Interdisciplinary Degree Capstone Seminar

Transcription

1 Interdisciplinary Degree Capstone Seminar IDSM 475 Spring Semester, 2009 Instructor James Padfield, PhD 314-A Pershing Building Phone x Catalogue description: This course brings together students pursuing a wide range of self-designed majors. Students will review their experiences in terms of their initial, stated expectations, and will pursue individual capstone projects in cross-disciplinary, critical collaboration with other students and the instructor of record, with input, where appropriate, from the student s program mentor. "Education must prepare one for life in a complex world in which critical ideas, issues, and decisions require more than a single mode of inquiry or knowledge base. Increasingly, educated citizens must simultaneously apply a range of understandings, skills, and attitudes. Indeed, one of the hallmarks of a lifelong learner is the ability to draw upon the diversity of one's education in addressing new situations." (Liberal Studies Program Proposal, 7) Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, students will: 1) Use at least two different methods of analysis (scientific, historical, aesthetic, and/or philosophical to investigate an issue. 2) Come to a conclusion based upon scientific, historical, aesthetic, and/or philosophical evidence and articulately state that conclusion. 3) Fairly and accurately state an opposing point of view. 4) Propose a course of action a project to address or improve the situation, based upon the conclusion, that takes into account the conditions on the field, i.e., availability of resources, efforts of the opposition, etc. 5) Complete the graduation portfolio requirement.

2 Required Course Materials Campbell, G. Michael and Baker, Sunny (2007). The Complete Idiot s Guide to Project Management, 4 th Edition. Alpha. ISBN , cost $20.00 von Oech, Roger (2002). Expect the Unexpected (or You Won t Find It): A Creativity Tool Based on the Ancient Wisdom of Heraclitus. Berrett-Koehler. ISBN , cost $14.00 BLACKBOARD Course Components The syllabus, instructor s policies, and writer s guide can be found in the Course Documents section of BLACKBOARD. Office Hours 1 I have dedicated over 11 hours in my weekly schedule to meeting with students. 2 I am available during the drop in hours with no appointment necessary, but be advised someone else may have dropped in ahead of you, and their business may take me out of my office (e.g., to the HES office or the library) or otherwise make me unavailable. 3 I am available during the appointment hours if you have made an appointment with me at least one day in advance, and this time would be reserved for you alone. 4 If none of the times listed below work for you, other appointment times may be available on Saturdays or Sundays if scheduled in advance. 5 I have other responsibilities university committee meetings, grading and lesson preparation, a research agenda and for this reason I m afraid I am NOT available at other times without the courtesy of an appointment. (I can NOT meet with you outside of these time, even if I happen to be physically present in my office, and even if it is just a quick question. ) 6 I will try to respond to questions within 24 hours, but I can not guarantee it. Drop-In Office Hours: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Friday Times Available for an Appointment (contact at least a day in advance): Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday Graduation Portfolio Students will create two copies of their senior graduation portfolio on CD-ROM disk, one to turn in to the Assessment Committee (University) and one for the course instructor. The due date is the Friday before Spring Break. If you turn it in to the instructor before that date, you may have that class time off. Oral and Written Research Presentations Students will investigate a topic of interest to them using at least two different methods of investigation (scientific, historical, aesthetic, or philosophical) and fairly state at least two opposing viewpoints. (A viewpoint is fairly stated if the proponents of that viewpoint would

3 agree that their position has been justly represented.) For example, someone investigating socialized medicine should include both reasons for and against socialized medicine. As another example, someone proposing a children s park should also suggest alternative uses for the community s resources and/or risks to the children, etc. Students will then use at least two different methods of analysis (scientific, historical, aesthetic, or philosophical) to reach a conclusion. The student s investigation, statement of opposing viewpoints, analysis, and conclusion should be presented in the format of a written paper of approximately 10 pages length (doublespaced), as well as a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation in class. Oral and Written Project Proposals Based upon their research presentation (see above), students will propose a course of action (a project) that will address or improve the situation highlighted by their research. Students do NOT have to actually complete the project, and they are NOT limited to their own available resources. This is an exercise in planning, not in service learning. (For example, to respond to a possible bioterrorist threat, the project may be the Federal government stockpiling antibiotics, but the student would need to address what antibiotics should be obtained, at what cost, where they should be stored, etc.) If a student wishes to actually undertake their project, now or at some time in the future, that s their own business it is not a requirement of the course. Students should address all of the features of project planning, including at least the following, in the format of a written paper of approximately 10 pages length (double-spaced), including appendices (such as tables, which should be single-spaced), as well as a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation in class. Plan of Action (strategy and tactics) Metrics (measurements of success) Timeline and Precedence (milestones) Physical Resource Requirements Human Resource Requirements PQR$T: Personnel, Qualifications, Recruitment, $ (compensation), and Training Budget Sources of Revenue Quizzes Several weeks will start (first thing) with a 4 point quiz covering any and all material covered in class, or in the associated reading material, since the last quiz (not comprehensive). Students may drop one quiz (use the 4 best of 5 total), but until the student misses at least one quiz NO make-up quizzes will be offered. That is to say, a missed quiz score counts as a zero and would be the quiz dropped. Evaluations Points Complete Graduation Portfolio 4 Reading Quizzes, 4 each 16 Written Research Report 8 Oral Research Presentation 4 Written Project Proposal 8 Oral Project Proposal 4 Possible 44

4 The following point totals will correspond to the final grade, and there is no rounding up, (a total earns a C grade) A 39 and above B 34 to C 30 to D 26 to F and below Assignment Grading and Final Grade Calculations Each assessment element of the course (test or assignment) will be given an overall letter grade, with + or sub-levels. Four Pointers Eight Pointers A 4.0 A 8.0 A- 3.7 A- 7.4 B+ 3.3 B+ 6.6 B 3.0 B 6.0 B- 2.7 B- 5.4 C+ 2.3 C+ 4.6 C 2.0 C 4.0 C- 1.7 C- 3.4 D+ 1.3 D+ 2.6 D 1.0 D 2.0 D- 0.7 D- 1.4 F 0.0 F 0.0 Interdisciplinary Capstone Seminar Course Policies The Course Documents section of BLACKBOARD contains detailed instructor policies. These policies are made an extension of this syllabus and the student is responsible for reading them and knowing what they are, in particular, note the following: Attendance policy: Attendance is expected in any college class, but most especially in a seminar. To a large extent, you educate one another, so your absence effects more than your own interests. Be here, be prepared. That said, I expect to be able to treat you as responsible adults and will work with you but there are limits to my largess. If your ride is leaving before the scheduled beginning of break, find another ride. If absences keep you from doing the full work of the course, you won t get the full benefit, and therefore you won t get the same grade as someone who has fulfilled the full expectations of the course.

5 Plagiarism statement: Plagiarism is the representation of someone else s work as your own. Punishment can range from a zero on the assignment through failure in the course right up to expulsion from the University. If you are even a little unsure as to whether what you ve done crosses the line, consult with the instructor before the assignment is due. Course Calendar The Course Calendar is TENTATIVE, and may be subject to change. Week One Fri 16 JAN 09 Course Syllabus, Introduction of Projects, Stossel Video Week Two Fri 23 JAN 09 Instructor at Conference No Class Assigned Reading: Heraclitus Part I, sections 1 15 Week Three Fri 30 JAN 09 Review of Interdisciplinary Methodology Assigned Reading: Read Heraclitus Part II, Sections 1 15 Week Four Fri 06 FEB 09 Quiz 1 Graduation Portfolio Requirements Assigned Reading: Heraclitus Part II, Sections and pages Week Five Fri 13 FEB 09 Quiz 2 Making Effective Presentations Week Six Fri 20 FEB 09 6 student problem presentations Week Seven Fri 27 FEB 09 6 student problem presentations Week Eight Fri 06 MAR 09 Portfolio CD (two copies) due (no class if portfolio has been turned in previously)

6 Week Nine Fri 13 MAR 09 Spring Break No classes Week Ten Fri 20 MAR 09 Problem-Solving; Decision-Making; Innovation Introduction to Project Management Assigned Reading: BLACKBOARD Course Information section Problem-Solving, Decision-Making, and Innovation Assigned Reading: Project Management, chapters 1 5 Week Eleven Fri 27 MAR 09 Quiz 3 Project Definition and Planning Assigned Reading: Project Management, chapters 6 10 Week Twelve Fri 03 APR 09 Project Definition and Planning Assigned Reading: Project Management, chapters Week Thirteen Fri 10 APR 09 Quiz 4 Project Execution and Control Assigned Reading: Project Management, chapters Week Fourteen Fri 17 APR 09 Project Evaluation and Metrics Assigned Reading: Project Management, chapters 2 & 28 Week Fifteen Fri 24 APR 09 Quiz 5 4 student project presentations Week Sixteen Fri 01 MAY 09 8 student project presentations Evaluations

7 Suggested Supplemental Readings on Interdisciplinary Studies: Books and Collections: Daedalus, Winter (Vol 126 #1) Title of the issue is American Academic Culture in Transformation: Fifty years, Four Disciplines. Easton, David, and Corinne S. Schelling, eds. Divided Knowledge: Across Disciplines, Across Cultures. Sage, Kuhn, Thomas. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. University of Chicago Press, Newman, John Henry. The Idea of a University. Essays: Benson, Thomas. Five Arguments Against Interdisciplinary Studies. Issues in Integrative Studies 1(1982): Reprinted in Interdisciplinarity: Essays from the Literature Klein, Julie Thompson. The Evolution of Interdisciplinarity. In Interdisciplinarity: History, Theory and Practice Meeth, L. Richard. Interdisciplinary Studies: A Matter of Definition. Change: Magazine of Higher Learning 6 (August 1978): 10. Newell, William H. the Case for Interdisciplinary Studies: Response to Professor Benson s Five Arguments. Issues in Integrative Studies 2 (1984): Nissani, Moti. Ten Cheers for Interdisciplinarity: The Case For Interdisciplinary Knowledge and Research. The Social Sciences Journal 34(2): Petrie, Hugh G Do You See What I See? The Epistemology of Interdisciplinary Inquiry. Journal of Aesthetic Education 10 (1976): White, James Boyd. Intellectual Integration. Issues in Integrative Studies 5(1987): 1-18.