NCC PHI 110  BIOMEDICAL ETHICS FALL  2010

 

What you need to know

******************  ANNOUNCEMENT  11-14-10  ********

SPECIAL MESSAGE

We have only a few weeks left in our semester and I need to address a rather fundamental point about this course and the work submitted thus far.  It is my resonsiibility to develop the intellectual skills for ethical dialectical thinking on the part of those who take a course on Ethics. It may well be my primary responsibility as the instructor of this course.  Some have begun to show this intelleectual growth and are utilizing ethical principles and fundamental human values in the support presented for the moral judgments they are making and the ethical posiitons they are taking.  Some have not been doing so and some offer no support at all for their moral judgments.

 

Concerning a moral dilemma, problem, issue whenever you use phrases such as these immediately below you are making moral judgments:

 

correct, incorrect

right, wrong

moral, immoral

ethical, not ethical

 

These moral judgments need to be defended in a course on ethics.  Defended with an argument that sets out the support for the judgment using ethical principles and human values.

 

I also think you need to realize that you should not be using the following as support for your positions: 

my opinion

my belief

I feel

I believe

 

Now in this college class on ethics you put that sort of simplistic thinking behind you and show evidence of deeper, more reflective, self aware and critical thinking and use phrases such as: "my position is" or "my moral judgment is"  and then provide the support that you have for that position or judgment.

 

Far too often  I see an absence of the support for the moral judgments and positions. Too often the simplistic use of the judgmental phrases and nothing else.  I want to keep replying with :

What makes you think this way?

What support have you for this moral judgment?

Why do you come to this conclusion?

Why did you make this moral judgment?

 

I  see it more than I can accept in the written assignments that require you to offer the dialectical process of thought in support of your positions.   Most often when I do not award the full set of points for an assignment it is due to the failure to provide reasons and to use ethical principles and human values to support positions and judgments.

 

So it is my hope that you will all do as some are already and show evidence of critical thinking and deliberation that applies your values and ethical principles to cases and situations and dilemmas and moral issues.

 

I teach this class not because of the 3 credits people earn for their transcript record and degree but for the development of the intellectual abilities of humans that can move us further as a species in approaching problems using more of our truly human capacities and values.  What you "learn" in this course you should have for the rest of your life as a habit of mind when thinking of moral issues. 

Below are links to key course documents.

Please remember that you are NOT in an ONLINE class and so disregard any reference to class discussions and online interaction.

CALENDAR or COURSE SCHEDULE  When things are due !!!!

TEXTBOOKS-One FREE ONLINE textbook and one Recommended

ASSIGNMENTS- written and submitted ONLY by email

Case Studies

GRADES

CLASS WEBSITE

VIDEOS

COURSE OUTLINE  Lots of useful Information<<<<READ all documents

Overview

Objectives

Readings

Online Textbook

Academic Integrity

Professor's Role in the Course

My Expectations

Class Behavior

Attendance

Bonus Work/Final Grades

 

So...how will you be evaluated?

Good question! Here is the answer and in a good bit of detail. First though, you should know that although all of this looks very imposing and somewhat daunting, the course is no harder than its counterpart that occurs in the regular classroom. This course should actually turn out to be quite a bit of fun, if you are interested in thinking about things in new ways. In this online medium all the information is being given to you at the beginning and it may seem to be a bit too much, but once you get a chance to look it over and reflect , you should see that it really is not that dissimilar to the standard classroom.

GRADING REQUIREMENTS:

1. Written Assignments -Questions: 14 modules @ 6 points each= 84%

2. Case Studies: 16%

BONUS WORK: Final Culminating Survey and Essay: 5%

TOTAL: 105 %

Below you will learn how the grades will be determined and how you can earn the highest possible grade or number of points for each assignment and activity in the course.

Grading Scale for the Final Grade: Here are the cutoffs for course grades:
Total points Letter Grade
90 – 100 A
87 – 89 B+
83 – 88 B
80 – 82 B-
77 – 79 C+
73 – 76 C
70 – 72 C-
67 – 69 D+
63 –66 D
60 – 62 D-
LESS THAN 60 F
   

CHECK  ON YOUR GRADE: GRADES

You can check on your grades under Grades on the website.  GRADES

Then click on the link for your semester and class section (time)

Hints on how to achieve a high grade:

Make sure your written assignments reveal your knowledge of the textbook, participation in the discussions, and understanding of the issues. Use DIALECTICAL reasoning and evidence to support your positions.  Answer all parts of the assignment..

Evaluation of the written assignments

Grade Characteristics

F: 0 points-paper which does any of these:

1. fails to address the topic

2. does not present any evidence to support the thesis affirmed;<

3. consists largely of unintelligible discourse

4. relies solely on the arguments of others.

D: .5 points-paper which is free of the aforementioned defects but which conspicuously and predominantly does any of these:

1. uses jargon, rhetorical questions, and emotive discourse;

2. misuses English to such an extent as to be incoherent, obscure or vague;

3. fails to adduce adequate reason to support the thesis which it affirms and fails to analyze terms adequately.

C: 1 point- paper free of the aforementioned but which is fundamentally any of these:

1. poorly organized;

2. fallaciously argued

B: 2 points- paper free of the aforementioned but which does either of these :

1. fails to express significant thought

2. includes many careless errors

A: 3 points - paper free of the aforementioned and which includes all these:

1. subtle analysis

2. rigorous argument

3. significant thought

Evaluation of the Case Studies

Each is worth one point. Either you get the credit or you do not. If you do not receive the full credit the work will be assessed with an explanation and you will have a chance to fix it and resubmit it. All students will be encouraged to get full credit for all eight cases.

FINAL GRADE

THIS IS DETERMINED BY THE TOTAL POINTS A STUDENT EARNS BY THE END OF THE SEMESTER.
Total points Letter Grade
90 – 100 A
87 – 89 B+
83 – 88 B
80 – 82 B-
77 – 79 C+
73 – 76 C
70 – 72 C-
67 – 69 D+
63 –66 D
60 – 62 D-
LESS THAN 60 F
   

 

How to earn points- Maximum Values

totals

 

Written Essays or Questions/Papers 3 points each module TOTAL = 42

CASE STUDIES submitted in eight modules TOTAL = 8

 

MAXIMUM TOTAL FOR THE ENTIRE COURSE = 100

BONUS CULMINATING EXERCISES/SURVEYS = 5 added to previous total