ANTHROPOLOGY 112:
Cultural Anthropology Online
Fall 2010 42671 ANTH 112 Sec 900
Dr. Diane Freedman
email: dfreedman@ccp.edu
http://faculty.ccp.edu/faculty/DFreedman/
Office Hours: TTH
10:00-11:00.
Office: CCP W2-40,
phone
Welcome to
Anthropology 112, Cultural Anthropology, offered online at
You have enrolled in
a distance learning (
To be successful in
this course you need a computer at home to which you have regular access. You
also need a backup plan if your system goes down. You must also be familiar
enough with your computer system to be able to troubleshoot when something goes
wrong. For example, you should know how to use a word processor and txt files,
upload and download files, install programs on your system, and clear your
cache. You should be able to read directions from a help screen and apply them
yourself. You must be detail oriented and pay attention to what you are working
on constantly. If you are on
IF so, read on.
This course requires
at least 10-15 hours per week of your active engagement with the material. I
know that you can all do this but you have to create the time to do it. You
should limit the number of online classes you take during the semester unless
you have nothing else to do but study.
If you are not prepared to give it that much time you are not likely to
be successful and you should not enroll in the course. Work begins the first
day of the course. I will not sign any
slip to admit students after the registration period.
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS:
Texts: Barbara Miller, Cultural Anthropology in a
Globalizing World, Custom CCP edition, ISBN 0558114911,
Allyn and Bacon Pubs. Bundled
with Conformity and Conflict: Readings in Cultural Anthropology, 13th
ed. And login access to MYANTHROLAB —an online text resource with practice exams and study
hints. You are not required to use this online resource, but past students have
found it helpful. It is available only if you purchase a new copy of the text
from our bookstore. This edition cannot
be found on Amazon. Both
textbooks are required for
this course. You can find the texts in the bookstore.
For some online
assignments you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download this for free from a link on
the opening page of Webstudy. If you
don’t know how to do this you should not be taking an online course.
Class
Participation: This is the part of
the course that is most different from the face to face classes that most of us
have experienced for most of our lives. There are several types of
participation in webstudy. The sessions are scheduled weekly, from Monday to
Sunday. You first need to get an overview of each week's activities. Do not
look at the calendar, but consult the timeline frequently. It has all of the information you need, and
lists all assignments for each week. Every week there will be chapters assigned
from your texts, Cultural Anthropology in a Globalizing World and Conformity and Conflict; a group of
web sites related to the chapters; one or more written assignments, quizzes,
and forum discussions. You can send any
questions to me through Webstudy email once the course begins. Before you ask a
procedural question about the course, be
sure that you have carefully read this syllabus at least 2 times and the
timeline instructions, to be sure that your question is not already answered
there.
Assignments and Plagiarism
Assignments are formal essays that demonstrate your
degree of understanding of the course material.
They should include an introduction, a body of evidence, and a
conclusion, and should use the material of the week to demonstrate or argue a
particular point. They should average around 500 words—I don’t count the words
but a 2 sentence paragraph is not adequate.
They should include citations and references in
Penalties
There are severe
penalties for plagiarism in this course: They are modeled on the 3 strikes rule—for
assignments:
First offense—an F grade on the specific assignment
Second offense—an F grade on the entire week’s work
Third offense—an F grade in the course
For exams, the
first case of copying from anywhere, AKA cheating, results in a grade of F for
the course.
Writing
Assignments
Your written assignments are formal essays and should be carefully constructed. Write them in your word processor first, revise and proofread for spelling and grammar errors, then save as a txt file and post in the assignment window. Do not send attached files- I will not read them. The essays will be evaluated based on the quality of your answer to the question as well as the style. Multiple errors of spelling, grammar or organization will result in a lower score. Assignments must be posted in the assignment box. Sending them by email is not acceptable and those will be ignored. After you post your assignment check it to be sure you have sent it to me. You must choose the “send to instructor” option on the menu. It is your responsibility to be sure that your assignments are posted correctly and on time. Posting the assignment without clicking the button is not the same as sending to me—it is simply saved for you to work on later. Check your assignments. If you write your assignment and don’t send it on time it will not be graded, which will result in 0 points and an F for that assignment. Each assignment is worth up to 10 points, and an additional 5 point penalty will be assessed at the end of the semester for each one not submitted.
Even though the work
is all listed on Monday of each week, it is really there for the whole week, so
pace yourself accordingly. You will need to keep up with this material weekly.
Each week covers at least 1 chapter; all
work is due by Sunday night of the posted week. For example, there is 1quiz
for most weeks. Only assignments submitted by the due date –Sunday of the
posted week--will be graded. Expect to see your essay grades within a week of
posting the assignment. Check after a week and download your graded
assignments with my comments. If you
continue to make the same errors your grades will be lowered. Late assignments
receive 0 points. If you neglect to do your writing assignments 5 points will
be deducted from your total score for each one not submitted.
Here is a list of
what I look for in your essays and how they are graded:
10 points completely and creatively answers all parts
of the question
Has no grammatical or spelling
errors
Includes parenthetical citations for all borrowed
material
Includes complete references in proper form to all
texts and sites used
Includes introductory paragraph, specific data to
back up thesis, and conclusion
Handed in on time and in proper form—pasted into
assignment box
9 points missing citations or references or a few
grammatical errors
8 points the above + missing part of the question
7 points the above + many grammatical errors or few
specific details
6 points inadequate answer to question
0 points not on time or improper submission
-5 points plagiarized sentences or phrases or not
submitted
My expectation is
that you will login a minimum of 4-5 times each week. I can see a record
of all logins so I will know exactly how much each student has participated in
the work of the course. Falling behind will result in failure. You should
expect to spend a minimum of 10 hours each week reading, writing, and studying
the material for this course. If you do not participate in the course work for the
first 2 weeks you will be dropped from the course. Participation includes
properly posting your quizzes, assignments and forums. If you miss a required major exam you
cannot pass the course. So be sure to contact me if you have some medical
emergency that forces you to miss your work. I will expect an email in Webstudy
during the first week to confirm your active participation. If you decide on your own that you cannot
continue, you should withdraw on your own, by putting in a drop slip to the
registrar. This is your responsibility!
Forum Participation: The forum is where
we replicate class discussions. Substantive forum posts receive up to 5 points
per forum of participation credit. If you do not post to a required forum 5
points will be deducted from your point list. Only significant and thoughtful
contributions that are posted in the proper week will be awarded points. For
example, “I agree with John about the Nacirema” is not a substantive post, and
will not get credit. A substantive post makes an argument and provides data to
back it up, so it’s not simply your opinion, but how you came to that opinion
based on what you have read. When you respond to a post remember to focus on
the ideas rather than the individuals. You should post your first response to
the forum question by Thursday night of each week and at least one
response to a fellow student by Sunday night. The same rules for plagiarism apply to forum
posts—it is not acceptable. Do not use quotes—write in your own words. The
points will be listed only at the end of the semester. The forum is also the place to ask general
course questions for the week. So if there is something you don’t understand or
are confused about, post a question in the forum. Be sure to put a proper
subject line—a keyword that refers to your main point—not the forum topic. Read the posts of your classmates and reply
to them.
Exams: There will be
3 major exams online, and weekly quizzes.
Exams are not optional—missing one major exam will result in a grade of
F. Exams must be taken within the time they are posted—usually you have 4 days. IF you have a medical emergency such as
hospitalization during the exam time you must contact me before the start of
the exam to reschedule.
Exams will cover
material from readings, forum discussions, and assigned web sites. If you do
not take the exam or contact me during the exam period I will assume that you
have dropped the class. You must take all exams to pass the class. You can do some practice for the exams by
going to the text website and taking the practice quizzes if you have purchased
a new text. Let me know if you cannot login to myanthrolab
or you do not see your textbook listed there. This is for your practice only--do not send me
the results of your quizzes. All work
that is eligible for grading in this course must be submitted through Webstudy. This course is based on the honor system. Since I am not watching you do your work, you
are on your honor not to cheat. If you cheat, you are only cheating yourself
out of the education you deserve. When you send me an email accepting the terms
of the course you must agree to abide by this honor code.
Webstudy email: this is the only means for you to communicate with
me about any class issue, or let me know of any problems you are having with
the course. An email is a formal
communication. It should include a subject line that has your course
number and a brief keyword, a salutation, a clear statement of
your request, and a signature. Do not paste things from other areas of webstudy into the email. Do not send any assignments by
email. Messages that are missing these
essential parts may not receive a response.
After the course begins, emails outside of webstudy to my college
address will not receive attention. Be careful when you send emails to me-
particularly if they are personal, that you choose my name and not the whole
class list.
If there is enough
interest, I will try to be available for live chat on some Tuesday evenings
from 6-6:15 pm. Let me know on Sunday if you want to chat, by sending a
webstudy email to the whole class. You can use that time to share any questions
or problems with me or other students.
If you have special needs to help you participate in this class please
contact me during the first week to discuss them. The only way to reach me is through the
Webstudy email. One way to succeed in
this course is to form study groups. Let
me know if you want to do that and I can set up a team for you.
Extra Credit
PROJECTS: These are not required, but they give you a
chance to earn some extra points. They include 2 museum trips and the QQ’S
[quickie questions], and may also include lectures throughout the semester. The
following 2 museum trips are optional. Each optional one that you complete
successfully and hand in on time will be worth up to 10 points. All projects
must be submitted through Webstudy.
Field Trip
Option - Penn MUSEUM VISIT: Due at the end of Session 8.
This option is an extra
way to demonstrate your interest in the material covered in this course. You
can choose to visit the
Art Museum option: Art can support or
subvert the established order. Go to the Philadelphia Art Museum (free
with CCP id). Choose examples of art that demonstrate this statement-- at
least one example that supports and one that subverts the established social,
political, or religious conventions of the time in which it was created. Write an essay that examines this statement
using your chosen examples. Include the date that you visited the museum and
the rooms in which you found the objects you are writing about. Due at the end of Session
12.
QQ’S Quickie Questions: I
will occasionally post a question of the week that will come from your text or
web readings. These will be posted in the middle of the week and you will have
only 48 hours to answer them. They are
not required. Each successful answer
will earn you 3 points. No late answers accepted. Login often
to see what’s up.
Grades: Exams are each worth 100 points. Some of the online
exams are in 2 parts, but they are still worth 100 points altogether—you need
to add the scores in each part to get your numerical score and letter
grade. Quizzes, writing assignments and
projects that you complete on time in webstudy are each worth up to 10 points.
Substantive forum discussion participation is worth up to 5 points per forum.
You will get credit for assignments and quizzes only if completed by Sunday evening
of the end of the assignment week. Missed assignments get penalties: 5
points for each missed written assignment and 5 points for each missed forum.
At the end of the semester all of your points will be added and the point
penalty for each missing assignment deducted. The major exams make up half of
your needed points—study well for them. Scale:
540 + = A
480 -- 539 = B
420 – 479 = C
360 – 419 = D
below 359 = F
Incomplete grades,
"I", will be given only in the case of a medical emergency at the end
of the semester, and only with prior notification. You must contact me before
the final exam if you are seriously ill and wish to complete the course late.
A note about grades:
there are many opportunities to get points in this course. But the major accumulation of points is from
the exams. If you do not pass the first
2 major exams your chances of passing the course are small. So study well from the beginning. Think hard
at the beginning of the semester about your commitment to this course. If you
decide to withdraw after the third week, this will count against your course
completion rate on your transcript. So decide at the beginning of the
semester—you should commit to doing the work of the course early.
Webstudy session
list
Here is a brief outline of the 15 weekly sessions of this course in Webstudy.
It corresponds roughly to the Chapter headings in your text, but not exactly
and not in order. So be sure to pay
attention to the weekly reading assignments in Webstudy. More details and dates
can be found online at the timeline tab.
1.
Introductions/ Anthropology and the
Study of Culture
2.
Methods in Cultural Anthropology
3.
Communication
4.
Reproduction & Human Development/
Test 1 online
5.
Economies-Making a Living
6.
Subsistence & Exchange
7.
People on the Move
8. Development
9. Review-- Test 2 online
10. Kinship
11. Social Groups
12. Religion
13. Expressive Culture
14. Disease & Healing
15. Final exam online
Attendance: Weekly attendance is composed of logging in to take
the quizzes, posting to forums, and writing the weekly assignments. Just opening up the course to take a look
does not count as attending. Only those assignments done on time in the
assigned week will count toward your final grade. If you have not posted your
quizzes and assignments by the 3rd week you will be marked as non
attending and be dropped from the course.
Early
Alert: The College is now using an early alert system. This system lets students know if they are
not keeping up with their course work. I will enter a missing assignment report
for you if you have missed 1 assignment in the first 2 weeks of the course. If
this happens you will get a letter—so don’t be surprised. This is not a
punishment. It is a reminder. If you get one you need to decide about your
level of participation in the course.
Start doing your work!
Login
to Webstudy on the first day of class to read the detailed course schedule and
post your introductions. Check out this
hint sheet if you are new to webstudy:
Basic
Webstudy Tasks for Students
Brief WebStudy Login
Procedure
·
To access your course, please go to the college's homepage
at http://www.ccp.edu/de
then click on the WebStudy Login
Portal located under the Links section or Goto http://ccp.webstudy.com/
·
On
the WebStudy Login Portal page
enter the following information where indicated:
Username: Enter your 9-character JID# (Can be found in your class
roster).
(Example: If your JID# is J12345678, Username will be J12345678)
Password: Enter the word PASSWORD.
·
After
entering your Username and Password, click Login and you will get
to the WebStudy homepage. At the top right of the screen, you will find
the course selection drop down menu box.
Click on the box and select your course.
·
This
brings you to your course homepage. On
this page you will find introductory information about your course (Please
verify that you are in the correct class and that all information is correct). On the right side of the page are TABS
(similar to notebook tabs). Click on the
Timeline TAB to get started working on your course.
Further assistance? Please address inquiries to Ms. Vaishali Sharma, coordinator for student support at vsharma@ccp.edu. Or call
Read this syllabus
over several times to be sure that you understand all of the rules and
requirements for the course. Then send me one email in Webstudy
to check in. Your email should contain your positive response to the following points. You have:
· Logged in to Webstudy
· Created a bookmark or link to Webstudy outside of your MYCCP account
· purchased your text
· Reviewed Webstudy procedures
· What is your backup plan if your computer is out?
· Accepted the Course honor system—you understand that plagiarizing is cheating and that you will not pass the course if you do it. Also include a statement verifying that you will do the course work on your own without outside help.
If you have a login
problem after following these directions contact the Distance Education office
at the college from the Distance Learning Page. Also check your financial
status. I cannot help you with login problems, but let me know if you are
having them. Week 1 has a quiz on the
contents of this syllabus. Print out a
copy of the syllabus and keep it with your notes so that you can refer to it
often. If you are dropped from the
course roster for financial issues, you will be dropped from Webstudy, and it is hard to get back in, so be sure that
your financial status is secure for the semester.
Have a great semester. See
you in Webstudy!!