The Fine Print: Course Requirements, Assignments, and Grading

REQUIRED MATERIALS

There is no required textbook for this course, though there is a course reader with the majority of articles. Additionally, there may be a need to have access to Netflix and small purchase for videos (2 to 3).* Everything you need will be posted on our Course Website (here) and Canvas.

*If you have difficulty with these small purchases, please contact me.

OFFICE HOURS/DROP-INS

All office hours (or drop-ins) this semester will be virtual, though if you want to meet in-person we can make arrangements. Feel free to use this time to talk about coursework, converse with me about history, or simply to get to know one another more than class time allows.

WHAT EACH WEEK WILL BE LIKE

All assignments must be completed in the schedule listed (in-class and homework); this includes completing assignments and posting to our discussion board on Slack, Blackboard, or via a course website.

I reserve the right to shuffle, remove, or swap out readings and assignments at any point throughout the semester. This is meant to anticipate the anxieties and unknowns that might come with living through, well, life. I will never increase your workload but will do my best to respond to events as they unfold. You will be informed of any changes ASAP, and I will make changes directly in our course website and via email and Slack.

CREDIT HOURS AND EXPECTATIONS

This is a 3-credit course, which means that in addition to the daily discussions, you are expected to do at least 6-8 hours of course-related work each week during the semester. This coursework includes readings; skill-based assignments and writing assignments; and research and writing for your final project.

GENERAL PARTICIPATION

This is a collaborative course, focusing on discussion and work in groups. The class will be a cooperative learning experience, a true intellectual community. And so, you and your work are, in a very real sense, the primary texts for this course. In order for us to work together as a community, we’ll all have to find ways to be “present” in the various places our course lives (Assignments, Slack, class discussions). If you can’t finish work for any reason, chat with me in advance.

Join class prepared to discuss the readings due that day and having explored the tools we will be learning. Plan on expressing your ideas, frustrations, questions, and confusions using your voice during class whenever possible. This is a small, discussion-based class, so we have the opportunity to delve deeply into issues.

SLACK

Participation also extends to the online portal to the course, the Slack network. Slack serves as the central point of non-verbal communication during and outside of class meetings. You periodically will be required to post something in Slack for class and/or group work.

When you are unable to speak in class (due to e.g. anxiety, needing more time to collect your thoughts, etc.), you are encouraged to engage in discussion via Slack. Doing so will count toward your participation, but cannot fully replace spoken discussion during class.

Slack is also a space for airing questions and comments and sharing ideas and resources that don’t come up in class. It is also a great place to share tangential thoughts and ideas that diverge from the main discussion but that you would like to share. Contributing to the conversation in Slack will help improve your participation.

HOW TO DO WELL IN THIS CLASS

First and foremost, please ask me for help for any reason, whether you are stuck, or whether you want to learn more about what we’re doing in class. Second, be persistent. Be willing to experiment and be willing to make mistakes. Some of your best assignments might include some mistakes. Third, remember that your goal is not to learn strictly history in a chronological sense, but concepts. Look for the skills and ideas underlying the specific assignments we will work with. Fourth, keep up by doing the weekly work – including the reading and any other preliminary assignments. If you miss part of the course work, you’ll have a hard time keeping up.

*I have a rolling grading policy for the semester with all things graded by the midterm period and before the final make-up period that I offer throughout the semester. I provide significant feedback on assignments leading up to the midterm, which is why grading comes back to students in a rolling basis. If you want feedback on assignments prior to receiving a grade, please set up an appointment with me.*

ATTENDANCE POLICY

You will be allowed four (4) absences this semester (accounting to two weeks of instruction for a class that meets twice a week). For these four absences, I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused. These are your four absences to manage and do with what you wish. After four absences, I will include these absences in your final grade evaluation.

Should you exceed these absences, it is up to you to set up an appointment with me to discuss your options – I get it, things happen, but if you don’t communicate with me, it is impossible for me to work with you. And a word on communication – please communicate with me to whatever extent you feel comfortable. I can’t help you if I don’t know something is going on, but again, you do not have to disclose private health information to me.

WHAT YOU WILL BE GRADED ON*

In a nutshell you will be graded on the following elements.

Class Participation, Discussion Sessions, and Exercises/Activities: (25%). Class participation will be based how prepared you are to engage with the material, the class, and completion of activities. Some of these activities will be done individually, some in a group setting. Instructions will be provided per activity and/or discussion via class and/or the course website.
- You should expect to join in on any class discussions. Paying attention to lectures, visual media, AND completing your reading assignments/homework are these are vital to your ability to participate in this class.
- This section also includes drop-ins with me. Please meet with me once within the semester for a check-in. You can schedule your drop-ins here: Dr. Beasley’s Calendar

Lecture/Reading/Video Responses: (25%) Each unit contains a mixture of lectures from me, as well as some from other subject matter experts or scholars, and readings.
- During class times, we will have the opportunity to engage in traditional question and answer during a class period. The purpose of these assignments is to capture your understanding of key concepts with a series of questions/prompts that will be available on Blackboard/the Course Website so that you are able to fully participate in class.
- Some of the video/lectures/readings will not be required to submit for a grade BUT be mindful that these questions may still appear on your Activities/Exercises.

Assessments (25%) will be administered periodically throughout the course. These assessments are in lieu of tests and exams. They will cover assigned readings and assignments.

Final Project: (25%) You will be asked to demonstrate your knowledge of World History and how it connects to the world today in a 1000-1500 word research paper, website (min. 1000 words), OR 8-10 minute video/podcast. Your project must use citations (Chicago if you are a History major; MLA for all others). You will be asked to recall information, summarize, and draw conclusions on what you believe to be the most important piece from history – it can be a person, an event in history, a work of art, or a piece of technology (to name a few). It can be as small as a single weapon or as large as a world-changing event like the Industrial Revolution. Your topic must be approved by me no later than Week 9. Once you have identified your piece of/topic from history, you will locate a news story/current event that you think connects to your chosen subject/artifact/event in some interesting, meaningful way.

If you miss the deadline, there is only limited opportunity for make-ups (see Make-Up Period [Late Work])

*I reserve the right to shuffle, remove, or swap out readings and assignments at any point throughout the semester. This is meant to anticipate the anxieties and unknowns that might come with living through…well who knows these days. I will never increase your workload but will do my best to respond to events as they unfold. You will be informed of any changes ASAP, and I will make changes directly in our course website, as well as send a message via email and Slack.

GRADES WILL BE CALCULATED AS FOLLOWS

A+ = 98-100	B+ = 87-89	C+ = 77-79	D+ = 67-69	F = below 60
A = 93-97	B = 82-86	C = 72-76	D = 62-66
A- = 90-92	B- = 80-81	C- = 70-71	D- = 60-61
Please note: the amount of work you put in reflects the grade you receive. It is up to you to decide what grade you want in the course and how much work you complete to receive that grade.