Course Syllabus

Spring 2026 | HUM-2010-VO11 - Seminar in Educational Inquiry

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Jean Kristinat
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Collin Lee

General Education Requirements

Seminar in Educational 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 ourselves. Throughout the semester, students are 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 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 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 computer recommendations Support page.

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

HUM-2010-VO11 Link to Textbooks/Resources Information for this course in eCampus.

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.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Allowed: This course's generative AI policy acknowledges technology, including generative AI, plays a supportive role in learning and feedback. During our class, we may use AI writing tools such as ChatGPT in certain specific cases. You will be informed as to when, where, and how these tools are permitted to be used, along with guidance for attribution. Any use outside of these specific cases constitutes a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

Methods

Classes will begin on Tuesday morning each week and end Monday at 11:59. I urge you to complete your readings and assignments early in the week so that your participation in class discussions will be meaningful to both you and your discussion partners. The rubric for class discussions will show the impact of the timing of post submissions.

You will be evaluated in the following areas:

1. Weekly readings and assignments (25%)

2. Contribution to discussion of assigned topics or questions (25%)

3. Development throughout the course of the elements of the final portfolio project (20%)

4. Submission of the completed final portfolio (30%)

..Syllabus:

Syllabus: Jan. 27, 2026-May 11, 2026 (The items appearing in bold italics below relate to the final portfolio project)

Week 1 (Jan. 27-Feb. 2): Meeting theme: Creating the SEI online community. Introduction to final project. Introductions.

Week 2 (Feb. 3-Feb. 9): Meeting theme:The nature of inquiry. Writingresearch questions for the arguable research paper.

Week 3 (Feb. 10-16): Meeting theme:How do I know who I am? (Chapter 1). Determining the paper's research question and possible sources.

Week 4 (Feb. 17-23):Meeting theme: How do I know who I am? (Chapter 1). Beginning the annotated bibliography for the research paper.

Week 5 (Feb. 24-Mar. 2): Meeting theme: How do we know what we know? (Chapter 2) Updating theannotated bibliography and creating the writer's stance for the research paper.

Week 6 (Mar. 3-9): Meeting theme: How do we know what we know? (Chapter 2). Outlining, the writer's role and continuing the updated annotated bibliography (research paper).

Week 7 (Mar. 10-16): Meeting theme: Ethics: What principles govern our personal lives? (Chapter 3) Defining terms for the research paper.

Week 8 (Mar. 17-23): Meeting theme: Ethics: What principles govern our personal lives? (Chapter 3). (Free drafting of the research paper documents for submission Week 9)

Week 9 (Mar. 24-30): Values: What are human rights and responsibilities? (Chapter 4). First draft of the research paper (including annotated bibliography and writer's stance/outline) due

Week 10 (Mar. 31-Apr. 6): Meeting theme: Values: What are human rights and responsibilities. Beginning work on oralpresentation.

Week 11 (Apr. 7-13): Meeting theme: Values: What are human rights and responsibilities? (Chapter 4). Continuing work on the research paper, presentation and reflection essay.

Week 12 (Apr. 14-20):: Meeting theme: What can we learn from the past? (Chapter 5). Second draft of reflection essay due.

Week 13 (Apr. 21-27): Meeting theme: What can we learn from the past? (Chapter 5) Draft of reflection essay due.

Week 14 (Apr. 28-May 4): Meeting theme: What will the future be like? (Chapter 6) Free work on all portfolio documents.

Week 15 (May 5-11): Meeting theme: What will the future be like? (Chapter 6).Final completed portfolio due, including final research paper with works cited (annotated bibliography, writer's stance/outline), the reflection essay, and the oral presentation of research. (The oral presentation is not live but is a narrated PowerPoint or similar presentation on another approved platform.)

Note: This syllabus may be modified as the needs and pace of the class are determined.

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.

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

Apply Now for this semester.