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LEARNING_ACTIVITIES
The course is divided into 9
Modules,
and each module contains a chapter from the textbook. Modules may
last from one to three weeks.
The
following
learning
activities
apply to
each
module:
1.
Read
the assigned textbook
material.
2.
Respond to discussion questions submitted by the instructor. At
least to 4 questions in each module.
3.
Create and submit a discussion question about the material. At
least one in each module.
4.
Respond publicly to
some or all
of the questions submitted by other students.
5.
Reply
to students who respond to your question and responses.
Discussions
In
every module you will find a class discussion. Here, for each module and topic, you are
expected to reply to questions from the instructor, you will ask a
"critical thinking" question about some topic in the chapter, get
responses from other students, and reply to those responses. Here too, you
will answer the questions posed by other students, and they will reply to
your answers. You are welcome to keep up this "virtual discussion"
as long as you wish. The idea here is for each student to join in and to
lead a discussion with the other students about some important issue
introduced in the chapter.
This
is the
heart
of this course as far as your instructor is concerned. It is here that the
process of philosophy will be in evidence. It is here that you get an
opportunity to
DO
PHILOSOPHY.
This is the component of this online course that fosters the dialectical
process of inquiry that is the heart of Philosophy. Weitten Assignments
Upon
completion of each module there is an assignment. These assignments are my
way of testing your understanding of the texts and Discussions for that module. You will know what the questions or
topics are at the start of each module. You should post your assignments during
the 2-day "window" that is established for submissions, not
before. Unlike your responses to the discussion questions posed by me and
the other students, you will submit your essays just to me, not to the whole
class. You need to consider these essays as "take-home, open-book essay
exams", which require well-organized, thorough responses.
Ask
a Question
Most
discussion forums you will be entering will allow you to start a new
discussion thread. The button is in the upper left. When you use this button, it creates a
discussion thread that the professor and other students can participate in.
It is the equivalent of "raising your hand" in the classroom.
GRADING
REQUIREMENTS:
1.
Class Participation & Discussion: 32%
2.
Critical Analysis Essays (Papers) : 56%
3.
The Quality of Your Discussion Threads: 16%
WORKLOAD:
In
a fifteen-week semester (Spring and Fall) the workload for this course would
be 12 to 15 hours per week. This
includes all the reading, writing, and dialogue with your instructor and
fellow students.
In
the SUMMER SESSION with only 7 weeks from May 28th to July 11th the workload
in effect is double that of the regular 15-week semester.
It requires 24 to 30 hours per week to successfully complete this
online course.
This
requires a serious commitment on the part of the learner.
You can access the course at any time from any computer with an
Internet connection. However,
you must put in the effort, the labor, the work needed to meet the course
requirements and obtain a passing grade.
The
course can prove to be a lot of fun for those who take it seriously and keep
up with the workload. For those
who are unable to put in the time and fall behind the course could prove to
be quite horrible.
E-Mail
You
may ask me a private question at any time using my email. Treat E-mail as a
private office visit. I welcome your comments and feedback, too.
LINKS:
There are external links supplied to dictionaries and encyclopedias.
If you want or need to get a better definition or understanding of
terms, concepts and philosophers, use these links! |