Colorado Women s College of the University of Denver. FSEM 1515: Critical Thinking and Decision Making

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1 Colorado Women s College of the University of Denver FSEM 1515: Critical Thinking and Decision Making Fall 2015: Wednesdays 6:00-9:00 p.m. Location: Chambers Center (room TBD) Instructor: Dr. Anne Allen Voic adondapa@du.edu I will respond to or voic messages within 48 hours. COURSE DESCRIPTION In this class, you will hone your critical reading, thinking, and writing skills as we examine contemporary social issues through the frameworks of oppression, privilege, and intersectionality. This class will give you a solid foundation for the remainder of your studies at the Colorado Women s College. In particular, you will learn how to effectively and efficiently read academic writing, engage with alternative ways of looking at problems and information, discern the trustworthiness of various kinds of sources and arguments, reach well-reasoned conclusions and decisions, and effectively communicate your thinking to others both orally and through writing. You will also work closely with others in a collaborative team environment. COURSE OBJECTIVES By the end of this course, you will be able to: Confidently engage with and understand academic writing Question conventional wisdom surrounding common social problems Discern credibility of sources and soundness of reasoning and evidence Identify values and assumptions underlying claims in academic arguments and everyday media Work effectively with others, sharing critical feedback and working as a team Reach well-reasoned conclusions and decisions Effectively communicate your thinking to others Foster an ongoing awareness of and effective response to current issues.

2 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES 1. Students will develop the skills to engage, analyze and apply critical thinking to contemporary social issues. 2. Students will develop the skills to understand, engage and apply alternative perspectives. INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE Diversity, Inclusiveness, Respect CWC has a core commitment to fostering a diverse learning community that is inclusive and respectful. Our diversity is reflected by differences in race, culture, age, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and myriad other social identities and life experiences. The goal of inclusiveness, in a diverse community, encourages and appreciates expressions of different ideas, opinions, and beliefs, so that conversations and interactions that could potentially be divisive turn instead into opportunities for intellectual and personal enrichment. A dedication to inclusiveness requires respecting what others say, their right to say it, and the thoughtful consideration of others' communication. Both speaking up AND listening are valuable tools for furthering thoughtful, enlightening dialogue. Respecting one another's individual differences is critical in transforming a collection of diverse individuals into an inclusive, collaborative and excellent learning community. Our core commitment shapes our core expectation for behavior inside and outside of the classroom. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY The Women s College fully endorses the University of Denver s Honor Code and the procedures put forth by the Office of Citizenship and Community Standards. Academic dishonesty including plagiarism, cheating, and falsification of data and research is in violation of the code and will result in a failing grade for the assignment or for the course. As student members of a community committed to academic integrity and honesty, it is your responsibility to become familiar with the DU Honor Code and its procedures ( More About Plagiarism (also see your TWC 101 notes and handouts): Neither the University nor the Women s College will tolerate plagiarism for any reason, and no excuse that it was "unintended" will be accepted. Plagiarism is the use of another writer s words and/ or ideas without using proper documentation to credit the other writer. Appropriate documentation includes citing in your text the following: another writer's influence on your writing or your ideas; another writer's words which you have copied directly and put within quotation marks; another writer's words which you have paraphrased. Plagiarism of any kind will result in an automatic failure of the assignment and possible failure of the course.

3 COURSE TEXTS AND MATERIALS: REQUIRED TEXTS Recommended: Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking (11th ed.), M. Neil Browne and Stuart Keeley, Pearson, [ISBN: ] You may use the 10 th edition as well. With the exception of chapter 2 (Speed Bumps) the rest of the book is the same IV. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Print a copy of the syllabus posted in Canvas. Bring a hard copy to class. This class, like most at the CWC, will be highly participatory. The success of this class is dependent upon your contributions to class discussions. Therefore, I expect you to immerse yourself in the course materials and come to class prepared to share your understandings of and questions about them. Informed participation in class is contingent upon completing the assigned readings. Active participation does not just mean talking, however. Careful and respectful listening, asking clarifying questions, and building upon the ideas of your peers is especially valued in the cooperative classroom that we will be creating. The course includes in-class and online activities including lectures, blogs, class presentations and papers. In addition, students are encouraged to bring their life experiences, professional and personal insights to the discussion and the readings. 1. Class Attendance and Participation: 15 pts a. Students must be present for all class sessions and for the full class session. b. Students must fully engage all in-class activities and readings in a thoughtful and respectful manner. Attendance c. Students must log into Blackboard throughout the week and access all course related materials, documentaries and supplemental sources posted in the folders for each session. d. Students are responsible for resolving any technical issues with the appropriate staff and must complete the assignments on the due date. e. All assigned readings must be completed before class. Each class session will begin with a brief overview of the previous session. You should bring the readings for the week with you to class and your preparedness will be checked regularly. f. Missed in-class assignments CANNOT be made up! g. Students who miss more than two class sessions or two assignments must schedule a time to meet with the instructor.

4 2. Course Blog: 45 pts (5 blogs) A blog serves as a great platform to exchange ideas, thoughts and reflect on a number of topics, experiences and situations. Integrating blogs into the classroom gives students the chance to explore and engage with fellow students considering the lessons and discussions of the classroom and with the material. For instructors using a blog helps provide a forum for rich dialogue sorted by multiple topics. The blog for this course will represent a history of your thinking and reflect on your progress and cannot be made up. Since more classes at the DU are going hybrid, or significantly incorporating technology into courses, you have the opportunity here to get more comfortable with Blackboard and to engage with your classmates and me outside of class time. In addition to reading the chapters assigned for each class, and turning in the major assignments according to their deadlines, after each class you have specific online homework listed below. Each blog post will include the following components that will inform your responses: o Course Readings o Documentaries/Talks Some blogs may require you to watch a documentary or other material pertaining to the topic in an effort to facilitate informed participation. Student Posts: Posts must be submitted by due date (2 page max) Peer Responses: Comment on a minimum of two students from your small group o Write a brief summary of the reading and documentary (if applicable). Summary must address components and insights from each individual reading Do not address all of the components. Instead, identify particular theme(s) or insights which are most significant for you. 3. Persuasive Letter: In-class Peer Review: 7 points Due Date: October 7 To get full credit for the peer review, you must fulfill ALL the instructions: Bring copies of your draft letter for your small group, Fill out an author s memo describing what kind of feedback you most want, Read the work of your peers and provide thoughtful feedback Incorporate Feedback you receive into your final Letter Turn in your author memo describing how you incorporated your classmates feedback 4. Persuasive Letter : 13 points Final Due: October 18 Choose a social issue that is important to you Compose a letter (1000 words) to a specific audience Explain what you believe is the problem What specific steps or corrective actions you believe should be taken Give evidence to back up your explanation (you need to include reference to at least one outside source) and endeavor to persuade your audience to take corrective action.

5 5. Media Analysis Team Project: 20 points Due Date: October 14 Presentation: 10 pts Report: 10 pts For this assignment, you will work together with other group members to put together a 30 min formal presentation analyzing the ideological messages found in everyday media. Your group should focus on a particular theme (we ll discuss options in class) and utilize the critical thinking skills we ll be building in class to deconstruct the visual arguments media makes. Responsibilities and presentation time must be equally distributed. Groups will submit a report of the presentation which will include a cohesive and critical engagement of the topic. Report must be APA formatted and include references as applicable. Reports must be submitted in Canvas and a hardcopy submitted to the instructor at the time of the presentation. GRADING RUBRIC Assignment Points Attendance/Class Community Sharing 15 points Online Blog 45 points Media Analysis Presentation: 10 pts 20 points Team Project Report: 10 pts Persuasive Letter: Peer Review 7 points Persuasive Letter 13 points Total 100 points Percentage Grade A A B B B C C C D D D F ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION Attendance is mandatory in all class sessions. Active participation in class and online discussions is also required and will be a determiner in a student s final grade. An absence, for any reason, will result in forfeiting points for in-class student presentations. These may not be made up in another class session. If an emergency arises, it is the student s responsibility to contact her instructor. A grade of incomplete will not be granted under any circumstances. TECHNOLOGY USE IN THE CLASSROOM In order to create and maintain an optimal learning environment in the classroom, students should use technology appropriately as directed by the instructor for the purposes of the course. Work done on laptops, cell phones, and other devices that is not relevant to the class can hinder the process of communication and shared discussion of ideas that require full engagement by all participants.

6 ADA ACCOMMODATIONS Students who require accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act must contact the instructor to discuss their needs. Failure to notify the instructor immediately may hinder the college s ability to accommodate accordingly. Students with learning disabilities should also contact the University Disability Services Program at University Disability Services houses the Learning Effectiveness Program (LEP) and the Disability Services Program (DSP). OBSERVATION OF RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS Students wishing to observe a religious holiday not celebrated on the academic calendar may do so provided advanced written notice is given the instructor during the first two weeks of the quarter. With advanced written notice, the absence will be considered an excused absence. For additional information, contact DU s Center for Religious Services ( ).

7 COURSE SCHEDULE Readings and assignments for September 16, 2015 must be completed prior to the first class session. Students are responsible for all supplemental readings/articles posted in Blackboard for each week DATE TOPICS READINGS Assignments: Due 6:00 p.m. Post in Canvas Bring Hard-copy to class when applicable 9/16/15 Critical Thinking Oppression Privilege Intersectionality Persuasive letter: Activity Paul & Elder: Canvas Critical Thinking: Asking the Right Questions Chapter 1 Course Blog 1 9/23/15 Gender and Sexuality Asking the Right Questions Chapters 2-5 Documentary: Course Media Wonder Women: 55 min 9/30/15 Classism Asking the Right Questions Media Analysis: Lecture Chapters 6-10 Group Activity Documentary: Course Media Shelter in Place: 48 min *Course Blog 2 Student Post: Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. Peer Responses: Wednesday, 6:00 pm *Course Blog 3 Student Post: Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. Peer Responses: Wednesday, 6:00 pm 10/7/15 In-class Peer Review: Persuasive Letter Asking the Right Questions Chapters *Course Blog 4 Student Post: Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. Peer Responses: Wednesday, 6:00 pm Persuasive Letter: Draft 10/14/15 Racism and Ethnocentrism Documentary: Course Media Harvest of Empire: 1:30 min Reading Presentations Media Analysis: Team Presentations *Course Blog 5 Student Post: Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. Peer Response: Wednesday, 6:00 p.m. Media Analysis Group Presentations 10/18/15 Persuasive Letter: Final Due: 6:00 p.m. Submit in Canvas * Please note that Student Posts for the blog is due on the Tuesday before class. This allows for Peer Responses to be completed before class on Wednesday.