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HIST 112 B
World History since 1500
Early Fall Session 15/51
Monday, August 17 – Saturday, October 10, 2015
Course Description
This course surveys the major developments that have shaped the human experience since 1500 CE.
The course will examine overall patterns of global history, characteristics of the world’s major
modern civilizations, and the relationships and exchanges among these societies. Major themes
include humans and their environment, culture, politics and government, economics, and social
structures. Students will also gain insight into the historical roots of many of the world’s major
cultural traditions.
Prerequisite: None
Proctored Exams: -- Final exam
Textbooks
Required: Robert W. Strayer, Ways of the World: A Brief Global History, with Sources, Vol. 2, 2nd
edition, 2013. (Bedford Books): ISBN: 978-0-312-58349-1.
Recommended: Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 8th ed., 2016.
(Bedford/St. Martins): ISBN: 978-1-4576-9088-4.
NOTE: It is imperative that you obtain the version of the Strayer textbook which includes “with
Sources” in the title. Important course assignments are based upon those primary sources.
Textbooks for the course may be ordered from MBS Direct. You can order
 online at http://direct.mbsbooks.com/columbia.htm (be sure to select Online Education
rather than your home campus before selecting your class)
 by phone at 800-325-3252
For additional information about the bookstore, visit http://www.mbsbooks.com.
Course Overview
HIST 112 approaches the history of the world from 1500 CE to the most recent era by dividing the
material covered into three periods:
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Part 1, “The Early Modern World, 1450 - 1750” examines the world during a period when
global interconnections accelerated under the impact of empire-building and exploration,
new trade connections, and a myriad of developments in culture and science.
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Part 2, “The European Moment in World History, 1750 – 1914,” explores the impact of
European expansion in particular upon other cultures, during a period in which the West
extended forms of dominance across virtually the entire planet. Political and industrial
revolutions meant that new ideas and technologies had revolutionary effects worldwide, for
better and worse.
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Part 3, “The Most Recent Century, 1914-2010,” examines the 20th century and the first years
of the 21st as a period in which non-Western societies attained a new prominence
worldwide. The weakening of European power in the aftermath of World Wars 1 and 2 were
part of this—so too were new processes of worldwide interaction that came to be known as
globalization.
The course emphasizes social, religious, intellectual, scientific, artistic, economic, and political
developments within particular civilizations, encounters between civilizations, and the effects of
such encounters.
Technology Requirements
Participation in this course will require the basic technology for all online classes at Columbia
College:
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A computer with reliable Internet access,
a web browser,
Acrobat Reader,
Microsoft Office or another word processor such as Open Office (papers must be submitted
in *.doc or *docx file formats).
You can find more details about standard technical requirements for our courses on our site.
Course Objectives
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Analyze and interpret primary sources and use them as evidence to support historical
arguments.
Identify and describe the context and significance of major figures, ideas, and events of
world history.
Analyze historical periods and civilizations with awareness of ethnocentrism or modern
bias.
Measurable Learning Outcomes
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Grading
Identify individuals and groups that have contributed to the development of world
civilizations since 1500.
Evaluate the formation of social, political, and economic institutions and their
influence on social organization and control.
Analyze several major world religions and philosophies and compare their
implications for cultural development.
Explain the central technological contributions to world development.
Construct an historical essay based on primary documents.
Evaluate the process of cultural exchange and interaction.
Express an understanding of the chronology of major civilizations in world history
since 1500.
Describe the geographical locations of early modern and modern civilizations.
Identify and locate evidence used to create and support an argument in historical
analysis and writing.
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Grading Scale
GRADE
POINTS
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Grade Weights
PERCENT
ASSIGNMENT
POINTS
PERCENT
200
20
A
900-1,000
90-100
Discussion (16)
B
800-899
80-89
Essays (3)
300
30
C
700-799
70-79
Quizzes (3)
300
30
D
600-699
60-69
Final Exam
200
20
F
0-599
0-59
Total
1,000
100
Schedule of Due Dates
WEEK
1
ASSIGNMENT
Discussions 1
Thursday/Sunday
25
Thursday/Sunday
Quiz 1
100
Sunday
Proctor Information
--
Sunday
25
Thursday/Sunday
100
Sunday
25
Thursday/Sunday
100
Sunday
25
Thursday/Sunday
100
Sunday
25
Thursday/Sunday
100
Sunday
25
Thursday/Sunday
Essay 3
100
Sunday
Discussion 15
25
Thursday/Saturday
Discussion 4
Discussion 5
3
Discussion 6
Essay 1
Discussion 7
4
Discussion 8
Quiz 2
Discussion 9
5
Discussion 10
Essay 2
Discussion 11
6
Discussion 12
Quiz 3
Discussion 13
7
8
DUE
25
Discussions 2
Discussion 3
2
POINTS
Discussion 14
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Discussion 16
Final Exam
200
Saturday
Assignment Overview
Discussions: Your discussion posts are a core part of this course. Your weekly discussion posts
must be substantive, consisting of at least 300 words of thoughtful response to the relevant
discussion question. Be specific in these posts--use examples taken from the reading to
demonstrate to your instructor that you have mastered key details that support your claims in your
discussion posts. Moreover, to be eligible to receive full credit on your discussion postings, you need
to respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts each week in addition to your initial posts. This
means that you need to plan on following the progress of the discussions at least three times each
week so that you can participate in ongoing discussions. As noted in the table above, your initial
posts are due by midnight Thursday and your response postings are due by midnight Sunday (with
the exception of Week 8, when response postings are due on the final Saturday).
Discussions postings should respond to the relevant questions I have provided. Please do not use
long quotations. Effective discussion posts will present ideas in your own words. Those that
merely copy in text from the textbook or some other source will be much less effective and will not
receive high scores. Learn to paraphrase and summarize, and always cite the source from which you
are paraphrasing/summarizing. Paraphrasing--as opposed to mere copying--shows me that you have
understanding of the material.
Each response to your classmates should add to the discussion in a meaningful way by bringing up
an original and relevant point. It is not your job to tell other students that they have not addressed
parts of the discussion topics, although you are encouraged to express a different interpretation or
ask for additional information from other students on particular topics. Aim to support each other,
stay respectful, and be aware that electronic communication can be read in ways you may not have
intended. Note: in a college history course, all institutions and traditions are held up to light for
examination and discussion. This may include institutions and beliefs to which you or your
classmates are deeply attached. Please respect that others may hold different perspectives. This
course examines traditions and institutions from a historical standpoint.
Be aware that each chapter is followed by a set of primary sources (sources from the actual period),
including art. I will be especially impressed by discussion postings that aim to bring in some of those
primary source materials. (Note that your textbook has a section on “Working with Primary
Sources”; see p. xlv.) I will also be impressed with postings that use materials and resources found on
the textbook's website or other reliable sources (do not use Wikipedia). If you do use any source
other that the textbook, please note within the text of your discussion posting where you got the
information.
Essays: You will write three essays in this course, due in Weeks 3, 5, and 7. All essays are responses
to questions based on your reading of primary source documents, but will require that you
understand the background material presented in the required textbook. The essays must be
between 700-900 words in length, double-spaced, completed in either MS Word (or saved in Rich
Text Format) and submitted to the Dropbox. (Note that MS Word has a word-count function.) See
“Writing Guidelines and Grading Standards” for advice on essay composition. Be aware also that your
textbook has a section on “Working with Primary Sources” (pp. xlv-xlix). Be sure that your essay
actually points to evidence from the documents. Show me, don’t just tell me.
In responding to the questions in the discussions and on the essay, you may want to use resources in
addition to your textbook. This is encouraged, as it allows you to explore areas of interest in more
detail. I do caution you, however, to be aware of any biases that some authors might have in dealing
with the subject matter. Remember that Wikipedia is not an acceptable resource, as it is not
refereed and, therefore, not reliable. I recommend the sources found in the databases available
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through the Columbia College library. Be sure to document your sources properly using the Turabian
(Chicago Manual of Style) format, which is also covered by the Rampolla text. Please see the
plagiarism tutorial within the course website; essays that have any plagiarized material will
receive zero points and will be reported as Academic Integrity violations. Work that has been
submitted—partially or in full—for other classes cannot be submitted in this class; doing so
will be considered a violation of academic integrity.
Quizzes: There will be three quizzes in this course in Weeks 2, 4, and 6. Quizzes will open on Monday
of each week, and must be completed before midnight Sunday of that week. The quizzes will consist
of approximately 30 multiple-choice questions, covering the assigned reading material. Although
these quizzes are not proctored, students will benefit most from taking them in a closed-book,
closed-note fashion. The quizzes are time-limited to discourage use of the book while taking the quiz.
Final Exam: The final exam will be comprehensive and will consist of two main parts of roughly
equal weight. The first section will consist of approximately 50 multiple-choice and true-false
questions, and the second part will consist of a single essay. The final exam must be taken in a
proctored setting. (Please see the Proctor Policy for more information.) You will have two hours to
take the exam. This will be a closed-book exam. You will not be able to use your text or other
references or notes during the exam. You can post questions about the final in the discussion forum
that will open in Week 4.
Course Schedule
Part 1: The Early Modern World, 1450-1750
Week 1 – Encounters through empire, 1450-1750
Readings: Strayer, Prologue, “Big Picture” at the beginning of Part 4, and Chap. 13
Discussion Assignments: Please post your initial post by midnight Thursday and your responses to
at least two classmates by midnight Sunday. Please note that in order to receive full credit, you must
post on three separate days.
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Discussion 1: In the "Introductions" discussion, introduce yourself to your fellow students.
Please tell us a little about yourself, including your name and your major, and discuss any
special interests you may have in history. If you don't think you have any interest in history
(and this course aims to change that), think about any books or movies you have read or
seen that are set any time in the past. What intrigues you about the book or movie's setting?
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Discussion 2: Why did the European empires in the Americas have such an enormously
greater impact on the conquered people than did the Chinese, Mughal and Ottoman empires
as they extended their reach in the same period?
Week 2– Commerce and culture, 1450-1750
Readings: Strayer, Chaps. 14 and 15
Proctor Information: Please submit your proctor’s information to the correct folder in the Dropbox
area by midnight Sunday.
Discussion Assignments: Please post your initial post by midnight Thursday and your responses to
at least two classmates by midnight Sunday. Please note that in order to receive full credit, you must
post on three separate days.
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Discussion 3: What lasting legacies of early modern globalization are evident in the early
21st century? Pay particular attention to the legacies of the slave trade.
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Discussion 4: In what ways was the missionary message of Christianity shaped by the
cultures of Asian and American peoples?
Quiz 1: Covers material from Chapters 13, 14, and 15. Please complete in the Quizzes area by
midnight Sunday.
Part 2: The European Moment in World History, 1750-1914
Week 3– Political and industrial revolutions, 1750-1914
Readings: Strayer, “The Big Picture” at the beginning of Part 5, and Chaps. 16 and 17
Discussion Assignments: Please post your initial post by midnight Thursday and your responses to
at least two classmates by midnight Sunday. Please note that in order to receive full credit, you must
post on three separate days.
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Discussion 5: In what ways did the Atlantic Revolutions and their echoes give a new and
distinctive shape to the emerging societies of nineteenth-century Europe and the Americas?
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Discussion 6: In what ways may the Industrial Revolution be understood as a global rather
than simply a European phenomenon?
Essay 1: Submit to the Dropbox by midnight Sunday. Consider at least three of the four primary
source documents at the end of Chapter 16 (Docs. 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, and 16.4). Write a 700-900 word
essay using those documents to address the following question: In what different ways does the idea
of “rights” find expression in these documents? Which documents speak more about individual
rights, and which focus attention on collective rights? What common understandings among them
can you identify? As you plan your essay, be sure to pay attention to the guide document on essays,
located under the Student Resources module in the Content area.
Week 4 – Threats and reactions in an era of European expansion, 1750-1914
Readings: Strayer Chaps. 18 and 19
Discussion Assignments: Please post your initial post by midnight Thursday and your responses to
at least two classmates by midnight Sunday. Please note that in order to receive full credit, you must
post on three separate days.
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Discussion 7: What differences can you identify in how China, the Ottoman Empire, and
Japan experienced Western imperialism and confronted it? How might you account for
those differences?
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Discussion 8: Was colonial rule a transforming, even a revolutionary, experience, or did it
serve to freeze or preserve existing social and economic patterns? What evidence can you
find to support both sides of this argument?
Quiz 2: Covers material from Chapters 16-19. Please complete in the Quizzes area by midnight
Sunday.
Part 3: The Most Recent Century, 1914-2010
Week 5 – Europe’s collapse and recovery, 1914-1970s
Readings: Strayer, “The Big Picture,” at the beginning of Part 6, and Chap. 20
Discussion Assignments: Please post your initial post by midnight Thursday and your responses to
at least two classmates by midnight Sunday. Please note that in order to receive full credit, you must
post on three separate days.
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Discussion 9: What explains the disasters that befell Europe in the first half of the twentieth
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century?
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Discussion 10: In what ways did Europe’s internal conflicts between 1914 and 1945 have
global implications?
Essay 2: Submit to the Dropbox by midnight Sunday. You may choose either one of the two options
below:
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Option 1: Read carefully the two documents in the section “Ideologies of the Axis Powers” at
the end of Chapter 20. Write a 700-900 word essay addressing the following questions:
From what historical conditions did the ideas expressed in these documents arise? Why did
they achieve such widespread popularity? To what extent might persons even in the
western democracies find such ideas persuasive in the 1930s?
Option 2: Consider the images and the accompanying text offered in the section
“Propaganda and Critique in World War I” at the end of Chapter 20. Write a 700-900 word
essay addressing the following questions: based upon these visual sources, how would you
define the new or distinctive features of World War I compared with earlier European
conflicts? Be sure to base your essay upon your actual informed interpretation of the
images.
As you plan your essay, be sure to pay attention to the guide document on essays, located under the
Student Resources module in the Content area.
Week 6 – The rise and decline of world communism, 1917-present
Readings: Strayer, Chap. 21
Discussion Assignments: Please post your initial post by midnight Thursday and your responses to
at least two classmates by midnight Sunday. Please note that in order to receive full credit, you must
post on three separate days.
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Discussion 11: Why did the communist experiment, which was committed to equality and a
humane socialism, generate such oppressive, brutal, and totalitarian regimes? (Please base
your response on evidence from course readings.)
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Discussion 12: In what different ways did the Soviet Union and China experience
communism during the twentieth century?
Quiz 3: Covers material from Chapters 20-21. Please complete in the Quizzes area by midnight
Sunday.
Course Evaluation: You will have the opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session.
A link will be sent to your CougarMail that will allow you to access the evaluation. Be assured that the
evaluations are anonymous and that your instructor will not be able to see them until after final
grades are submitted.
Please do take the time to fill this out. I find comments from students to be especially helpful and
want to hear from you. :)
Week 7 – A new era for the global south, 1914-present
Readings: Strayer, Chap. 22
Discussion Assignments: Please post your initial post by midnight Thursday and your responses to
at least two classmates by midnight Sunday. Please note that in order to receive full credit, you must
post on three separate days.
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Discussion 13: In what ways did the colonial experience and the struggle for independence
shape the agenda of developing countries in the second half of the twentieth century?
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Discussion 14: From the viewpoint of the early 21st century, to what extent had the goals of
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nationalist of independence movements been achieved?
Essay 3: Submit to the Dropbox by midnight Sunday. Examine the section of Visual Sources entitled
“Representing Independence.” Write a 700-900 word essay based on those images which addresses
the following questions: “How do these images represent post-colonial independence both as
liberating and tension-filled? What were some of the most important challenges faced by newlyindependent states? Where did independence ‘fail’?” As you plan your essay, be sure to pay
attention to the guide document on essays, located under the Student Resources module in the
Content area.
Week 8 – A globalizing planet, 1945-present
Readings: Strayer, Chap. 23
Discussion Assignments: Please post your initial post by midnight Thursday and your responses to
at least two classmates by midnight Saturday. Please note that in order to receive full credit, you
must post on three separate days.
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Discussion 15: To what extent did the processes discussed in this chapter (economic
globalization, feminism, fundamentalism, environmentalism) represent something new in
the twentieth century? In what respects did they have roots in the more distant past?
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Discussion 16: Consider this statement: “the twentieth century marks the end of western
dominance in world history. “ What evidence from course readings might support this
statement? What evidence might contradict it?
Final Exam: The exam may be taken any time during Week 8. You will have two hours to complete
the exam. No notes or textbooks are allowed at the proctored final exam. You can post questions
about the final in the General Questions discussion forum.
Course Policies
Student Conduct
All Columbia College students, whether enrolled in a land-based or online course, are responsible for
behaving in a manner consistent with Columbia College's Student Conduct Code and Acceptable Use
Policy. Students violating these policies will be referred to the office of Student Affairs and/or the
office of Academic Affairs for possible disciplinary action. The Student Code of Conduct and the
Computer Use Policy for students can be found in the Columbia College Student Handbook. The
Handbook is available online; you can also obtain a copy by calling the Student Affairs office (Campus
Life) at 573-875-7400. The teacher maintains the right to manage a positive learning environment,
and all students must adhere to the conventions of online etiquette.
Plagiarism
Your grade will be based in large part on the originality of your ideas and your written presentation
of these ideas. Presenting the words, ideas, or expression of another in any form as your own is
plagiarism. Students who fail to properly give credit for information contained in their written work
(papers, journals, exams, etc.) are violating the intellectual property rights of the original author. For
proper citation of the original authors, you should reference the appropriate publication manual for
your degree program or course (MLA, Chicago, etc.). You might also want to read the plagiarism
tutorial in Quizzes to refresh your memory on this issue. Violations are taken seriously in higher
education and may result in a failing grade on the assignment, a grade of "F" for the course, or
dismissal from the College.
Collaboration conducted between students without prior permission from the instructor is
considered plagiarism and will be treated as such. Spouses and roommates taking the same course
should be particularly careful. It is also inappropriate to submit work in this class that you completed
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in another class; if you are, for example, retaking this class for some reason, please do not re-submit
work here from that previous class. Start fresh. :)
All required papers may be submitted for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection
of plagiarism. All submitted papers may be included in the Turnitin.com reference database for the
purpose of detecting plagiarism. This service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on
the Turnitin.com site.
Non-Discrimination
There will be no discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation,
religion, ideology, political affiliation, veteran status, age, physical handicap, or marital status.
Disability Services
Students with documented disabilities who may need academic services for this course are required
to register with the Coordinator for Disability Services at (573) 875-7626. Until the student has been
cleared through the disability services office, accommodations do not have to be granted. If you are a
student who has a documented disability, it is important for you to read the entire syllabus before
enrolling in the course. The structure or the content of the course may make an accommodation not
feasible.
Online Participation
You are expected to read the assigned texts and participate in the discussions and other course
activities each week. Assignments should be posted by the due dates stated on the grading schedule
in your syllabus. If an emergency arises that prevents you from participating in class, please let your
instructor know by email as soon as possible.
Attendance Policy
Attendance for a week will be counted as having submitted a course assignment for which points
have been earned during that week of the session or if the proctoring information has been
submitted or the plagiarism quiz taken if there is no other assignment due that week. A class week is
defined as the period of time between Monday and Sunday (except for Week 8, when the week and
the course will end on Saturday at midnight). The course and system deadlines are all based on the
Central Time Zone.
Cougar E-mail
All students are provided a CougarMail account when they enroll in classes at Columbia College. You
are responsible for monitoring e-mail from that account for important messages from the College and
from your instructor. You may forward your Cougar e-mail account to another account; however, the
College cannot be held responsible for breaches in security or service interruptions with other e-mail
providers.
Students should use e-mail for private messages to the instructor and other students. The class
discussions are for public messages so the class members can each see what others have to say about
any given topic and respond.
Late Assignment Policy
An online class requires regular participation and a commitment to your instructor and your
classmates to regularly engage in the reading, discussion and writing assignments. Although most of
the online communication for this course is asynchronous, you must be able to commit to the
schedule of work for the class for the next eight weeks. You must keep up with the schedule of
reading and writing to successfully complete the class.
I will penalize late work by 50% unless I have granted an extension to an individual before the due
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date. If you need an extension on an assignment, email me well ahead of time. If you are granted an
extension on an assignment, you must remind me of my consent when you turn in the late
assignment. The late penalty applies to all essays submitted to the “late essays” folder in the Dropbox
area and to quizzes submitted past the time limit. No late discussion postings or final exams will
be accepted.
Course Evaluation
You will have the opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session. A link will be sent to
your CougarMail that will allow you to access the evaluation. Be assured that the evaluations are
anonymous and that your instructor will not be able to see them until after final grades are
submitted.
Proctor Policy
Students taking courses that require proctored exams must submit their completed proctor request
forms to their instructors by the end of the second week of the session. Proctors located at Columbia
College campuses are automatically approved. The use of Proctor U services is also automatically
approved. The instructor of each course will consider any other choice of proctor for approval or
denial. Additional proctor choices the instructor will consider include: public librarians, high school
or college instructors, high school or college counseling services, commanding officers, education
service officers, and other proctoring services. Personal friends, family members, athletic coaches
and direct supervisors are not acceptable.
You must submit the “Student Proctor Information Submission Form” to the Proctor Information
Dropbox within your course by the end of Week 2. This form and additional information about
Proctoring is located in the Content area of the course.
Additional Resources
Orientation for New Students
This course is offered online, using course management software provided by Desire2Learn and
Columbia College. The Student Manual provides details about taking an online course at Columbia
College. You may also want to visit the course demonstration to view a sample course before this one
opens.
Technical Support
If you have problems accessing the course or posting your assignments, contact your instructor, the
Columbia College Helpdesk, or the D2L Helpdesk for assistance. Contact information is also available
within the online course environment.
CCHelpDesk@ccis.edu
helpdesk@desire2learn.com
800-231-2391 ex. 4357
877-325-7778
Online Tutoring
Smarthinking is a free online tutoring service available to all Columbia College students.
Smarthinking provides real-time online tutoring and homework help for Math, English, and Writing.
Smarthinking also provides access to live tutorials in writing and math, as well as a full range of study
resources, including writing manuals, sample problems, and study skills manuals. You can access the
service from wherever you have a connection to the Internet. I encourage you to take advantage of
this free service provided by the college.
Access Smarthinking through CougarTrack under Students->Academics->Academic Resources.
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Grading Criteria
Discussion Rubric
Criteria
Description
Content:
Response to the
Question
Your initial post should be substantive (at least 300 words), containing
either an impressive, accurate summary of information or an in-depth,
accurate analysis of any part of the discussion topic. You are encouraged to
explore the topic by accessing reliable web sites, reading scholarly articles
or books, or analyzing topics of interest, but the response must
demonstrate clear engagement with the assigned reading.
10
Content:
Response Posts
Response comments are helpful and informative additions to the
discussions. Raise questions, expand the topic, or debate points raised by
other students (in a constructive, polite way). At least one of those
responses should be substantive (200-300 words). Avoid cursory “good
post!” or “I agree”-type responses. Demonstrate engagement.
5
Level of
Participation
You have submitted at least three significant postings: the initial posts
before the Thursday deadline and at least one engaged response. These
contributions should be posted on at least three separate days through the
week.
5
Style basics
Postings are written in clear, concise English, with only rare spelling or
grammatical errors. All sources are properly referenced.
5
Total
Points
25
Essay Rubric
Criteria
Description
Focus
A well-developed, specific, defensible, and relevant thesis is articulated.
The thesis statement thoroughly and completely addresses the
question posed. The thesis statement is highlighted in bold or italicized
lettering.
20
Support
Details in support of the thesis are well-chosen, explained, and
connected to the argument. They are presented in a well-organized and
lucid argument.
30
Subject
Knowledge
Student demonstrates an understanding of the primary source
document and its place in the history of Western civilization.
20
Format
A brief introduction and conclusion offer helpful summaries of the
argument.
10
Mechanics
Essay is the appropriate length (700-900 words), double spaced, and
submitted in Word or Rich Text Format.
10
Style basics
Grammar, spelling and writing style is appropriate to college-level
work.
10
Total
Points
100