Is there a common thread that unites creative endeavors in the arts and sciences? – that is, a specific mental faculty (or combination of faculties), or supernatural power, effective procedure, genetic endowment, pattern of experience, or pattern of neurologic development that gives rise to the making of new inventions, new scientific and mathematical discoveries, new philosophical systems, and new works of art? If there is such a secret formula – a single “creative process” or “inventive instinct” – it remains, despite repeated efforts to identify and explain it, virtually as mysterious today as it seemed to artists and thinkers (and their audiences) more than two thousand years ago.
In this course, you will compare and critically evaluate a range of theories about human invention and creativity, both classic and modern – from ancient conceptions of divine inspiration and “creative madness” to recent hypotheses in the fields of evolutionary psychology, cognitive science, neurology, and artificial intelligence. You will test these theories by (a) applying them to your own past experience with creative endeavors and (b) by determining to what extent the theories can adequately explain the emergence of particular inventions, scientific and mathematical breakthroughs, extraordinary personal skills, and works of art.
The course will introduce the thought of a range of important theorists on the creative process – from Plato and Aristotle to Freud and Jung – and also weigh the contributions and examples of prominent artists, scientists, and inventors, including Archimedes, Newton, Mozart, Milton, Poe, Coleridge, Emerson, Van Gogh, Poincaré, Nietzsche, Edison, Einstein, and many others.
After completing this course, you will be able to:
In this course, you will develop the following competencies:
|
Competence |
Competence Statement and Criteria |
|
A5 |
Can define and analyze the creative process. |
|
A3X |
To be written by the student with the cooperation of the instructor. Sample statement: Can relate a theory of creativity or imagination to achievements in entertainment or the fine arts |
|
S3X |
To be written by the student with the cooperation of the instructor. Sample statement: Understands how the organization of the brain relates to the creative process and can relate a theory of creativity to discoveries or breakthroughs in mathematics, science, or technology. |
|
H3X |
Can apply a psychological or sociological theory to explain the acquisition and development of human creative skills. |
To buy your books, go to http://depaul-loop.bncollege.com.
Course Dictionary and Resource Guide (electronic document available for download on the course website).
Ghiselin, Brewster (ed.). The Creative Process: Reflections on Invention in the Arts and Sciences. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1985.
Module One. Homer and Muses: Creativity and Inspiration in the Ancient World
Arrien,Angeles. The Nine Muses:A Mythological Path to Creativity. New York:Tarcher-Putman,200
Gill,NS. "The 9 Greek Muses" http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/mgodsandgoddesses/tp/Muses.htm
Module Two. Divine Inspiration.
Lieberman, Max and Michael McFadden. “Divine Inspiration and Art.” http://www.sol.com.au/kor/9_01.htm
Phillips, Adam. “Divine Inspiration.” http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2006/mar/12/1
Module Three. Classical Theory and Creative Imitation.
Colvin, Geoff. Talent Is Over-rated. What Really Separates World-class Performers from Everyone Else. New York, Penguin Group, 2008.
Coyle, Daniel. The Talent Code. Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How. New York: Bantam, 2009.
The Poe Society website. http://www.eapoe.org/
Raustiaula, Kai and Chris Sprigman. The Knockoff Economy: How Imitation Sparks Innovation. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012.
West, David and Tony Woodman. Creative Imitation and Latin Literature. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1979.
Module Four. Creative Genius and Romantic Theory.
Abrams, M. H. The Mirror and the Lamp. New York: Oxford University Press, 1953.
“Definitions of Romanticism.” http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng372/intro-h4.htm
Galitz, Katherine Calley. “Romanticism. Metropolitan Museum of Art website. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roma/hd_roma.htm
Module Five. Freud, Jung, Mental Disorders and Creativity.
“Are Creativity and Mental Illness Linked?” http://talentdevelop.com/articles/Page91.html
Freud, Sigmund. The Uncanny. New York: Penguin, 2003.
Sawyer, R Keith. “Creativity and Mental Illness: Is There a Link?” The Huffington Post, 11/02/2012. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-r-keith-sawyer/creativity-and-mental-ill_b_2059806.html
Jamison, Kay Redfield. Touched with Fire: Manic Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament. Touchstone Books, 1996.
Jung, CG. “The Power of Imagination.” Interview. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GUJOIM7KUk
Module Six: Creativity, Sleep, and Unconscious Mental Processes.
Cantor, Joanne. “Sleep for Success: Creativity and the Neuroscience of Slumber.” Psychology Today, May 15, 2010. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/conquering-cyber-overload/201005/sleep-success-creativity-and-the-neuroscience-slumber
Papova, Maria. “French Polymath Henri Poincare on How Creativity Works.” http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/08/15/henri-poincare-on-how-creativity-works/
Stafford, Tom. “How Sleep Makes Your Mind More Creative.” BBC online, December 5, 2013. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20131205-how-sleep-makes-you-more-creative
Module Seven: Evolutionary Psychology.
Bloom, Paul. Just Babies: The Origin of Good and Evil. New York: Crown Publishers, 2013.
Downes, Stephen M. “Evolutionary Psychology.” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2013 edition). Edward N Zalta (ed.). http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evolutionary-psychology/
“Evolutionary Psychology.” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_psychology#Evolutionary_psychology
Gould, Stephen Jay. “Evolution: The Pleasures of Pluralism.” The New York Review of Books. June 26, 1997. http://cogweb.ucla.edu/Debate/Gould.html
Pinker, Steven. How the Mind Works. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1997.
- - - - -. The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature. New York: Penguin, 2002.
Module Eight: Multiple Intelligences and Flow.
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper and Row. 1990.
- - - - -. Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. HarperCollins, 1997.
- - -- - -. “Flow: The Secret to Happiness.” Ted Talks website. Feb. 2004. http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow.html
Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic Books, 1983.
- - - - -. Art, Mind, and Brain: A Cognitive Approach to Creativity. New York: Basic Books, 1984.
- - - - -. Creating Minds: An Anatomy of Creativity Seen Through the Lives of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham, and Gandhi. New York: Basic Books, 1993.
- - - - -. Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century. New York: Basic Books, 1999.
Module Nine: Neuroscience.
Andreasen, Nancy C. The Creating Brain: The Neuroscience of Genius. New York: Dana Press, 2005.
Nature/Neuroscience online: http://www.nature.com/neuro/index.html
The Society for Neuroscience website: http://www.sfn.org/
Vartanian, Oshin, et. al. Neuroscience of Creativity. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2013.
Module Ten: Artificial Intelligence.
The MIT CSAIL (Computer Science Artificial Intelligence Laboratory) website: http://www.csail.mit.edu/
Pereira, Francisco Camara. Creativity and Artificial Intelligence: A Conceptual Blending Approach. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2007.
Russell, Stuart Jonathan and Peter Norwig. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach. New York: Prentice Hall, 2010.
Additional Resources:
Adams, John. Hallelujah Junction: Composing an American Life. New York: Picador, 2009.
Abrams, M. H. The Mirror and the Lamp. New York: Oxford University Press, 1953.
Amsler, Mark, ed. Creativity and Imagination: Case Studies from the Classical Age to the Twentieth Century. University of Delaware Press, 1987.
Amabile, Teresa M., et. al. Creativity in Context: Update to the Social Psychology of Creativity. Westview Press, 1996.
Andreasen, Nancy C. The Creating Brain: The Neuroscience of Genius. New York: Dana Press, 2005.
Armstrong, Louis. Satchmo. New York: Da Capo Press, 1986.
Barron, Frank X. Creativity and Personal Freedom. 1968.
- - - - -. Creative Person and Creative Process. Thomson Publishing, 1969.
- - - - -. Ed. Creators on Creating: Awakening and Cultivating the Imaginative Mind. J.P. Tarcher, 1997.
Berlioz, Hector. Memoirs. Edited and translated by Ernest Newman and Eleanor Holmes. Dover Books, 1966.
Bloom, Harold. The Anxiety of Influence. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973.
- - - - -. Genius: A Mosaic of One Hundred Exemplary Creative Minds. Warner Books, 2002.
Boden, Margaret. The Creative Mind: Myths and Mechanisms. 2nd ed. Routledge, 2003.
Boorstin, Daniel J. The Creators: A History of Heroes of the Imagination. New York: Random House, 1992.
Buss, David M. Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of Mind. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1998.
Changeux, Jean-Pierre. The Physiology of Truth: Neuroscience and Human Knowledge. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2008.
Chodorow, Joan, ed. Jung on Active Imagination. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1997.
Colvin, Geoff. Talent Is Over-rated. What Really Separates World-class Performers from Everyone Else. New York, Penguin Group, 2008.
Coyle, Daniel. The Talent Code. Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How. New York: Bantam, 2009.
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper and Row. 1990.
- - - - -. Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. HarperCollins, 1997.
Damasio, Antonio. The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness. Harvest Books, 2000.
Dutton, Dennis. The Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution. New York: Dutton, 2008.
Edelman, Gerald M. and Giulio Tononi. A Universe of Consciousness: How Matter Becomes Imagination. New York: Basic Books, 2007.
Ellis, Havelock. A Study of British Genius. 1926.
Eysenck, Hans J. Genius: The Natural History of Creativity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Eysenck, Michael and Mark Keane. Cognitive Psychology: A Student’s Handbook. 4th Edition. New York: Psychology Press, 2000.
Farmelo, Graham. The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom. New York: Basic Books, 2009.
Freud, Sigmund. Leonardo da Vinci and A Memory of His Childhood. New York: WW Norton & Company, 1989.
- - - - -. The Uncanny. New York: Penguin, 2003.
Fritz, Sandy, ed. Understanding Artificial Intelligence. New York: Warner Books, 2002.
Gelernter, David. The Muse in the Machine. New York: MacMillan, Inc., 1994.
Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic Books, 1983.
- - - - -. Art, Mind, and Brain: A Cognitive Approach to Creativity. New York: Basic Books, 1984.
- - - - -. Creating Minds: An Anatomy of Creativity Seen Through the Lives of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham, and Gandhi. New York: Basic Books, 1993.
- - - - -. Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century. New York: Basic Books, 1999.
Gruber, Howard E. Darwin on Man: A Psychological Study of Scientific Creativity. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1982.
Hofstadter, Douglas. Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. New York: Basic Books, 1999.
- - - - -. I am a Strange Loop. Perseus Books, 2007.
Jamison, Kay Redfield. Touched with Fire: Manic Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament. Touchstone Books, 1996.
_ _ _ _ _ . Exuberance: The Passion for Life. New York: Random House, 2005.
Johnson, Steven. Mind Wide Open: Your Brain and the Neuroscience of Everyday Life. New York: Scribner, 2005.
Jung, Carl Gustav. The Portable Jung. (Joseph Campbell, ed.) New York: Viking, 1976.
Kasparov, Gary. Life Imitates Chess. New York: Bloomsbury USA, 2007.
Koestler, Arthur. The Act of Creation. New York: Macmillan, 1967.
- - - - -. The Sleepwalkers: A History of Man’s Changing Vision of the Universe. Hutchinson, 1959.
Kurzweil, Ray. The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence. New York: Penguin, 2000.
- - - - -. The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology. New York: Penguin, 2006.
Ludwig, Arnold, M.D. Price of Greatness: Resolving the Creativity and Madness Controversy. New York: Guilford Publications, 1995.
Miller, Arthur I. Insights of Genius: Imagery and Creativity in Science and Art. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2000.
Minsky, Marvin. The Society of Mind. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1988.
- - - - -. The Emotion Machine: Commonsense Thinking, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of the Human Mind. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2006.
Myers, Tona Pearce, ed. The Soul of Creativity: Insights into the Creative Process. New World Library, 1999.
Pinker, Steven. How the Mind Works. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1997.
- - - - -. The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature. New York: Penguin, 2002.
Ramachandran, V.S. Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind. New York: Harper Perennial, 1999.
Raskin-Gutman, Diego. Chess Metaphors: Artificial Intelligence and the Human Mind. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2009.
Richardson, Robert D. First We Read, Then We Write: Emerson on the Creative Process. Iowa City, University of Iowa Press, 2009.
Partridge, Derek, and John Rowe. Computers and Creativity. 1994.
Shelley, Percy Bysshe. Defence of Poetry. Available online at: http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/display/displayprose.cfm?prosenum=6
Shenk, David. The Genius in All of Us: Why Everything You’ve Been Told about Genetics, Talent, and IQ is Wrong. New York, Doubleday, 2010.
Simonton, Dean Keith. Genius, Creativity, and Leadership. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1984.
- - - - -. Origins of Genius: Darwinian Perspectives on Creativity. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Steiner, George. Grammars of Creation. New Haven CN: Yale University Press, 2001.
Sternberg, Robert J. Handbook of Creativity. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Sternberg, Robert J. and Todd Lubart. Defying the Crowd: Cultivating Creativity in a Culture of Conformity. 1995.
Stokes, Patricia D. Creativity from Constraints: The Psychology of Breakthrough. New York: Springer Publishing, 2006.
Storr, Anthony. The Dynamics of Creation. New York: Ballantine Books, 1972.
Wallas, Graham. The Art of Thought. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1926.
Wertheimer, Max. Productive Thinking (1945). Revised edition. HarperCollins, 1959.
Wilson, Edmund. The Wound and the Bow. Cambridge, MA: Riverside Press, 1941
Despite the scores of films devoted to the lives and careers of artists and creative people, Hollywood has contributed disappointingly little to our understanding of the creative process, for the most part settling for pat formulas, reductive explanations, and clichés. (For example, in Shakespeare in Love, the youthful Bard overcomes writer’s block only after his pent-up libido is discharged, in this case via an erotic affair with Gwyneth Paltrow in her role as heroine and muse. That said, the movie itself is still a wonderful parody of Shakespearian romantic comedy, with clever insights into the behind-the-scenes world of acting and theatre.)
All too often the Hollywood approach is simply to show a Jackson Pollock madly splashing paint on a canvas or a Beethoven or Mozart feverishly writing notes on a page. We are of course to understand that these characters are “inspired,” though we get no further clue or deeper explanation of their creative process than that.
The film A Beautiful Mind goes a bit further, in effect giving us an occasional glimpse of the mind of John Nash, the Nobel-prize-winning mathematician and main character, from the “inside.” Consequently, although we learn almost nothing about equilibrium theory or differential geometry or about how Nash came up with his mathematical ideas, we do get a harrowing sense of what the mind of a brilliant but deeply troubled schizophrenic might be like. As a rule, Hollywood has proven itself to be best equipped and certainly most prone to examine the lives of creators like Nash or Van Gogh or Michelangelo, which is to say of those who have either been tormented by personal demons (usually mental illness or some type of addiction) or driven by some type of irresistible passion or obsession.
The following is a list of some of the more popular and interesting explorations of the creative process that have appeared on the silver screen:
The Agony and the Ecstasy. (1965).
Amadeus (1984).
Barfly (1987).
Basquiat (1996).
A Beautiful Mind (2001).
Bird (1988).
Bright Star (2009).
Charly (1968).
Copying Beethoven (2006).
The Doors (1991).
A Fine Madness (1966).
Girl with the Pearl Earring (2003).
Good Will Hunting (1997).
The Hours (2002).
Immortal Beloved (1994).
Lisztomania (1975).
Lust for Life (1956).
Mahler (1974).
Mishima (1985).
Modigliani (2004).
My Left Foot (1989).
Pandaemonium (2000).
Pollock (2000).
Proof (2005).
Ray (2004).
Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993).
Shakespeare in Love (1998).
The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936).
Surviving Picasso (1996).
Sylvia (2003).
Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser (1988).
Vincent and Theo (1990).
Xanadu (1980.)
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
The Catholic Encyclopedia (online edition):
http://www.newadvent.org/
Dictionary of the Philosophy of Mind (Internet):
http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~philos/MindDict/index.html
Other Web resources:
King James Bible:
http://etext.virginia.edu/kjv.browse.html
The Bible and divine Inspiration:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08045a.htm
Romanticism:
http://www.philosopher.org.uk/rom.htm
Evolutionary Psychology:
http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/research/cep/
http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/research/cep/primer.html
Artificial Intelligence:
http://www.ai.mit.edu/
http://www.iit.nrc.ca/ai_point.html
Cognitive Science:
http://www.cognitivesciencesociety.org/
http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~ircs/homepage.html
Neuroscience:
http://www.sfn.org/
Coleridge and “Kubla Khan”:
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/stc/Coleridge/poems/Kubla_Khan.html
| A | 95 to 106 points |
| B | 84.5 to 94.5 points |
| C | 73.5 to 84 points |
| D | 63 to 73 points |
| F | 0 to 62.5 points |
Please note: Grades lower than a C- do not earn credit or competence in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
“Creativity and Imagination” consists of a series of ten modules, most of which are sub-divided into smaller sections called units.
In general, each module involves a reading assignment or independent research task, a short written assignment (usually an essay quiz consisting of two questions), and a discussion forum requirement.
The 14 written assignments will be graded and are worth anywhere from 5 to 8 points each. The forum discussions are not graded, but are worth 2 points each. (That is, you receive 2 points per discussion merely for participating in a substantive way.) You can also earn up to 5 bonus points either by initiating or contributing to an original discussion or by contributing posts that are judged to be particularly thoughtful, stimulating, and of high quality.
Assignments for modules 1-6 are uniform for all students regardless of competence(s). Assignments for modules 7-10 require you to answer questions specifically designated for your competence(s). A complete assignment schedule and course map can be found on the Course Map section of this syllabus
One further note: Please keep in mind that this course is little more than an inquiry – i.e., a critical foray or exploration – into the roots of the creative process. It deals mainly with speculative theories of imagination and creativity, not with solid realities and proven conclusions. The fact is, the origins of great works of scientific invention and artistic ingenuity, in everything from astronomy to song-writing, remain nearly as mysterious and baffling to us today as they did to our ancestors two or three millennia ago. (Something to keep in mind before you purchase any of the dozens of paperback titles or cassettes promising you umpteen ways to “boost your brain power” or “liberate your inner genius.”)
On the other hand, this is not to say that there has been no real progress or advance in our knowledge of creativity or that our latest theories are merely old wine in new bottles (i.e., old ideas packaged in fancy new scientific jargon). It is simply to point out that at best we still stand at the threshold of a true understanding of the creative process and that there are likely to be certain aspects of that process that will be forever hidden from us. As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus declared more than 2500 years ago: “The human mind is a remote country, which we can approach but never quite reach.”
To see course due dates, click on the Checklist link on the top navigation bar. This page contains module-specific checklists and due dates for the work due in the course.
The following table provides a rough estimate of the time it will probably take you to complete each of the required learning activities, assignments, or discussion forum posts. Obviously, it may take you a little less time if you’re a fast worker; a bit longer if you tend to read or write at a slower pace. Overall, depending on the number of competences you are registered for, the total time you’re likely to need to devote to your coursework is somewhere between 73 and 93 hours. (Note: you should probably plan on the higher number).
As you review the table and begin planning your own work schedule, please note the following schedule requirements and grading policies:
If for some reason you find yourself falling behind or unable to complete an assignment on schedule you should immediately notify the instructor.
• Assignments that are 1 –2 weeks late will receive partial credit.
• Assignments that are more than two weeks late will receive a grade of zero.
|
Schedule |
Module, Unit, Assignment #, or Online Discussion # |
Estimated Completion Time |
|
Week 1 |
Module 1, Unit 1 |
3 hours |
|
(8-9 hrs.) |
Assignment 1.1 (5 points) |
1 hour |
|
Online Discussion 1.3 (2 points) |
1 hour |
|
|
Module 1, Unit 2 |
2 hours |
|
|
Assignment 1.2 (7 points) |
2 hours |
|
|
Week 2 |
Module 2 |
2 hours |
|
(5-6 hrs.) |
Assignment 2.1 (6 points) |
2 hour |
|
Online Discussion 2.2 (2 points) |
1 hour |
|
|
Week 3 |
Module 3, Unit 1 |
1 hour |
|
(7-8 hrs.) |
Assignment 3.1 (5 points) |
2 hours |
|
Module 3, Unit 2 |
2 hours |
|
|
Assignment 3.2 (5 points) |
1 hour |
|
|
Online Discussion 3.3 (2 points) |
1 hour |
|
|
Week 4 |
Module 4, Unit 1 |
2 hours |
|
(8-9 hrs.) |
Assignment 4.1 (6 points) |
2 hours |
|
Module 4, Unit 2 |
1 hour |
|
|
Assignment 4.2 (6 points) |
2 hours |
|
|
Online Discussion 4.3 (2 points) |
1 hour |
|
|
Week 5 |
Module 5, Unit 1 |
3 hours |
|
(11-12 hrs.) |
Assignment 5.1 (6 points) |
2 hours |
|
Module 5, Unit 2 |
3 hours |
|
|
Assignment 5.2 (8 points) |
2 hours |
|
|
Online Discussion 5.3 (2 points) |
1 hour |
|
|
Week 6 |
Module 6, Unit 1 |
2 hours |
|
(8-9 hrs.) |
Online Discussion 6.2 (2 points) |
1 hour |
|
Module 6, Unit 2 |
3 hours |
|
|
Assignment 6.1 (6 points) |
2 hours |
|
|
Week 7 |
Module 7 |
2 hours |
|
(6-10 hrs.) |
Online Discussion 7.2 (2 points) |
1 hour |
|
Assignment 7.1 (6 points) |
3-6 hours |
|
|
Week 8 |
Module 8 |
4 hours |
|
(6-9 hrs.) |
Assignment 8.1 (6 points) |
2-4 hours |
|
Online Discussion 8.2 (2 points) |
1 hour |
|
|
Week 9 |
Module 9 |
4-6 hours |
|
(7-11 hrs.) |
Assignment 9.1 (6 points) |
2-4 hours |
|
Online Discussion 9.2 (2 points) |
1 hour |
|
|
Week 10 |
Module 10 |
4-5 hours |
|
Assignment 10.1 (6 points) |
2-4 hours |
|
|
(8-11 hrs.) |
Online Discussion 10.2 and 10.3 (2 points plus 2 bonus points) |
1 hour |
|
Total: 75-93 hours |
To complete the course, you must complete each of the assignments as described in the course and submit them to your instructor by the assigned deadline. In addition, you must participate in the course discussion forum by responding to all instructor requests and by interacting with fellow classmates as necessary.
Points are deducted for late work.
All assignments are graded for accuracy, thoroughness, and appropriateness of content and for clarity and quality of style. So in order to receive a maximum score on a given assignment, you need to assure that the information you provide is accurate and relevant to the question asked and is presented in a clear, concise, well-organized form. (And, yes, spelling and grammar count.)
Altogether, there are 86 assignment points plus 20 discussion points for a total of 106 points. (In addition you may earn up to 5 bonus points by initiating or contributing to original discussions, so it is theoretically possible to earn a total of 111 points for the course).
Assignment questions for the course generally require short-essay responses of 2-5 paragraphs each. Responses are graded mainly for relevance, depth, and accuracy of information and force and fluency of argument. Essays should begin with a clear thesis statement that directly responds to the question and should be developed and supported by details and examples. Style and correctness, including grammar, spelling, and mechanics, matter. Resources and references should be properly cited either within the text of the essay or at the end. Unsupported generalizations or responses that stray off topic or fail to address the question will be downgraded.
All writing assignments are expected to conform to basic college-level standards of mechanics and presentation.
Consider visiting the Writing Center to discuss your assignments for this course or any others. You may schedule appointments (30 or 50 minutes) on an as–needed or weekly basis, scheduling up to 3 hours worth of appointments per week. Online services include Feedback–by–Email and IM conferencing (with or without a webcam). All writing center services are free.
Writing Center tutors are specially selected and trained graduate and undergraduate students who can help you at almost any stage of your writing. They will not do your work for you, but they can help you focus and develop your ideas, review your drafts, and polish your writing. They can answer questions about grammar, mechanics, different kinds of writing styles, and documentation formats. They also can answer questions and provide feedback online, through IM/webcam chats and email.
Obviously, the tutors won’t necessarily be familiar with every class or subject, but they are able to provide valuable help from the perspective of an interested and careful reader as well as a serious and experienced student-writer.
Schedule your appointments with enough time to think about and use the feedback you’ll receive. To schedule a Face-to-Face, Written Feedback by Email, or Online Appointment, visit www.depaul.edu/writing.
Discussion Forums are an important component of your online experience. This course contains discussion forums related to the topics you are studying each week. For requirements on your participation in the Discussion Forums, please see "Course Expectations" in the syllabus.
A Course Q & A discussion forum has also been established to manage necessary, ongoing social and administrative activities. This is where the management and administrative tasks of the course are conducted, and where you can ask 'process' questions and receive answers throughout the course. Please feel free to answer any question if you feel you know the answer; this sharing of information is valuable to other students.
Your participation in online discussions is a course requirement and an integral part of your online learning experience. However, to reduce performance pressure and to promote an active, yet comfortable discussion environment, your posts will not be assessed with the same rigor and in the same way as your weekly assignments. Instead, you will earn two points for each weekly conference that you participate in. In addition, you can earn bonus points (up to five points for the term) for introducing or contributing to new, unassigned topics or by furnishing posts that are judged to be of particularly high quality. In general, exemplary posts will accomplish at least one of the following:
A significant part of your online learning experience involves learning with and from your classmates and the instructor in the online discussions and group assignments.
Active participation means sharing information and resources, posting your own ideas, and critiquing or expanding on the ideas of others in a civil and collegial fashion. This discussion is informal in the sense that it is meant to encourage lively and interesting discussion. You are expected to follow accepted standards of English spelling, grammar and usage, although you will not be assessed for these particular characteristics when you are participating in web discussions.
These discussions are for you to exchange your reflections with your classmates and instructor about what you are learning. The discussions will be organized into forums around the particular topic you are studying each week.
For a Discussion Forum with more than one topic, you should post at least one substantive contribution to each topic.
This course includes and adheres to the college and university policies described in the links below:
Academic Integrity Policy (UGRAD)
Academic Integrity Policy (GRAD)
Course Withdrawal Timelines and Grade/Fee Consequences
Accommodations Based on the Impact of a Disability
Protection of Human Research Participants
APA citation format (GRAD)
University Center for Writing-based Learning
This syllabus is subject to change as necessary. If a change occurs, it will be clearly communicated to students.
This course was designed and produced by Dr. David Simpson and staff at SCPS, School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
©2010 School of Continuing and Professional Studies, DePaul University. All Rights Reserved by SCPS during contractual interval with the Author.