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Philosophy 209 / Six Weeks / Summer (51135)

Note:

My regular condensed World Religions course is designed for 8 full weeks. To accommodate this in 6 weeks, I will need to accelerate the Orientation unit to the first 2 days rather than a full week (this should not be a problem for anyone), and it will be necessary to extend the course 3 extra days, to end on July 22. If this extension represents a problem for you, I can work with you to figure out a solution that will accommodate you.

Welcome Online Learners!

Welcome to Distance Education at Cuesta College! My name is Dr. Cheryl Genet and I am the instructor for the upcoming online version of World Religions (Phil 209). It is a course of timely value for our participation in the emerging global community. In this course we will take a fascinating journey of discovery together that deepens our appreciation of the world’s great wisdom traditions. I look forward to getting to know each of you who enroll (are enrolled) and assisting you with achieving the learning outcomes for this course.

PHIL 209 Student Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete a course in World Religions at Cuesta College will have demonstrated the ability to:

Distinguish between academic and devotional approaches to religion
Summarize & explain the histories, both internal & external, of the major religions covered in the course
Explain the connections between religious practices and the beliefs that motivate those practices
Describe & assess the historical and/or doctrinal connections between specific relevant religious traditions
Write clearly and critically about ideas relevant to the academic study of the world’s religions

Communication

It is preferred that if you have a question or concern or other communication that you email me at cheryl_genet@cuesta.edu I will answer your email as soon as possible, but at the minimum within 24 hours, Monday-Saturday.
If you need to call me and speak personally, do not hesitate. You can reach me at 805-438-4088.

I also want to let you know about some important information prior to the commencement of my online class. Please read carefully!!

This course compresses a full semester course into 6 weeks. As per requirements for shortened courses, it still covers most of the course material—I have modified it slightly but be prepared.

Basic Course Information

This World Religions course is an exploration of the practices, beliefs, and context of the world’s five major religions, as well as consideration of primal religions, new religions, religious cultural issues, religion and sustainable living, and the nature of religion itself.

The required textbook is:

Molloy, Michael. 2010. Experiencing the World’s Religion: Tradition, Challenge, and Change.
5^th ed. NY: McGraw Hill.
The 5^th ed. is essential. You can purchase this at the Cuesta bookstore but it is expensive. This is an old edition, so you can buy or rent it online for anywhere from $2.50 to $50 used (roughly). There is a PDF downloadable version available to you in the Course, and though I don't recommend studying from an online version unless you have to, it will suffice until your book comes.

WHAT TO EXPECT: This course is fully online with no meetings, nevertheless it has regular assignments, quizzes, and forum posts with specific weekly due dates. It also requires watching two to three videos per week (3 minutes to 40 minutes – most in the 5 to 15 minute range, necessitating internet usage time. If you are not prepared to stay on top of assignments throughout each week, this may not be the best class for you.

Website

Your course is located on the Cuesta College Canvas Course Management System. You can access Canvas through your MyCuesta Links to an external site. account. Use your Cuesta ID and password.

Participation

The Orientation Video and notes are mandatory (see Class Schedule for due date). You may be dropped from the course if you do not participate. There are also 4 Synchronous Tests (online). In addition, timely participation in all activities is critical for a good or even passing grade. In general, each week’s work must be completed in order, on time, and submitted by the end of the Unit.

Readings

There are four types of reading assignments: Unit Introductions, Text reading assignments, some Special Focus and Context Enrichment assignments. Students are expected complete the required reading assignments for each week, take the reading quiz, and complete and submit the Reading Worksheet (RW).

Quizzes

To assure compliance with reading requirements, reading quizzes will be given covering each unit’s reading assignments. These quizzes will be brief, objective (true/false, multiple choice) and un-timed. There will also be a short quiz after each Special Focus assignment. All quizzes are designed to help you test your knowledge. They must be taken within the unit they are assigned.

Discussion Session

There will be a discussion session for most Units. You must complete the assigned Reading Worksheet (RW), complete the Special Focus assignment, and watch the assigned Religion & Ethics segment before you enter your Discussion Forum (DF). Be sure to follow instructions for DF participation carefully. Participation in the DF’s are critical to your grade!

Tests

There will be four Synchronous Test (online) that will cover the previous three to five Learning Units, including glossary terms. In this 6 week course these are taken 2 at a time. Collectively, these four tests comprise the equivalent of a final exam. There is no comprehensive final at the end of the semester.

Important Considerations

While Distance Education courses have many benefits in allowing for flexible schedules and a rewarding learning experience, there are a number of things you should know about this course right from the start:

This course is designed for those who are computer literate. If you are not both confident and comfortable working with e-mail, word processing, and the Internet, as well as downloading and attaching files, then the online version of PHIL 206 is not for you; I recommend taking the course in the traditional classroom setting instead.
This course requires a great deal of self-motivation. It is the learner’s responsibility to keep on top of the reading assignments, to log on to the course website regularly, and to submit assignments and take quizzes by their due date, and access email regularly for instructor communications. Thus, I recommend this course only to those who are both well-organized and self-disciplined.
An online course requires roughly the same number of hours and participation as a face-to-face class. According to Cuesta, you should expect to invest 48 hours of various types of learning and participation for each unit of credit. This 3 unit course over 18 weeks (of instruction) works out to 144 hours. Break that down by week and it comes to 24 hours per week. This is obviously unrealistic and not an accurate equivalency. So, a good rule of thumb for this 6 week version it would likely be 12 hours per week. To make sure you have adequate time, set aside at least this many hours per week.
You may want to read the Are You Ready for an Online Class? Links to an external site. which can be found on the Canvas website for this class, to help you evaluate your success in online learning. It also contains many ideas on how to achieve that success.

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 on the Canvas Navigation 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 specifications Links 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. at 805-546-3148

College & Course Policies:

Academic Honesty Policy: [Identify your course specific academic honesty policy]. In addition to my course policy, please note 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 conduct Links to an external site. at:

Add / Drop Policy: [Identify your course-specific add/drop policy] In addition to my policy, please review the Cuesta policy for drops

Waitlist Policy: [Identify your course-specific waitlist procedures]. In addition to my course specific procedures, please review Cuesta’s waitlist procedure and instructions Links to an external site.:

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[{:section_type=>"rich_text", :content=>"<h2>Philosophy 209 / Six Weeks / Summer (51135)</h2>\nNote:\nMy regular condensed World Religions course is designed for 8 full weeks. To accommodate this in 6 weeks, I will need to accelerate the Orientation unit to the first 2 days rather than a full week (this should not be a problem for anyone), and it will be necessary to extend the course 3 extra days, to end on July 22. If this extension represents a problem for you, I can work with you to figure out a solution that will accommodate you.\n<h1>Welcome Online Learners!</h1>\nWelcome to Distance Education at Cuesta College! My name is Dr. Cheryl Genet and I am the instructor for the upcoming online version of World Religions (Phil 209). It is a course of timely value for our participation in the emerging global community. In this course we will take a fascinating journey of discovery together that deepens our appreciation of the world’s great wisdom traditions. I look forward to getting to know each of you who enroll (are enrolled) and assisting you with achieving the learning outcomes for this course. &nbsp;\n<h1>PHIL 209 Student Learning Outcomes</h1>\nStudents who successfully complete a course in World Religions at Cuesta College will have demonstrated the ability to:\n<ul>\n<li>Distinguish between academic and devotional approaches to religion</li>\n<li>Summarize &amp; explain the histories, both internal &amp; external, of the major religions covered in the course</li>\n<li>Explain the connections between religious practices and the beliefs that motivate those practices</li>\n<li>Describe &amp; assess the historical and/or doctrinal connections between specific relevant religious traditions</li>\n<li>Write clearly and critically about ideas relevant to the academic study of the world’s religions</li>\n</ul>\n<h1>Communication</h1>\n<ul>\n<li>It is preferred that if you have a question or concern or other communication that you email me at <a href=\"mailto:cheryl_genet@cuesta.edu\">cheryl_genet@cuesta.edu</a> I will answer your email as soon as possible, but at the minimum within 24 hours, Monday-Saturday.</li>\n<li>If you need to call me and speak personally, do not hesitate. You can reach me at 805-438-4088.</li>\n</ul>\nI also want to let you know about some important information prior to the commencement of my online class. Please read carefully!!\nThis course compresses a full semester course into 6 weeks. As per requirements for shortened courses, it still covers most of the course material—I have modified it slightly but be prepared.\n<h1>Basic Course Information</h1>\nThis World Religions course is an exploration of the practices, beliefs, and context of the world’s five major religions, as well as consideration of primal religions, new religions, religious cultural issues, religion and sustainable living, and the nature of religion itself.\nThe required textbook &nbsp;is:\nMolloy, Michael. 2010. Experiencing the World’s Religion: Tradition, Challenge, and Change. 5th ed.&nbsp; NY: McGraw Hill.&nbsp; The 5th ed. is essential. You can purchase this at the Cuesta bookstore but it is expensive. This is an old edition, so you can buy or rent it online for anywhere from $2.50 to $50 used (roughly). There is a PDF downloadable version available to you in the Course, and though I don't recommend studying from an online version unless you have to, it will suffice until your book comes.\nWHAT TO EXPECT: This course is fully online with no meetings, nevertheless it has regular assignments, quizzes, and forum posts with specific weekly due dates.&nbsp; It also requires watching two to three videos per week (3 minutes to 40 minutes – most in the 5 to 15 minute range, necessitating internet usage time.&nbsp; If you are not prepared to stay on top of assignments throughout each week, this may not be the best class for you.\n<h2>Website</h2>\nYour course is located on the Cuesta College Canvas Course Management System. You can access Canvas through your <a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"http://www.cuesta.edu\" target=\"_blank\">MyCuesta Links to an external site.</a> account. Use your Cuesta ID and password.\n<h2>Participation</h2>\nThe Orientation Video and notes are mandatory (see Class Schedule for due date). You may be dropped from the course if you do not participate. There are also 4 Synchronous Tests (online). In addition, timely participation in all activities is critical for a good or even passing grade. In general, each week’s work must be completed in order, on time, and submitted by the end of the Unit.\n<h1>Readings</h1>\nThere are four types of reading assignments: Unit Introductions, Text reading assignments, some Special Focus and Context Enrichment assignments. Students are expected complete the required reading assignments for each week, take the reading quiz, and complete and submit the Reading Worksheet (RW).\n<h1>Quizzes</h1>\nTo assure compliance with reading requirements, reading quizzes will be given covering each unit’s reading assignments. These quizzes will be brief, objective (true/false, multiple choice) and un-timed. There will also be a short quiz after each Special Focus assignment. All quizzes are designed to help you test your knowledge. They must be taken within the unit they are assigned.\n<h1>Discussion Session</h1>\nThere will be a discussion session for most Units. You must complete the assigned Reading Worksheet (RW), complete the Special Focus assignment, and watch the assigned Religion &amp; Ethics segment before you enter your Discussion Forum (DF). Be sure to follow instructions for DF participation carefully. Participation in the DF’s are critical to your grade!\n<h1>Tests</h1>\nThere will be four Synchronous Test (online) that will cover the previous three to five Learning Units, including glossary terms. In this 6 week course these are taken 2 at a time. Collectively, these four tests comprise the equivalent of a final exam. There is no comprehensive final at the end of the semester.\n<h1>Important Considerations</h1>\nWhile Distance Education courses have many benefits in allowing for flexible schedules and a rewarding learning experience, there are a number of things you should know about this course right from the start:\n<ol style=\"list-style-type: decimal;\">\n<li>This course is designed for those who are computer literate. If you are not both confident and comfortable working with e-mail, word processing, and the Internet, as well as downloading and attaching files, then the online version of PHIL 206 is not for you; I recommend taking the course in the traditional classroom setting instead.</li>\n<li>This course requires a great deal of self-motivation. It is the learner’s responsibility to keep on top of the reading assignments, to log on to the course website regularly, and to submit assignments and take quizzes by their due date, and access email regularly for instructor communications. Thus, I recommend this course only to those who are both well-organized and self-disciplined.</li>\n<li>An online course requires roughly the same number of hours and participation as a face-to-face class. According to Cuesta, you should expect to invest 48 hours of various types of learning and participation for each unit of credit. This 3 unit course over 18 weeks (of instruction) works out to 144 hours. Break that down by week and it comes to 24 hours per week. This is obviously unrealistic and not an accurate equivalency. So, a good rule of thumb for this 6 week version it would likely be 12 hours per week. To make sure you have adequate time, set aside at least this many hours per week.</li>\n<li>You may want to read the<a class=\"external\" href=\"http://apps.3cmediasolutions.org/oei/\" target=\"_blank\"> Are You Ready for an Online Class? Links to an external site.</a> which can be found on the Canvas website for this class, to help you evaluate your success in online learning. It also contains many ideas on how to achieve that success.</li>\n</ol>\n<h1>Technical Support</h1>\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 on the Canvas Navigation 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 specifications Links to an external site.</a>\n<h1>Accommodations:</h1>\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> at 805-546-3148\n<h1>College &amp; Course Policies:</h1>\nAcademic Honesty Policy: [Identify your course specific academic honesty policy]. In addition to my course policy, please note 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 <a class=\"external\" href=\"https://www.cuesta.edu/about/documents/vpss-docs/Academic_Honesty_Agreement.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Cuesta College Student Code of conduct Links to an external site.</a> at:\nAdd / Drop Policy: [Identify your course-specific add/drop policy] In addition to my policy, please review the Cuesta policy for drops\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"external\" href=\"https://www.cuesta.edu/student/studentservices/admrreg/arpolicies/addcourse.html\" target=\"_blank\">Add Policy Links to an external site.</a></li>\n<li><a class=\"external\" href=\"https://www.cuesta.edu/student/studentservices/admrreg/arpolicies/dropcourse.html\" target=\"_blank\">Drop Policy Links to an external site.</a></li>\n</ul>\nWaitlist Policy: [Identify your course-specific waitlist procedures]. In addition to my course specific procedures, please review <a class=\"external\" href=\"http://www.cuesta.edu/student/studentservices/admrreg/arpolicies/Waitlist.html\" target=\"_blank\">Cuesta’s waitlist procedure and instructions Links to an external site.</a>:"}]

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Beth Hatchard

May 8 at 2:01pm

thank you, this is very helpful -Beth Hatchard

Philosophy 209 WR Summer

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