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HUM 1010 Syllabus

Course Syllabus

HUM 1010 - Early Humanities (formerly Introduction to Humanities I)

3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

This course provides a historical approach to pivotal ideas, systems of thought, and creations of the Western world (e.g., music, drama, painting, sculpture, architecture and literature) as reflections of the culture that produced them. HUM 1010 examines from antiquity through A.D. 1600.

The goal of the Humanities and/or Fine Arts requirement is to enhance the understanding of students who, as citizens and educated members of their communities, need to know and appreciate their own human cultural heritage and its development in a historical and global context. Also, through study of Humanities and/or Fine Arts, students will develop an understanding, which they otherwise would not have, of the present as informed by the past.

Course Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Analyze significant primary texts and works of art, ancient, pre-modern, and modern, as forms of cultural and creative expression.
  • Explain the ways in which humanistic and/or artistic expression throughout the ages expresses the culture and values of its time and place.
  • Explore global/cultural diversity.
  • Frame a comparative context through which they can critically assess the ideas, forces, and values that have created the modern world.
  • Recognize the ways in which both change and continuity have affected human history.
  • Practice the critical and analytical methodologies of the Humanities and/or Fine Arts. 
Prerequisites & Co-requisites:

None

Course Topics:
  • Module 1: Prehistory, Mesopotamia, and Ancient Egypt
  • Module 2: Ancient Greece
  • Module 3: Ancient Rome
  • Module 4: World Religions
  • Module 5: Early Middle Ages
  • Module 6: High Middle Ages
  • Module 7: Early Renaissance
  • Module 8: High Renaissance
Specific Course Requirements:

No textbooks are required for this course. All materials are available online (see the course lessons for details and instructions).

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:

Students may be required to view pdf files and video files using Acrobat Reader, Real Player, and/or Media Player. You can download free software at:

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:
 
Grading Procedures:
  • Grades will be based on students' satisfactory completion of the required assignments (see below).
  • Assignments have been designed to assess students' comprehension and understanding of topic material as well as their ability to apply principles studied to their experiences in modern-day life. These assessments will allow students to express their mastery of the competencies and objectives listed above.
  • Students will be tested on their objective, factual knowledge of key terms, events, and concepts as well as on their ability to apply that knowledge in reflective, analytical, and argumentative writing assignments.
  • Students are encouraged (but not required) to use the tutorial service Smarthinking for any writing assignment. A link to Smarthinking services can be found on the course Home Page.
  • When students submit assignments to the Dropbox, their work will automatically be evaluated for originality using the software Feedback Studio. Students may check their Feedback Studio results before the due date to make needed adjustments to their work and resubmit to the Dropbox.
Grading Scale:
A90-100%
B80-89%
C70-79%
D65-69%
FLess than 65%

Graded Assignments

DescriptionPointsPercentage
67 Self-Assessments @ 100 points each670020%
8 Discussions @ 100 points each80020%
8 Module Tests @ 100 points each80020%
4 Projects @ 100 points each40020%
2 Exams @ 100 points each20020%
 8900100%

 

Assignments and Projects:

You will have five types of assignments in this class, each of which will be explained in detail below. The five types of assignments are

  1. Module Self-Assessment, 1 per lesson in each module, the number of lessons per module varies, total of 8 modules, worth 20% of final grade
  2. Module Discussions in small groups, 1 per module, total of 8 modules, worth 20% of final grade
  3. Module Tests, 1 per module, total of 8, worth 20% of final grade
  4. Projects, 4, worth 20% of final grade
  5. Midterm Essay Exam and Final Essay Exam, worth 10% each, total 20% of final grade

Self-Assessment Quizzes (linked in Course Content and also available under Evaluation/Assessments)

Each lesson in the modules ends in a self-assessment quiz. These quizzes are based on what you read or saw in the lesson and will be purely objective in nature (multiple choice, matching, true/false, multiple select). You may take the quizzes as many times as you need to in order to earn 100%. The Module Test questions will be taken directly from the Self-Assessment Quiz question bank.

Discussions (linked in Course Content and also available under Evaluation/Discussions)

Each module will have a discussion assignment. For discussions, you will join a small group of your classmates. These discussions will be based on larger concepts and ideas that you have gathered from the lessons in the module. After you have made Post 1, then you will be expected to join in the group discussion by offering new ideas and constructive criticism in Post 2 and Post 3, which will be replies to your fellow students. Your posts will be graded based on the discussion grading rubric.

Tests (linked in Course Content and also available under Evaluation/Assessments)

Each module ends with a a 30-minute, timed test. You will have only one attempt, and the test will shut down when the time is up. The module tests will ask 50 objective questions (multiple choice, matching, true/false, multiple select) about the topics covered in the lessons. The questions in the tests will be pulled randomly from the Self-Assessment Quiz question bank. If you have worked carefully through the modules doing all activities, then you should be well-prepared for the tests.

Projects (linked in Course Content and also available under Evaluation/Dropbox)

After Modules 3, 4, 6, and 8, you will do a project. For Project 1, you will write an essay about a story that has meaning for you and that you will connect thematically with a story from an ancient culture. For Project 2, you will interview several people about music and write up a report that analyzes their responses. For Project 3, you will choose a work or art or architecture and write a formal analysis of it. For Project 4, you will write a proposal for a community humanities exhibit in which you curate six artifacts from civilizations from prehistory to the Renaissance. These projects will be submitted to the Dropbox and will be graded based on the project grading rubric.

Mid-term and Final Essay Exams (linked in Course Content and also available under Evaluation/Assessments)

For your Midterm Exam, you will investigate one of the Big Questions of humanity (What is the meaning of life? What will happen to me when I die? etc.) and discuss how it is answered in each of three cultures. For your Final Exam, you will answer three of the Big Questions for yourself, reflecting on the cultures you have studied and using them for illustrations. You will upload both exams to the Dropbox.

Critical Thinking Skills

In the discussions, projects, and exams, you will be asked to use critical thinking skills and to apply the course concepts to a real world situation. You will need to know how to:

  • explain your issue
  • take a position on the issue
  • give evidence to help explain your issue and to support your position on the issue
  • examine the context of the issue and analyze your own and others' assumptions on the issue
  • form a logical conclusion about the issue.*

* Critical thinking criteria adapted from the AAC&U's Critical Thinking Rubric. Source: Value Rubric for Critical Thinking (opens in a new window)

Badges

In this course, you can earn Badges for doing your module activities. Two badges are hidden in the Getting Started Module and five or six badges will be hidden within each primary module (Modules 1-8). You will need to do all the activities to figure out where they are. When you earn a badge, it will appear in the Awards section of the course (far right of Navigation Bar above).

Class Participation:

Students must participate in all interactive aspects of the course. For example, students are expected to communicate with the instructor as a learning resource, students must check the course news frequently for announcements, and students must actively participate in the group discussion events.

General Expectations

As your instructor, I expect you, the student, to :

  • act professionally in all aspects of the course and treat me and your fellow students with respect
  • log into the course regularly and read each page of the course content as directed
  • complete and do your best on the self-assessment quizzes, discussions, tests, and dropbox papers
  • submit assignments on time using the correct online tools and formats as directed 
  • spend 12-15 hours a week studying the materials for this course and doing the course assignments

As a student, you should expect me, the instructor, to:

  • act professionally in all aspects of the course and treat each student with respect
  • answer emails within 48 hours
  • grade assignments within a week of submission
  • give helpful feedback on written assignments
  • provide guidance on and assistance with all content material and assignments

General Guidelines

  • This course moves quickly. Students must keep up with their reading or they will have a very difficult time catching up. Students must turn in assignments on time, or they will quickly get behind.
  • The instructor always welcomes questions, but students should be sure to read all of the pertinent pages in the class content area before asking questions about assignments, procedures, and requirements. Usually, all of the information needed can be found there.
  • Students who have not had any previous experience with online course software must be willing to dive in and learn quickly. Click away on eLearn during the first week to learn how everything works. Explore and find out for yourself how to navigate your web space and locate all the tools you need.
  • The instructor will provide tools to make this learning process easier. Other students who have had online courses before are usually happy to help newcomers.To excel in this or any other online course, students must be willing and motivated to do a lot of reading online. The instructor recommends making printed copies of the course content pages for reading and note taking.
  • Students should communicate with the instructor and their other classmates regularly. They should use their assigned course email addresses in regular communication. They should participate in all aspects of the course regularly, including checking email and announcements.
  • Students should observe course netiquette at all times. This includes being respectful of others in all email and discussion posts. A good rule of thumb is "write as though your little old granny were going to read it."
  • Students should address technical problems immediately. A toll-free telephone number and a web link to the Helpdesk are provided on the Get Help (opens in a new window) page and on the Course Home page in the Bookmarks widget.
Late Policy:

Late work is not accepted, so please give yourself plenty of buffer time before the due date in case issues arise and you need help. A good tip for online learning is to set your own personal due date for each assignment two or three days ahead of the real due date.

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