Affordable Learning Georgia



Basic Project InformationDate: May 19, 2017Grant Number: ALG Grant 16, Round 1Institution Name(s): Valdosta State UniversityTeam Members (Name, Title, Department, Institutions if different, and email address for each): Christine A. James, PhD; Professor; Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies; 1500 N. Patterson St.; Valdosta State University; Valdosta, GA 31698-0050; 229.259.7609 Office Phone; chjames@valdosta.eduMichael Holt; Assistant Professor, Reference Librarian, and Coordinator for Marketing and Assessment; Valdosta State University Odum Library; Valdosta, GA; Office: 229.333.7105; moholt@valdosta.eduProject Lead: Christine A. JamesCourse Name(s) and Course Numbers: PHIL 2020, Principles of Logic and Argumentation, sections A and G, Spring 2015Semester Project Began: Fall 2014Semester of Implementation: Spring 2015Average Number of Students Per Course Section: Section A = 27, Section G = 12Number of Course Sections Affected by Implementation: 2 sectionsTotal Number of Students Affected by Implementation: 39 students1. List of Resources Used in the Textbook TransformationFor each resource, give the title, author, Creative Commons licenses (if appropriate), and freely accessible URL to the material.Include all open-access links to all adopted, adapted, and newly created course materials.Unit 1 Critical Thinking and Philosophy The concept of Critical Thinking and practice applying it to evaluating positions, advertising, and disagreements in practical life.Objective:Use the tools and concepts of logic and critical thinking to evaluate and criticize arguments. Readings and MultimediaOur reading on Critical Thinking is: Commons NonCommercial Share and Share AlikeOur video on Critical Thinking is:? Commons Open Courseware UnportedAdditional Notes and PowerPoints in Blazeview as NeededActivities:One Unit QuizTwo Unit Discussion TopicsSelf-Assessments, Short Multiple Choice Ungraded for Practice within the UnitUnit 2 ArgumentsHow arguments are structured in more detail, types of arguments.Objective:Become familiar with the parts of arguments and examples of different types of arguments.Readings and MultimediaThere are two readings in Unit 2:?ForAllx (For this unit, only read Chapter 1): CCThe second reading comes from the Critical Thinking Web at the University of Hong Kong: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share AlikeOur video comes from Oxford iTunesU:Nature of Arguments CC Oxford Open UAdditional Notes and PowerPoints in Blazeview as NeededActivities:One Unit QuizTwo Unit Discussion TopicsSelf-Assessments, Short Multiple Choice Ungraded for Practice within the UnitUnit 3 FallaciesFallacies and classification of errors in reasoning with special attention to relevance, sufficiency, and acceptability.Objective:Recognize fallacies by category; recognizing arguments with problems in relevance, sufficiency, acceptability.Readings and MultimediThere are three readings in Unit 3:?Fallacies and Biases Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share AlikeFallacies pdf set CStephen Downes' Guide to Logical Fallacies CC BYAdditional Notes and PowerPoints in Blazeview as NeededActivities:Midterm Exam (Unit 3 Quiz)Two Unit Discussion TopicsSelf-Assessments, Short Multiple Choice Ungraded for Practice within the UnitUnit 4 Symbolic Logic (Sentential)How to analyze arguments based on their sentence structure. Symbolic language and statements, truth value, truth tables, and deductive validity.Objective: Determine truth values using truth tables, generate proofs from rules of inference, and determine the validity of symbolized arguments.Readings and MultimediaThere are six readings in Unit 4:ForAllx Chapter 2 CCNecessary and Sufficient Conditions Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share AlikeModule on Basic Logic Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share AlikeModule on Sentential Logic Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share AlikeTruth Tables CC BYForAllx Chapter 3 CCOur video on Symbolic Logic is:Different Types of Arguments CC Oxford Open UOur online multimedia app is:The Logic App - Additional Notes and PowerPoints in Blazeview as NeededActivities:One Unit QuizAt least 2 Unit Discussion Topics, to include posting of Logic App screencapturesSelf-Assessments, Short Multiple Choice Ungraded for Practice within the UnitUnit 5 Syllogisms and Venn Diagrams How to analyze arguments made up of categorical propositions. Use of Venn diagrams, mood, and figure to determine the validity of syllogisms. Objective: Translate categorical propositions and Venn Diagrams, use Venn diagrams to establish mood and figure, and use Venn Diagrams to evaluate syllogistic arguments for validity.Readings and MultimediaThere are two readings in Unit 5:Module on Venn Diagrams Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share AlikeVenn Diagrams CC BYOur video on Syllogisms and Venn Diagrams is:Evaluating Arguments CC Oxford Open U Additional Notes and PowerPoints in Blazeview as NeededActivities:One Unit QuizAt least 2 Unit Discussion TopicsSelf-Assessments, Short Multiple Choice Ungraded for Practice within the UnitUnit 6 Logic and Research Evaluating different types of research, and the concepts associated with creating a literature review for an argumentative research paper. We will discuss primary sources and secondary sources, and how to summarize argumentative positions in research articles.Objective: Evaluating peer-reviewed source material, writing from the perspective of argumentative essays and critiquing research based arguments.Readings and MultimediaThere are three readings in Unit 6:Empire State College Information Skills Tutorial Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share AlikeEvaluating Internet Material by Boundless ? Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share AlikeFinding the Good Argument; or Why Bother With Logic? CCAdditional Notes and PowerPoints in Blazeview as NeededActivities:One Short Writing Assignment (Dropbox)One Unit QuizAt least 2 Unit Discussion TopicsSelf-Assessments, Short Multiple Choice Ungraded for Practice within the UnitUnit 7 Logic and Law How argumentation is used in legal contexts. We will consider sample LSAT examination questions, and we will address how logic is an integral part of law school training. We will look at resources for persuasive writing as they could apply to legal argumentation in written briefs and in litigation. We will give special attention to inductive generalizations, inductive arguments by analogy, and categorical syllogisms used in legal reasoning.Objective: Analyzing legal argumentation and sample LSAT questions, practicing persuasive writing and argumentation for litigation.Readings and MultimediaThere are three readings in Unit 7:Logic for Law Students: How to Think Like a Lawyer CC BYParalegal Alliance: The Law School Admissions Test "LSAT" – Arguments CC BYParalegal Alliance: Writing to Persuade CC BYAdditional Notes and PowerPoints in Blazeview as NeededActivities:Final ExamAt least 2 Unit Discussion TopicsSelf-Assessments, Short Multiple Choice Ungraded for Practice within the Unit2. NarrativeA. Describe the key outcomes, whether positive, negative, or interesting, of your project. Include:Summary of your transformation experience, including challenges and accomplishmentsTransformative impacts on your instructionTransformative impacts on your students and their performanceB. Describe lessons learned, including any things you would do differently next time. The students in section A and G unanimously enjoyed the concept of a textbook-free course. We collected a variety of Creative Commons licensed material, and brought them together into a coherent structure of seven units that is comparable to any introductory level Logic course at most peer institutions and comprehensive universities. We made sure that the units in the course can be adjusted; for example some universities use Logic as a replacement option for a beginning English course on argumentative writing, some use Logic to replace a first Math course because of symbolic language, and some universities specifically use Logic as a pre-law course. This set of unit material can be adapted for any of these interests. Students noted that they enjoyed positive personal engagement with Christine James as the instructor, since she would frequently introduce each new linked Creative Commons item, giving her own notes or PowerPoint material to accompany it. The “team” feeling of the class was truly positive and enjoyable. Our Logic tutor during the semester, Dan Nix, found himself showing material from our class to students in other sections who he was tutoring because he liked the active engagement of many of the Creative Commons sources we used. Students felt a keen sense of empowerment, since they were able to work through new websites and videos in a positive sense of exploration, rather than working through a textbook alone. In terms of lessons learned, The Logic App did present some challenges as students needed to install Java or update their Java settings in order to use the web-based version of the app. I made a special PowerPoint giving them tips on how to deal with any kind of error message they might see, and after about a week all the students did have the app working well. As David Johnston notes in his final report, the version of the app we used was an older web-based version, and he is willing to work on improvements in the future. I would love to see The Logic App or something like it connected with Desire 2 Learn for use in class with automatic grading capability. As with the ongoing development of any class, additional notes, PowerPoints, and videos can be added in future semesters.3. QuotesProvide three quotes from students evaluating their experience with the no-cost learning materials.“I enjoyed having a variety of sources made available. The Affordable Learning Georgia grant offered a more diverse learning perspective through the use of different learning tools.” Maria Maguire, PHIL 2020 Section G, Spring 2015“The Affordable Learning Georgia program has helped me utilize my computer skills better and has also humbled me to be thankful because I didn’t have to buy books that would add more expenses to my college career.” Nydrah Wright, PHIL 2020 Section G, Spring 2015“I had a very pleasurable experience while taking this class. I enjoyed the time I was in class, and I loved not having to buy a book. I also liked the Logic App, which made some of the exercises a lot more easy.” Mikel Laurita, PHIL 2020 Section G, Spring 2015“I enjoyed this class. I loved how I didn’t have to spend money on buying a book that I would never use again. Putting all the resources for the class online made it super easy to access so that came in handy.” Jazmin Garza, PHIL 2020 Section G, Spring 2015“This grant has given me the privilege of being able to take this class. Having all the information for the class online made it affordable. I enjoyed the variety of information and it kept the class interesting!” Jessa Sellars, PHIL 2020 Section G Spring 2015“I’m appreciative of my PHIL 2020 class. Taking a course with no cost for textbooks was a help to me, I would like to be a part of this program in future classes!” Brad Duncan, PHIL 2020 Section G, Spring 2015“I enjoy this class, because I feel like since we as students do not have to utilize a textbook, makes the class more personable with the professor and allows us to gain a different style of learning.” Konosha Smith, PHIL 2020 Section A, Spring 2015“The idea for a book free class was awesome it allows us to get more of a quality relationship with the teacher and save money.” Tyrone Dixon, PHIL 2020 Section A, Spring 2015“This is something that should have been done long ago. The online material is much more comprehensive and clear than a paper textbook would be.” Colin Woodman, PHIL 2020 Section A, Spring 2015“This philosophy class is a very effective online or in person class. Not only is this class great because it doesn’t need a book but the fact that the Logic App and other aspects of the class was easier to learn due to the online activities. The in person meeting was great as well because my professor loves her job and she breaks down everything. This has been a great class.” Charity Lumpkin, PHIL 2020 Section A, Spring 2015“At first I was skeptical of a class without a hard copy of a textbook because of my learning style, but the class was great! It saved me money and I could access material without carrying a bulky book.” Esmeralda Eichler, PHIL 2020 Section A, Spring 20154. Quantitative and Qualitative MeasuresIn this section, summarize the supporting impact data that you are submitting, including all quantitative and qualitative measures of impact on student success and experience. Include all measures as described in your proposal, along with any measures developed after the proposal submission. Include measures such as:Drop, fail, withdraw (DFW) delta ratesCourse retention and completion ratesAverage GPAPre-and post-transformation DFW comparisonStudent success in learning objectivesSurveys, interviews, and other qualitative measuresWhen submitting your final report, as noted above, you will also need to provide the separate file of supporting data on the impact of your Textbook Transformation (surveys, analyzed data collected, etc.)For this question, we include five separate documents: 1) an Excel spreadsheet including all the DFW, retention, completion, average grades in all PHIL 2020 courses since 2002, 2) an Excel spreadsheet on the Spring 2015 semester, comparing DFW rates, and 3) surveys of PHIL 2020 Section A Spring 2015 and 4) surveys of PHIL 2020 Section G Spring 2015, and 5) the final report of the inventor of The Logic App, David K. Johnston, including statistics on the use of the app during specific units/months of the course.One item not present in these documents is a comparison between the PHIL 2020 ALG grant sections’ SOI quantitative results, and the average SOI number for all sections of PHIL 2020. Such data is only available in aggregate form to protect instructor privacy:SOI data chartLikert scale, out of 5.00Likert scale, out of 5.00Spring 2015ALG section A = 4.71 Average of all PHIL 2020: 4.68ALG section G = 4.78 Spring 2014Average of all PHIL 2020: 4.49Fall 2013Average of all PHIL 2020: 4.41Spring 2013Average of all PHIL 2020: 4.61Fall 2012Average of all PHIL 2020: 4.47Spring 2012Average of all PHIL 2020: 4.62Just to highlight specific parts of the spreadsheets, DFW rates for the Spring 2015 term were definitely comparable too, or better than previous semesters:Average grade data for the two sections involved in the grant, A and G, were very comparable to the other sections’ average grades:In general the two sections of the class using the ALG model were successful. The only possible area of difficulty noted on the students’ midterm surveys was the use of The Logic App, since it required specific settings and “Exceptions” listings in both Java and the web browser’s settings and options. I quickly made a PowerPoint explaining how to deal with each kind of Java error when the midterm surveys came back, and the issue was worked out.5. Sustainability PlanDescribe how your project team or department will offer the materials in the course(s) in the future, including the maintenance and updating of course materials.All links and material will be stored in LibGuides or Vtext by Michael Holt, and question banks for quizzes and self-assessments will be accessible through same means with password protection. The materials will be stored in the university’s institutional repository Vtext, because that site uses the Dspace platform to ensure longterm open access to the course materials. In addition, Vtext uses the Handle persistent URL service to provide permanent links to the materials. The material is presented in a manner similar to its original format in the libguides CMS. The libguides version of the material contains permalinks to all of the course materials in Vtext. The DSpace platform offers an embargo system where all assessment materials can be protected, yet still provided to instructors interested in using the materials in their own courses. We are also hopeful that the material developed through this grant will be used throughout the state, and especially with the eCore program, which is interested in adding a new PHIL 2020 Logic eCore class that would also be textbook-free, OER/CC material based.6. Future PlansDescribe any impacts or influences this project has had on your thinking about or selection of learning materials in this and other courses that you will teach in the future.Describe any planned or actual papers, presentations, publications, or other professional activities that you expect to produce that reflect your work on this project.Christine James presented at Valdosta State University for an audience including VSU faculty and staff, and members of the Waycross College/South Georgia State College in Waycross faculty and staff, on Monday April 13, 2015. It was organized by Mark Smith and Deb Van Petten to publicize the ALG concept and recruit more faculty and staff to participate.Christine James is also presenting at the eCore meeting taking place at Middle Georgia State College in Macon on May 20, 2015, explaining the process of this grant and the way that it can be related to a potential PHIL 2020 Logic course offered by eCore to be developed next year.Michael Holt has agreed to be on a panel of librarians, who will share their experiences assisting with providing open access materials for college courses for a proposed session at the Georgia Library Association / Council of Media Organizations annual Conference in October, 2015. Michael Holt will discuss how library technology platforms like libguides and Dspace can be used to make sustainable platforms for open access course materials.7. Description of PhotographList the names of the people in the separately uploaded photograph and their roles, e.g.: (left-right) Dr. Transformer, team lead and instructor of record; Agent Graphic, instructional designer; Dr. Philomath, subject matter expert; B. Bibliophile, librarian; A. Einstein, Student.Photo Guide for PHIL 2020 Section A, all email addresses are @valdosta.eduTalisa Sampson tmsampson@valdosta.eduColin Woodman cmwoodmanShaquille DuncansduncanKegan Newton knewtonAshton Webb arwebbBrian Donaldson bkdonaldsonTalisha Stephens tdstephensEsmeralda Eichler eaeichlerAmanda WaldenajwaldenKonosha SmithkonsmithTyler McGheeatmcgheeAram WynnaewynnKristy Clark kqclarkJoshua VegajkvegaPhoto Guide for PHIL 2020 Section G, all email addresses are @valdosta.eduJessica SellarsjcsellarsMikel Lauritamklaurita@valdosta.eduEmily HarlessecharlessJenna Rae Dainesjrdaines Nydrah Wright nswrightMaria Maguire memaguireAdam RassattasrassattAll students included in the photos signed official photo releases, scans of these photo releases are available on request as a separate pdf. The photos below and on the next page will be attached as a separate photo on the final grant report (I will edit them together in larger format to be one attachment.) ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download