Welcome Page: PHIL 208 CRN 70284: Course Welcome Letters

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PHIL 208: INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC
CRN: 70284

Welcome to Philosophy 208!

My name is Dr. Chris Gilbert, and I shall be your instructor in the online version of Introduction to Logic.

Here are several important things you should know about the course:

First, this course demands a great deal of self-motivation. It is the student’s responsibility to keep on top of the reading assignments, to watch or listen to the lectures, to submit the homework assignments on time, etc. Thus, I recommend this course only to those who are both well-organized and self-disciplined.

Second, this course requires a good deal of time. For every hour you spend in “lecture” each week, you should expect to spend another two hours on reading and homework. You will spend roughly three hours per week in “lecture”, so this means you will spend roughly another six hours per week on reading and homework.

Third, although this course has no face-to-face meetings, and the lectures are asynchronous (meaning you do not have to log in at any particular time in order to open them), you will nonetheless need to think of it as a class that “meets” twice per week. There will typically be video or audio lectures covering two topics per week. The first will be “scheduled” for Monday and Tuesday of that week; the second will be “scheduled” for Wednesday and Thursday of that week. You will need to view the lectures within the two-day periods for which they are scheduled, for two reasons: (1) each topic builds on previous topics, meaning it presupposes you have had time to think about and practice the procedures discussed in previous lectures; (2) every homework assignment will be due on a specific date, and you must be keeping up with the lectures in order to understand how to do the homework.

Fourth, it is important that you take responsibility for your own learning. This will mean, primarily, that you need to do two things: (1) compare your homework solutions to those that I provide, noting when your answers differ from mine, and (2) contact me when you have questions about any of the material in the homework, the readings, or the lectures. You can do so quickly and easily by posting a question in the “Ask Dr. G” discussion board, which is in the first module of the course home page. You should also check that discussion board regularly to see what questions other students have asked, and how I have answered their questions.

Finally, please note that this document is not a course syllabus. It simply provides some information that may help you decide whether to register for the course. Students who do register for the course will gain access to the course syllabus once they enter the course web page.

Respectfully,
~C. Gilbert

Instructor

Dr. Christopher Gilbert

Contact Information

Email Address: cgilbert@cuesta.edu

Office Hours:

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, face-to-face office hours are suspended.

Please contact me via email or though the “Ask Dr. G” discussion board in the course home page. I am also happy to speak with students by telephone or Zoom. In that case, I would ask you to email me with some suggested days and times so that we can arrange an appointment for our phone call or Zoom meeting in advance.

Instructor Contact Expectations

Since Cuesta College provides me with your college-generated e-mail address, this is the only e-mail address I will use when I need to contact you. Thus, you will need to do one of two things: either (a) check your Cuesta College e-mail account regularly, or (b) arrange for messages to be forwarded from your Cuesta College e-mail account to your personal e-mail account.

The best way to contact me is by email. I will typically respond within 24 hours to emails received between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. I do not check email after 4:00 p.m., or on weekends, or during academic breaks. I will typically send messages to the whole class or to individual students via their Cuesta College email addresses.

Course Environment

This online course will be using a Web-based Learning Management System called Canvas as the method to disseminate information. Canvas provides the framework for the course including quizzes and exams, discussion forums, study guides, and a grade book. Using the communication tools, you can communicate using e-mail, and you can share materials and ideas with other course participants via the discussion forums and chats.

Week One Instructions

Before you watch the first video lecture on Monday or Tuesday of the first week of the term, please access the course web page and carefully read the following three documents:

(1) PHIL 208 Syllabus;

(2) PHIL 208 Schedule; and

(3) Navigating PHIL 208 Online.

To access the course web page during the first week of classes, follow these instructions:

To get to the host site: Go to the Cuesta College home page (www.cuesta.eduLinks to an external site.) and click on “Canvas” (in the upper left corner of the page)
Log in: Enter your Canvas username and password (same as for MyCuesta)
User Dashboard: Click on the link for Phil 208; this will take you to the course home page.

If you are not familiar with logging into Canvas, please refer to the Canvas Quick Reference GuideLinks to an external site..

If you are having difficulty logging into Canvas after the first day of classes and need assistance, please seek technical support at this email address: support@my.cuesta.edu.

About Online Learning

If you have never taken an online class or this is your first experience with Canvas, please be patient with yourself. Online classes are not inherently easier, although they may be much more convenient for many students. You should expect to spend at least as much time on this course, if not more, as you would spend on a course that meets face-to-face. Much of this time will be self-directed and there will be a substantial amount of reading, viewing, and studying required. This course is completely online using Canvas; all coursework (discussions, assignments, quizzes) is submitted online. There are no face-to-face meetings. Please be prepared to spend 8 - 12 hours per week on coursework for this class.

Is an Online Course Right for You?

Please go to Online Readiness ResourcesLinks to an external site. and take the self-assessment, which is designed to help you understand the basis for an online class and the skills necessary for success. If the tutorials there do not describe you, then taking this class online is not for you and I strongly suggest that you drop the online class and enroll in a traditional classroom section, if and when such a section is offered.

Regular and Effective Contact

We will keep in contact in a variety of ways:

Students are welcome to contact me by email. I will typically respond within 24 hours to emails received between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. I do not check email after 4:00 p.m., or on weekends, or during academic breaks. I will typically send messages to the whole class or to individual students via their Cuesta College email addresses.
I am happy to speak with students via telephone or Zoom. Please email me with some suggested days and times so that we can arrange an appointment for our phone call or Zoom meeting in advance.
The “Ask Dr. G” discussion forum (in the first module of the course home page) is where you can post questions about the material. This forum is meant to simulate the spontaneous dialogue that typically occurs in a face-to-face class, from which all the students can benefit—even those who are not directly participating in that dialogue. I will check this forum and post answers to your questions roughly twice per week.
Students can use the “Chat” function in Canvas to ask and answer questions among themselves.

Course Description

Introduces the basic principles of both deductive and inductive reasoning. Treatment of deductive reasoning emphasizes translation, truth tables, and natural deduction in sentential logic. Treatment of inductive reasoning emphasizes inductive argument forms, functions of language, and informal fallacies.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students who complete this course successfully will have demonstrated the ability to:

Distinguish the technical meaning of logical terms (such as 'argument' and 'valid') from their everyday meaning
Distinguish between deductive and inductive arguments
Evaluate deductive arguments for validity
Evaluate inductive arguments for strength
Identify and explain commonly occurring logical fallacies

Required Text

Gilbert, Christopher. Basic Logic (Mason, OH: Cengage, 2013).

Please note that this book is only available through the Cuesta College bookstore. You can either buy it there in person or order it online and have it shipped to you via USPS or FedEx. Visit the bookstore online at https://cuesta.bncollege.com/shop/cuesta/homeLinks to an external site..

Technical Support

Cuesta students are encouraged to direct all technical support inquiries to support@my.cuesta.edu. If you are having issues with Canvas, you should contact the Canvas Support Hotline at (877) 921-7680, or click on the help button in Canvas to report a problem.

If you are having difficulty viewing the course or logging in, it may be because you are not using the correct url: https://cuesta.instructure.com/ or you are using your phone or using an unsupported browser.

Your learning environment is best accessed from a desktop or laptop computer, using Firefox or Chrome. This may solve your problem! Please review the browser requirements and minimum computer specificationsLinks to an external site..

Accommodations

This course is designed using an accessible Learning Management System, and course materials have been created with ADA compliance in mind. If you have a disability and might need accommodations in this class such as extended time on exams or other resources, please contact the instructor as soon as possible so that you can receive appropriate accommodations in a timely manner. You should also contact DSPS (Disabled Student Programs & Services)Links to an external site. (805-546-3148).

College & Course Policies

Academic Honesty Policy:

All students attending San Luis Obispo County Community College District at any district site and when representing Cuesta College in any off-campus activity, assume an obligation to conduct themselves in an acceptable manner compatible with the Student Code of Conduct. Please review the Cuesta College Student Code of ConductLinks to an external site..

Other Policies:

Please review the following Cuesta College policies:

Add Policy
Drop Policy
Waitlist Procedure and InstructionsLinks to an external site.

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[{:section_type=>"rich_text", :content=>"PHIL 208: INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC CRN: 70284\n&nbsp;\nWelcome to Philosophy 208!\n My name is Dr. Chris Gilbert, and I shall be your instructor in the online version of Introduction to Logic.\nHere are several important things you should know about the course:\nFirst, this course demands a great deal of self-motivation. It is the student’s responsibility to keep on top of the reading assignments, to watch or listen to the lectures, to submit the homework assignments on time, etc. Thus, I recommend this course only to those who are both well-organized and self-disciplined.\nSecond, this course requires a good deal of time. For every hour you spend in “lecture” each week, you should expect to spend another two hours on reading and homework. You will spend roughly three hours per week in “lecture”, so this means you will spend roughly another six hours per week on reading and homework.\nThird, although this course has no face-to-face meetings, and the lectures are asynchronous (meaning you do not have to log in at any particular time in order to open them), you will nonetheless need to think of it as a class that “meets” twice per week. There will typically be video or audio lectures covering two topics per week. The first will be “scheduled” for Monday and Tuesday of that week; the second will be “scheduled” for Wednesday and Thursday of that week. You will need to view the lectures within the two-day periods for which they are scheduled, for two reasons: (1) each topic builds on previous topics, meaning it presupposes you have had time to think about and practice the procedures discussed in previous lectures; (2) every homework assignment will be due on a specific date, and you must be keeping up with the lectures in order to understand how to do the homework.\nFourth, it is important that you take responsibility for your own learning. This will mean, primarily, that you need to do two things: (1) compare your homework solutions to those that I provide, noting when your answers differ from mine, and (2) contact me when you have questions about any of the material in the homework, the readings, or the lectures. You can do so quickly and easily by posting a question in the “Ask Dr. G” discussion board, which is in the first module of the course home page. You should also check that discussion board regularly to see what questions other students have asked, and how I have answered their questions.\nFinally, please note that this document is not a course syllabus. It simply provides some information that may help you decide whether to register for the course. Students who do register for the course will gain access to the course syllabus once they enter the course web page.\nRespectfully, ~C. Gilbert \n<h2>Instructor</h2>\nDr. Christopher Gilbert\n<h2>Contact Information</h2>\nEmail Address: <a href=\"mailto:cgilbert@cuesta.edu\">cgilbert@cuesta.edu</a>\nOffice Hours:\nDue to the Covid-19 pandemic, face-to-face office hours are suspended. Please contact me via email or though the “Ask Dr. G” discussion board in the course home page. I am also happy to speak with students by telephone or Zoom. In that case, I would ask you to email me with some suggested days and times so that we can arrange an appointment for our phone call or Zoom meeting in advance.\nInstructor Contact Expectations\nSince Cuesta College provides me with your college-generated e-mail address, this is the only e-mail address I will use when I need to contact you. Thus, you will need to do one of two things: either (a) check your Cuesta College e-mail account regularly, or (b) arrange for messages to be forwarded from your Cuesta College e-mail account to your personal e-mail account.&nbsp;&nbsp;\nThe best way to contact me is by email. I will typically respond within 24 hours to emails received between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. I do not check email after 4:00 p.m., or on weekends, or during academic breaks. I will typically send messages to the whole class or to individual students via their Cuesta College email addresses.\nCourse Environment\nThis online course will be using a Web-based Learning Management System called Canvas as the method to disseminate information. Canvas provides the framework for the course including quizzes and exams, discussion forums, study guides, and a grade book. Using the communication tools, you can communicate using e-mail, and you can share materials and ideas with other course participants via the discussion forums and chats.\nWeek One Instructions\nBefore you watch the first video lecture on Monday or Tuesday of the first week of the term, please access the course web page and carefully read the following three documents:\n(1) PHIL 208 Syllabus;\n(2) PHIL 208 Schedule; and\n(3) Navigating PHIL 208 Online. To access the course web page during the first week of classes, follow these instructions:\n<ol>\n<li>To get to the host site: Go to the Cuesta College home page (<a class=\"external\" href=\"http://www.cuesta.edu\" target=\"_blank\">www.cuesta.eduLinks to an external site.</a>) and click on “Canvas” (in the upper left corner of the page)</li>\n<li>Log in: Enter your Canvas username and password (same as for MyCuesta)</li>\n<li>User Dashboard: Click on the link for Phil 208; this will take you to the course home page.</li>\n</ol>\nIf you are not familiar with logging into Canvas, please refer to the <a class=\"external\" href=\"http://www.cuesta.edu/documents/distance_ed_students/Canvas_Quick_Reference_Students.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Canvas Quick Reference GuideLinks to an external site.</a>.&nbsp;\nIf you are having difficulty logging into Canvas after the first day of classes and need assistance, please seek technical support at this email address: <a href=\"mailto:support@my.cuesta.edu\">support@my.cuesta.edu</a>.&nbsp;\n<h3>About Online Learning </h3>\nIf you have never taken an online class or this is your first experience with Canvas, please be patient with yourself. Online classes are not inherently easier, although they may be much more convenient for many students. You should expect to spend at least as much time on this course, if not more, as you would spend on a course that meets face-to-face. Much of this time will be self-directed and there will be a substantial amount of reading, viewing, and studying required. This course is completely online using Canvas; all coursework (discussions, assignments, quizzes) is submitted online. There are no face-to-face meetings.&nbsp; Please be prepared to spend 8 - 12 hours per week on coursework for this class.\nIs an Online Course Right for You?\nPlease go to <a class=\"external\" href=\"http://www.unc.edu/tlim/ser/\" target=\"_blank\">Online Readiness ResourcesLinks to an external site.</a> and take the self-assessment, which is designed to help you understand the basis for an online class and the skills necessary for success. If the tutorials there do not describe you, then taking this class online is not for you and I strongly suggest that you drop the online class and enroll in a traditional classroom section, if and when such a section is offered.\n<h2>Regular and Effective Contact</h2>\n<h2>We will keep in contact in a variety of ways:</h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Students are welcome to contact me by email. I will typically respond within 24 hours to emails received between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. I do not check email after 4:00 p.m., or on weekends, or during academic breaks. I will typically send messages to the whole class or to individual students via their Cuesta College email addresses.</li>\n<li>I am happy to speak with students via telephone or Zoom. Please email me with some suggested days and times so that we can arrange an appointment for our phone call or Zoom meeting in advance.</li>\n<li>The “Ask Dr. G” discussion forum (in the first module of the course home page) is where you can post questions about the material. This forum is meant to simulate the spontaneous dialogue that typically occurs in a face-to-face class, from which all the students can benefit—even those who are not directly participating in that dialogue. I will check this forum and post answers to your questions roughly twice per week.</li>\n<li>Students can use the “Chat” function in Canvas to ask and answer questions among themselves.</li>\n</ol>\n<h2>Course Description</h2>\nIntroduces the basic principles of both deductive and inductive reasoning. Treatment of deductive reasoning emphasizes translation, truth tables, and natural deduction in sentential logic. Treatment of inductive reasoning emphasizes inductive argument forms, functions of language, and informal fallacies.\n<h2>Student Learning Outcomes</h2>\nStudents who complete this course successfully will have demonstrated the ability to:\n<ol>\n<li>Distinguish the technical meaning of logical terms (such as 'argument' and 'valid') from their everyday meaning</li>\n<li>Distinguish between deductive and inductive arguments</li>\n<li>Evaluate deductive arguments for validity</li>\n<li>Evaluate inductive arguments for strength</li>\n<li>Identify and explain commonly occurring logical fallacies</li>\n</ol>\n<h2>Required Text</h2>\nGilbert, Christopher. Basic Logic (Mason, OH: Cengage, 2013).\nPlease note that this book is only available through the Cuesta College bookstore. You can either buy it there in person or order it online and have it shipped to you via USPS or FedEx. Visit the bookstore online at <a class=\"external\" href=\"https://cuesta.bncollege.com/shop/cuesta/home\" target=\"_blank\">https://cuesta.bncollege.com/shop/cuesta/homeLinks to an external site.</a>. \n<h2>Technical Support</h2>\nCuesta students are encouraged to direct all technical support inquiries to&nbsp; <a href=\"mailto:support@my.cuesta.edu\">support@my.cuesta.edu</a>. If you are having issues with Canvas, you should contact the Canvas Support Hotline at (877) 921-7680, or click on the help button in Canvas to report a problem.\nIf you are having difficulty viewing the course or logging in, it may be because you are not using the correct url: https://cuesta.instructure.com/ or you are using your phone or using an unsupported browser.\nYour learning environment is best accessed from a desktop or laptop computer, using Firefox or Chrome.&nbsp; This may solve your problem!&nbsp; Please review the <a class=\"external\" href=\"http://www.cuesta.edu/student/aboutacad/distance/faqs_technical.html\" target=\"_blank\">browser requirements and minimum computer specificationsLinks to an external site.</a>. \n<h2>Accommodations</h2>\nThis course is designed using an accessible Learning Management System, and course materials have been created with ADA compliance in mind. If you have a disability and might need accommodations in this class such as extended time on exams or other resources, please contact the instructor as soon as possible so that you can receive appropriate accommodations in a timely manner. You should also contact <a class=\"external\" href=\"http://www.cuesta.edu/student/studentservices/dsps/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">DSPS (Disabled Student Programs &amp; Services)Links to an external site.</a> (805-546-3148). \n<h2>College &amp; Course Policies</h2>\nAcademic Honesty Policy:\nAll students attending San Luis Obispo County Community College District at any district site and when representing Cuesta College in any off-campus activity, assume an obligation to conduct themselves in an acceptable manner compatible with the Student Code of Conduct. Please review the <a class=\"external\" href=\"http://www.cuesta.edu/student/documents/admissions_records/code_of_conduct.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Cuesta College Student Code of ConductLinks to an external site.</a>.&nbsp;\nOther Policies:\nPlease review the following Cuesta College policies:\n<ul>\n<li>Add Policy</li>\n<li>Drop Policy</li>\n<li><a class=\"external\" href=\"http://www.cuesta.edu/student/studentservices/admrreg/arpolicies/Waitlist.html\" target=\"_blank\">Waitlist Procedure and InstructionsLinks to an external site.</a></li>\n</ul>"}]