Syllabus - Assignments
Essays:
You will have a one week window to submit your essay (due dates are on the course schedule). All essays should be in MLA format, double spaced, with a 12 point type. The essay prompts will be in the Announcements and the Module. Submit your essays before the dates given in this syllabus. No late essays allowed.
It is fine to use outside sources like the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (see the "Helpful Links" tab on the homepage) when studying philosophers, but when you write your papers don’t directly use material from any source. Close all your books, put them away, and write your essay. Do not quote from sources in your essay. I can tell if you are rewriting a passage, lifting a passage, using something from another source. I want your words, not the words of somebody else. The more you write on your own, without sources, the quicker you will find your own voice and think more critically about the material you study. I would rather get a paper where you are working it out, struggling, than a smooth paper with canned quotes. Also, for essays only, don't use any first person pronouns (I, me, my, and mine). Your essays will be graded and feedback will be given on the Monday following the due date. Feedback is given so that your future work may improve.
Posts:
Everyone must post at least once on each module and post at least on reply to another student's post. I expect your posts to reflect your careful study of the important issues the philosophers present. There is no set length for posts, however try to keep your posts between half a page and a page in length. Your posts should make use of information and examples in the videos and/or in the readings. Your replies to other students should discuss the ideas presented in their posts. There is no set length for replies, but usually a paragraph will suffice. If you are not going into enough detail in your posts and replies, I'll let you know in the feedback section.
No late posts allowed. Your posts must be submitted during the time frame listed on the course schedule.
Always run your posts through spell-check before you post. Remember to check your word use and spelling with a dictionary and always use a thesaurus to achieve the precision fitting of a clear critical thinker. Posting and sending email is a formal endeavor with this professor. All forms of communication, in all my classes, require civility and respect. I will not tolerate disrespectful emails or posts and I insist that everyone be courteous to everyone else. I will immediately withdraw any student who does not adhere to the basics of civility required of cooperative learning. Do not hold personal conversations between each other through posts.
I will give you feedback on each of your posts and grade them on the Monday following the due date. What should I do with the feedback? You can use it to improve your future posts.
Quizzes:
There will be a total of 10 quizzes throughout the semester. Each quiz is worth 10 points and will consist of true/false, multiple choice, and fill in the blank questions on the readings and videos.