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HIST 2310 (formerly HIST 1110) Syllabus

Course Syllabus

HIST 2310 (formerly HIST 1110) - Early World History (formerly Survey of World History I)

3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

This course is the first half of a two-semester survey of world history.  It partially fulfills the world history requirement for TBR colleges, as well as other in-state and out-of-state public and private institutions. The course covers the history of the world from the origins of humanity to the sixteenth century.  The units are topical in nature and in chronological format. 

Note:  Course title and course number changes are effective Fall 2018.

Course Outcomes:

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

  • Analyze historical facts and interpretations concerning human history to 1500.
  • Analyze and compare political, geographic, economic, social, cultural, religious, and intellectual institutions, structures and processes across the range of historical periods and cultures in human history to 1500.
  • Recognize and articulate the diversity of human experience across the range of historical periods and the complexities of cultures and societies in human history to 1500.
  • Draw on historical perspectives from human history before 1500 to evaluate contemporary problems and issues.
  • Analyze the contributions of past cultures and societies in human history before 1500 to the contemporary world. 
Prerequisites & Co-requisites:

Satisfactory completion of Learning Support competencies or appropriate entrance exam scores. Students are required to read and write at college level.

Course Topics:

Please access the course modules in the course content section. 

Specific Course Requirements:

There are no specific requirements for this course beyond the hardware and software requirements listed below. 

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."

Supplementary Materials:
Hardware and Software Requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.

Minimum software requirements can be found here.

Common applications you might need:

Web Resources:

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)

The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook

Student Resources:
  • Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
  • Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
  • Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.

Instructor Information

Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.

Participation, Assessments, & Grading

Testing Procedures:

Students will take their exams online. 

Grading Procedures:

Your course grade will be based on the sum of the ten highest scores for discussion postings in response to ten online discussion questions, the two highest scores from the three term exams, the two highest scores from the three essay exams, and the score from the comprehensive essay exam. In order to pass the course, you must post responses to ten of the fifteen online discussion questions, and take two of the three essay exams, two of the three term exams, and the comprehensive essay exam, regardless of your scores short of meeting this requirement.

Point Distribution: Your score for the course will be based on your scores from the assignments and exams listed below. 

Assignment NameNumber of AssignmentPoints
Discussion Question Responses10 highest sets of responses @ 5 points each
-Each discussion question response is worth 5 points
-Students must respond to at least 10 of the 15 discussion question
50
Term Exams2 highest term exam scores @ 25 points each
-Each term exam is worth 25 points
-Students must take at least two of the three term exams
50
Essay Exams2 highest essay exam scores @ 25 points each
-Each essay exam is worth 25 points
-Students must take at least two of the three essay exams
50
Comprehensive Essay Exam1 comprehensive essay exam @ 50 points50
Total Points 200
Grading Scale:

Your course grade will be based on the number of points that you earn in the class. Below is a list of the number of points necessary to qualify for each letter grade. 

A180 Points
B160 Points
C140 Points
D120 Points

I also take effort and improvement into account in the assignment of course grades. In the assignment of the semester grade, a student's effort and/or improvement may make up for a shortage of one or two points toward a particular grade. In my evaluation of effort and improvement I consider the completion of optional exams, improvement in exam scores during the semester, and participation in online class discussions. 

Assignments and Projects:

The course work will consist of

  • 15 discussion questions to which students will respond on the discussion board 
    • one discussion question for each of the fifteen modules in the course
  • 3 term exams
  • 3 essay exams
  • 1 comprehensive essay exam
Class Participation:

Students must participate in class discussions by posting responses to the weekly discussion topics and the responses of other students. Students are strongly encouraged to contact the instructor concerning any questions they may have about the course. 

Late Policy:

Students are expected to submit all written assignments on time. Penalties will be assessed for those assignments that are accepted late. Students should consult the course calendar and assignments sheets for due dates of written assignments. 

Course Ground Rules

The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:

RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Read the document in its entirety here.

1. Standards of Conduct:

  • Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.

2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:

  • In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
  • to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
  • or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution.  Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.

In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.

Other Course Rules:

Students are expected to:

  • Participate in all aspects of the course
  • Communicate with other students
  • Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
  • Address technical problems immediately:
  • Observe course netiquette at all times.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussions:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.


Last Revised on July 12, 2021