Foundations of Inquiry
FCIQ 101
Course Outline
Instructor’s information
Name: Nicholas Dagen Bloom
Office location: Whitney Lane House
Telephone: 516-686-7524
E-mail: nbloom@nyit.edu
Website: www.civicprojects.com
Office hours: TBA
Course information
Term and date: TBA
Course number and section: TBA Credits: 3
Meeting times: TBA
Building and room number: TBA
Prerequisites and co-requisites: None
Required texts (including ISBN numbers)
1.
2.
Ruggiero, Vincent Ryan. Beyond Feelings: A Guide to Critical Thinking, 8th ed. Boston:
McGraw Hill, 2008.
Course Reader available at the bookstore.
Materials and supplies
Computer Access. According to university policy, all students are required to own or have access to a
computer system off campus with connectivity to the Internet and an installed or current version of
Microsoft Office. NOTE: Microsoft Works is not compatible with Microsoft Office.
Course description from catalog
This course introduces you to the fundamentals of critical thinking both in the university and in your own
life. Topics include an overview of the research methods in many academic disciplines, basic logic, and
fallacies in logic and argumentation. This course serves as a foundation to prepare you to continue
developing critical thinking skills in other core classes and major program coursework.
Course goals and introduction
This course teaches you the basic principles of research and critical thought essential to being an educated
person in the 21st century. In the weeks entitled “Research Methods,” you will investigate what research
and critical thinking means in the Social Sciences (History, Political Science, and Economics), the
Humanities (Literature and Philosophy), and the Behavioral Sciences (Psychology, Anthropology, and
Sociology). The progress achieved in research techniques across the disciplines has given us profound
insights into human culture and society that enrich our lives. In subsequent years at NYIT you will select
from Seminar classes in these areas; this course will also help you select and thrive in these later courses.
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In weeks entitled “Critical Thinking” you will examine on a more personal basis your own thinking with
introductions to logic, fallacies, and argumentation. Throughout the course you will learn how to ask
meaningful questions, to identify reliable sources of information, to evaluate the authority and relevance of
information, and to use information to formulate reasonable answers to questions and positions on issues.
Foundations of Inquiry initiates your intellectual journey toward effective critical thinking, which is a
central component to NYIT’s core curriculum and major program coursework. This course prepares you to
succeed in their other courses, to become an educated citizen, and to be a well-rounded person who can
apply an NYIT education to any career of their choosing.
Learning outcomes and instruments of assessment
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Describe the major components and learning outcomes of the NYIT Discovery Core.
Design a basic interdisciplinary report that demonstrates an understanding of basic research
methods in academic disciplines included in the NYIT Discovery Core Seminars (Social Science,
Behavioral Science, Literature, and Philosophy).
Analyze images, basic statistics, and other forms of data in the context of arguments.
Identify and avoid logical and emotional fallacies
Write organized responses, supported by evidence, to questions posed by instructor.
Find and evaluate evidence within the context of an argument for a position or an answer to a
question as indicated by a successful annotated bibliography, case study/debate project.
Develop a coherent oral presentation.
Methods of Assessment will include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Written Questions and Responses to readings will be used on a weekly basis to gauge your
engagement in the course readings and assignments.
The participation grade will be used to evaluate your engagement in class discussions and your
analytical skills.
The Midterm Interdisciplinary Project will be evaluated on your demonstrated awareness of the
different research methods used by academic disciplines.
Written Summary and Group Presentation of Case Study Analysis/Debate will be used to
determine your ability to write and speak clearly, frame thoughtful questions, and evaluate
information (including both visual and statistical sources) in the context of an argument.
The Final Exam will be used to gauge your ability in analysis of arguments including fallacies,
visual images, and basic statistics.
Grading formula
1. Written Responses to Reading Questions (30%)
2. Class Participation (10%)
3. Annotated Bibliography for Midterm Interdisciplinary Project (5%)
4. Midterm Interdisciplinary Project (including Annotated Bibliography) (15%).
5. Written Summary of Case Study/Debate Analysis (10%)
6. Group Presentation of Case Study Analysis (10%)
7. Final Exam (20%)
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8.
The NYIT grading scale is as follows:
100-94 A
93-90 A89-87 B+
86-84 B
83-80 B-
79-77 C+
76-74 C
73-70 C69-67 D+
66-60 D
59-below F
Exams and quizzes
1.
Final Exam (20%): There will be a comprehensive, in-class final exam that reviews the main
concepts of critical thinking (including argumentation and logic, visual analysis, and common
statistical errors).
Description of assignments
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Response to questions (30%): On a weekly basis you will be asked at the beginning of class to
respond to questions posed by the instructor. Questions will concern issues of logic, visual
analysis, and statistics in the readings. The grade for your responses will be determined by the use
of the standard included at the end of this syllabus.
Class Participation (10%): You must come to each class prepared to discuss the course readings
and to participate in various in-class activities. You will complete a self-assessment of
participation on the last day of class. The professor will create a separate review of participation
and discuss the final participation grade with you after determining a final grade.
Midterm Interdisciplinary Project (20%). You will develop a basic interdisciplinary report on a
topic chosen in consultation with the professor. The report will include an annotated bibliography
(5% of total) and summary of the major points covered in the different disciplines included in the
report.
Written Summary of Case Study Analysis/Debate (10%): Each group will prepare a written
summary of the Case Study or Debate to submit at the time of the oral report. Some instructors
may wish to structure this project as a debate.
Group Presentation of Case Study Analysis/Debate (10%): In small groups, you will choose and
narrow a topic and conduct research for a group presentation. The presentation will provide an
introductory overview to the issue; describe and analyze the research methods in materials
collected for the Case Study; summarize the key points in at least two different points of view on
the topic; summarize the strengths and weaknesses of these points.
Policy for make-up exams and missed or late assignments
Late assignments will not be accepted. Know and keep your deadlines. All due dates are posted in this
syllabus.
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Attendance policy
Come to class. This is a workshop class that requires your daily attendance and active participation. Four
absences will reduce your final grade by a full letter. If you accumulate five or more absences, you will be
withdrawn from the class or receive a failing grade. Repeated tardiness will count as absences (3 tardies =
1 absence).
Withdrawal policy
A student may withdraw from a course without penalty through the end of the 8th week of class during a
14- or 15-week semester and through the 8th meeting during an 8week course cycle. After this, the student
must be doing passing work in order to receive a W grade. Students who are not passing after the 8th week
or equivalent will be assigned the grade of WF.
It is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor of his/her intention to withdraw from a course. If a
student has stopped attending class without completing all assignments and/or examinations, failing grades
for the missing work may be factored into the final grade calculation and the instructor for the course may
assign the grade of WF. The grade of F is used for students who have completed the course but whose
quality of work is below the standard for passing.
Withdrawal forms are available in departmental offices and once completed must be filed
with the registrar. Students should be reminded that a W notation could negatively impact
their eligibility for financial aid and/or V.A. benefits, as it may change the student’s
enrollment status (full-time, part-time, less than part-time). International students may
also jeopardize their visa status if they fail to maintain full-time status.
Academic integrity and plagiarism policies
Each student enrolled in a course at NYIT agrees that, by taking such course, he or she consents to the
submission of all required papers for textual similarity review to any commercial service engaged by NYIT
to detect plagiarism. Each student also agrees that all papers submitted to any such service may be
included as source documents in the service’s database, solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of
such papers.
Plagiarism is the appropriation of all or part of someone else’s works (such as but not limited to writing,
coding, programs, images, etc.) and offering it as one’s own. Cheating is using false pretenses, tricks,
devices, artifices or deception to obtain credit on an examination or in a college course. If a faculty member
determines that a student has committed academic dishonesty by plagiarism, cheating or in any other
manner, the faculty has the academic right to 1) fail the student for the paper, assignment, project and/or
exam, and/or 2) fail the student for the course and/or 3) bring the student up on disciplinary charges,
pursuant to Article VI, Academic Conduct Proceedings, of the Student Code of Conduct.
Library Resources
All students can access the NYIT virtual library from both on and off campus at www.nyit.edu/library. The
same login you use to access NYIT e-mail and NYITConnect will also give you access to the library’s
resources from off campus.
On the left side of the library’s home page, you will find the “Library Catalog” and the “Find Journals”
sections. In the middle of the home page you will find “Research Guides;” select “Video Tutorials” to find
information on using the library’s resources and doing research.
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Should you have any questions, please look under “Library Services” to submit a web-based “Ask-ALibrarian” form.
Additional resources for further learning
TBA
Support for students with disabilities
NYIT adheres to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the rehabilitation Act
of 1973, Section 504. The Office of Disability Services actively supports students in the pursuit of their
academic and career goals. Identification of oneself as an individual with disability is voluntary and
confidential. Students wishing to receive accommodations, referrals and other services are encouraged to
contact the Office of Disability Services as early in the semester as possible although requests can be made
throughout the academic year.
Course Schedule
Week 1: Critical Thinking Introduction
Class 1: Overview of NYIT Discovery Core and introduction to critical thinking and academic research.
In-class discussion questions: What makes a good question? Where can we look for answers to difficult
questions?
Class 2: Exercise: group discussion based on application questions at end of chapter.
“Beyond Feelings, Chapters 2: “What is Critical Thinking?”
Week 2: Research Methods
Class 1: Introduction to important social statistical concepts and standards of evidence used in academic
research.
Reading: Darrell Huff, How to Lie with Statistics (Excerpt)
Beyond Feelings, Chapter 6: “What is Evidence?”
Class 2: Research methods in History: exploration of primary documents, material culture, historical
statistics, and oral histories.
In-class film excerpt: The Civil War by Ken Burns and/or History Detectives
Week 3: Research Methods
Class 1: History reading discussion of David Hackett Fisher, Paul Revere’s Ride (Excerpt)
*First Reading Question and Response due.
Class 2: Research methods in Political Science: exploration of techniques used in the analysis of political
institutions, public opinion, and public policy.
In-class film excerpts: http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1964
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset+Tree/Asset+Viewers/Audio+Video+Asset+Viewer.htm?guid={F13B77987E4F-482C-9BF4-9E66EA6C1E56}&type=Video
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Week 4: Research Methods
Class 1: Political Science reading discussion of Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone (Excerpt) and Clive
Thompson, “The Predictor,” The New York Times Magazine, August 16, 2009.
*Reading Question and Response due.
Class 2: Research methods in Economics: exploration of financial data and economic behavior in the
context of political and social structures.
In-class film excerpts: Milton Friedman, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWsx1X8PV_A
Paul Krugman, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kwA-CwFK5A
Reading: Levitt and Dubner, Read one Freakonomics blog entry and come ready to discuss:
http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/
Paul Krugman, “How did Economists Get it So Wrong?” New York Times Magazine, Sept. 2, 2009
Henry Hazlitt, Economics in One Lesson, http://jim.com/econ/
*Reading Question and Response due.
**Individual meetings with professor to discuss disciplines to be explored in interdisciplinary projects and
structure of projected annotated bibliography and summer.
Week 5: Critical Thinking
Class 1: Errors in Perspective
Exercise: group discussion based on application questions at end of chapter and issues drawn from current
editorials.
Reading: Beyond Feelings, Chapter 9
*Reading Question and Response Due
Class 2: Errors of Procedure and Expression
Exercise: group discussion based on application questions at end of chapter.
Reading: Beyond Feelings, Chapters 10 and 11
*Annotated Bibliography Due.
Week 6: Research Methods
Research in Sociology: exploration of quantitative and qualitative research methods and units of analysis
(i.e. individuals, groups, societies, etc.).
In-class film excerpt: William Whyte, The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
Class 2: Sociology reading discussion of William Julius Wilson, The Declining Significance of Race
(Excerpt); Sudhir Venkatesh, Gang Leader for a Day (Excerpt).
*Reading Question and Response due.
Week 7: Research Methods
Class 1: Research in Anthropology: overview of the contribution of ethnography (fieldwork) and
archaeology to understanding of human communities.
In-class film excerpts: Small Happiness and Digital Ethnography http://www.youtube.com/user/mwesch
Class 2: Anthropology reading discussion of Margaret Mead, Coming of Age in Samoa (Excerpt) and
Mitchell Duneier, Sidewalk (Excerpt).
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*Reading Question and Response due.
*Midterm: *Interdisciplinary Projects Due. Projects will include an annotated bibliography and summary
of disciplinary approach to the topics you have chosen.
Week 8: Research Methods
Class 1: Research in Psychology: overview of psychological research techniques including therapies,
laboratory experimentation (human and primates), and medical research.
In-class film: King’s Point and Deinstitutionalization by NYIT Professor Brian Walsh
Class 2: Psychology reading discussion of Jonathan Lehrer, “Don’t! The Secret of Self Control,” The New
Yorker, April 2009 and Emily Hahn, “On the Side of Apes,” The New Yorker, April 17, 1971, p. 46
*Reading Question and Response due.
*Groups form. Case Study/Debate is assigned by professor or chosen in consultation with professor.
Week 9: Critical Thinking
Class 1: Being Observant
Exercise: small group activity on how we see visual media and advertisements.
Reading: Beyond Feelings, Chapters 14 and 15
*Reading Question and Response Due
Class 2: “Mine is Better”
Exercise: class discussion and debate using chapter application questions and issues drawn from current
editorials.
Reading: Beyond Feelings, Chapter 8
Week 10: Research Methods
Class 1: Research in Literary Criticism: overview of techniques and approaches to literary criticism
including the New Criticism, Marxism, structuralism, and postmodernism.
Class discussion: Read the Introduction and Application sections on the Durer woodcut in the Marxism,
Narratology, Postmodernism, and Psychoanalysis areas of this website by Dina Felluga:
http://www.cla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/theory/
Class 2: Literary Criticism reading discussion of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” here:
http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccernew2?id=HawBirt.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=1
&division=div1
Come prepared to discuss one of the theories in relation to the story:
http://www.kristisiegel.com/theory.htm
*Reading Question and Response due.
Week 11: Research Methods
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Class 1: Research in Philosophy: overview of how philosophers conduct research in moral and political
philosophy including concepts such as utilitarianism, the categorical imperative, and libertarianism.
Reading: John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism (Excerpt)
Susan Moller Okin, Justice, Gender, and the Family (Chapter 4)
Class 2: Research in Philosophy: overview of how philosophers conduct research in metaphysics and
epistemology including concepts such as justification of knowledge, free will, the existence of God, and
logical positivism.
Reading: William James, “The Will to Believe” (Excerpt) http://books.google.com/books?id=4c2oOi2fUgC&dq=james+will+to+believe&source=gbs_navlinks_s
*Reading Question and Response due.
Week 12: Critical Thinking
Class 1: What is Truth?
Exercise: Small group discussions using chapter application questions.
Reading: Visit Professor Elizabeth Loftus's web site, http://faculty.washington.edu/eloftus and
read four of her articles/abstracts on memory available on the site. Using these sources, discuss
how perception and memory influence our discovery of the truth.
Beyond Feelings, Chapters 3 and 4
Class 2: Opinions
In class: Form case study group: pick an issue, narrow the issue to an essential question, develop a research
plan, gather and organize information, analyze strengths and weaknesses of various points of view.
Reading: Beyond Feelings, Chapter 5
Week 13: Critical Thinking
Class 1: Errors in Reaction
Exercise: group discussion based on application questions at end of chapter.
Reading: Beyond Feelings, Chapter 12
Class 2: Selecting an Issue and Conducting Inquiry
In class: Library visit and information literacy activity (see information literacy Appendices B-D)
Reading: Beyond Feelings, Chapter 16 and 17
*Reading Question and Response Due
*Groups submit written summary of Case Study/Debate to professor for review.
Week 14: Critical Thinking
Class 1: Due: Drafts for group case study presentation and individual annotated bibliography
In class: Practice presentations. Provide an introductory overview to the issue; summarize the methodology
of research and narrowing of topic; summarize the key points in at least two different points of view on the
topic; summarize the strengths and weaknesses of these points.
Class 2: Forming a Judgment
Exercise: group discussion and debate of application questions from chapter and issues drawn from current
editorials
Reading: Beyond Feelings, Chapter 18
Week 15: Case Study and Persuasion
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Class 1: Presenting an Analysis of a Case Study
Final group presentations of findings.
Class 2: Persuading Others
Exercise: group discussion and debate of application questions from chapter and issues drawn from current
editorials.
Reading: Beyond Feelings, Chapter 19
*Reading Question and Response Due
*Participation Self-Assessment
Date, time, and location of Exam to be announced.
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Suggested Rubric for Grading Student Questions:
5 points Question resulting from both extended thought and synthesis of prior knowledge
and new information from course reading about academic disciplines/critical
thinking.
4 points Question that demonstrates a strong understanding of academic
disciplines/critical thinking concepts while still seeking more information than is
provided in the reading and/or text.
3 points Question reflects only a passable understanding of academic disciplines/critical
thinking concepts provided in the reading while still seeking more information
than is provided in the reading and/or text.
2 points Question reflects a weak understanding of academic disciplines/critical thinking
concepts provided in the reading and student does not seek any more information
than is provided in the text.
1 point Question about a definition, concept, or fact that is explained in the reading
and/or textbook, and the answer to which could easily be looked up.
0 points Question is not logical or grammatically correct, is based on a basic
misunderstanding or misconception, or does not fit in any other category above.
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