To request assistance or accommodations, contact the Center for Accessible Resources at (541) 463-5150 or accessibleresources@lanecc.edu

CRITICAL THINKING
PHL 221 - Summer 2018
First Eight Week Summer Session (June 25 - August 18)
Online (CRN 11406)
Prof. Borrowdale


OFFICE HOURS:
Sun 7-8pm Online (Moodle Messaging)
Mon 1-2pm in CEN 410J (first four weeks only: June 25 to July 22)
and by appointment


CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTOR: Please use Moodle messaging to contact me. I will do my best to reply within 24 hours, excluding Saturdays and holidays. You may receive a notification and copy of Moodle messages in your email. Please don't reply to those directly; log into Moodle and reply there. I check email sporadically over the summer, so replying to email notifications or using email to contact me will result a delayed response, which could cause problems in this compressed eight week term. Using Moodle messages consistently also allows us to track any ongoing issues by scrolling up in the message history.

IMPORTANT: There is a quiz on the syllabus due before WEDNESDAY 11:55pm. Please take it right away. If you take it before the deadline, I'll add two percentage points to your First Midterm Exam! If you don't take the Syllabus Quiz by the deadline, you may be dropped from the course for non-participation. If you decide this class is not for you, please drop right away on MyLane, as there is no guarantee you will be dropped for non-participation and there are other students waiting to get in. If you don't drop by Sunday, July 1, 11:59pm, you will be charged for the class. Also, if you drop the class after Sunday, the class will be recorded on your transcript with a "W" (withdrawn) next to it. The last day to drop or change your grading option to pass/no pass is Friday of the 5th week, which this term is July 27, 5pm.

TEXT: There is no text to buy. We will be using OERs posted to Moodle.

THIS IS AN ADULT LEARNING SPACE: Expect to come into contact with ideas with which you disagree and to have your beliefs challenged. Students will be treated as mature, responsible adults, capable of engaging in adult conversations which may touch on topics such as race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, sexual relations, cultural differences, politics and religion. It is a prerequisite of this course that you possess, or be willing to develop, the ability to discuss controversial issues in a calm, rational and respectful manner.

TRIGGER WARNING: This class uses examples of real arguments made by real people about real subjects people care about. Quotes, slogans, memes, protest signage and video clips used in this class may contain words and images which you find provocative, offensive, vulgar, shocking or insulting to groups or individuals with which you identify or who you hold in high esteem. If you have difficulty handling such material, you may want to consider taking another course. For help with post-traumatic stress or emotional fragility, please visit the Counseling & Career Center. The purpose of these examples is not to provoke but to give you practice dispassionately analyzing actual arguments people actually make in the public square. The use of an argument should in no way be interpreted as an endorsement of its conclusion nor of the person making it. These arguments are merely grist for our critical thinking mill. Using real life examples will help you to understand and guard against non-rational means of persuasion, identify common fallacies and recognize sound arguments, even when they are dressed up in polarizing or incendiary rhetoric.

USE OF HUMOR: The instructor frequently employs humor to lighten the mood as well as to illustrate points, add color and make learning fun. This should in no way be interpreted as disparaging any individual or group. Students will always be treated with the utmost respect.

CONCERNS: If, at any time, you have a concern, grievance or complaint about the course, please speak with me about it directly. I want this class to be a positive learning experience for you. You have my personal guarantee that this will have no bearing on your grade. Because the class uses objective testing in Instructional Testing Services (with a record of scores on the server), you have an additional protection. Addressing such concerns early, honestly and directly will result in a better outcome for both of us.

REQUIREMENTS

FORUM POSTS
Due before Sunday 11:55pm each week 10% of grade
FIRST MIDTERM EXAM Begins: Thursday, July 12 at 9am
Ends: Thursday, July 19 at 5pm
30% of grade
SECOND MIDTERM EXAM
Begins: Thursday, July 26 at 9am
Ends: Thursday, August 2 at 5pm
30% of grade
EXTRA CREDIT EXAM
Begins: Monday, August 6 at 9am
Ends: Thursday, August 9 at 5pm
Replaces First or Second Midterm,
whichever is lower, otherwise no effect.
FINAL EXAM Begins: Monday, August 13 at 9am
Ends: Thursday, August 16 at 5pm
30% of grade

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 
This course is aimed at developing practical reasoning skills. Students will learn to analyze and evaluate arguments, detect fallacies, distinguish science from pseudo-science, recognize media bias, and better understand methods of deception employed by advertisers, political organizations and others. A central goal of this course is to develop an attitude of fair-mindedness and intellectual honesty while learning to avoid the pitfalls of defensiveness and rationalization.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
: The objectives are this course are for students to (1) be able to identify, analyze and evaluate arguments, including being able to recognize hidden assumptions and implied conclusions (2) be able to identify various kinds of valid and strong arguments and to distinguish them from formal and informal fallacies (3) develop an awareness of various kinds of psychological bias that can cloud clear thinking and to develop effective strategies for overcoming it (4) develop an awareness of social, cultural and institutional bias and to develop strategies for correcting for its influence (5) be able to guard against non-rational means of persuasion such as slick sales techniques, rhetoric and propaganda (6) be able to apply critical thinking skills in different contexts, e.g. advertising, science, religion, ethics, politics (7) understand and appreciate the value of rationality and objectivity.

EXAMS: You will have a window of several days during which you must take each exam, including the final, in Instructional Testing Services, (located in CEN 311 on the Main Campus), Cottage Grove Center, Florence Center, or with an approved proctor (see Proctored Testing below). Exams cannot be taken at home. Opening and closing times of exams are listed in the table above and may also be seen by clicking on the exam name in the main course view. Hours for the Instructional Testing Services may be found at https://www.lanecc.edu/its/hours. You must arrive one hour before closing. You will need an official photo I.D., such as a state-issued driver's license, state-issued I.D. card, student I.D. card, passport or "green card." Unfortunately, LCC bus passes no longer qualify as valid photo I.D. You will need to know your L Number and myLane PIN to log into the test. If there is more than one exam open or you've been granted an extension to take an exam late, make sure to tell the testing personnel which exam you would like to take so they don't give you the wrong one by mistake. If English is your second language, dictionaries will be on hand for you to use. If your native language isn't a common one, please contact Instructional Testing Services ahead of time to make sure they have your language. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to use your own paper or electronic dictionary.

The exam format will be multiple choice and true/false questions. During the exam you may use a 3 x 5 note card (both sides) or a piece of paper measured with a ruler and cut to the same size. The final will not be comprehensive. Once you take your exam, you'll immediately receive your score as well as be able to see the questions you missed along with the correct answers. Please give yourself time to review the exam right after you take it, as you will not be able to review your exam from home. Reviewing your exam will be especially helpful to you if you plan on taking the Extra Credit Exam, which will cover the same material. If you wish to review your exam at a later date, you will have to come by office hours or message me for an appointment. A curve may included which will add to your score. Your adjusted score can be viewed by clicking on "Grades" from the Navigation tab in Moodle. 

Instructional Testing Services (and everything else) will be closed Wednesday, July 4 (Independence Day).


EXTRA CREDIT EXAM: There is an  optional Extra Credit Exam, based on the material from the First and Second Midterm Exams open during Week 7. It will replace the lowest of your First or Second Midterm Exam scores. If it is lower than either, it will have no effect. In order for it to count, you have to take both midterms. It is not a substitute for taking either midterm or the final exam.

MAKE-UP EXAM POLICY: Since you will have at least a week to take each exam, you will be expected to meet the deadline, however, you may contact the instructor before the deadline via Moodle messaging or in person to request an extension without penalty. Please include the date by which you would like to take the exam in your message.

The Final Exam must be completed by THURSDAY 5PM of Eigth Week. Since Instructional Testing Services on the main campus closes Thursday at 5pm and is closed Saturday, EXTENSIONS ARE NOT POSSIBLE. If you miss the final due to a sudden emergency, contact me via Moodle message right away for options.

PROCTORED TESTING FOR REMOTE STUDENTS: See http://www.lanecc.edu/laneonline/test-proctoring for details on proctoring if you are taking the course from out of the greater Eugene area. If you need help locating a proctor, try  Consortium of College Testing Centers at http://www.ncta-testing.org/cctc. A per test fee is usually required, though fees will vary by institution.

FORUM POSTS: The purpose of the forum assignment is to allow you the opportunity to interpret, evaluate and apply what you have learned, and to discuss the merits and implications of class concepts and theories with your classmates. Every Monday a new forum prompt will be posted for you to reply to. To receive credit, you must make one reply which substantially and directly addresses the a question or topic in the prompt and displays a familiarity with the reading, i.e. your post must be distinguishable from someone who hasn't done any of the reading, looks at the prompt and "gives their opinion." Plagiarism, which includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from websites, will result a penalty of one letter grade on the first offense (the equivalent of a zero on all forum posts) and an F in the class on a second offense. If you do the readings, you should have no trouble responding to the prompt in a way that is sufficient for credit without looking at any other sources. Postings will be graded on a credit/no-credit basis and are due before Sunday 11:55pm at the end of each week. Late posts will not receive credit. Set a weekly reminder in your Google or other online calendar (while you’re at it, you might want to put in the exam dates and grade option/drop deadline, too). An extra credit forum will be available in Week Ten to make up for one missed post. Students are also expected to read every post. Pay special attention to replies from the instructor.
 
PENALTIES FOR CHEATING: Students caught cheating will be given an F in the course.

GRADING: Exams may be curved upward, based on the distribution of scores. This is done by adding a certain amount of points to every student score. At the end of the term, the class will be graded on the following absolute scale:

A+ 97% -100% A  93% - 96% 
A-  90% - 92%
B+  87% - 89% B  83% - 86% B-  80% - 82%
C+  77% - 79% C  73% - 76% C-  70% - 72%
D+  67% - 69% D  63% - 66% D-  60% - 62%
  F 0% - 59%  

AVAILABILITY OF THE INSTRUCTOR: I am available by Moodle messaging or in-person office visits. We can also set up an appointment to talk on the phone or via a conferencing app like Skype. If you are having difficulties with the class, please contact me as soon as possible; I am here to help. If you performed poorly on your first exam, please come by office hours or make an appointment to see me to see what we can do to improve your next exam score and your score on the Extra Credit Exam, which will replace your lowest midterm. I am also available to discuss any issue in the class which has piqued your intellectual curiosity, or which you find interesting or important that may be outside of the realm of assignments and testing.

CLUB, CREDIT AND WORK STUDY OPPORTUNITIES: I am the faculty advisor for Young Americans for Liberty, a locally controlled, independent student club dedicated to individual rights, limited government, personal responsibility and the principles of reason, freedom, tolerance and compassion. For more information, check out YAL on OrgSync and click the Join button to be updated on club activities. If you're interested in doing an internship through Cooperative Education (Political Science) to earn 2 or 3 credits helping out with the club, send me a Moodle message. Also, if you have Federal Work Study, I could use a new Philosophy assistant to help with some research and clerical work. I also have a few students interested in resurrecting the inactive Philosophy Club or starting a new one. Message or talk to me after class if you'd like to be involved.

COURSE OUTLINE

WEEK 1: Truth and Knowledge. What is Critical Thinking and Why Is It Important?

WEEK 2: The Ethics of Belief. Arguments, Premises and Conclusions. Inductive and Deductive Arguments. Validity and Soundness. Valid and Invalid Arguments. Strong and Weak Arguments.

WEEK 3: Logical Operators. Basic Valid Arguments. Basic Formal Fallacies.
First Midterm opens Thursday 9am (based on Weeks 1 through 3)

WEEK 4: The Limits of Formal Logic, Inductive Arguments, Argument by Analogy, Informal Fallacies.
First Midterm closes Thursday 5pm

WEEK 5 More Informal Fallacies
Second Midterm opens Thursday 9am (based on Weeks 4 and 5).

WEEK 6: Thinking Critically About Advertising and Science
Second Midterm Exam closes Thursday 7pm

WEEK 7: Thinking Critically About Religion and Ethics
Extra Credit Exam opens Monday 9am (based on Weeks 1 through 5)

WEEK 8
Thinking Critically About the Academy, News and Politics
Take Final Exam in the Computer Testing Lab by Thursday 5pm (based on Weeks 6 through 8)

TECHNOLOGY USE: This course requires you to use (but not necessarily own) a computer, tablet or smart phone. The syllabus, syllabus quiz, Powerpoint slides, practice questions, and grading information are all distributed via Moodle. Campus labs are staffed with people who can help you if you are new to computing devices or have difficulty using them. Visit the Student Help Desk (SHeD) website at https://www.lanecc.edu/learningcommons/student-help-desk, call them at 463-3333 or visit them in the 2nd floor of the Center Building, Learning Commons, Library, Room 221B. Campus computer labs and hours may be found at https://www.lanecc.edu/it/computerlabs.