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INTERDISCIPLINARY  (ID)  151  TOPICS  IN  COLLABORATIVE  LEARNING    Instructor:  Prof.  Lee  Einhorn    Office  Location:  Carroll  Hall  304      Office  Hours:  TR  12:45-­‐‑2:30,  W  12-­‐‑1  and  by  app’t    Contact  Info:  leinhorn@ccsu.edu,  (860)  832-­‐‑2761        

 COURSE  DESCRIPTION  

Welcome  to  Interdisciplinary  Studies  151,  a  new  class  that  we  just  made  up  this  year!  Seriously!  But  hey,  since  you’re  all  new,  it’s  a  perfect  fit!    This  class  is  part  of  an  initiative  that  our  university  has  undertaken  to  improve  our  approach  to  help  new  college  students  develop  the  skills,  practices,  and  awareness  to  not  only  succeed  here  at  CCSU,  but  to  become  skilled  members  of  the  many  communities  in  which  you  all  participate  everyday.  To  that  end,  our  emphasis  in  this  class  will  be  collaborative  learning—not  just  “group  work,”  but  truly  investing  in  the  learning  communities  in  which  we  operate  as  students  and  as  people  in  a  larger  sense.    Towards  that  end,  our  class  is  structured  so  that  most  of  your  work  is  not  only  group-­‐‑created,  but  project-­‐‑oriented;  that  is,  not  solitary  quizzes  and  individual  essays,  but  long-­‐‑term  ventures  that  require  coordination,  communication,  and  a  willingness  to  build  something  great  over  time  in  conjunction  with  your  new  peers  and  friends.      To  ensure  that  what  we  do  is  meaningful  and  valuable  to  you,  our  “course  content”  (theme,  topic,  etc.)  is  oriented  around  your  new  immersion  in  college  life;  thus,  we’ll  be  asking  questions  about  the  educational  system  that  brought  you  here,  about  the  social  and  political  questions  that  impact  your  lives,  and  about  the  goals  you  have  as  individuals  and  as  members  of  a  college  cohort  and  community  that  (hopefully)  will  last  long  after  our  class  has  concluded.      

COURSE  OBJECTIVES  This  course  will:    

•   Build  a  community  of  incoming  students  that  focuses  on  achieving  academic  excellence  through  peer  support  

•   Provide  extensive,  supplementary  inquiry-­‐‑  and  problem-­‐‑based  learning  experiences  

•   Engage  students  in  complex  disciplinary  questions  and  issues  through  collaborative  projects  

 

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STUDENT  LEARNING  OUTCOMES    

Students  successfully  completing  any  section  of  this  course  will:    

•   Formulate  original  interventions  to  disciplinary  issues  •   Utilize  peers’  knowledge,  perspectives,  and  feedback  to  shape  conclusions  •   Develop  organizational  and  interpersonal  strategies  for  collaborative  work  

 While  the  course  objectives  and  student  learning  outcomes  are  the  same  for  all  sections  of  ID  151,  this  section  focuses  more  on  how  and  we  we  learn,  know,  and  believe  those  things  that  we,  well,  know,  learn,  and  believe.  The  learning  outcomes  for  the  course  will  be  specifically  engaged  when  students:      

•   Question  their  own  beliefs  and  assumptions,  understanding  both  the  history  of  their  identity  and  engage  in  the  active  (re)construction  of  it  

•   Become  active  and  informed  agents  in  the  conversation  (in  any  medium)  of  our  classroom  

•   Formulate  (and  defend)  arguments  instigated  by  student-­‐‑drive  inquiry  on  course  topics  around  knowledge-­‐‑creation  

•   Better  understand  how  to  work  collaborative  as  students  and  as  people—both  contributing  and  receiving  experiences  generously,  fairly,  and  meaningfully  

•   Create  professional  work  in  a  variety  of  forms  that  expresses  your  ideas  to  new  and  various  audiences  

   

REQUIRED  TEXTS      

•   Readings  posted  to  the  course  Blackboard  site  (many,  if  not  all  of  which,  you  are  required  to  print  and  to  bring  to  class  regularly)  

 COURSE  UNITS  

 •   Truth  &  History……………………………….…………………………………………………….……….25%  

 o   You’re  probably  familiar  with  the  cliché  “History  is  written  by  the  victors;”  

the  implication  of  such  a  statement  is  not  merely  that  history  is  not  an  assortment  of  of  facts  carefully  laid  out,  but  rather  that  history  is  an  ideological  story  told  from  a  particular  point  of  view  towards  very  specific  ends.  Our  inquiry  will  begin  with  James  Loewen  (a  famous  historian  and  scholar)  who  will  help  us  think  about  how  and  why  to  interrogate  American  history;  we  will  then  shift  the  work  away  from  theory  and  onto  practice…namely,  your  group’s  own  investigation  into  an  historical  event  and  the  manner  of  its  representation  over  time.  

 •   What  is  Literacy?………………………………………………………………………………..……….25%  

 o   Could  there  be  anything  more  fundamentally  human  than  literacy?  Beyond  

the  capacity  to  read  and  write,  functional  literacy  is  defined  by  our  competence  at  interacting  with  the  world  around  us,  but  that  competence  is  

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defined  as  much  by  our  educational  system  as  it  is  limited  by  access  to  that  environment.  In  this  unit,  we’ll  look  at  different  means  of  reading,  presenting,  and  understanding  information  not  only  to  increase  our  own  literacies,  but  to  understand  the  sociopolitical  ramifications  of  literacy  in  American  life.  Objects  of  examination  include  literacy  and  citizenship  tests,  polls,  and  other  “threshold”  measurements.    

•   The  Debate……………………………………………………………….………………..…………....…….25%    

o   Even  more  fun  in  an  election  year,  we  will  be  following  the  election  cycle  off  and  on  throughout  the  semester,  both  to  better  understand  our  political  system,  but  also  to  consider  how  we  come  to  understand  our  views  on  political  positions.  This  unit  will  culminate  in  a  debate  between  groups,  each  arguing  for  different  positions  on  a  particular  topic  (to  be  chosen  by  our  class  and  approved  by  me).  In  addition  to  learning  the  format,  preparing  for  your  group’s  role/individual  role,  and,  of  course,  actually  performing,  you  will  also  compose  an  argumentative  essay  that  will  stake  your  group’s  position.    

•   The  First  Year  Student  Guide……………………………………….………………………….……..25%    

o   By  the  end  of  your  first  semester,  you’ll  have  a  very  different  (and,  hopefully,  more  informed)  perspective  on  what  being  a  college  student  is  all  about  (along  with  the  recognition  that  there  isn’t  one  ideal  version  or  identity  to  work  towards).  We’ll  engage  in  some  minor  research  and  investigation,  as  well  as  some  thoughtful  reading  and  analysis  so  that  your  group  can  compose  its  own  multimedia,  First  Year  Student  Guide,  the  object  of  which  is  to  provide  an  audience  of  novice,  incoming  college  students  with  the  information  and  preparation  necessary  to  start  college  effectively…and  to  actually  motivate/convince  them  to  do  so!  You  will  present  your  multimedia  presentation  to  the  class    

 •   ALL  units  will  include  the  following  tasks  as  part  of  your  grade:  

 o   Critical  Reading/Annotations  o   Critical  Writing  Responses  (some  individual,  some  collaborative)  o   In-­‐‑class,  individual  and  group  work  with  course  materials  o   Participation  (defined  below  within  “Course  Policies”)  o   A  larger-­‐‑scale,  developed  group  project  requiring  coordination  and  

collaboration    

COURSE  POLICIES    ACCESS  is  a  priority  to  me  and  to  CCSU.  If  you  require  any  accommodations  in  order  to  make  course  material  accessible,  please  let  me  know  as  soon  as  possible.  The  Student  Disability  Services  office  is  here  as  a  resource,  located  in  Carroll  Hall  246  (DisabilityServices@ccsu.edu;  860-­‐‑832-­‐‑1952).    

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ATTENDANCE  is  an  important  part  of  your  ability  to  understand  the  class  material,  as  well  as  to  contribute  meaningfully  to  your  group.  Therefore,  each  unexcused  absence  after  two  will  result  in  the  lowering  of  your  final  grade  by  1/3  of  a  letter  grade.  Excused  absences,  such  as  those  for  documented  illness,  family  tragedy,  religious  observance,  or  excused  travel  for  intercollegiate  athletics,  will  not  affect  your  grade  (though  I  expect  them  to  be  relayed  in  a  timely  and  responsible  manner—in  advance  whenever  possible).  I  will  be  taking  roll  and  enforcing  this  policy  stringently.  Arriving  to  class  more  than  10  minutes  late  will  be  considered  an  absence,  as  well.    

LATE  AND/OR  INCOMPLETE  WORK  Any  assignment  turned  in  after  the  beginning  of  class  (or  other  stated  time)  on  the  day  that  it  is  due—and  even  if  you  emailed  it  to  me  or  put  it  in  my  mailbox  instead—is  considered  late.  Late  submission  of  an  assignment  will  result  in  the  deduction  of  one  full  letter  grade  for  each  class  period  past  the  due  date  (for  example,  a  B+  would  go  to  a  C+).  If  you  anticipate  an  absence  for  any  reason,  it  is  your  responsibility  to  coordinate  with  your  groupmates  and  with  me  to  ensure  that  you  are  continuing  to  do  the  work  of  our  class.    

 PLAGIARISM  is  defined  by  the  Student  Code  of  Conduct  and  Statement  of  Judicial  Procedures  as  “presenting,  as  one’s  own,  the  ideas  or  words  of  another  person,  for  academic  evaluation,  without  proper  acknowledgment.”  We  place  special  weight  on  academic  honesty  in  all  of  our  intellectual  pursuits  because  it  is  a  value  that  is  fundamental  to  academic  life  and  scholarly  practice.  We  will  talk  in  this  class  about  how  to  cite  and  attribute  the  work  of  others.  After  all,  a  thorough  understanding  of  documentation  is  essential  for  a  writing  tutor.  At  any  time  throughout  the  semester  if  you  have  questions  about  plagiarism  and/or  academic  honesty,  please  ask  me  or  visit:  http://web.ccsu.edu/academicintegrity/      PARTICIPATION  in  discussions,  small  group  work,  presentations  to  your  peers,  and  research  activities  is  an  essential  part  of  this  course—it  is,  by  its  title  and  nature,  a  collaborative  class  that  requires  you  to  speak,  to  listen,  and  to  create  work  together.  Your  active  engagement  is  crucial  to  this  course  as  is  your  patience,  generosity,  and  awareness.  While  not  everyone  prefers  to  participate  in  the  same  way,  our  course  goals  and  outcomes  aim  at  developing  our  collaborative  and  public  skills,  all  of  which  will  be  necessary  in  your  future  courses  and,  of  course,  in  your  future  career.  This  means  engaging  in  a  productive  and  safe  discomfort—enough  to  force  us  to  grow,  but  not  so  much  that  we  are  scared  or  intimidated  by  the  challenge.  This  requires  much  from  me,  but  even  more  from  you,  and  it  is  an  expectation  of  CCSU  that  you  rise  to  the  challenge!  Additionally,  participation  is  also  defined  by  your  communication  with  our  class  community—this  means  checking  Blackboard  regularly,  reading  and  responding  to  course  emails  in  a  timely  manner,  and  working  with  your  peers  to  ensure  effective  collaboration.    Finally,  it’s  worth  pointing  out  negative  (and,  hopefully,  unlikely)  expressions  of  “participation”—namely,  distractions  (especially  your  phone)  and  inappropriate  behavior.  If,  in  my  judgment,  your  phone  is  present  or  distracting  to  you  in  any  way,  I  will  mark  you  absent  for  that  day.  In  addition,  the  obvious,  inappropriate  usages  of  our  class  time—sleeping,  doing  work  for  a  different  class,  etc.—will  also  result  in  your  official  absence.  More  serious  breaches—including,  but  not  limited  to:  harassment  (intentional  or  otherwise),  abrogation  of  responsibility  to  your  groupmates,  or  other  serious  breaches  may  be  met  by  drastically  reduced  grades  and/or  involvement  from  the  Office  of  Student  Affairs.    

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CHANGES  TO  THE  SCHEDULE  are  unlikely,  but  they  are  a  possibility  if  we  get  behind  as  a  class  or  campus  is  closed  due  to  inclement  weather.  (For  updates  on  campus  closures,  check  this  site:  http://web.ccsu.edu/cancel/.)  I  will  notify  you  of  any  changes  in  class  by  emailing  you  (always  at  your  CCSU  email  address),  in  addition  to  anything  I  can  say  in  advance  in  person.      

RESOURCES    THE  WRITING  CENTER  is  available  to  provide  free  writing  tutoring  and  consultation.  All  writers  benefit  from  feedback.  You  may  set  up  an  appointment  by  calling  (860)  832-­‐‑2765  or  by  dropping  by  the  center  in  Carroll  002.    THE  LEARNING  CENTER  supports  your  academic  success  by  offering  free  one-­‐‑on-­‐‑one  academic  coaching.  The  Learning  Center  (http://web.ccsu.edu/tlc/)  is  located  in  Carroll  016  and  can  be  reached  by  phone  at  (860)  832-­‐‑1900.      OTHER  CAMPUS  RESOURCES:  

•   COUNSELING  &  WELLNESS  CENTER  (http://web.ccsu.edu/counselingandwellnesscenter/)    

•   OFFICE  OF  DIVERSITY  AND  EQUITY    (http://www.ccsu.edu/diversity/)    

•   OFFICE  OF  VICTIM  ADVOCACY    •   http://www.ccsu.edu/diversity/victimAdvocacy.html  •   STUDENT  HEALTH  SERVICES  

(http://web.ccsu.edu/healthservices/)    •   CENTER  FOR  ADVISING  AND  CAREER  EXPLORATION  (CACE)  

(http://web.ccsu.edu/cace/)    •   FINANCIAL  AID  

(http://web.ccsu.edu/financialaid/)