Course Syllabus

Spring 2024 | HUM-2010-VJ01 - Seminar in Educational Inquiry

Tutorial Class

Faculty

Frederick Bennett
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Jennifer Gundy

General Education Requirements

CCV Seminar in Education Inquiry

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

Inquiry is the foundation for this interdisciplinary capstone course. It provides a forum for critical thinking about substantive issues, problems, and themes that affect the world, our society, our communities, and our selves. Throughout the semester, students will be challenged to ask critical questions, evaluate evidence, create connections, and present ideas in discussions and writing. This process prepares students for developing and presenting a culminating portfolio through which they demonstrate proficiency in the graduation standards of writing and information literacy, as well as make connections to prior learning. Because the final portfolio is essential in demonstrating these proficiencies, students must complete the portfolio with a grade of C- or better in order to pass the course. This course is required for students planning to graduate and should be taken within the year prior to graduation once all competency area requirements have been satisfied. Prerequisite: English Composition and a Research & Writing Intensive course or equivalent skills.

Essential Objectives

1. Explain how questions are framed and knowledge is gained in various disciplines, such as the sciences, humanities, and social sciences.
2. Investigate the philosophical and ethical questions arising from issues pertaining to identity, community, knowledge, truth, change, and responsibility.
3. Demonstrate advanced skills of reading, writing, and critical thinking in both group and individual work.
4. Locate, evaluate, and incorporate appropriate scholarly and professional sources, including primary and secondary evidence as needed, to address an academic research question.
5. Complete a culminating portfolio that includes:
a. A research paper with an arguable thesis that integrates five or more scholarly and professional sources to address an academic research question and demonstrates proficiency in the graduation standards of writing and information literacy according to the SEI research paper rubric.
b. A reflective essay that articulates how the student’s educational experience has influenced their understanding of themselves and the world.
c. A presentation related to the content of the paper.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations, along with free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials.

Spring 2024 textbook/book details will be available on 2023-11-06. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

HUM-2010-VJ01 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

For Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Methods

The quality of the learning experience will be best if it is collaborative. Participation as a learner includes active participation within the class.

Teaching Methods:

Lecture

Learning conversations: in class

Small and large group activities: in class and online

Skills building exercises

Reading assignments: in and out of class

Online assignments: in and out of class

Brief writing assignments: in and out of class

__________________________________________________

Come prepared every week with a laptop or tablet Internet device (phones will not be adequate) and your texts.

If you do not have a laptop, please arrive early enough to check one out at the front desk to be prepared for class.

Evaluation Criteria

1. Attendance and Participation 25%

· Class attendance and the quality of your participation are integral parts of your learning experience and the learning for others. The most significant portion of your evaluation for this course is based on the following: being prompt and committed for class times and dates, completing the readings as assigned, arriving prepared for class discussions, and positively participating*. You most likely cannot successfully pass the course if you miss more than two classes. Further, lateness and leaving early will be cumulative in effect and will be equivalent to absences.

2. Weekly Assignments 50%

· Out of class reading and brief writing assignments are necessary to extend the learning process across the course of our six-day breaks each week.

3. Final Paper 25%

· There are specific details available about this product and its production will take place across the course of the semester.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Attendance Specifics:

• If you miss three classes, or its equivalent in classes, and lateness / early departures, you will not be able to pass the course.
• When you have received the equivalent of two absences, and time permitting, the instructor will make an effort to alert you and your advisor as to your circumstances. It is incumbent upon the student however, not the instructor, to be aware and make efforts to stay informed about attendance standing.

Positive Participation:

· Show evident attention and engagement with the full class about the topic being discussed (not side conversations, please).

· Contribute positively, voluntarily, regularly, and moderately during each class.

· Develop a thoughtful and inquisitive manner about the material and each other's contributions during class.

Classroom Comportment:

We will have one 15 minute break, approximately halfway through the class time. Use this as an opportunity to use the restroom, get a snack or drink, or to send or read email or text messages from your computer or phone.

Please do not send or read email or text messages while during class time. Also, please do not attend to other material online that is not part of the curriculum of the class or listen to media via earphones. This is a distraction to me and often your classmates. Of course, it is a break in your attention and participation also. Please note that these actions detract significantly from your active participation.

You may eat and drink during class time. The only restriction is you should not cause create distractions. Please be thoughtful and do not choose food that has loud wrappings or is loud to chew.

Please get up and leave the classroom if you need to use the restroom, need to take/make a critical phone call/text, etc. and we are not during break time. You do need to ask for permission for these activities.

During active class time, please do not have side conversations. This is also a distraction to me and your classmates. If you'd like to socialize or catch up with a classmate, please wait for a transition time between activities or leave the room to do so.

If you find you are drowsy during the course of our very long class, I encourage you to take a brief walk or to get a drink to help with your alertness. It is not acceptable behavior to "rest your head" or close your eyes during class time.

Correspondence Comportment:
Please note: All written work, including in class and out of class correspondence, should be thoughtfully made and express its content with a professional attitude. That is, you should explicitly attend to:

· function (e.g., what do I need and want to convey?)

· context (e.g., to whom and under what circumstances?)

· format (e.g., should this look like a letter, an essay, a research paper?)

· mechanics (e.g., have I checked the spelling and grammar?).

· means (e.g., is this neatly typed and submitted on time?)

Your attention (or lack of attention) to these details can affect your evaluation.

__________________________________________________

It is critical that you know your CCV portal password and you DO NOT depend solely upon your browser or password keeper. In the event that you need to use a school laptop and cannot access your account, it may limit your participation and you may not get credit for some assignments.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Late work might be accepted, on pre-arrangement with the instructor. "Pre-arrangement" includes both the email request by the student and the consent of the instructor. Students therefore must plan ahead and give the instructor at least 24hrs before the scheduled class time to respond.

If unplanned conflict in the last 24 hours prevents a student from receiving permission to submit an assignment late, the student needs to inform the instructor via email of this circumstance. In this case, the instructor will likely consent once a semester to this contingency.

Missing work: This will be represented by a zero score in the grading.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity