group assignment will be kept for the
final group project as well.

Do not report the group members to me. Please ensure that you include all the group members’ names
and student numbers in your final submission document. Only one group member should submit.

Group Assignment

I. Selection of Research Topic

 Examine the dynamics of work-life balance. (one paragraph)
 Investigate the implications and nuances of online learning. (one paragraph)
 Determine a specific area of focus for the group project from the appended list of topics (the list
of topics is found at the end of this document).

II. Documentation and Preliminary Planning

 Resources collected should be peer reviewed journal articles within the past five years.
 Complete the Preliminary Search Action Plan document to guide your research process.
 Record your database searches using the Database Search Log. The Database Search Log should
have at least ten entries.
 Complete the Academic Research Log for a structured approach to your research. The Academic
Research Log should contain at least twenty entries.

III. Execution of the Literature Journal

 Construct an annotated bibliography, ensuring a minimum inclusion of ten pertinent sources.
 Catalog the primary keywords employed during your search, distinguishing between those that
were effective and those that were not. (one to two paragraphs)
 Critically assess the relevance of the results obtained from the keywords to your chosen topic.
(one to two paragraphs)
 Delve into established theories, seminal works, and contemporary research that surfaced during
your exploration. (one to two paragraphs)

Formal Submission
 Tender the finalized group assignment Word document for evaluation.
 Accompany the submission with the completed Academic Research Log, Database Search Log,
and Preliminary Search Action Plan.
Recommended Acceptable Project Topic Areas

• Corporate social networking.

• Information technology infrastructure for big data.

• Internet of Things (IOT).

• Blockchain.

• Artificial intelligence.

• Cybersecurity.

• Agile methods in project.

• Project management office.

• approach to portfolio management.

• Leadership skills in project management.

• Access control.

• Business continuity and disaster recovery planning.

• Cryptography.

• Employee monitoring.

• Enterprise information systems security.

• Information security governance and risk management.

• Operations security.

• Social networking/privacy.

• Security architecture and design.

• Assessment and e-folios.

• International education in IT.

• Customer engagement and social media.

Rubric Title: Group Assignment - Research Journal

Needs
Criteria Excellent (5) Good (4) Adequate (3) Improvement Poor (1)
(2)

The group
The group The group
The group The group does not
thoroughly adequately
partially minimally examine the
examines the examines the
examines the examines the dynamics of
dynamics of dynamics of
dynamics of dynamics of work-life
work-life work-life
work-life work-life balance and
balance and balance and
I. Selection of balance and balance and online
online online
Research Topic online learning online learning learning or
learning and learning and
and selects a and selects a fails to select
selects a selects a
specific area of specific area of a specific
specific area specific area
focus from the focus from the area of focus
of focus from of focus from
provided list of provided list of from the
the provided the provided
topics. topics. provided list
list of topics. list of topics.
of topics.

II. The group The group The group The group The group
Documentatio demonstrates demonstrates partially minimally does not
n and a structured an adequate demonstrates a demonstrates a demonstrate
Preliminary approach to approach to structured structured a structured
Planning research by research by approach to approach to approach to
completing completing research by research by research by
the Academic the Academic completing the completing the failing to
Research Log Research Log Academic Academic complete the
with at least with Research Log Research Log Academic
twenty sufficient with some with few Research
entries and entries and entries and the entries and the Log, the
the Database the Database Database Database Database
Search Log Search Log Search Log Search Log Search Log,
with at least with enough with limited with minimal and the
ten entries. entries. The entries. The entries. The Preliminary
The Preliminary Preliminary Preliminary Search Action
Preliminary Search Action Search Action Search Action Plan.
Search Action Plan is Plan is partially Plan is
Plan is completed to completed. incomplete.
completed to guide the
guide the research
research
 process. process.

The group
The group The group The group fails to
The group
constructs an constructs an constructs an construct an
constructs an
annotated annotated annotated annotated
annotated
bibliography bibliography bibliography bibliography
bibliography
with an with a limited with few with
with a
adequate number of pertinent sufficient
minimum of
number of pertinent sources. The pertinent
ten pertinent
pertinent sources. The catalog of sources. The
sources. The
sources. The catalog of primary catalog of
catalog of
catalog of primary keywords used primary
primary
primary keywords used does not keywords
keywords
keywords does not effectively used does
used
used effectively distinguish not
distinguishes
distinguishes distinguish between effectively
between
between between effective and distinguish
effective and
III. Execution effective and effective and ineffective between
ineffective
of the ineffective ineffective ones, and the effective and
ones, and the
Literature ones, and the ones, and the relevance of ineffective
relevance of
Journal relevance of relevance of the search ones, and the
the search
the search the search results to the relevance of
results to the
results to the results to the chosen topic is the search
chosen topic
chosen topic chosen topic is minimally results to the
is critically
is adequately partially assessed. The chosen topic
assessed. The
assessed. The assessed. The group is not
group delves
group group touches mentions assessed. The
into
explores upon established group does
established
established established theories, not explore
theories,
theories, theories, seminal works, established
seminal
seminal seminal works, and theories,
works, and
works, and and contemporary seminal
contemporar
contemporar contemporary research works, and
y research
y research research related to the contemporar
related to the
related to the related to the topic y research
topic.
topic. topic. superficially. related to the
topic.

Communicatio The The The submission The submission The

n and submission submission somewhat uses uses limited submission
Grammar communicate generally academic academic does not use
 language but
academic
communicate contains language and
s using language and
s using noticeable contains
academic is riddled
academic grammatical numerous
language and with severe
language and and spelling grammatical
is entirely grammatical
has only errors that do and spelling
free of and spelling
minor not errors that
grammatical errors,
grammatical significantly hinder
and spelling making it
and spelling affect comprehension
errors. difficult to
errors. comprehension .
comprehend.
.

20 marks total.