Description of assessment items:
(Surprise) Quizzes: Quizzes contain multiple-choice and short-answer questions. There is no established schedule for the quizzes, they could happen any day. There will be no make-up options (see “late submissions policy”). If you miss a class or arrive to class by the time the quiz is over, you do not earn any points. There are four quizzes during the semester.
Writing assignments: These are written exercises that you submit through SacCT on their due date. Pay attention to the schedule and make sure you do not miss the deadlines. There will be no make-ups (see the late submission policy below). There are 4 written assignments, worth 5 points max. each (see the “resources” section for rubrics).
Analysis paper + outline: You need to analyze one reading from a subset of the assigned readings for the course (check “Analysis paper”, for a list of selected readings and general instructions on how to do this assignment). The Philosophy Department has very useful instructions on how to write this type of essay. Please follow those instructions. You can find them here: http://www.csus.edu/phil/guidance/how-to-analyze.html
This assignment has two parts: first you need to submit an outline, worth 3 points (check “resources” for an outline template and follow the instructions). Second, you need to submit a paper, worth 15 points. The outline serves you to plan your paper and, with my feedback, to do better in your paper.
Group presentation: The class will be divided in groups of three, and each group will prepare a presentation. Groups will present at the end of the semester. See “resources” for instructions and rubric. Everyone needs to be part of a group, no solo-presentations are allowed, as this is an assignment intended to foster team work.
Participation: You do not learn and come to understand complex arguments simply by passively soaking up what happens around you in the classroom. In order to learn, you need to take an active role in processing the course material.
If you think you can do well in this course by working alone at home, without participating in class, please consider the following: Respectful and constructive discussion is a critical part to learning and becoming a good thinker. The pathway to good ideas and well-formed arguments is usually not a lonely one, but one filled with contributions and insights from others, sometimes in the form of challenges and questions, sometimes in the form of suggestions or comments. It is important to keep in mind that in this course, and in many others, you can learn not only from the texts and from me, but also from your classmates. Class discussions are a good opportunity to learn from classmates and to practice your own argumentative skills. It is also a way to initiate collaborative projects.
Participation will be evaluated on two parameters: relevance and quality.
There is a maximum of 0.5 of a point per class, and a total of 10 points you can earn for participation. If you don’t feel like speaking in class you can write your questions/comments and hand them to me at the end of class. Written participation contributions that were not handed to me at the end of each class will not be considered. By the way, if you feel uncomfortable speaking in class, come talk to me about it. I might help you with that. Check “how to get a good participation grade” for more details.
Participation also includes attendance and preparedness. If you miss several classes, you won’t earn any points for participation. If you come to class without having read the assigned material and/or do not participate in group activities, you’ll miss participation points.
(Surprise) Quizzes: Quizzes contain multiple-choice and short-answer questions. There is no established schedule for the quizzes, they could happen any day. There will be no make-up options (see “late submissions policy”). If you miss a class or arrive to class by the time the quiz is over, you do not earn any points. There are four quizzes during the semester.
Writing assignments: These are written exercises that you submit through SacCT on their due date. Pay attention to the schedule and make sure you do not miss the deadlines. There will be no make-ups (see the late submission policy below). There are 4 written assignments, worth 5 points max. each (see the “resources” section for rubrics).
Analysis paper + outline: You need to analyze one reading from a subset of the assigned readings for the course (check “Analysis paper”, for a list of selected readings and general instructions on how to do this assignment). The Philosophy Department has very useful instructions on how to write this type of essay. Please follow those instructions. You can find them here: http://www.csus.edu/phil/guidance/how-to-analyze.html
This assignment has two parts: first you need to submit an outline, worth 3 points (check “resources” for an outline template and follow the instructions). Second, you need to submit a paper, worth 15 points. The outline serves you to plan your paper and, with my feedback, to do better in your paper.
Group presentation: The class will be divided in groups of three, and each group will prepare a presentation. Groups will present at the end of the semester. See “resources” for instructions and rubric. Everyone needs to be part of a group, no solo-presentations are allowed, as this is an assignment intended to foster team work.
Participation: You do not learn and come to understand complex arguments simply by passively soaking up what happens around you in the classroom. In order to learn, you need to take an active role in processing the course material.
If you think you can do well in this course by working alone at home, without participating in class, please consider the following: Respectful and constructive discussion is a critical part to learning and becoming a good thinker. The pathway to good ideas and well-formed arguments is usually not a lonely one, but one filled with contributions and insights from others, sometimes in the form of challenges and questions, sometimes in the form of suggestions or comments. It is important to keep in mind that in this course, and in many others, you can learn not only from the texts and from me, but also from your classmates. Class discussions are a good opportunity to learn from classmates and to practice your own argumentative skills. It is also a way to initiate collaborative projects.
Participation will be evaluated on two parameters: relevance and quality.
There is a maximum of 0.5 of a point per class, and a total of 10 points you can earn for participation. If you don’t feel like speaking in class you can write your questions/comments and hand them to me at the end of class. Written participation contributions that were not handed to me at the end of each class will not be considered. By the way, if you feel uncomfortable speaking in class, come talk to me about it. I might help you with that. Check “how to get a good participation grade” for more details.
Participation also includes attendance and preparedness. If you miss several classes, you won’t earn any points for participation. If you come to class without having read the assigned material and/or do not participate in group activities, you’ll miss participation points.