Goldberg: Discovery Core A06 Syllabus

CUSP 108: Discovery Core I (The Human Place in Nature)/Autumn 2006

Prof. Michael Goldberg
mlg@u.washington.edu
Office Hours: Mondays 1-3, Thursdays 1:30-2:30 and by appt.
UWB-1 Room 119 Office phone: 425-352-5362
faculty home page: http://www.bothell.washington.edu/faculty/mgoldberg/
Course page: http://www.bothell.washington.edu/faculty/mgoldberg/courses/108A06

Course Description
Learning Goals/Skills Outcomes of the Course
Assignments
Consideration
Class Communication
Academic Dishonesty
Students with Disabilities
Required Books and Reserve Readings
Class Schedule

Co-Instructor:
Sarah Leadley, American Studies Librarian and Head, Reference and Instructional Services, UWB/CCC Library (leadley@u.washington.edu; 425-352-5387)

Course Syllabus

Students are responsible for all information on this syllabus, including information linked to web sites.

Course Description

As student in a Discovery Core course, you should be prepared to think critically and imaginatively, to take intellectual risks, to do some creative exploring. As a student in a composition course, you should expect to write. A lot. And as a student in a portfolio course, you should expect to be self-reflective about your writing and the feedback you receive. As a course that features collaborative and cooperative learning in an online environment, you should be prepared to complete assignments on time and with care. To support you in all of these activities, I have kept reading to a minimum and accountability to a maximum.

We will spend a substantial amount of time building the skills, abilities and habits of mind necessary for you to succeed as an undergraduate and beyond—as a citizen and worker and human being. The intended learning outcomes are listed below. At the end of the course, you will be asked to reflect on the progress you have made thus far, and the progress you hope to make as you continue your educational career. Throughout the process, I will provide you with a variety of tools and documents to support your learning.

Our specific area of inquiry for this course is "the human place in nature." In the first part of the course, we will approach this seemingly simple phrase as a complex problem to be unpacked, examined, and reconsidered, using the book Uncommon Ground. In the second part of the course, will be assisted by guest instructors who will provide insights into how they use their disciplinary perspectives to identify, examine and solve environmental problems. Along the way, we will be developing information literacy skills that we will use, as well as the insights gained from the first and second section, to identify a local environmental problem and the resources available to solve it. This project, to be completed in a group setting, will take up the bulk of part three.

This course has two anomolies: it is 10 credits, and it is a "hybrid" or "blended" course. As a 10-credit course, you are in effect taking two courses at one time. This is reflected in the official course title, which has both specific content (fulfilling the Individual and Society general education requirement) and the Composition requirement. In the syllabus, I have emphasized this by creating a separate assignment for every week for the composition section. If you think of this as two courses, it is very manageable. But if you think of it as only one course, it will seem overwhelming. Second, as a "hybrid" or "blended" course (the term is interchangable—I prefer "hybrid"), half of your "official" class time (what the credit hour is attached to) is spent online. This means that you should expect to spend roughly four hours a week online, sometimes more and sometimes less, NOT COUNTING THE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS. Most of this time will be spent reading other postings and responding informally, although still with a clear set of criteria for assessment (see Assignments below). The hybrid approach enables you to have a more flexible schedule and to communicate in an environment where you can take the time to consider your responses (as opposed to the classroom). However, it does create an effect which educators like to describe as "no back of the room." That is, you can't hide in an online classroom. Your lack of preparation will show. At the same time, because I can provide constant feedback in this environment, it is often easier to improve one's performance online than in class discussion.

Learning Goals of the Course

1.     To understand the concept of interdisciplinary knowledge production and the ways in which it underwrites all aspects of the IAS program;
2.     To become a better critical reader, thinker and writer, one who is capable of posing, answering, and reposing a variety of complex questions;
3.     To become a better researcher, one who is able to use the resources at UWB and elsewhere both efficiently and effectively;
4.     To become a better speaker or synchronous communicator, one who is able to communicate clearly and engagingly about complicated topics, arguments, and issues;
5.     To learn how to work well collaboratively, as both a learner and a researcher;
6.     To become a more effective user of educational techology;
7.     To take ownership of your education in an active and critically engaged way.
8. To begin to create a learning community among your classmates

Specific Skills Outcomes:
Shared Discovery Core Composition Cours skills:

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT
1. Composition Portfolio (50% of grade)
A. Every week, I will post a new assignment and discuss it in class. In most cases, the assignment will include some form of online activity. Most of these assignments will be shorter essays. Two, a research report and an argumentative analytical essay, will be more substantial. You will receive my comments after each assignment. You should collect these assignments, with the comments, in a folder. Along the way, you will be asked to assess your progress, which will become part of the portfolio. You will complete a final assessment/essay before turning the portfolio in at the end of class and will receive a grade at that time. Your grade will be based on your strengths and weaknesses that you demonstrate at the end of the course and your ability to use the portfolio process effectively. This system provides you with the opportunity to learn from your mistakes without being penalized for them, and to receive a grade based on what you know and can do when your leave the course rather than when you entered. For those students who are used to always measuring their progress by a specific number or letter grade, this process can be uncomfortable. However, its effectiveness has been proven by extensive research. Still, if at any time you would like to get a better sense of the specific level of your progress at any time in the course, please set up an appointment with me.

2. Small group collaborative learning (30% of grade)
You will be placed in small research/writing groups in the fourth week of the class. At week 7 and as part of your final portfolio, you will assess your own and your group members' contribution to your collaborative learning efforts. I will also use the examples of your individual work within the group context to assess your performance. This assessment will also include your group's overall performance in final your group project.

4. Large class collaborative learning (20%)
The format of the class emphasizes collaboration between students and with the professor. On the most basic level of course contribution, you should come to class on time and stay for the duration, having read the assignment and having given it some thought in preparation for participating in discussion. Your engaged presence in class will have a central place in your overall assessment. It is not possible to remain silent but do excellent written work and still receive a strong final grade, any more than it is possible to contribute in class but refrain from writing. Guidelines for assessing in- class collaborative learning may be found by clicking here. In addition to the in-class discussion, you will also participate in large and mid-size group online discussions on Blackboard. Other in-class activities, written and otherwise, may also be assigned and evaluated as course contribution. (Much of the above language has been adapted from Prof. Ron Krabill's BIS 300 syllabus.)

Other Guidelines:
(Adapted from Dr. David-Goldstein-Shirley's web site: faculty.washington.edu/davidgs/ are marked with an * )

*Consideration: Be considerate of your instructors and classmates. Please turn off cell phones, pagers, and watch alarms before entering a classroom. Also, be aware that entering a classroom after class has started distracts your instructor and your classmates. If you must do it, please try to enter through a back door, if possible. That probably will distract your instructor (for which you should later apologize), but at least it will reduce the disruption you cause your classmates.

*If you need to drop: You and I both invest a significant amount of time and effort having you in this course, so it is unfortunate when students do not complete a course that they began. Sometimes, however, students need to drop a course for good reasons. If that should become the case, I ask, as a favor, that you send me an e-mail message notifying me. Of course, I hope everyone who starts the course can complete it, so your work and time and mine are put to good use!

Laptop and handheld device policy: You are welcome to bring your laptops and handheld devices to class for notetaking. You may not access the Internet during class time for any reason without my consent (which might pertain to a specific assignment in class). Violation of this policy will result in your loss of the priviledge of bringing your laptop or handheld device to class for the remainder of the term.

*Class Communication: This course requires the use of e-mail and the World Wide Web, with which we will assist you if necessary. You must obtain a UW Net ID (for using various UW services); I also recommend obtaining a UWB NT account (for using UWB campus computers). Go to <http://www.bothell.washington.edu/library/newstudent.html> for instructions for obtaining a UW Net ID and a UWB NT account. Remember your passwords!

Also, make sure that your UW e-mail account is switched on, which you can do at MyUW, located at <http://myuw.washington.edu>.

This course uses the online courseware called Blackboard. You will need to enroll in the Blackboard area set up for this course (<http://bb.bothell.washington.edu>) no later than the Friday of the first week of classes for the quarter. Online instructions for enrolling in Blackboard are available at <http://www.bothell.washington.edu/faculty/mgoldberg/students/blackboard.html>. When you sign up, make sure you input an email address that you check most days, as I will use it to communicate to you about your postings.

Starting no later than the second class meeting (first week of classes), you are required to check your e-mail account at least once a week (i.e., do not let more than seven days pass without checking) and to read all messages except the ones marked "Opt." in the subject line, which are optional. Note that you can check University e-mail accounts anywhere you have access to the World Wide Web, including public libraries, by using MyUW <http://myuw.washington.edu>.

Important: If you do not usually use your UW e-mail account, immediately have it forwarded to one that you check regularly by following the simple directions at MyUW <http://myuw.washington.edu>. (Click on "UW Net ID Resources" and then on "Change your forwarding.") As noted in your Student Handbook, the University only has your official UW e-mail address and will send all mail to it. The class email list, which I usually use for class communication, also uses your UW email account, so you will miss important messages if you do not have them forwarded to an account you check regularly. New warning of forwarding UW email!!

UMail: Students may use this form to email me about suggestions for the course. Students may choose to do this anonymously. (The message appears in my email inbox folder as "anonymous student" and cannot be traced.) Students may also use this to make any additional points about class discussion that they weren't able to make during class. As appropriate, I will respond to signed messages directly to the student, and unsigned messages via Blackboard, email or in class. For more information about the "UMAIL" teaching tool, visit the UW Catalyst Tools/Examples page. To send an anonymous message CLICK HERE.

Please consider these requirements to be an investment in class communication. With a little extra effort at the beginning of the course, we can improve our ability to communicate with one another throughout the course. Communication is crucial to collaborative learning.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY OF ANY KIND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN THIS CLASS. It is your responsibility to be knowledgeable about this topic. (You will find a link to a fuller explanation on the UWB Student Affairs site) Academic dishonesty covers a range of behaviors—please become knowledgeable about this topic, as "I didn't know" is not an acceptable defense. Please be aware that there are numerous ways to detect plagiarism beyond the instructor actually identifying the source of the plagiarism. Plagiarism wastes my time and yours, and is conscious choice by the student that the learning process in this course holds no value for him or her. If you are experiencing any kind of difficulty in completing an assignment, PLEASE see me as soon as possible. This and all other UWB courses are now guided by the campus-wide policy on academic dishonesty. All confirmed cases of plagiarism will result, at a minimum, in a failure of the entire assessed grade for the assignment and a letter to the Vice- Chancellor, as prescribed by the new UWB Guidelines. For this course, the grade failure will accrue to the entire portfolio assignment.

Students with Disabilities—I gladly accommodate all documented disabilities as directed by Disability Student Services at UWB. You must be a documented DSS student to receive accommodations. I encourage anyone believing themselves to be covered by DSS guidelines to visit the UWB DSS web page. Accommodations are not "extra help"—they are actions taken to provide people with disabilities an educational environment similar to those who enjoy the benefits of a system designed to cater to the needs of the non-disabled majority.

REQUIRED BOOKS:
William Cronon, ed. Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature
Elaine Maimon, et al, The New McGraw-Hill Handbook (NMHH)(we will be using the full Catalyst 2.0 software associated with the text, so you will need either a new textbook with access code included, or a purchased code from the McGraw-Hill web site. Catalyst 2.0 is a different set of tools from the University of Washington's Catalyst tools, sharing only the same name.

Reserve Readings
The essays for the second part of the course have been place "on reserve" electronically at the Campus Library's E-Res site. To access the site, you will be asked to input your UW Net ID and password. These readings are not yet available. The E-Res system is used in the place of Course Paks, which require students to pay royalty fees on most readings with enforceable copyright protection along with the cost of the paper. If you have a laptop or handheld device, on the assigned discussion day you may bring the reading to class in that form; otherwise, you should print out the reading and bring it to class.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Thurs. 9/28: Introductions

Composition assignment for 9/28

Tues. 10/3: Generating Questions
Reading:
NMHH, Ch. 7 ("Reading, Thinking, Writing: The Critical Condition") READ FIRST
William Cronon, "Forward to the Paperback Text" and "Introduction" (Uncommon Ground)

Thurs. 10/5: Generating Questions
Reading:
Jennifer Price, "Looking for Nature at the Mall: A Field Guide to the Nature Company" (Uncommon Ground)

Composition assignment for 10/5

Tues. 10/10: Generating Questions
Reading:
William Cronon, "The Trouble With Wilderness: Or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature" (Uncommon Ground)
Richard White, "Are You an Environmentalist or Do You Work for a Living: Work and Nature" (Uncommon Ground)

Composition assignment for 10/10

Thurs. 10/12: Generating Questions
Reading:
Giovanna Di Chiro, "Nature as Community: The Convergence of Environment and Social Justice" (Uncommon Ground)

Tues. 10/17: Information Literacy: Sources for background
Reading:
NMHH, chs. 16, 18, 20.

Composition assignment for 10/17

Due for today: Introductory Research Assignment
Sarah Leadley visits, research workshop

Thurs. 10/19: Information Literacy: Sources for background
No reading: information literacy exercises will be assigned
Sarah Leadley visits, research workshop

Tues. 10/24: Using Disciplinary Perspectives: Public Policy (Common pool resources)
Prof. Nives Dolsak, Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Program, Guest Lecturer

Reading:
Garrett Hardin, The Tragedy of the Commons, Science 13 December 1968: Vol. 162. no. 3859, pp. 1243 - 1248
Access: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/162/3859/1243 (opens new browser window)

Study Questions for Hardin, "The Tragedy of the Commons (links to page by Dr. S.G. Saupe at the College of St. Benedict. Opens new browser window.)

Research report due

Composition assignment for Oct. 24

Thurs. 10/26: Using Disciplinary Perspectives: Conservation biology (urban nature)
Prof. David Stokes, Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Program, Guest Lecturer

Reading:
David Quammen, "Planet of Weeds," Harper's, Oct. 1998. (Available on E-Res)

Study Questions for Quammen, "Planet of Weeds" (opens Word document)

Tues. 10/31: Using Disciplinary Perspectives: Environmental Science (aquatic ecosystems)
Prof. Rob Turner, Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Program, Guest Lecturer

Readings:
Pringle, CM . "Interacting Effects of Altered Hydrology and Contaminant Transport: Emerging Ecological Patterns of Global Concern," in Holland, MM, Blood, ER, Shaffer, LR, eds., Achieving Sustainable Freshwater Systems. Island Press (2003) (Available on E-Res) MANDATORY FOR STUDENTS WITH LAST NAMES BEGINNING WITH A-LI. OPTIONAL FOR OTHERS.

Marsh, KE, Willet, KL, Foran, CM and Brooks, BW, "Aquatic Resources and Human Health," in Holland, MM, Blood, ER, Shaffer, LR, eds., Achieving Sustainable Freshwater Systems. Island Press (2003) (Available on E-Res) MANDATORY FOR STUDENTS WITH LAST NAMES BEGINNING WITH LO-Z. OPTIONAL FOR OTHERS.

Study Questions For Pringle and Marsh et al

Oct. 31 Composition Assignment

Thurs. 11/2: Using Disciplinary Perspectives: Environmental History

Reading:
Richard White, "The Power of the River" (from The Organic Machine: The Remaking of the Columbia River) (Available of E-Res)

Introduction and study questions

Tues.11/7: Information Literacy: Locating the Scholarly Universe (Group Project)
Meet in library
Sarah Leadley visits

Reading:
NMHH, Ch. 21

Nov. 7 Compostion Assignment

Thurs. 11/9: Information Literacy: Using Scholarly and Primary Sources (Group Project)

Reading:
NMHH, Chs. 2, 3

Meet in class

Tues. 11/14: Using Disciplinary Perspectives: Business management ("Business, Profits, and Environmental Sustainability")
Prof. Kevin Laverty, Business Program, Guest Lecturer

Readings:
Senge, P.M., & Carstedt, G., "Innovating our way to the next industrial revolution," MIT Sloan Management Review, 42(2): 24-38 .(2001) (Available Monday on E-Res)

Gunther, M., "The green machine," Fortune (July 31: retrieved from CNNMoney.com) (2006a) (Available Monday on E-Res)

Gunther, M., "Why Wal-Mart wants to sell ethanol," Fortune (August 9: retrieved fromCNNMoney.com) (2006b)(Available Monday on E-Res)

Background/supplemental reading (suggested for students interested in the Business program)
Lovins, A.B., Lovins, L.H., & Hawken, P. , "A road map for natural capitalism," Harvard Business Review, 77(3): 145-158. This article also is available at http://www.natcap.org/images/other/HBR-RMINatCap.pdf (1999) (Available Monday on E-Res)

5. Driscoll, C. & Starik, M., "The primordial stakeholder: Advancing the conceptual consideration of stakeholder status for the natural environment," Journal of Business Ethics, 49: 55-73. (2004) (Available Monday on E-Res)

Study Questions For "Business, Profits, and Environmental Sustainability"

Composition Assignment for Nov. 14

Thurs. 11/16: Using Visual Sources

Reading:
NMHH, Ch. 17

Group meetings

Tues. 11/21: Using Multimedia Effectively and Imaginatively

Composition Assignment for Nov. 21

Reading:
NMHH, Ch. 14

Thurs. 11/23: Thanksgiving (no class)

First version of Argumentative Analytical Paper due Tuesday, 11am.

Revised syllabus