Observation Report
The observation report asks you to describe your observations and one interview among members of a Buddhist community, recorded at a local worship site and related to the observations of an author who has observed a similar traditions in Asia. You write for a peer (vs. a specialist) who is unfamiliar with the topic, possibly for one of the people mentioned in a scenario from one of the application exercises. NOTE: half a dozen student Observation Reports will be assigned as readings for the final TRA and application exercise.
IMPORTANT: you must observe an event at one of the times listed under Local Sites, not simply visit the site and talk to people. Although you may at other times have interesting informal interactions with community members there, it will be difficult to tell what they normally do when outsiders are not present based exclusively on such interactions.
Step 1: Worksheet
Once you have selected a celebration to visit, look at the Observation Report Worksheet (ORW --> PDF/MS Word). You may want to start generating the questions that you will attempt to answer about your site and the participants you observe there; or you can wait until after the visit & interview. There are ten different topics to address in coming up with your questions, which will help you focus on
A. the way the practices you observe shape people's reflection;
B. the way peope's reflection shapes their practice; and
C. how your perceptions of practice & reflection compare with those of another outside observer.
The questions you generate need not be perfect, since you can revise your questions and/or come up with new ones during the visit itself (see "Advice about Observing"). But it's important to start coming up with questions beforehand to put yourself in the right frame of mind to gather evidence during the visit.
Unless you already know someone who reguarly visits the site you visit, you'll need to make sure to connect with someone there to set up an interview--either after the event or at a later time, in person or by phone (see Advice about Interviewing). As soon as possible after leaving, make notes to answer the questions you came up with before and/or during your visit. When you get to a computer, number the questions and type up your responses. When you finish, the last part of the worksheet will guide you in thinking about what to focus on for the final report (step 3).
IMPORTANT: the thinking process required for responding and responding to questions on the ORW is the most challenging task you will undertake for this course, requiring you to integrate many of the skills honed through team assignments. For this reason you will need some dedicated time to focus on completing the GRW, above and beyond completing the final report.
CAUTION: A completed ORW will receive 25 out of the total number of points for the assignment. NO PARTIAL CREDIT will be given; incomplete forms will be MARKED WITH A ZERO. Note that thoughtful responses on the worksheet will positively influence scoring of the final product (see step 3).
Due Date
As listed on the schedule, your ORW will be due on the Tuesday **AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS** just after the end of the corresponding unit (see schedule). If you visit an East Asian Buddhist site (see Local Sites) , your ORW will be due the Tuesday just after the end of Unit 2 (i.e., the beginning of unit 3); if you visit one of the other sites, your ORW will be due just after the end of Unit 3. You must also post an electronic version by the end of the same day, via the appropriate link in the Assignments tab in SacCT.