Lecture slides posted on the class website are not complete, but rather serve as an outline of many of the key points from the readings assigned for that week. Lecture slides also expand on topics covered in the readings and introduce some new concepts not covered in the readings.

These slides may be posted in color, however, it is possible to print them in black and  white (saves ink, is faster to print and is easier to read since my slides normally have a color background unless you select the option to print in black and white).

Readings are assigned on a weekly basis. I recommend doing the full set of readings before reviewing the lecture slides and any other supporting materials (e.g., posted videos, youtube links, etc.). There is no *required* textbook or course pack. All required readings are provided as PDFs or e-links to PDFs that you can access for free.

Course Website

You can access the course website through CANVAS. We will use the course website extensively, so please check it regularly.

Course Requirements and Grading

1. Class Participation

Participation in class discussion forums is expected.

Evaluation Criteria:

A) Students must make 3 Original Posts over the assigned weeks.

B) Students must also make 3 Comments/Replies to a peer’s post over the assigned weeks.

Note: One Original Post and One Comment/Reply may be submitted in the SAME week if desired. However, a maximum of 2 posts (1 original post and 1 comment/reply) within the same week will be evaluated. To be clear – during the entire term you submit a

TOTAL of 6 posts. Thus, you do not need to write a post each week – you can pick which weeks to do them over the assigned weeks.

D) Guidelines for length of posts: Roughly 5-8 sentences to demonstrate thoughtful engagement in discussion (but not a hard rule)

E) Due date for posts: Sundays at 8 pm for the corresponding week. Original Posts AND Comments/ Replies relevant to the week MUST be made during the corresponding week   in class. Eg. Week 7 posts/ replies must be posted during Week 7 to be evaluated.

(Students cannot go back and post or reply in Week 7 if it is already Week 12, for example).

F) Grading: All posts (original and comment/replies) are worth 1 point each (students can only receive of score of 1, or 0).  A maximum total of 6 points for 6 posts (3 original posts and 3 comments/replies) can be obtained. Posts that demonstrate students’ knowledge and depth of thought are worth a combined 8% of the final grade.

Grades for discussion posts are not made available until the end of term. Some feedback may be provided for posts made in the beginning of term.

Note: Sheer completion of posts (ie.just posting anything (see Excellent vs Weak examples of discussion posts and replies in the Discussion Post Instructions link under the Discussions page on Canvas), without adequate depth of thought, insightfulness or substantial contribution) will not be guaranteed a point. For example, if a student only  writes partial posts (e.g., 1 or 2 sentences or that is unrelated to the material covered in class that week), then the student will not receive full credit for the assignment.

Please be respectful of your classmates and their comments!

Additional comments: More than 6 posts/replies are permitted but only the first posts/comments submitted each week will be evaluated. (Ie. Students cannot post 15 times in one week, hoping to acquire a better grade by posting more often). Examples of good/bad posts are available on the course website in the Discussion Forum.

2. Quizzes. There are 3 weekly quizzes (in the folder for Weeks 2, 3, 5) each worth 6%  of the final grade. These are administered online (in their respective weekly folders). All 3 quizzes are due on the same date (please see Canvas for deadline). This deadline is intended to give students flexibility when organizing their time at the beginning of the term.

3. Midterm (1 total, Week 9, worth a combined total of 22% of final grade). This is administered online will be found in the Week 9 folder on the midterm date. The midterm covers all material from Weeks 6, 7 and 8 (This is not a typo, it only covers 3 units). The Midterm exam will be administered using an online invigilation platform through Canvas. A webcam will be required.

4. Final Exam (52% of final grade, this is a cumulative exam). The Final exam will be administered using an online invigilation platform through Canvas. A webcam will be  required.

Quizzes, midterm and the final exam are closed book – meaning you are not permitted to use any notes or to discuss any questions with anyone. Any evidence of cheating will result in an automatic failing of the course and appropriate disciplinary action taken by the University – plus you’ll just feel really bad about yourself and that isn’t worth it. All testing will consist of some combination of

Multiple Choice, Fill-in-the-Blanks, List questions (e.g., list 4 pieces of evidence that support the claim that …) and short answer format (e.g., “From a socio-cultural perspective describe 3 factors that have the most influence on…”). More details will be discussed in class.

***Any changes to the course grades (or any remarking of completed exams) must be approved by the course instructor. If a student wishes to contest the validity of an answer provided on an exam, the student will need to complete a form provided by the course instructor stating the reasons for their request that a mark be reconsidered. This form is available on CANVAS and must be submitted within two weeks from when grades for the disputed exam (quiz, midterm or final) are posted online. Final decisions rest with the course instructor. TAs are not permitted to re-grade any portion of any exam (midterm or final).***