SOC 309: Sociology of Community
Instructor:
Curtis W. Stofferahn, Ph.D.
E-mail Address:
curtis_stofferahn@und.nodak.edu
Office:
206 B Gillette,
777-4418
Classroom:
Gillette 191
Class Hours:
Tues.
Office Hours:
Blackboard:
(073) SOC 309-01 Selected Topics:
Sociology of Community
Course Description: The focus of the course is
on the definitions, theories and applications of the sociology of
community. To better understand the sociology of community, we will use
the City of
Course Goals:
1. Define
and conceptualize community
2.
Examine theoretical approaches to community such as the typological,
ecological, social systems, conflict and multiple approaches
3. Discuss
loss and quest for community through community development and planned
communities
4. Examine
how to study community, local indicators, community surveys, community
power studies, and field research.
5. Acquire
skills for effective group work
6. Discover
ways of accessing information from various sources to accomplish group
research.
7. Develop
critical thinking skills
8. Learn how
to communicate effectively the results of group work.
Course Philosophy: It is my hope that you will enhance your skills as
a critical thinker, communicator, researcher and life-long learner as we
progress together through this course. I believe that learning is more
than memorizing information and answering questions on a test. It is
using information to gain an understanding of how things work and then to make
them better. I like the following definition of learning: "Learning
(is) a process that culminates in the ability: to ask the right questions and
frame good problems, to acquire information and evaluate sources of
information, to critically investigate and solve problems, to make choices
among many alternatives, to explain concepts to others (both verbally and in
writing) and to generalize to new situations." Ganter SL &
Kinder JS, editors. Targeting Institutional Change: Quality Undergraduate
Science Education for All Students. Targeting Curricular Change: Reform in
undergraduate education in science, math, engineering, and technology. A
report of the 1998 AAHE Conference on Institutional Change. The American
Association for Higher Education
Pre-requisites: Three credit hours in
sociology, critical thinking skills, writing skills, group work skills.
Required Texts:
Lyon, Larry. 1998. The Community In Urban
Society.
Links to relevant material on Blackboard
Evaluation
For the Group:
3 group
projects
300 points
5 group chapter presentations (20 points
each)
200 points
Total group points
500 points
For the Group Member
Sum of the individual
project points for the three
projects
300 points max.
Sum of evaluation of
chapter presentations
points
200 points max.
Participation (no. of class days attended/total no. class days X
100)
100 points max.
Total
points
600 points max.
Disability Statement: If you need accommodations in
this course because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information
to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must
be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. If you
plan to request disability accommodations, you are expected to register with the
Disability Support services (DSS) office (Room 190 McCannell Hall, 777-3425).
Blackboard: Please make use of the materials
and facilities available on Blackboard for this course. After we
establish project working groups, I’ll establish a page for each group on
Blackboard – Communications – Group Pages. You can deposit documents on
your group pages so they can be shared by other group members, you *can send an
email to one or all group members, and you can use the discussion board to set
up a threaded discussion for your group.
There are five group projects for each group to
complete. These projects each include several projects in the
textbook. To model the problem based learning process, we will spend one
day of each group of days set aside for a particular PBL exercise for us as a
class to model how the concepts, ideas, principles, and theories from the
textbook chapter may be applied to a particular problem.
Minutes of Group Project Meetings: During each group
meeting, including class meetings, the secretary/scribe should keep track of
all questions, ideas, thoughts, suggestions, assignments, and reports.
Based upon these notes, s/he will compile minutes of the
meeting. You should use Blackboard Communication -- Group Pages to
email a copy of the minutes to each group member the same day as the
class and/or group meets. You may file a copy on your group page.
Minutes will include the following: Time, Date, Place, Those Present,
Those Absent, Topics Discussed, Questions Posed, Assignments Given.
If the minutes do not contain these elements, they will be refused and no
credit will be given. These minutes are essential to keeping the group members
informed as to what was discussed as well as the assignments, but they also
provide information to me as to questions or issues where I can provide
assistance. These points will be part of the total project points, and if
the secretary/scribe does not distribute the minutes to the group the same day
as the group meeting, points will be deducted from the total points for minutes
proportional to the number of class days allocated to a project.
Essay Format: Each group will submit a
double-spaced typed summary of their group project written in essay
format using the American Sociological Association style
I will evaluate the extent and how well the group addressed all of the
questions posed for the problem using available resources (textbook, websites,
Blackboard documents, Blackboard Web Based Resources). See the link
for ASA style on Web Based Resources on Blackboard. Also see the link for
Writing Tips: Sentences, Paragraphs, Essays on Web Based Resource on
Blackboard.
First Submission: The first submission of a group
project will not be graded, but I will provide comments back to the group as to
how the group may improve the second submission of the project.
Each final submission of a PBL project will also be evaluated on the quality of
the essay (written in essay format, grammatically correct, no punctuation or
spelling errors, using the appropriate style for references). Before your
group submits a project for the first submission, it is the responsibility of
each group member to proof read the project to catch and correct word usage,
grammar, punctuation, and sentence, paragraph and essay structure. I
won’t be your editor!! If upon your group’s first submission I find
errors, I will draw lines through words, punctuation, paragraphs, sentences and
references to indicate the. It will be up to your group to determine the
nature of the error. However, if the group persists in submitting first
submissions that are poorly written, I will return them to the group without
comment or editorial marks. If you are having difficulty in writing your
group project, visit the
Second Submission: If on the final submission, a
group’s report still has errors, I will deduct points based on the following
scale: 1 -- 10 errors, 0% deduction from points; 11 – 15 errors, 5%
deduction; 16 – 20 errors, 7.5% deduction from points; 21 -- 25 errors, 10%
deduction from points; 26 -- 30 errors, 12.5% deduction in points; > 31
errors, 15% deduction in points). Thus, if your group’s report received
95 points on content, but it had 25 errors, your group’s final score for that
project would be 95 points – 9.5 points (10% of 95 points) = 85.5 points!
Plagiarism: The internet has made it all too
easy for students to “borrow” text from web pages and insert it into projects
and pass it off as their own work. Sometimes this occurs because students
are not aware that this constitutes scholastic dishonesty. More often it
occurs because of laziness, inexperience in paraphrasing, or failure to
appropriately document sources. The best advice is “Don’t
plagiarize”. If you know that any member of your group has submitted
material for a project that has been plagiarized, remember that your entire
group will be held responsible for this act. So it is best to police your
group members’ work. If you suspect that material has been plagiarized,
notify the group member that it is not acceptable and that s/he is putting the
entire group’s project grade in jeopardy. If you are uncertain as to what
constitutes plagiarism, please contact the
Participation & Attendance for PBL
Class/Group Work Is Essential
University Attendance Policy and Procedure:
Effective Fall 2006. Attendance and participation in class activities are
considered integral parts of a university education. It is the University
policy that attendance in classes is expected of all students. If attendance
and/or participation are required and will impact grading, it is the
responsibility of the instructor to communicate clearly that policy to students
during the first week of class. Even in situations where an instructor might
excuse a class absence (for example, severe medical situations, family
emergencies, or authorized University activities) it is the responsibility of
the student, whenever possible, to inform the instructor ahead of time.
Attendance and
participation in each class period as well as group sessions scheduled outside
of class are integral and essential to the PBL group work. Each class
session is the equivalent of a laboratory setting where attendance is central
to the learning objectives. Therefore, I will be taking daily attendance
by passing around a daily attendance record that each class member who is
present will sign. As Woody Allen, a wide philosopher, once eloquently
stated: “Showing up is 80 percent of success”.
To encourage your
attendance, I’ve allocated 250 points for attendance. A 100 percent
attendance record will result in you receiving the 250 points. If you attend
only 80% of the class periods, you will receive only 200 points (80% of the 250
points). I will grant excused absences only for illness or injury (bring
a note from your health care provider), school related events (bring a note
from coach or advisor), or death in the family (bring a note from the Dean of
Students Office). Just so that I can have a permanent record, please
send me an email with the dates that you will not be in class for an excused
absence. No excused absences without notice and proof!
Assessment of
Individual Contributions to the PBL Projects
Assessment of Quality of Individual Contribution to the
Group. You will be evaluated on the quality of your contribution by your
group members. Each group member will evaluate the contribution of every
other group member for the projects and turn in their assessment on the last
day of class. The form for evaluating each group member’s contribution is
attached to this syllabus. The percentage of total points earned for
quality and quantity of class/group participation will be multiplied against
the total number of points a group earns for the projects to determine your
individual grade for that project. Thus, if your group earned 1170 out of
1300 (90%) points for the projects, but the average of the group members’
evaluation of your contribution was 75% , your points would be 75%X 1170 pts.=
877.5 points . Therefore, it is to your advantage to be a good group
member by participating completely in terms of quantity and quality!
After each group submits the final evaluation for a project, every member of
the group will complete an evaluation form for all members of the group
including themselves. The form is to be submitted separately from the
final submission, and it is to be submitted in a sealed envelope. No
credit will be given to the group for the project until ALL evaluations have been
submitted.
Final
Assessment: I grade on the cumulative number of points
for the course based on the usual 90, 80, 70 percent distribution the breakout
of points provides a natural breaking point.
Problem Based
Learning
What is Problem-Based Learning?: Problem-based
learning (PBL) is any learning environment in which the problem drives the
learning. That is, before students learn some knowledge they are given a
problem. The problem is posed so that the students discover that they need to
learn some new knowledge before they can solve the problem. See Problem
Based Learning: Process, Roles, Procedures at Blackboard Course
Documents.
Problem Based Learning Process: Presentation,
organization and problem definition, posing learning issues, determining needed
resources, assigning responsibility, searching for relevant information,
integrating information with learning issues, summarizing new knowledge and
relating it the problem, drawing conclusions.
The faculty role: From the sage on the stage to the guide
on the side. The instructor acts as a facilitator or coach who helps
the group perform several functions: Defining the problem, seeking information,
sorting thought potential interpretations, data-handling-note taking, and
problem solving.
Group members
roles: Students are
divided into groups. The roles to be filled on a permanent or rotating basis
include the chair, the secretary/scribe, and group member roles.
Group Work
Procedures: Explaining
unknown concepts, defining the problem, brainstorming, making an inventory,
making assignments, conducting assignments, reporting on assignments,
evaluating assignments.
Learning Circles
What are Learning Circles?:
Process: A typical
learning circle (more traditionally called a study circle) is a group of people
who meet regularly to discuss, learn about and consider action on an issue of
concern to them, their communities or the wider society. Discussions are
facilitated by a group leader which in our case will be your instructor, at
least initially until we become more comfortable with the process such that
anyone may assume the role. Learning circle groups use common resource
material, which in our case will be our textbook. The material is a guide to
assist learning.
Learning
circles make issues and ideas accessible: Learning occurs through shared inquiry and dialogue. All
teach and all learn. Class members will progress at their own pace, drawing on
their own experience and understanding. Life experience provides us with a
great deal of knowledge — usually more than we realize. Learning circles are a
way of drawing this out — and increasing class members’ self-confidence.
Learning
without being taught: As we become more comfortable with this process, class
members will decide what issues to explore and how much time to spend on
particular topics. Initially sessions will be guided by me, but later any class
member may assume the role of the facilitator or coordinator. Sometimes
the role of facilitator is shared among the class members in order to give
everyone the chance to develop their skills. The facilitator helps the group
frame its discussion and engage in lively talk in which everyone has the
opportunity to participate equally.
Learning
with resource information: Our class discussion will be supported by resource
information. This can include our text and websites. Resource material is
simply a guide to support and help frame discussions. Class members are welcome
to find their own resources—whatever they think they need to support their own
learning priorities. As we locate relevant resources on the internet, we will
add them to the Blackboard Course Website.
Outcomes:
Outcomes
achieved earning circles are intended to lead to action and change — in the views
or behavior of class members or in their situation. As a method of learning, it
is democratic in spirit, reflecting a belief that an informed community is
essential to genuine participation and that ordinary people have the right and
the ability to contribute to social change. Educational research on learning
circles shows that: 1) The most satisfying aspects of participation
for class members are sharing experiences, considering other viewpoints and
learning more in a stimulating and thought-provoking environment. 2) Actions
and change do result — ranging from a desire to learn more and a commitment to
educate and inform others, to changes in daily life. 3) Class members
develop greater self-confidence and a more critical approach. 4) The experience
of participating in a learning circle leads to interest in using the same
approach to explore other important issues.
Procedure:
We will
sit in a learning group circle, and I have prepared name plates for each of you
to place on your desk so that we may be able to become better acquainted.
You will pick up your name plate each class period. As learning groups
are only effective when students are engaged & participating, attendance is
a must! At the beginning of the class period, we will reflect on issues or
ideas that class members may have thought after the last class session. Then
the group which has responsibility for the day’s topic (chapter reading) will
provide a summary of the reading along with a prepared one page summary of the
reading to distribute to class members. Then, based upon their reading of
the material, the group will discuss how the concepts, theories or ideas apply
to the study of
Learning
Circle Assessment: (Based on my evaluation, I will use the following grading
scale to attach a score to a group’s presentation
A
(90-100%) Thorough analysis of reading integrated throughout the following: 1) Relevant
& regular discussion, 2) Excellent depth in considering underlying or
related issues; 3) Consistently connects ideas in present discussions to
previous reading/discussion; 4) Shows original and creative thinking. 5)
Excellent listener building on comments by peers and listening attentively to
(and even encouraging) ideas other than one’s own. 6) Actively involved in a
range of activities.
B
(80-90%) Usually thorough analysis of
reading integrated through the following: 1) Relevant discussion although
occasionally irregular.2) Generally shows good depth in considering underlying
or related issues. 3) Often connects ideas in present discussions to previous
reading/discussion. 4) Occasionally shows original and creative thinking as
appropriate. 5) Good listener generally working to encourage others and to
connect other’s thoughts and ideas with one’s own. 6) Actively involved in most
activities.
C
(70-79%) Occasionally integrates reading; misses major points evidenced as
follows: 1)
Sporadic but generally relevant discussion. 2) Occasionally shows depth. 3)
Rarely connects ideas in present discussions to previous reading/discussion. 4)
Rarely shows original thinking/sticks generally to comments of others or text.
5) Generally good listener but may at times dominate or withdraw from
discussion. 6) Generally involved in activities, although sporadic.
D (60-69%) Rarely integrates reading;
disconnected from content as follows: 1) Either shows no discussion or irrelevant discussion. 2) Omits depth.3)
Never connects ideas in present discussions to previous reading/discussion. 4)
Shows no (or disconnected) original thinking. 5) Pays attention and listens
some of the time. 6) Tends to dominate or withdraw from discussion. 7) Rarely
involved in activities.
F (0-59%) Never
integrates readings, evidenced as follows: 1) No discussion or discussion not relevant to
topic at hand. 2) Shows no depth. 3) Shows no original thinking or comments are
unrelated to class. 4) Shows a pattern of inattentiveness. 5) Little to no
involvement in activities.
Class Schedule: This schedule is
tentative. We have fifteen chapters and sixteen class days, so we will
spend one class period per chapter.
Jan.
9:
Introduction to class, problem based learning, learning circles.
Jan.
16: Chap. 1
Presentation & Discussion
Jan.
23: Chap. 2
Presentation & Discussion
Jan.30:
Chap. 3 Presentation & Discussion
Feb.
6:
Chap. 4 Presentation & Discussion
Feb.
13: Chap. 5
Presentation & Discussion
Feb.
20: Chap. 6
Presentation & Discussion
Feb. 27:
Chap. 7 Presentation
& Discussion
Mar.
6:
Chap. 8 Presentation & Discussion
Mar.
20: Chap. 9
Presentation & Discussion
Mar.
27: Chap. 10
Presentation & Discussion
Apr.
3:
Chap. 11 Presentation & Discussion
Apr.
10: Chap. 12
Presentation & Discussion
Apr.
17: Chap. 13
Presentation & Discussion
Apr.
25: Chap. 14
Presentation & Discussion
May
1:
Chap. 15 Presentation & Discussion
Projects
First Project: Choose one of the
definitions to apply to
Second
Project: Choose
one of the following topics: Loss of/quest for community, community development,
or planned community in relation to
Third Project: Design a project to
study
GROUP PROJECTS
PARTICIPATION EVALUATION
This is to be
submitted by every member of a group after it submits a final submission of a
group project. It is to be submitted in a sealed envelope separate from
the project. No credit will be given for a project until all group
members have submitted their evaluation forms.
Name
____________________________
Please rate the quality of participation
of each group member by assigning a number according to the numbers
in the scheme at the bottom of this form. Be honest with yourself
and with your classmates. Put a star by your own name.
Names of Group
Members
Quality of Group
Participation
(Including your
own)
(Circle a Number)
___________________100 95.0 90.0 86.7 83.3
80.0 76.7 73.3 70.0 66.7 63.3 60.0 56.7
53.3 50.0 &<__
___________________100 95.0 90.0 86.7 83.3
80.0 76.7 73.3 70.0 66.7 63.3 60.0 56.7
53.3 50.0 &<__
___________________100 95.0 90.0 86.7 83.3
80.0 76.7 73.3 70.0 66.7 63.3 60.0 56.7
53.3 50.0 &<__
___________________100 95.0 90.0 86.7 83.3
80.0 76.7 73.3 70.0 66.7 63.3 60.0 56.7
53.3 50.0 &<__
___________________100 95.0
90.0 86.7 83.3 80.0 76.7 73.3 70.0
66.7 63.3 60.0 56.7 53.3 50.0 &<__
___________________100 95.0 90.0 86.7 83.3
80.0 76.7 73.3 70.0 66.7 63.3 60.0 56.7
53.3 50.0 &<__
USE THE FOLLOWING SCALE TO
EVALUATE YOUR GROUP MEMBERS" CONTRIBUTIONS
Quality of Participation:
Group member's contribution is:
Score
Category Explanation
100 Excellent:
Always contributes to group discussion, always contributes to group project,
Always
95.0
participates in all group meetings (outside of class), Always participates in
all class
90.0
meetings
86.7 Very
Good: Often contributes sometimes to group discussion, often
contributes to group projects,
83.3
Participates in most group meetings (outside of class), Participates in most
class meetings
80.0
76.7 Good:
Sometimes
contributes to group discussion, sometimes contributes to group projects;
73.3
Participates in some group meetings (outside of class), Participates in some
class
70.0
meetings
66.7
Fair:
Occasionally contributes to group discussion, occasionally
contributes to group projects;
63.3
Participates in a few group meetings (outside of class); Participates in a few
class
60.0
meetings
56.7 Poor:
Does not contribute to group discussion, does not contribute to group projects;
Does not
53.3
participate in group meetings (outside of class); Does not participate in class
meetings
50.0
&<___ Less than Poor: You
decide on points!
To Be Attached To All Projects:
Soc. 309: Project Members
Group #_____
As members of this group, by
signing this we claim that each of us:
Has read and reviewed the entire project to be
submitted.
Agree with the content of each of the sections.
Has proofread the entire project and did not find any
spelling, typographical, grammatical, formatting, punctuation, reference, or
structural errors anywhere in it.
Has discussed all of the topics in the project with
all of the group members
Agreed on the content of the sections prior to
assigning responsibility to individuals for writing various sections.
Signed:
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
________________________