HISTORY 106-DE01A
WORLD CIVILIZATIONS II
SYLLABUS/COURSE REQUIREMENTS
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The course will examine the major developments in human history from 1500 to
the present. It will focus on the elements involved in Europe's self-transformation into a modern society as
seen in its intellectual, industrial and imperialist movements, and the world wars. Emphasis will also be
placed on the history of Asian, African, Middle Eastern and Latin American societies and the impact of
imperialism of those cultures; their reactions to, interaction with, and finally independence from Western
dominance in the 20th century will also be explored.
INTENDED COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES/COURSE GOALS (CORE COMPETENCIES):
This course has several important overall objectives. First, the student will gain an appreciation for the
political, economic, religious, social, racial, and cultural development of the world from 1500 to the
present. (Historical/Societal Analysis) Second, students will learn to write effectively in an expository
manner and in a historical context. (Communication) Third, students will develop critical thinking skills by
learning to see historical connections over time and space, and by reading, comprehending, and
evaluating historical documents and arguments. (Critical Thinking)(Information Literacy) (Technological
Literacy) Finally, students will understand and appreciate the enormous diversity of experiences in
modern world history. (Community and Workplace)
I. ATTENDANCE
In an online course, attendance has a different meaning than for classes held in real time
and in a real place. But it’s still important for you to “attend” on a daily basis so that you
don’t fall behind in your work. Since you have weekly assignments and responsibilities, if
you fall behind, or don’t participate in the discussion forum on a regular basis, or fail to
take the tests on time, you will not pass this course. Also, the scope of the course is very
broad and the content in many cases unfamiliar. That’s where the Videos and the
Discussion Forum come in handy. Each will provide you with additional explanation of
the key themes in the course, and allow you to participate actively online. Attendance will
be “taken” each week through your postings and map quizzes, and will be a component
of the grading system.
II. THE POINT-COUNT SYSTEM OF EVALUATION
You will earn a grade of A, A-, B+, B-, B, C+, C, D or F in the course by accumulating
enough points for the grade they are seeking by the end of the semester. The
assignments are not averaged, but each has a certain point value and your work will be
evaluated according to the criteria set forth below. You will therefore be accumulating
points based on the quality and the timeliness of your work. Each point that you earn is
equal to every other point, so the more points you earn, the closer to earning the grade
that you desire.
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A. The total or maximum number of points available during the semester is 400. The
minimum number of points required for each grade is:
A = 375 points
A-= 350 points
B+= 340 points
B = 330 points
B-= 320 points
C+= 310 points
C = 290 points
D = 250 points
F = 249 or fewer points
Students taking the course on a Pass/Fail basis need to earn 250 points to
pass the course.
B. Points may be accumulated the following ways:
EXAMS -- 60 POINTS EACH MAXIMUM = 120 POINTS MAX
1. All students will take two take-home exams, Part I and Part II. (see Calendar for dates).
They will be sent to you via email and you will generally have one week to complete each
exam. If there is interest, I will schedule a “chat” or “review session” time online to help.
2. To help you study for the exams, you should look at the study questions on the topic
checklists, review readings, discussions, PowerPoints, and videos.
3. The format of the test may be varied, with identification of terms, true-false questions
with explanations, essays, map quizzes, and essays as possibilities. For each exam I
will give you a detailed explanation of how the exam will be evaluated.
4. In this course, tests are not retaken. Students who do not score well, and therefore do
not earn many points, should plan to compensate by earning points in other ways.
5. Students must take both tests to receive any grade in the course.
Guidelines for Success on the Tests:
Terms:
a) If you are asked to identify/define a particular term or terms, I expect a complete
paragraph fully explaining the term (a few words or a sentence or two will not be
adequate).
b) If you are asked to provide the historical significance/importance/impact of a term I will
evaluate your ability to explain why the term is important and the impact in the context of
the Unit within which it was discussed. This will refer to how the term influenced the way
people lived, thought, related to other people, changed history, etc. (Answers like “Suchand-such is significant because people still think that way today” are not what I am
looking for, even if it is true.)
c) True-False Questions may also be asked, but, along with the answer, an explanation for
why the statement is true or false, or a requirement that you correct the phrase may be
required. Be sure to read the directions for all true-false questions.
Essays:
a) Organization: Your essays should be very well organized. Each essay should begin with
a paragraph which very briefly states your view-point on what the question asks. Next,
you should provide an explanation that supports the opinion in the first paragraph. Last,
you should provide a brief conclusion consistent with the body of your essay. Don’t just
sit down and start writing.
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b) Everybody has opinions, but I am interested in seeing that you can back up your
opinions with facts you have learned from the readings, videos, other sources and your
classmates’ comments. Your evaluation does not depend on your opinion, but your
ability to support your opinion with facts.
c) Plagiarism-Above all, write your essays in your own words. Do not copy any material
directly from the text or any other source that isn’t yours. You can use quotation marks
and indicate the source or sources that you use, but do not copy or repeat information
directly from the text. Students that copy will fail the course.
d) Other Possibilities—I reserve the right to include true-false, multiple choice, or matching
questions on the test. In all cases, you will know the format for the exams before the test
and will have the opportunity to review online or in person before the exam.
e) In this course, tests are not retaken. Students who do not score well, and therefore do
not earn many points, should plan to compensate by earning points in other ways.
Students must take both tests to receive any grade in the course.
QUIZZES -- 25 POINTS EACH MAXIMUM = 100 POINTS MAX.
1. There will be 4 objective online quizzes that you must take by a certain date after
completing work on topics grouped together (see Course Calendar). The quizzes are based
on the assigned readings, the videos, and information gathered from the discussions for
each topic. Each quiz is worth a maximum of 25 points, though I may add points as well.
2. Each quiz will be posted online and will consist of a number of multiple-choice or true-false
questions and you will usually receive one point for each correct answer. You will have two
attempts at each quiz, with a waiting period in between.
3. You must take all of the quizzes. If you don’t take the quiz by the due date, you have lost
those points. Each quiz will be made available by a certain date, with a final due date for
all Part I quizzes; and a final due date for all Part II quizzes. (See Course Calendar)
4. There is no make-up available for quizzes, but before each quiz I will send a review focusing
your study.
DISCUSSION FORUM (DQs) -- 10 POINTS MAXIMUM EACH = 90 points.
1. You are required to post 9 times to the Discussion Forum, by responding to a question that I
will pose, and also by responding to comments made by fellow students. There are 14
discussion topics (including the Introductory week) for the course, but I’ve divided you into
two groups, Group A and Group B, which I’ll assign during the first weeks of the semester
(and subject to change if the students in the class change, but we’ll start with this
configuration). See Course Calendar for specific assigned weeks for each group, and note
that some weeks ALL Students will be required to post.
2. See the guidelines for posting to the Discussion Forum on the website under the Discussion
Forum. You will receive a maximum of 10 points per DQ, based on the criteria explained.
3. It is very important for you to check the Discussion Forum daily to be an active participant
and to stay current with the course.
4. There are due dates for the postings, so be sure to comply with the due dates that are
listed on the Course Calendar. If you do not respond to the postings by the due date, you
will lose the opportunity to earn points for that topic.
5. You can always make additional postings for extra credit. At the end of the semester I
will assign (with your help!) extra points for the Best All-Around Post, the Most Original Post,
the Most Creative Post, and the Most Thought-Provoking Post (5 points for each).
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MAP LABELING – 5 POINTS EACH MAXIMUM X 10 = 50 POINTS MAX
1. You will complete a map labeling exercise online for many topics, but not all. There is a final
due date for all Part I quizzes; and a final due date for all Part II quizzes. (See Course
Calendar). Check MyHistoryLab link (click on “Resources” ) for review.
2. This is a pass/fail exercise. If you get more than 60% of the map locations right, you’ll get 5
points for each exercise. If you fail to get more than 60% of the locations right, or do not
take the map exercise by the due date, you will receive 0 points. No exceptions and no
points for late submissions.
3. Map quizzes are found by clicking on “Content,” “Course Topics,” and the specific topic.
“YOU ARE THERE” - REPORTS FROM THE FIELD PROJECT
MAXIMUM X 4 = 40 POINTS MAX.
= 10 POINTS EACH
1. You will select one region of the world (in the first week of the term, from the Spodek text,
Ch. 23 and 24), reporting 4 times, via the “Reports from the Field” Discussion Forum. You
will find specific guidelines on the Reports from the Field icon on the Course Content link.
2. This assignment will have reporting responsibilities throughout the semester, and,
you will receive a maximum of 10 points for each report. See the Course Calendar
for suggested reporting times and all due dates.
ADDITIONAL (Extra-Credit) – 20 POINTS MAXIMUM
I may assign extra points on tests, papers, quizzes or in any other way, or allow additional
quizzes, discussion postings, or internet exercises to be used for this purpose. Here’s one way
to earn some extra points below: (Also, see Extra Credit on Content link).
1. WebTrackers and Other Activities — Find an interesting website, video you’d like to
share with the class? If so, post to the “Extra-Credit” site on the Discussion Forum.
Along with the URL of the site, provide some suggestions of what was helpful,
informative, inventive, clever about the site, and/or providing good information that helps
you understand the topic, or which parts of the site were helpful, and you’ll earn a
maximum of 5 points. Posting a website without any explanation is not sufficient.
There are also commercial films and television programs (like the WWII series beginning
on Channel 13 in late September) that explore some of the topics we’ll be discussing and
I’ll send a list, or you can suggest some, along with guidelines as another way to earn
points. Finally, there are programs on campus that will earn extra points for a summary,
so check Student Happenings, the campus newspaper, or local newspapers for info on
them. (5 points max)
2. Extra DQs – You can always submit additional postings for those weeks you are not
assigned for extra points. (10 points max)
3. Extra “Reports from the Field” – You can always submit additional reports from your
theme/region for extra points. (10 points max)
4. “How Do We Know?”/MyHistoryLab – Each text chapter has a segment that discusses
the historical process. Choose one, summarize the key points made, answer the
questions in the segment, and send it to the Extra-credit Dropbox. Select an assignment
from MyHistoryLab for a specific chapter, complete the exercise, then email to me. (5
points max)
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C. Brief Summary of the Point-Count System:
2 Exams (60 points each)
9 DQs (10 pts each X 9)
4 Reading Quizzes (25 points each)
1 Project (10 pts. each X 4)
10 Map Labeling (10 X 5 points each)
Additional (Extra Credit)
=
=
=
=
=
Total =
III.
120 points max
90 points max
100 points max
40 points max
50 points max
20 points max
440 points
MONITORING STUDENT PROGRESS
In accordance with college regulations, you will be monitored on a regular
basis during the semester. If you are not keeping up with the course I will
monitor your progress electronically, which generates a letter that you will
receive at home. Be sure to contact me immediately, by email or phone, to
discuss.
It is your responsibility to keep track of your point accumulation in order to know where
you stand in the course and to plan to meet the course requirements by the end of the
semester. You can click the Report link to see where you stand at all times during the
semester.
IV. INCOMPLETE
An Incomplete designation is available to students who are unable to complete the
requirements for a D grade by the end of the semester. In order to qualify for
Incomplete the student must:
1. Have already completed 50% of the points in the course,
2. Be able to achieve a D in the course, and
3. Have the professor’s approval and complete an application for Incomplete before the end
of the semester.
V. HISTORY DEPARTMENT STUDENT SERVICES
COLLEGE POLICIES:
For information regarding:
♦Brookdale’s Academic Integrity Code
♦Student Conduct Code
♦Student Grade Appeal Process
Please refer to the STUDENT HANDBOOK AND BCC CATALOG:
http://www.brookdalecc.edu/pages/164.asp
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NOTIFICATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
Brookdale Community College offers reasonable accommodations and/or services to
persons with disabilities. Students with disabilities who wish to self-identify, must contact the
Disabilities Services Office at 732-224-2730 or 732-842-4211 (TTY), provide appropriate
documentation of the disability, and request specific accommodations or services. If a
student qualifies, reasonable accommodations and/or services, which are appropriate for the
college level and are recommended in the documentation, can be approved.
Link: Disabilities Office: http://www.brookdalecc.edu/pages/777.asp
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT/LABS: A Learning Assistant is available five days each week for
individual or group tutoring and for testing. If you have any questions about the course
material or concerns about the course, please call the Learning Assistant, Karen Sieben
(732) 224-2533 for an appointment. Her office is in MAN 127. Drop-ins are welcome.
Your World Civilization professor is committed to providing you with many types of
assistance including:
1. Department Web Site—http://www.brookdalecc.edu/fac/history/ Course materials are
available on my website for the course. http://ux.brookdalecc.edu/fac/history/Sherri.htm
2. Study groups—we’ll try to form one online if interest exists.
3. Writing and Reading assistance: appropriate labs
4. Faculty Mailboxes are located in the Social Science central office area--first floor of MAN
building-MAN 111.
5. Department secretary: Eileen Lengyel, 224-2534 (elengyel@brookdalecc.edu)
6. Faculty office hours can be found on a schedule posted on my office door in the History
Department (MAN 117b), on my website, or check the Course Calendar.
For all technical questions, please contact the Distance Learning Center:
Teaching and Learning Center at 732-224-2089 or ANGEL helpdesk at 877-7254357.
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