PHIL 1103 LOGIC AND CRITICAL THINKING (Online w/on-campus Tests) Syllabus and Schedule Section Details: Fall 2015 SECTION CRN s: 18523, 18524, 18525, 18526 and 18527 ONLINE CLASSROOM: UCO D2L system at http://learn.uco.edu MIDTERM TEST: Proctored on campus; testing sessions available 10/5 to 10/14 FINAL TEST: Proctored on campus; testing sessions available 11/30 to 12/9 Instructor Information M.A.: University of Minnesota (Twin Cities), 1992. Major/minor: Philosophy, Anthropology B.A.: Trinity University (San Antonio, TX), 1987. Majors: Philosophy, Psychology EMAIL: cweigand@d2lmail.uco.edu (preferred) or cweigand@uco.edu OFFICE PHONE/VOICEMAIL: 405.974.3273 OFFICE HOURS/LOCATION: Tues/Thurs 9 11 am and Fri 9 10 am in LA 203B. Materials & Administrative Requirements REQUIRED TEXT: Gensler, Harry. Introduction to Logic, 2 nd Ed. London: Routledge, 2010. Paper version or e-book available. See http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415996518/. New & used copies available at UCO bookstore. REQUIRED SOFTWARE: Gensler s Logicola; see http://www.harryhiker.com/lc/index.htm. Install on computer, flash drive or 1
some tablets. TERMS & CONDITIONS: Agree via D2L quiz by end of Week 2 to continue in the course. MIDTERM & FINAL TESTS: Proctored ON CAMPUS; NO EXCEPTIONS. Students choose from various test session dates & times. See Section Details above and Weekly Schedule below. TECHNICAL EXPECTATIONS: Everything involves computers and online work. Limited skills, unreliable equipment or the like will be MAJOR OBSTACLES. Take this warning seriously. More Support OFFICE HOURS: Available on campus, online, by phone or by other means. See Instructor Information above to make arrangements as necessary. DEPARTMENTAL TUTORS: Free, well-trained, effective and highly recommended. Visit LA 205 or see the link in the course at http://learn.uco.edu. ONLINE LIVE SUPPORT SESSIONS: Via Online Room in D2L. Not required, but contributes to participation record. See Section Details above, Participation below, and http://learn.uco.edu. 2
Core Curriculum / Course Description This course is a Critical Inquiry Core Course and fulfills one of the core curriculum requirements of the university. It emphasizes ethical and critical thinking skills necessary for interpreting the self in relation to culture and society. This course will introduce students to critical inquiry and to the concepts of elementary logic, one of the seminal ideas that have shaped our world. This course stresses the teaching of intellectual inquiry as a way of knowing. The course addresses inductive and deductive reasoning and logical fallacies. Consideration is given to the requirements of correct reasoning with special emphasis on informal fallacies, syllogistic forms, and the analysis of extended arguments. Prerequisites None. Course Objectives Logic is the science that evaluates arguments; therefore, in this course a substantial amount of time will be devoted to studying arguments. Since arguments are either inductive or deductive, students will study the formal structure of the reasoning used in both. The course emphasizes intellectual inquiry and increases students critical inquiry skills by introducing students to the methods and techniques of modern elementary logic. Students will study both logic and critical thinking since both are coordinate intellectual skills and not separate and independent. The following are the outcomes a successful student will attain by the end of this course: (1) to distinguish arguments from non-arguments, (2) to identify premises and conclusions of arguments, (3) to develop several techniques to determine truth, falsity, validity or invalidity of deductive arguments, (4) to understand the structure and nature of inductive arguments, and (5) to identify both formal and informal fallacies. 3
Statement of Transformative Learning Outcomes University of Central Oklahoma is a learning-centered organization committed to Transformative education through active engagement in the teachinglearning interchange, scholarly and creative pursuits, leadership, global competency, healthy lifestyles, and service to others. This course satisfies: 1) discipline knowledge; 2) problem solving; 3) global and cultural competencies; and 4) leadership. 4
Assessments D2L QUIZZES are multiple-choice. There are 9 quizzes, with multiple attempts allowed. Completion of all quizzes earns a bonus; makeups incur a time penalty. LOGICOLA (LC) HOMEWORK exercise sets are in logic-specific formats given by the LC software. There are 32 total assigned sets, submitted quarterly in batches of 7 to 9. Non-assigned sets and high scoring levels may earn extra credit; makeup work receives partial credit. An LC average is generated from various completion, timeliness and scoring level factors involved in students submissions of this work. MIDTERM AND FINAL TESTS are completed on a campus computer, under supervision of a proctor (see Materials and Administrative Requirements and Section Details, above). Questions are multiple choice and short answer, and may be randomly previewed and practiced before the test. Both tests are cumulative, although the final mostly emphasizes the second half of the course. At the instructor s discretion, poor Midterm scores may be partially remediated, and makeup Midterms may be allowed. Neither score remediation nor makeups are available for the Final. Grades The above assessments are weighted, totaled and provisionally letter-graded in this way: D2L Quiz Average x 18% LogiCola Homework Average x 32% Midterm Test x 20% Final Test x 30% TOTAL POSSIBLE = 100% 5
90-100% 80-89% = B 70-79% = C 60-69% = D < 60% = F = A LETTER GRADE ADJUSTMENT: Final letter grade may be promoted or demoted from the provisional grade given above under certain conditions. See Participation below. ADMINISTRATIVE WITHDRAW (AW): Students who complete no graded work by the end of Week 4 may receive an AW, which will be posted in UConnect by the end of Week 11. ACADEMIC EARLY REFERRAL SYSTEM (AERS): Estimated grades of D or F at Midterm are posted in UConnect by the end of Week 8. This grade is not binding, but serves to warn the student and AERS staff, who will contact the student to help. INCOMPLETE (I) GRADES: Only allowed for sudden emergencies; students with ongoing participation problems are presumed ineligible. Documentation or proof of eligibility required. See Participation and UCO Student Information Sheet & Syllabus Attachment below. FINAL GRADE POSTING: In UConnect by noon of the Tuesday following Finals Week. 6
Participation This course demands the best study habits and behaviors. Without them, success is difficult or impossible. Relevant indicators include: GOOD BAD UNACCEPTABLE discussion activity online live support office hours tutoring sessions good/improved test scores efforts to improve scores late or missing work lack of activity, extended absence, lack of communication disregarding rules & directions, expecting favors & exceptions unexcused or undocumented irregularities electronic distractions during test or meeting test session irregularities cheating attempts disrespectful behavior chronic bad behavior The instructor keeps detailed records of these for each student, and the following policies, incentives and disincentives apply. LETTER GRADE PROMOTION: Students with NO unacceptable behavior may have their final grades promoted by a maximum of ONE letter in some cases. For example, a student with a high B and good discussion activity may receive an A, or a student with a high C, only one late quiz, many tutoring visits, and demonstrated effort to remediate Midterm Test errors may receive a B. Contact the instructor for more about these matters; see also Assessments and Grades above. LETTER GRADE NON-PROMOTION & DEMOTION: Students with unacceptable behavior or chronic bad behavior lose eligibility for grade promotion after fair warning, and face letter grade demotion in extreme 7
cases. Violations may also constitute Academic Integrity issues; see below. REMOVAL FROM COURSE SITE: Students may be removed from the course website for certain participation problems, including failure to complete the Terms & Conditions Quiz by the end of Week 2, failure to complete the Midterm Test, extended lack of communication or activity in the course website, chronic bad or unacceptable behavior, and more. The instructor gives reasonable warning before removal, but is not held accountable for students who do not maintain communication. Restoration of course access will require instructor consultation. Decisions on these matters are based on the instructor s records and the instructor s judgment. 8
Academic Integrity Cheating is not tolerated. Violators are subject to terms and conditions of this course as well as the fullest extent of disciplinary action that UCO allows. See Participation above, UCO Student Information Sheet and Syllabus Attachment below, http://www.uco.edu/student-affairs/conduct/index.asp, and http://www.uco.edu/academic-affairs/students/expectations.asp. UCO subscribes to the Turnitin.com plagiarism prevention service. Students, by taking this course, agree that all required assignments may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted assignments will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com restricted access reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such assignments. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com website. Turnitin.com is just one of the various plagiarism prevention tools and methods that may be utilized by your instructor during the semester. The UCO Student Handbook describes the process for contesting allegations of plagiarism. UCO Student Information Sheet and Syllabus Attachment Link: http://www.uco.edu/academic-affairs/files/aaforms/studentinfosheet.pdf This document specifies general UCO information regarding academic integrity, ADA compliance, faculty contact, phone numbers, attendance and work expectations, course evaluations, library hours, weather and emergency contingencies, final exams, UConnect, grades, withdraws, deadlines, holidays, and more. You are accountable for this information. The instructor may invoke it as necessary in defense of course policies and practices. Disability Support Services 9
Link: http://www.uco.edu/student-affairs/dss/index.asp The University of Central Oklahoma complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. Students with disabilities who need special accommodations must make their requests by contacting Disability Support Services, at (405) 974-2516. The DSS Office is located in the Nigh University Center, Room 309. Students should also notify the instructor of special accommodation needs by the end of the first week of class. Modifications and Amendments The instructor reserves the right to make reasonable changes to this Syllabus and Schedule or to any component of this course to best meet the needs of the class. Substantive modifications will be announced. 10
Weekly Schedule This is only a SUMMARY. Full details are at http://learn.uco.edu. WEE K BEGIN TEXT / ACTIVITY / TOPIC ASSESSMENT 1 8/17 2 8/24 Syllabus & Orientation, LogiCola Software Setup, Course Terms & Conditions Chap 1, Basic Concepts, Arguments, Validity Terms & Conditions Quiz Logicola Sets BF & EF; Quiz 1 3 8/31 Chap 2 (Parts), Categorical Logic LC Sets AEM, AET, AHM & AHT; Quiz 2 4 1 9/7 Chap 2 (Parts), Venn Diagrams LC Set BC; Quiz 3 5 9/14 Chap 4, Fallacies Submit LC Scores (weeks 2-4); LC Set R 6 9/21 Chap 4, Fallacies & Argumentation LC Set R; Quiz 4 7 9/28 Chap 5 (Parts), Inductive Reasoning LC Sets PI, PM & PB 8 10/5 Chap 5 (Parts), Probability; Review; Early Test 2 LC Sets PP, PO & PC; Quiz 5 9 1 10/12 Review & Test 2 Submit LC Scores (weeks 2-8); MIDTERM TEST 2 10 10/19 Chap 6 (Parts), Propositional Symbolization LC Sets CHM & CHT; Quiz 6 11
11 10/2 6 Chap 6 (Parts), Truth Functionality LC Sets DTH, DUH, DFM & DFH 12 11/2 Chap 6 (Parts), Truth Tables 13 11/9 Chaps 6-7 (Parts), Inference Rules LC Sets DAE, DAM & DAH; Quiz 7 Submit LC Scores (weeks 2-12); LC Sets FSH, FIH, FCE, FCH, FTE, FTH 14 11/16 15 1 11/23 16 11/30 Chap 7 (Parts), Inference Rules & Proofs Chap 7 (Parts), Proofs & Refutations Chap 7 (Parts), Proofs & Refutations; Final Review; Early Test 2 LC Set GEV; Quiz 8 LC Sets GEV, GEI & GEC LC Sets GEI & GEC; Submit LC Scores (all, including extra credit); Quiz 9 17 12/7 Final Review & Test 2 FINAL TEST 2 NOTES: 1. This is a shortened or holiday week. 2. Tests must be completed ON CAMPUS, under proctor supervision. 12