Student’s learning will be assessed through in-class exams and a take-home written assignment. These assessments will cover both the assigned readings AND ANY material dealt with in class. Therefore, it is in your interest not to miss any classes!
Exams. A total of 4 exams: 3 non-cumulative exams and 1 final cumulative exam. Only the 3 best exams will be taken into account (the extra exam is to increase your chances of getting a higher grade). Exam format will vary and may include among others: fill-in-the-blank, multiple-choice, short answers, and essay questions. THERE ARE NO MAKE-UP EXAMS UNLESS YOU ARE OFFICIALLY EXCUSED THROUGH THE ASSISTANT DEAN FOR STUDENT ACADEMIC AFFAIRS!
Written assignment. This will require students to elaborate and critically evaluate key topics emerged in class or covered by the assigned readings. This is an open-book assignment. Specific directions on the paper will be provided in class and posted on the course webpage. The paper will be assigned during the semester (date to be decided) and it will have to be returned to me in hard copy BY March 29 in class. Papers will be deducted 20 points for every day late.
The final grade on the course will be based on the
3 best exams plus the written assignment.
Exams: 300 points (each exam worth 100)
Written assignment: 100 points
TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 400
Your
final grade will be assigned according to the following scale (%):
93 and above = A
92 – 90 =
A-
89 – 87 =
B+
86 – 83 =
B
82 – 80 =
B-
79 – 77 = C+
76 – 73 = C
72 – 70 = C-
69 – 67 = D+
66 – 63 = D
62 – 60 = D-
59 and below = F
Assessment Guidelines for assigning main letter grades: A, B, C,D, and F.
A: Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
B: This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.
There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
C: This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
D: This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.
Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
F: This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
Attendance is not
mandatory. However, if you miss a class or part of a class you will miss some course
material (e.g., discussion, lecture, comments, handouts and videos) that will
be covered in exams and in the written assignment. Therefore, it is in your
interest to always be present and, if you miss a class, it is your
responsibility to be updated on course material from your classmates. It is
also your responsibility to routinely check MyJCU for important announcements.
Please behave in class
in a respectful way towards your classmates and your instructor. In particular,
please do not come in late or leave early as it disrupts the whole class. Also,
please silence your cell phones and avoid texting and other forms of
distracting cell phone use.
Laptops in class are
considered a source of potential distraction. Therefore, students are strongly
discouraged to use their laptops, even if just for taking notes. If you have a
condition that requires the use of a laptop, please contact me privately to
discuss the specific situation as soon as possible.
Please refer to the
university catalog for the attendance and absence policy.