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Fred Glennon, Ph.D.
(Courses) |
Comparative Religious Ethics and Social Concerns
ACTIVITY OPTIONS
PARTICIPATION (Worth 75-100 points of total course grade): One of the
assumptions I make is that students learn best in cooperation with others.
However, students do not always have the opportunity or the ability to do it.
One of my goals is to enable students to work collaboratively with others by
providing such opportunities. That is why the basic pedagogy in this class is
cooperative learning: students working in various groups to teach and learn
from one another. To pull this off, it is imperative that students be present
and participate actively in their groups. The
Participation Activity is one way of providing incentive to do so.
I also believe that students
ought to be rewarded for effort as well as ability. Students often complain
that, no matter how hard they work on an assignment, they can get no higher
than a C or a B. This leaves them disappointed and frustrated. Through your
participation in this class, you have the opportunity to make an A for 15-20%
of your grade. That is because the Participation Activity grade measures the
effort you put into the class.
The student's grade for this
activity will be determined by class attendance, preparation, group
participation, homework, and successful completion of assessment activities.
·
Attendance is
critical if cooperative learning is to take place. Each student should expect
to attend all classes. (But because students want to know how many classes they
can miss, students who miss more than 4 classes will receive a D (19 points)
for this portion of their grade, and can expect repercussions on the other
aspects of their participation grade. Students who miss more than 6 classes
can expect no higher than C (75 points) on their participation grade. Students who miss more than 8 classes
will receive an F for the course.) (Note
to athletes: your athletic
participation does not give you additional absences.)
·
The online reading
response portion of the participation grade will come from successful
completion of online reading responses during the semester. (See Canvas under
Assignments/Reading Responses for a description of what these entail.)
They should be completed by Wednesday of each week. Late reading responses
will not be accepted.
·
The final portion of
the participation grade will come from completion of assessment exercises. The
purpose of these exercises will be to assess student learning of course
materials. (See Canvas under
Assignments/Assessment Activities for guidelines for each.).
CASE ANALYSES (Worth 100
points of total course grade—50 points each): This activity calls upon each
student to complete 2 case analyses.
The description of the activity and the guidelines for completing them
are located on Canvas under Assignments/Case Analyses.
FINAL ETHICAL REFLECTION
PAPER (Worth 75-100 points of total course grade): This activity will
take place in lieu of a final exam and will be done in home groups. Further
information on the content of this activity, guidelines for writing this paper,
and the evaluation criteria will posted on Canvas at a later time.
LIBRARY RESEARCH PAPER (Worth up to 100 points of total course
grade). This activity is a
traditional research (term) paper. You
are to select a topic of interest to you which is also related to the course
topic, research it thoroughly, and generate a well-written and well-organized
research paper. There are no length requirements, as the length will vary
depending upon the nature and scope of the topic selected. But a paper in the
range of 7-10 pages is average. This is to be a good research effort (at least
5 bibliographic, scholarly sources). To aid you in this process, you may submit
an outline and/or a first draft for comment and review.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate
is the thesis or research question that holds the entire paper together?
How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the paper developed?
How well is the topic understood? Have all the relevant
questions/issues been addressed? Have counter-arguments (if
appropriate) been presented and dealt with? Are there insights and points
which go beyond the obvious?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a logical
progression and development of ideas? How clearly are the ideas
expressed? How effective is the transition between ideas? How
effective is the introduction and conclusion?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of
references used? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the
information used from those sources? How well does the information
support the thesis or research question being explored?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar
and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and
paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and
effectively used?
- Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How
complete and correct is the documentation?
ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade). This activity is to be a small, but
well-done, original research project. It
can either duplicate a research project already done by a previous scholar or
it may be completely original. It might include something like administering a
questionnaire, doing intensive interviews, conducting an experiment, writing up
a participant/observation research project, collecting and analyzing
self-generated data, or the like. For most original research projects, it should
begin with a review of the appropriate scholarly literature. After conducting
the research it should be written up as would be done for any research paper.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate
is the thesis or research question that holds the entire paper together?
How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the paper developed?
How well is the topic understood? Have all the relevant
questions/issues been addressed? Have counter-arguments (if appropriate)
been presented and dealt with? Are there insights and points which go
beyond the obvious?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a
logical progression and development of ideas? How clearly are the
ideas expressed? How effective is the transition between
ideas? How effective is the introduction and
conclusion?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of
references used? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the
information used from those sources? How well does the information
support the thesis or research question being explored?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar
and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and
paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and
effectively used?
- Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How
complete and correct is the documentation?
BOOK REVIEW ESSAY (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade). This activity is a formal paper
written critiquing several books on, generally, the same topic. Most book review essays review
anywhere from two to five
books (but this is not a
hard-and-fast rule). The book review essay attempts to integrate the books
while critiquing them around a common theme; the emphasis is on analysis, not
description. The books may be
selected from the references provided in the texts or chosen on your own.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate
is the thesis or theme that holds the critique together? How focused,
informative, and comprehensive is the paper developed? How well and
accurately are the books understood? Does the analysis come up
with points which are more than descriptive and which lead to further insights?
Do the points made in the critique go beyond the obvious?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a
logical progression and development of ideas? How clearly are the
ideas expressed? How effective is the transition between
ideas? How effective is the introduction and
conclusion?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there at least two
books used? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the information
used from those books? How well does the information support the
thesis or theme being explored?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar
and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and
paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and
effectively used?
- Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How
complete and correct is the documentation about the books used?
LECTURE (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade). Le Moyne College brings a variety of scholars
and others to campus each semester who often address ethical themes or
issues. Some already on the schedule include:
|
Speaker |
Topic |
Date, Time, Place |
|
Peggy McIntosh, Ph.D., Wellsley College |
Martin Luther King Convocation |
Thursday, Jan. 28, 4pm, Grewen Auditorium |
|
Heidi Rawen,
Ph.D. Hamilton College |
“Becoming at Home in the
Universe as Well as in Our Own Skin:
Insights from Spinoza and the New Brain Sciences |
Monday, Feb. 22, 5:30pm, Panasci Family Chapel |
|
Amira Quraishi, Rabbi Daniel Jezer Padraic O’Hare, Ed.D |
“Forgiveness in Relationships: Explorations in Faith” |
Wednesday, Apr., 6, 7pm, Panasci Family Chapel |
|
Ben Dunning, Ph.D., Fordham
University |
“Chrysostom’s
Serpent: Animality,
Gender, and Creation |
Monday, Apr. 11, 5:30pm, Panasci Family Chapel |
|
Thomas More, Ph.D. |
Author of Care of the
Soul/Religion of One’s Own |
Thursday, Apr. 14, 7:00pm, Panasci
Family Chapel |
This activity requires that you
attend a lecture and discussion and write an analysis of and reaction to the
ideas presented. If you complete this activity, you should attend the ENTIRE
event. Thus, you should arrive on time to attend the entire presentation and
question session. You should participate if possible. You will write an
analysis of the presentation and question session. Here again, the analysis
should be critical, not merely descriptive.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate
is the analytical framework that holds the entire together? How focused,
informative, and comprehensive is the paper developed? How well is
the lecture understood? How well does the paper make
connections between the various components of the lecture? Does the
critique of the lecture accurately interpret the presentation or are there
distortions which seriously weaken the critique? Do the points made
in the critique go beyond the obvious?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a
logical progression and development of ideas? How clearly are the
ideas expressed? How well does the analysis illustrate the ideas
drawn from the lecture? How effective is the transition between
ideas? How effective is the introduction and
conclusion?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar
and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and
paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and
effectively used?
Two lecture analyses must be done for
this activity to count for 100 points.
CLASS PRESENTATION/LEAD
DISCUSSION (Worth up to 50 points of total course
grade): This activity might
include a lecture on a selected topic, a lecture-discussion, or the leading of
a class discussion or activity of some sort. It would be up to you to decide
the topic, get approval from the professor, and, working in conjunction with
the professor, select the most appropriate time during the semester when it
would be presented.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate
is the topic that holds the presentation together? How focused,
informative, and comprehensive is the presentation made? How well is
the topic understood?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). How well
(smoothly and as planned) did the presentation go? Is there a
logical progression and development of ideas in the presentation?
How clearly are the ideas expressed? How effective is the transition
between ideas? How effective is the introduction and
conclusion?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of
sources used to make the presentation? How relevant, accurate, and
credible is the information used from those sources? How well does
the information support the topic being explored?
- Ability to interest and involve the audience (impact). How
effective were you in engaging the students in the presentation (i.e. how
many were involved and how intense were they)? How well did you
prepare students for the topic (i.e. provide readings ahead of
time)? How effective were you in enabling students to gain insight
into the topic?
ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL JUSTICE
ORGANIZATION (Worth up to 100 points of total course
grade). This activity requires
that the student select a religious organization that works for social justice
(e.g. food banks, Catholic Social Services, environmental groups, jail
ministry/advocacy group, etc.). Talk with folks in the Campus Ministry office
for possibilities. Arrange a visit to the organization to find out the mission
and purpose of the organization, the population it serves or issues it
addresses, and how they go about their work. In particular, focus on the values
or beliefs that motivate their work. Then make a report on the organization
which is not merely descriptive but analytical in that the report shows the
connectedness between mission, beliefs/values, and organization. Moreover, you
should include a critique of the organization from your perspective. This
report can be written, but may use other media as well (such as photographs,
videotape, etc.)
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate
is the analytical framework that holds the entire paper together? How
focused, informative, and comprehensive is the paper developed? Is
the organization understood well or are there major distortions which
seriously weaken the report? How well does the report make
connections between the beliefs/values the organization professes and the
work they do? Does the
report make points about the organization that go beyond the obvious?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a
logical progression and development of ideas? How clearly are the
ideas expressed? How well does the report show the mission and work
of the organization in question? How effective is the transition
between ideas? How effective is the introduction and
conclusion?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of
materials from the organization used? How relevant, accurate, and
credible is the information used from those sources? How well does
the information support the analysis being developed?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar
and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and
paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and
effectively used?
- Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How
complete and correct is the documentation about the organization?
SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTION (Worth up to 100 points of total course
grade). This activity calls for
analyzing a social justice problem and taking appropriate action to try to
address it. During the
course, we will look at a variety of social issues that result in injustice for
some group or groups. You may become aware of such a problem locally (on campus
or in Syracuse area) or globally (national or international). The focus of this
activity is on what your awareness of the problem is and the actions you take
to address it. (For example, a previous student focused on the problem of
affordable housing. Her action was to work with Habitat for Humanity during her
Spring Break.) The final grade would be based upon a formal written report
which explains what was done and why it was done. This is not merely action,
but it is informed action, so it has a research component, a strategic
component, and an action component. Your final report should detail what you
did, what you found, why you did what you did (religious/ethical reasoning),
what the impact of your action was, what you learned from the experience, etc.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information, comprehension, and analysis). How clear
and appropriate is the social justice action? How focused,
informative, and comprehensive is the project developed? How well is
the social justice issue understood? How strong is the analysis of
the social justice issue? How strong is the logical relationship
between the research, moral reasoning, and the action?
- Organization (clarity, transition, flow). How
well-thought-out and executed was the project? How clearly are the
issue, research, and action expressed? How effective is the
transition between the research, strategic, and action components of the
project? How effective is the introduction and
conclusion?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a
variety of sources used to research the issue, including resources on
ethical reasoning? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the
information used from those sources? How well does the information
support the social justice action being taken?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar
and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and
paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and
effectively used?
- Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How
complete and correct is the documentation?
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade): This activity involves analyzing an
environmental problem and taking appropriate action to try to improve it. The
final grade would be based upon a formal written report which explains what was
done and why it was done. This is not merely action, but it is informed action,
so it has a research component, a strategic component, and an action component.
Your final report should detail what you did, what you found, why you did what
you did (religious/ethical reasoning), what the impact of your action was, what
you learned from the experience, etc.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information, comprehension, and analysis). How clear
and appropriate is the environmental action? How focused,
informative, and comprehensive is the project developed? How well is
the environmental issue understood? How strong is the analysis of
the issue? How strong is the logical relationship between the research,
moral reasoning, and the action?
- Organization (clarity, transition, flow). How
well-thought-out and executed was the project? How clearly are the
issue, research, and action expressed? How effective is the
transition between the research, strategic, and action components of the
project? How effective is the introduction and
conclusion?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a
variety of sources used to research the issue, including resources on
ethical reasoning? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the
information used from those sources? How well does the information
support the social justice action being taken?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar
and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and
paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and
effectively used?
- Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How
complete and correct is the documentation?
PEW FORUM ON RELIGION AND PUBLIC LIFE
ANALYSIS (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade): The Pew Forum on Religion and Public
Life has sections on Religious Views of various social issues we will
explore. This activity
requires that students choose one of those issues and explore it in-depth on
the website (in other words, look at the whole issue on the site, not just one
page. For example, there is
a great resource on Religion and gay marriage that would be a good one to
explore.). You would then
write an analysis of the information found there (4-5 pages). The student will include an accurate
URL(s) in her/his analysis.
Evaluation
Criteria:
- Content (information, comprehension, and analysis). How well
does the entire paper hang together? Is there an appropriate introduction?
Conclusion? Is there a critical thesis or theme which holds the entire
analysis together? Are there subpoints which are
logically connected to the critical thesis? Organization.
- Insightfulness. This refers to the depth and quality of the
analysis. Does the analysis come up with points which are more than
descriptive and which lead to further insights? Do the points made in the
analysis go beyond the obvious?
- Accuracy of interpretation. Does the analysis accurately
interpret the sources or are there distortions which seriously weaken the
analysis?
- Thoroughness. Are all the relevant sources at the web site
reviewed? Have all the relevant questions/issues been addressed? Have
counter-arguments (if appropriate) been presented and dealt with?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary).
Are the grammar and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper
sentence and paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary
accurately and effectively used?
- Documentation (appropriate sources and
formatting). How complete and correct is the documentation about the
web site (s)?
WEB SITE EXPLORATION AND
ANALYSIS (Worth up to 50 points of total course
grade): This activity requires that
students choose one or more web sites that address the themes discussed in
class (sexuality, justice, economics, sexism, healthcare, the environment,
etc.). You must explore
the entire site or sites, not simply one page on the site. The student will review the materials
on that subject present at the web site and write an analysis (the mission and
purpose of the site, the link structure, the materials, etc.) and evaluation
(the appearance and ease of use of the site, effectiveness in achieving the
site's mission and purpose, quality of the information found there, etc.) of
the site (4-5 pages). The student does not need to supply written copies of the
materials reviewed for her/his analysis, but should make sure the addresses of
the sites are clearly indicated. (Note: note all web sites are of the same
quality. It is important that you search out the best ones for this activity,
those that are affiliated with a particular institution whether it be academic, research, or advocacy group. Stay away from
personal web sites if possible. For suggestions on possible web sites, see the
professor. Good search engines to use in this activity include Google (http://www.google.com) and Yahoo! Search (http://search.yahoo.com).
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How
clear and appropriate is the thesis or theme that holds the website
analysis together? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the
paper developed? How well is the topic understood? Have
all the relevant questions/issues been addressed? Have counter-arguments
(if appropriate) been presented and dealt with? Does the analysis
come up with points which are more than descriptive and which lead to
further insights? Do the points made in the analysis go beyond the
obvious?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and
flow). Is there a logical progression and development of ideas?
How clearly are the ideas expressed? How effective is the transition
between ideas? How effective is the introduction and conclusion?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are
there a variety of web sites or pages on a single web site used? How
relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those
sources? How well does the information support the thesis or theme
being explored?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling,
vocabulary). Are the grammar and spelling correct? Are there a
variety of proper sentence and paragraph structures employed? Is the
vocabulary accurately and effectively used?
- Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting).
How complete and correct is the documentation about the web site (s)?
Two website analyses must be done for
this activity to count for 100 points.
MID-TERM EXAMINATION (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade): This activity will consist of an exam
taken on Canvas that will cover the material in the first half of the semester
(even if you make it due near the end of the semester). The material from
which the questions (objective and essay) will be taken consists of assigned
readings and class presentations/discussions. The exam will be timed. .
Evaluation Criteria for essay
questions):
- Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate
is the answer in addressing the question asked? How focused, informative,
and comprehensive is the essay developed? How well is the subject
matter understood? Does the essay make points which go beyond
the obvious?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a
logical progression and development of ideas in the answer? How
clearly are the ideas expressed? How effective is the transition
between ideas? How effective is the introduction and
conclusion?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of
references used? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the
information used from those sources? How well does the information
support the question being answered?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar
and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and
paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and
effectively used?
FILM OR PLAY REVIEW(S) (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade). This activity
recognizes that there are many films and plays about social issues which have
moral and ethical implications (e.g. Avatar, Crash, The Life of David Gayle,
Philadelphia, The Island, The Accused, The Big Short, etc.). Unless otherwise specified the review
(s) would take written form. The emphasis would be critical more than
descriptive.
A good film review is not
simply a discussion of the film with a personal opinion attached to the end. It
is not picking up an important theme in the film and then spending most of your
time discussing your view on the subject either. Rather, a good film review
generally begins with an interpretation of what you think the central theme (or
themes) of the film is. (To get at this you might ask yourself, "What does
the filmmaker want the viewer (me) to take from this film?") What is the
filmmaker saying about this theme (themes)? You should be able to state this
clearly in one or perhaps two paragraphs. The bulk of the remainder of the
review should then discuss/describe key scenes from the film that illustrate
why your interpretation of the filmmaker’s intent or theme makes sense.
You don’t have to discuss every scene in the film, but you should be sure
to discuss most of the relevant scenes to support your view. You may then
discuss a bit whether or not you think the filmmaker was successful in her/his
efforts. You should then conclude the review with a good summary of your
argument/discussion.
Two film reviews must be
done for this activity to count for 100 points.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate
is the paper in identifying and analyzing the main theme (s) of the
film? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the analysis
developed? How well is the film and subject matter
understood? How appropriate is the film for this
course? Do the points
made in the critique go beyond the obvious?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a
logical progression and development of ideas in the paper? How
clearly are the ideas expressed? How effective is the transition
between ideas? How effective is the introduction and
conclusion?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of
scenes referenced in the review? How relevant, accurate, and
credible is the information used from those scenes? How well does
the information from the scenes support the analysis being
developed?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar
and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and
paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and
effectively used?
- Documentation. How complete and correct is the documentation
about the film?
INTEGRATIVE ESSAY OVER
REQUIRED TEXTS (Worth up to 100 points of total course
grade): This activity, which
would be due toward the conclusion of the semester, calls for you to link each of the texts used in
the course around some integrative/ analytical theme or thesis of your own
devising. Since most of the required readings are essays, you would pick out
key essays that fit your thesis. The emphasis is on analysis rather than mere
description.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate
is the thesis or theme that holds the paper together? How focused,
informative, and comprehensive is the paper developed? How well are
the texts understood? Does the analysis come up with
points which are more than description and lead us to further insights not
already made in the books? Do the points made in the essay go beyond the
obvious?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a
logical progression and development of ideas? How clearly are the
ideas expressed? How effective is the transition between
ideas? How effective is the introduction and
conclusion? Are the points made supported by examples,
good reasoning, etc., or are they merely asserted?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are key parts of the
course texts used? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the
information used from those texts? How well does the information
support the thesis or theme being explored? Does the critique
accurately interpret the authors or are there major distortions which
seriously weaken the essay?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar
and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and
paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and
effectively used?
- Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How
complete and correct is the documentation?
COURSE SYLLABUS (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade): In this activity, using the same materials used in this course
(or other materials if you desire) you are to develop a course syllabus of your
own (don’t merely repeat the syllabus I provided). The syllabus should be
accompanied by an EXTENSIVE and DETAILED justification statement which explains
why you made the decisions you made---as such, it should include a brief
statement of educational philosophy, explanations at points throughout the
syllabus about how the philosophy has been operationalized,
why you selected the books you did, why you selected the evaluation format you
did, why you chose the attendance policy you did, etc.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate
is the syllabus in covering all aspects that should be covered in a course
syllabus? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the justification
statement in providing rationale for developing the syllabus in this
way? Does the justification
statement indicate that considerable thought has been given to the project
and do you come up with responses which reflect such thought? How well does the syllabus
illustrate the educational philosophy?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). Is there a
logical progression and development of ideas? How clearly are the
ideas expressed? How effective is the transition between
ideas? Are there inconsistencies in what is done in one place in the
syllabus with what is done in another? How effective is the
introduction and conclusion?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are key elements of the
course syllabus or other sources used in the development of the
syllabus? How relevant, accurate, and credible is the information
used from those sources? How well do the sources support the
development of the syllabus in this form?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar
and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and
paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and
effectively used?
- Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How
complete and correct is the documentation?
THOUGHT PAPERS (Worth up to 75 points of total course grade). This activity consists of short (3-5
pages) typed papers which are your reactions to things which have been
happening in class or reactions to ideas you have come across elsewhere (e.g.
in a book, in discussions with friends, etc.). The thoughts should be ORIGINAL and UNIQUE, they should not merely restate what
others have said. These may or may not be distributed to the entire class
depending upon whether you want them to be or not. They should be tightly
focused and should concern themselves with only a single topic; as such, they
should be logical and well-written. A
minimum of three (3) must be submitted and
due dates for each should be given.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How
clear and appropriate is the thesis or issue that holds the entire paper
together? How focused, informative, and comprehensive is the paper
developed? How well is the topic understood?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and
flow). Is there a logical progression and development of ideas?
How clearly are the ideas expressed? How effective is the transition
between ideas? How effective is the introduction and conclusion?
- Evidence and Insightfulness (credibility of
argument). How effective is the use of evidence to support the points made
in the paper? How well does the paper make points that go beyond the
obvious rather than simply restate some other perspective?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling,
vocabulary). Are the grammar and spelling correct? Are there a
variety of proper sentence and paragraph structures employed? Is the
vocabulary accurately and effectively used?
JOURNAL (Worth up to 75 points of total course grade): This activity consists of developing a
journal that includes at least
three entries per week and should be entries which have been generated by ideas
which you have come across in class, readings, the interactions of those in
class, etc., and they should reflect broadly on the religious and/or moral
dimensions of human experience. (In other words, don't write about your date on
Friday Night unless you can discuss the religious or moral aspects of it.) The
journal entries may take several different forms---they could be highly
analytical, they could be emotive, they could focus on one problem or issue
throughout the entire semester, etc. Whatever form it takes it must be
specified prior to beginning its writing. The journal will be due twice during
the semester; once around mid-term and once at the conclusion of the semester
(unless otherwise specified). The mid-term evaluation will be returned with
comments (no grade). A grade will be assigned at the conclusion of the
semester.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (insight and reflection). How clear and appropriate are the
entries in the journal? How focused, informative, or reflective are
they? How well do the entries reflect the emotions, ideas,
reflections of the writer?
- Organization (consistency and clarity). Are there an
appropriate number of entries for this activity? Does the journal
reflect a consistent effort or does it appear more thrown together at the
last minute? How clearly are the ideas expressed? How
effective is the organization of the journal?
- Presentation (grammar, writing style). Are the journal
entries legible with minimal errors that detract from the content?
GROUP PROJECT (Worth up to 100 points of total course
grade). This activity includes
two or more people in a common activity. Unless otherwise specified all
participants receive the same grade for the activity. The activity can be
reported orally or in written form (the group decides).
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How
clear and appropriate is the project for the course? How focused,
informative, and comprehensive is the report made? How well is the
project understood and executed? How insightful are are the observations and conclusions of the
project?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and
flow). How well (smoothly and as planned) did the project go?
Is there a logical progression and development of ideas in the
project? How clearly are the ideas expressed? How effective is
the transition between ideas? How effective is the introduction and
conclusion?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are
there a variety of sources used to develop the project? How
relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those
sources? How well does the information support the project being
explored?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling,
vocabulary). Are the grammar and spelling correct? Are there a
variety of proper sentence and paragraph structures employed? Is the
vocabulary accurately and effectively used?
- Documentation (appropriate sources and
formatting). How complete and correct is the documentation?
ARTWORK
(Worth up to 75 points of total course grade): The purpose of this activity is
to allow those with artistic ability
to demonstrate their learning through this creative medium (in other words,
this is not the activity where you can try out artwork that you have never done
before—I take the quality of the piece very seriously). This might include works such as poems,
paintings, cartoons, photographs, videotapes, sculptures, performances, and the
like which you actually create. (See chart below to see how much each
project can count toward final grade.)
The object is to convey some ideas, thoughts, or feelings through the
use of symbols which enables you to demonstrate that you have met one of
content course learning objectives 2-6 (see syllabus for these objectives) or a
content learning objective you developed and the professor approves. (In
other words, although the artwork activity may enable you to develop your
artistic abilities or to express your understanding of the relationship between
religion and ethics through a creative medium, it must also demonstrate your
learning in one of the content areas of the course.). These may be shared with
the class or they may be shared only with the professor. In addition to the
piece of artwork itself, you should attach a brief (2-4) page written statement
which explains the purpose of the artwork, the learning objective you sought to
meet, and how you have attempted to accomplish it.
Poems, collages, photographs: up to 50 points
Paintings, sculptures, video creations, performances: up to 75 points
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information
and comprehension): Does the artwork and the written statement that
accompanies it demonstrate that you have learned the content of the
learning objective you are seeking to fulfill? How well does the
artwork illustrate the content
- Presentation.
This refers to the quality of the artwork. Has the artwork been
carefully developed and constructed or simply thrown together? Does
the piece reflect what most people would consider artwork?
- Ability to provoke
thought; to take a unique perspective.
FILM PRESENTATION/DISCUSSION
LEADERSHIP (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade): This activity requires that you select a film, arrange to have it
shown at an appropriate time during the semester, and lead a discussion of the
film following its viewing. This may be an academic or relevant popular film.
This activity may be done either in class or outside of class. (In the latter
case, arrangements must be made to have the discussion videotaped.)
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How
appropriate is the film for the course? How clear is
the topic and the purpose that holds the presentation together? How
focused, informative, and comprehensive is the presentation made?
How well is the film and topic understood?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and
flow). How well (smoothly and as planned) did the presentation
go? Is there a logical progression and development of ideas in the
presentation? How clearly are the ideas expressed? How
effective is the transition between ideas? How effective is the introduction
and conclusion?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are
there a variety of sources used to make the presentation? How
relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those
sources? How well does the information support the theme in the film
being explored?
- Ability to interest and involve the audience
(impact). How effective were you in engaging the students in the
presentation (i.e. how many were involved and how intense were
they)? How well did you prepare students for the film (i.e. provide
readings ahead of time)? How effective were you in enabling students
to gain insight into the film?
Caveat: This
activity should be completed no later than two weeks prior to the end of the
semester.
GUEST SPEAKER (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade): This activity allows you to arrange to
bring to class a guest speaker on a particular topic. You would be responsible
for setting up the time and place of the presentation, hosting the speaker,
making sure an honorarium is paid (if appropriate), figuring out at what point
the speaker would best fit into the structure of the course, introducing the
speaker to the class, and, in general, be in charge of working out all the
details associated with bringing a speaker into class. You will also be responsible
for writing a 3-5 page analysis/reflection on what the guest speaker says and
student response.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How appropriate is the
speaker for the course? How clear are the topic and the purpose that
holds the speaker's presentation together? How focused, informative, and
comprehensive is the presentation made? How well is the topic
understood?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). How well
(smoothly and as planned) did the presentation go? How well did you
work out all the details necessary in advance of the speaker actually
appearing in class? How well did you take charge of the
project? In the analysis/reflection, is there a logical progression
and development of ideas in the presentation? How clearly are the
ideas expressed? How effective is the transition between
ideas? How effective is the introduction and
conclusion?
- Ability to interest and involve the audience (impact). How effective
was the speaker and you in engaging the students in the presentation (i.e.
how many were involved and how intense were they)? How well did you
prepare students for the speaker (i.e. provide readings ahead of
time)? How effective were you in enabling students to gain insight
into the topic?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary of the paper).
Are the grammar and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper
sentence and paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary
accurately and effectively used?
Note: Bringing a speaker to
class does not merely involve asking someone to come to class. To be most
effective there needs to be considerable thought and planning about how to use
the expertise of the speaker most effectively---how to integrate him/her into
the course content and format, etc.
Caveat: This activity MUST be
completed no later than two (2) weeks before the end of the semester.
FIELD TRIP (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade) This activity
may include either a trip you take by yourself or with others during the
semester to some place of significance for the course (Women's Rights museum in
Seneca Falls, 9/11 Museum, Holocaust Museum, etc..) or you might arrange to
take the entire class (or all those willing and able to go). Note: Upon
completion of the trip a report (either written or oral) must be made in which
you describe what you did to prepare for the trip, what you did on the trip,
what was learned, etc.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How clear and appropriate
is the field trip for the course? How focused, informative, and
comprehensive is the report made? How well is the field trip
understood and executed? How insightful are are
the observations and conclusions of the report?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and flow). How well
(smoothly and as planned) did the field trip go? Is there a logical
progression and development of ideas in the report? How clearly are
the ideas expressed? How effective is the transition between ideas?
How effective is the introduction and conclusion?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are there a variety of
sources drawn from the site visited to make the report? How
relevant, accurate, and credible is the information used from those sources?
How well does the information support the report being made?
- Presentation (grammar, spelling, vocabulary). Are the grammar
and spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and
paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and
effectively used?
- Documentation (appropriate sources and formatting). How
complete and correct is the documentation?
GAME (Worth up 50 points of total course grade). This activity asks you to create a
game relevant to this course. In addition to the game itself (which
includes directions, appropriate equipment, etc.) there should be an
accompanying written statement which details the purpose of the game and
explains PRECISELY how the purpose is achieved by the game. The statement
should be detailed, thorough, and precise.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Content (information and comprehension). How
clear and appropriate is the game for the course? How focused,
informative, and comprehensive is the game? How insightful is the
game in provoking interest and learning for the players?
- Organization (clarity, transition, and
flow). How well is the game developed? Is there a logical
progression between the objective of the game and directions for
playing? How clearly are the directions expressed? How
well does the game accomplish its stated objectives?
- Sources (variety/credibility of resources). Are
there a variety of sources used to develop the game? How relevant,
accurate, and credible is the information used from those sources?
How well does the information support the purpose and playing of the
game?
- Presentation (look and structure). Does the
game merely "imitate" standard games or does it modify them or
develop some new concepts? How appealing is the look of the
game? How well are the game pieces, board, cards, etc.,
developed? With regard to the written statement, are the grammar and
spelling correct? Are there a variety of proper sentence and
paragraph structures employed? Is the vocabulary accurately and
effectively used?
TEACHING/CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT (Worth up to 50 points of total course grade) This activity involves one or two students in assessing the
effectiveness of the teaching and learning processes used in the course.
Students will meet bi-weekly with the professor to discuss what occurred in the
previous week’s classes and what will happen in the weeks ahead. I will
provide students with copies of my objectives and selected activities for each
class ahead of time so that they can write comments as the class proceeds. In
particular, students are to note if the objective for each class was achieved
or not and what helped or hindered its achievement. At our meetings, we will
discuss your comments and make suggestions for how the class might be improved
upon and what I need to do in classes ahead to insure that the material is
learned better. In addition, students should pay attention to the
processes that are going on in class that help or hinder the effectiveness of
the class.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Effort. How much time and effort did you
put into this activity? How faithful were you in attendance at
meetings? How well did you understand the overall direction of the
class? How prepared were you for our discussions? How detailed
were your procedural notes and record-keeping?
- Initiative and leadership. How effective
were you in taking initiative in bringing issues that arose in class to
the attention of the professor?
- Insightfulness and creativity. How
insightful were your understandings of what worked and did not work in the
class? How helpful were your suggestions for improvement?
OTHER (Worth up to 100 points of total course grade). The list of
activities I have provided are meant to be suggestive, but not exhaustive. If
you can develop new and unique activities, I encourage you to do so. However,
you must discuss these with me and you must assist in the development of
appropriate evaluation criteria and restrictions for those activities