St. Petersburg College (ECampus)
SYG 2000 Introductory Sociology (Online)
Dr. L. McDonnell
Spring 2016
Office: PW702F Seminole Campus
Office Hours: Office: PW702F Seminole Campus
Office Hours: Sunday 8-10 Virtual, Monday 3:30-4:30 and 8-10 Virtual, Tuesday 10-11 and 12:15-3:30, Wednesday 1-3 and 9-10 Virtual, Thursday 10-11 and 12:15-2.
*Email or call for an appointment as I may be in a meeting
Phone: 727-394-6039
Fax: 727-444-6505
E-mail:
Website: HYPERLINK "
***An e-mail is always the quickest way to reach me. E-mails during the week will be returned within 24 hrs.***
Academic Department: Social Sciences
Seminole Chair: Dr. Doug Rivera
Phone: 727-394-6965
Dean: Dr. Joseph Smiley
Phone: 727-712-5851
Course Description
This course is an introduction to the scientific study of society involving the social lives of people, groups, and societies. Through the study of our behavior as social beings, covering everything from the analysis of short contacts between anonymous individuals on the street to the study of global social processes, the sociological application of quantitative literacy, experience of civic engagement, and diversity awareness are integrated into the study of this course. This course partially satisfies the writing requirement outlined in the general education requirements with emphasis placed on the communication of critical thinking.
Learning Outcomes and Objectives
- Students will recall the historical roots in the science of sociology by identifying major theorists and theories from the 1800’s to the present, including conflict, structural functional, and symbolic interaction theory.
- Students will examine research approaches used in sociology by:
a.explaining the case study, qualitative (narrative), naturalistic observation, survey, correlational, and experimental methods.
b.differentiating the purpose, strengths, and weaknesses of case study, qualitative (narrative), naturalistic observation, survey, correlational, and experimental methods used in sociological research.
c.identifying ethical considerations in research.
3. Students will analyze the main pillars in sociology consisting of conflict, structural functional, and symbolic interactional approaches by
a.examining each of the following topics using one or more of the main pillars;identifying social stratification, social inequality as applied to ethnicity and gender, social control, marriage and family, media, religion, education, deviance, economic and political systems, social construction of gender identities, social interaction, and group dynamics.
b. examining social dynamics influencing social change through the following topics; examining population growth and demographic trends, effects of urbanization, and social movements.
4. Students will identify cultural, ethnic, and social diversity as applied to human groups, behavior, thought, and emotion by:
a.recognizing commonalities and variations in human functioning.
b.describing the impact of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic status.
5. Students will demonstrate research, written communication, use of APA style, and critical thinking skills by:
a. utilizing credible sources, such as peer-reviewed academic journals, primary sources, or sources from academic databases.
b. applying thoroughness of thought to the academic writing process, including substantiating assertions and integrating higher-order thinking.
c. applying experience through service learning, team collaboration, civic engagement and/or independent writing.
Required Text:
Do NOT buy the textbook. The FREE code will be posted in the online classroom for this semester only! If you choose to have a printed copy, the charge is $15.00 from the publisher.
SYG 2000: CONNECT FOR SCHAEFER SOCIOLOGY IN MODULES 3/E
Schaefer
9780077770198
Course Policies:
GENERAL
Our semester begins on 1/11/16. Our course is all online. You will be able to access your on-line assignments 7 days per week. There are 4 Modules that will be completed throughout the term. Each Module will have its own deadline. We will use the McGraw-Hill digital textbook and their online program called Connect. Discussions and Essays will be located in MyCourses, however, other assignments and quizzes will be located in Connect. You can click on the Connect site in MyCourses and log in. This is NOT a correspondence class hence you will NOT be able to work ahead through the 4 modules. There is NO midterm or final exam in this class. All quizzes are taken online and can only be taken ONE time.
How do these modules work? Module 1 will contain weeks 1-4 work. You will need to complete the work in the Module by the deadline. You will have a Discussion with several questions for the entire module that is due at the end of the Module. It will contain all questions for all chapters assigned in the Module. A peer post will also be due at the end of the module. You MUST post all discussion answers in ONE POSTING. Do NOT post in multiple posts or I will count off! In order to be counted as present for the week, you MUST complete the Quiz for the week. Completing other work will not count you as present for the week. Attendance is taken by completing a quiz. All other work in the module will be due the last Sunday before the Module closes. Again, Module 1, 2 , 3 will be open for 4 weeks each. Module 4 only has 3 weeks. More detailed information on this is posted in the threads.
There is an Announcement page inside our on-line classroom. Please check it frequently for changes, etc.
ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES
When are assignments due?MyCourses runs on Eastern Standard Time. Our weeks run from Monday to Sunday, 11:55 pm, EST. For example, during each week, you will have on-line Quiz/quizzes due by Sunday, 11: 55 pm EST of the week assigned. All other assignments are due the last Sunday before the Module closes. If you turn in a late assignment (with a documented valid excuse), you will not be able to earn higher than a 70% on it. No late participation peer postings are accepted.
Where are assignments posted? Assignments must be posted in the correct area. All Discussions and peer posts MUST be posted in the correct Discussion Thread. Other assignments MUST be posted to the Dropbox provided. No assignments will be accepted via email. If you email me your work, you will earn a ZERO.
Late Policy:
Late work will earn no higher than a 70% (Late quizzes not taken during the module due will lose 10 percentage points). Once a module closes, you can make up that Module’s Discussion by posting it to the LATE FOLDER. No peer postings can be made up if not posted in the Module due. You must label your work in the late folder or it will not be graded. Late work is graded at the end of the term (except quizzes and Learn Smart which are auto graded)
What is late? 11:56 pm, EST is late. Be sure you do not wait until the last minute and try to argue that your clock said you had time but MyCourses was ahead of your clock. This tells me you waited until the last minute to post and I will not be sympathetic. Do NOT wait until the last minute to post your assignments.
As an online student, you have the responsibility to make sure you have access to a computer with online services at all times during the semester. As your online instructor, I bear the same responsibility. If my computer breaks, or I lose internet, I must remedy the situation immediately as not to interrupt your online class. If your computer breaks, or you lose internet, I expect the SAME FROM YOU. There is free computer and internet usage at the local library, and at St. Petersburg College. I will NOT give extra time to anyone if your computer breaks or your online service is interrupted. This is NOT a valid excuse for an online class. Students who sign up for internet classes must have computer and internet access.
Be sure to back up all on-line work in the event that it gets lost in cyber space. Always double check to make sure your work posts. This is your responsibility. In the event that there is a grade discrepancy, YOU bear the burden of proof. Also, do NOT wait until the last minute to submit your work and then expect extra time if you have computer trouble or MyCourses is slow since many students are on late Sunday night trying to turn your work in. This is NOT a valid excuse.
COMMUNICATION
All students are required to use their SPC e-mail. I will NOT answer any e-mails that are not from SPC addresses. (No yahoo, hotmail, etc.). All e-mails must contain your first and last name, which class you are in, what section the course is, the title of the assignment and week it is due. I teach several on-line courses so you must ALWAYS tell me which class and section you are in. E-mails that are not correctly labeled will be sent back unanswered. It is MANDATORY that you use our class email located under the COMMUNICATE TAB in MyCourses.
Instructor Response: I will respond to your e-mails within 24 hours Monday-Friday. If you e-mail me over the weekend or on Friday after I check my email, I may not get back to you until Monday.
GRADING:
All grades will be posted to the online grade book by SUNDAY of the following week after the ENTIRE Module is completed unless otherwise specified. Learn Smart and quizzes are auto graded. You will be able to see your grades for these after you finish in Connect. I will merge the gradebooks so it will transfer to MyCourses every week. If you turn in an assignment and did not understand it, you will not be given a 2nd chance. It is your responsibility to ask before you submit your assignment, if you do not understand. Everyone gets ONE chance to turn in an assignment and ONE chance to take a quiz.
You are expected to examine your grades every week after they have been entered. If there is an error, you need to notify me within a day or two to get it corrected. For instance, Discussions are worth 3 points. Sometimes you may earn a 2.5/3. Because I grade so many Discussions per week, your grade may have been mistakenly entered as a 25 instead of 2.5. If this is the case, you are expected to report this. At the end of the term, I review all grades and catch these errors. If you don't report this error, your average will seem much higher than it should be all term until it iscorrected. If at the end of the term, you find out you are really failing the class due to this typo, the responsibility will fall on you for not letting me know this when the grades were posted since you have a duty to check your own grades. This syllabus will serve as notification to you.
MyCourses gradebook will be updated every week so you can check your scores and current grade in the class.
A note on Incompletes: Incompletes are rarely granted and if granted are only done so under the most exceptional circumstances. You will NOT be given an Incomplete to save your grade from being an F in the class.
ATTENDANCE
Attendance will be taken every week by the instructor. I will take attendance on-line via your weekly quizzes.
How does on-line attendance work? In order to be counted as present, you MUST take the quiz assigned each week. It does not matter if you complete any other work in the on-line classroom. If you do NOT take the quiz by Sunday night of the assigned week, you will be counted absent for the week. Excessive absences will lead to an administrative drop.
On-line Postings:
Remember that anything you post in our on-line classroom will be viewed by me, other students and administrators. Be mindful of what you write as it may someday be used in a court of law. Students who copy another student’s work in the Discussion will earn a zero on that assignment. A second infraction will be grounds for an F in the course and possible expulsion from the college. What you write also reflects your level of professionalism as a college student. Please visit the following site on NETIQUETTE.
HYPERLINK "
LIBRARY SERVICES
There are libraries at various SPC sites. You may choose the one that is most convenient for you. You also can access library services online at HYPERLINK "
Ms. Jennifer Gregor is our online librarian. Her phone number is (727) 394-6184.
Technical Support:
If you are experiencing technical challenges in the course, first review the information, resources and FAQ at HYPERLINK "
If you need personal technical support, call Technical Support at 727-341-HELP (4357).
Academic Support:
The Library Online is accessible at HYPERLINK " HYPERLINK "
Dropping the Course:
It is your responsibility, as a student to withdraw from this course if you choose to do so. If so, you must do it by the withdrawal date which is 3/23. This is the last day to drop with a W. To find out the last day to drop with a refund, please see your online student catalogue. Any student wishing to withdraw from the course must do so his or herself online in MY SPC registration found at HYPERLINK " as well as contact the instructor. All students registered in the course after the withdrawal date will receive a grade as outlined in this syllabus. Students who abandon the course or do not withdraw themselves by the withdrawal date are subject to receive an F grade in the course. By SPC policy (enacted Feb. 2005), students cannot withdraw from a course after the withdrawal deadline. (If this is your 3rd time taking the course, you cannot withdraw from the course – State of Florida regulation).
MyCourses Log Off:
In order to better serve our faculty and students, we are asking that you use the log off button when completing online course work. By logging off, MyCourses server space is freed, thereby optimizing the system.
Grading Policy:
100%-90% = A
89%-80% = B
79%-70% = C
69%-60% = D
59% or below = F
No extra credit is available so you are expected to do well on all assignments and quizzes.
Assignments:
Work / PercentageLearn Smart Chapter Readings / 30%
4 Module Discussions and Peer Responses to classmates on-line / 20%
1 Formal Frontline Essay due in the Dropbox / 20%
Connect Homework / 10%
15 Quizzes online / 20%
Total / 100%
GRADING RUBRICS
4 Module Discussions and 4 Peer Responses
Discussion Questions are due at the end of every MODULE. Please answer the discussion questions and post them in the thread provided. You MUST POST ALL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS IN ONE POST at the end of the Module. DO NOT RETYPE MY QUESTIONS. ONLY INCLUDE YOUR ANSWERS AND NUMBER THEM. If you do not respond to another classmate, the highest you can earn is a C. Responses such as “Good point” or, “I agree”, etc…. will NOT earn any credit. Your responses to your classmates need to be thoughtful. Remember, participation cannot be made up if you do not post during the Module due. Read the grading rubric for the word count. Your Discussion post must be at least 1000 words and the peer post (only one required) must be at least 100 words. If you choose to comment on more than one peer, at least one post must meet the 100 word count. Do NOT attach your discussion.
1 Peer Post- provides valuable and thoughtful feedback to classmate (100 word minimum) Due by Sunday of the end of the Module 11:55 pm EST. If you choose to respond to more than one peer, at least one of your peer posts must meet the 100 word count. Late peer postings do NOT earn any credit. / POINTS.9 point
Weekly post presents original ideas or personal examples that apply to the concepts being discussed. (800 word minimum) Due by Sunday, the end of the module by 11:55 pm, EST. / 2.1 points
TOTAL / 3 points
Note: The instructor will not participate much in the online discussion as this intended to be student centered and I do NOT want to take over as the voice of authority here as you can learn from each other as well as myself.
LEARN SMART
This involves actively reading the chapters in Connect Learn Smart and answering the questions asked correctly. I will receive notification when you complete each chapter successfully. This is 30% of your total grade.
1 FrontLine Essay
You are expected to watch the Frontline Movie which you will need Real Player for on your computer. If you do not have it, you can install it for free at HYPERLINK "
Most of the Frontline assignments will have you write a paragraph on your thoughts and post it in the Discussion. However, I will assign ONE FORMAL ESSAY ON A FRONTLINE OF MY CHOICE WHICH YOU WILL NEED TO SUBMIT TO THE DROPBOX. THE REQUIREMENTS ON THIS FORMAL ESSAY ARE DIFFERENT AND LISTED IN THE GRADING RUBRIC below.
Formal Frontline Essay
1) Spelling and grammar / 1 points2) Essay is 1000 words or more / 2 points
3) Knowledge of sociology is reflected in the essay by using at least 25 different sociological terms correctly (found in your glossary of terms) and applying them to the film as well as applying one or more of the 3 major sociological THEORIES (conflict, functionalism, interactionism). / 3 points
Total of 6 points per essay / This one essay is worth a total of 20% of your grade.
*You MUST type your sociological terms and theory in ALL CAPS so they are easy for me to find. Failure to do this will result in loss of points (a grade no higher than a C). You must use terms from any chapters we have covered thus far. Your FORMAL FRONTLINE essay must be posted to the dropbox provided.