Course Syllabus
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Materials/Texts
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Objectives
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Prerequisites
Assignment Outline
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Summary
Course Title
History and Methods in Modern Geography
Course No.
GEOG16290
CRN
10001
Start/End Dates
12/19/15 - 1/19/15
Term/Module
Intercession 2015
Delivery Method
Number of Face-to-Face Meetings
Online
0
Course Description
This course will cover the history and development of geographic study, introduce students to
the core literature, current trends, and research techniques of modern Geography, and
familiarize students with published research relevant to their field of interest. In addition, the
course serves as a workshop for the development of an original research proposal, which
students who have not completed their senior capstone coursework can use as a blueprint for
that research.
Instructor
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Name
Nathaniel Gabriel, PhD
Email
gabrieln@gmail.com
Phone
267-671-2821
Rowan University CGCE Syllabus version 4.0 - 2013 - Google Doc
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Virtual
Office Hours
Post questions and comments for the instructor to the Office Hours board (in Discussions
Area). The instructor will respond within approximately 48 hours. For faster or more private
correspondence, use email or phone.
Objectives
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Students will develop and demonstrate the ability to critically review the history of geography,
geographic research methods, and published geographical studies. Students will also learn to situate
their own research interests within the traditions of geography, and design an original research
project using research methodologies appropriate for their chosen topic. FInally, students will write a
research proposal for their own original research, including a literature review, discussion, and
defense of their chosen research methodology.
Prerequisites
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There are no prerequisites for this course. Generally, students taking this course should have standing
as juniors or seniors.
Materials and Texts
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There are no texts that student are required to purchased. Assigned readings and other materials will
be provided online.
Schedule
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The following schedule is tentative and may be changed with prior notification from the instructor.
Week
Start Date
Readings, Activities & Assignments
Unit 1
1
12/19/14
Lecture 1 - Introduction
Begin Assignment 1: Literature Notebook
Self intro DB
2
12/23/14
Lecture 2-1: Introductions; Geography’s Past: Epistemology,
Environmental Determinism, Regionalism, Quantitative Revolution
Lecture 2-2: Critical Geography: Humanism, Structuralism, Feminism,
Post-modernism, Post-humanism
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DQ 1
Begin Assignment 2
Unit 2
2
12/23/14
Lecture 3-1: Deduction and induction; quantitative vs qualitative data
Required Reading/Viewing: Listen to Planet Money podcast, “What Causes
What?”
Lecture 3-2: Causation and correlation.
Read “Findings” page from Harper’s Magazine (Reading 2)
DQ 2
Begin Assignment 3
Lecture 3-3: Finding sources for background support for a project; using
the library for research (not the internet); different kinds of sources.
3
12/30/14
Lecture 4-1: Research questions
Required Reading/Viewing: Listen to Freakonomics podcast, “Three
Hardest Words”
Lecture 4-2: Writing a problem description
Assignment 4: Problem description due
DQ 3
Unit 3
Research
Methods
3
12/30/14
Peer Review of Problem Descriptions
Lecture 5-1: Secondary data
Lecture 5-2: Archives
Lecture 5-3: Participant Observation
Assignment 2: Archival Methods due
Assignment 3: Participant Observation due
Assignment 4: Peer review due
4
1/6/15
Lecture 6-1: Interviews, Surveys
Lecture 6-2: Writing Your Literature Review
Assignment 5: Literature Review
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4
1/6/15
Lecture 7: Writing Your Methods Section
Assignment 6: Methods Section
Assignment 1 Due: Literature Journal
Lecture 8: The Structure of a Good Proposal and How to Be a Good Peer
Reviewer
Handout: Sample Proposal
Assignment 7 Part 1: submission of full proposal
Unit 4
Writing Your
Proposal
5
1/13/15
Assignment 7 Part 2 - Peer review (by fri [Jan 16])
Assignment 8: Final Proposal and changes from rough draft following peer
review
DQ4
Assignment Outline
Assignments in this course take three forms. First is the Literature Journal, which will be a record of
the independent reading you do in defining and exploring your research interests in the field of
Geography. Second are the methods exercises, in which you will practice a sample of the research
methods that geographers employ. Finally, and perhaps most important, are the assignments related
to your research proposal. You will write this proposal in three parts, which will then be brought
together at the end of the course in the final version of the proposal, which you may use as a guide
for your research during Senior Seminar.
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Grading
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Final Grade Breakdown
Grading Criteria/Assignment
Assignment 1 - Literature Journal
Assignment 2&3 - Methods Assignments (2 total)
Points/Percentage
20%
20% (10% each)
Assignment 4 - Problem Description
5%
Assignment 5 - Literature Review
5%
Assignment 6 - Methods Section
5%
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Assignment 8 - Final Proposal
35%
Participation - includes peer reviews (assignments 4 and 7)
and discussions
10%
Total
100%
Grading Scale
A
93 and Up
C
74 – 76
A-
90 – 92
C-
70 – 73
B+
87 – 89
D+
67 – 69
B
84 – 86
D
64 – 66
B-
80 – 83
D-
60 – 63
C+
77 - 79
F
59 and Below
CGCE Standard Policies (addendum)
The current version of CGCE Standard Policies, which are an addendum to this syllabus, are found in
the CGCE Standard Policies Document.
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Rowan University CGCE Syllabus version 4.0 - 2013 - Google Doc
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