This course offers four (4) credit hours in a compressed, online learning format. In a series of diverse environments, students learn to systematically observe, and then analyze, human social behavior. We seek to connect skills developed in the field with the various managerial and strategic outcomes of contemporary workplaces, focusing on the interplay between expectations and actual behavior. Identification of pertinent implications for employee motivation, productivity, and job satisfaction is emphasized.
After completing this course, you will be able to:
In this course, you will develop the following competencies, if you are an Individualized Focus Area student:
|
Competence |
Competence Statement and Criteria |
|
FX |
Understands the functional nature of social norms and can analyze the interplay between norms and social power, with particular focus on the shared social spaces of the workplace |
|
H1X |
Understands conceptual premises of behavioral analysis and can apply them to structured field observation |
Required Text Books:
To buy your books, go to http://depaul-loop.bncollege.com.
You may also choose to buy your books through another vendor, perhaps more economically.
In this course, you will develop the following skills:
|
Outcomes
| |
|---|---|
|
1
|
Understand the fundamental conceptual premises of behavioral analysis, apply key course concepts to structured field observation data, and identify and analyze the shaping context of social space. |
|
2
|
Participate in structured dialogue regarding key course questions, and interpret key course ideas and learning through critical reading of selected literature. |
|
3
|
Understand the functional nature of social norms, and analyze the functional interplay between norms and social power, with particular emphasis on the informal norms governing shared, social existence. |
|
4
|
Practice the key ethical principles of field research, and understand the spectrum of deviance and social control. |
Each module will consist of structured learning assignments that connect the learning activity with the outcome. You will be assessed on all assigned exercises and discussions. In addition, you will create:
1. Series of structured field observation data;
2. Analysis of observations relevant to field questions;
3. Essays on Application of Findings to Specific Workplace Phenomena.
This course consists of 4 modules. The estimated time to complete each module is 1 week.
The following table outlines the course:
|
Week, Module # and Title |
Readings |
Assignments |
|---|---|---|
|
Week 1, Module 1: Self in Social Context |
Read Module One Introduction and Overview Read Gathering Blue (chptrs. 1-16) Read "George Herbert Mead on Intelligent Social Reconstruction" |
1.1 Gathering Blue Study Questions (1-16) 1.2 Introductions Discussion 1.3 Knowing the “Me,”and Showing the “I” Discussion 1.4 Preliminary Field Observation Guide |
Week 2, Module 2: Scientific Observation of Social Environments |
Read Module Two Introduction and Overview Read Gathering Blue (chptrs. 17-end) Read The Giver (chptrs. 1-7) Read "An Explication of Social Norms" |
2.1 Gathering Blue Study Questions 2.2 The Giver Study Questions 2.3 Everyday Conditioning Discussion 2.4 First Field Observation Guideline |
Week 3, Module 3: The Social Value of Shared Understanding: Examining Informal Norms |
Read Module Three Introduction and Overview Read The Giver, (chptrs 8-end) Read "Exchange Relationships at Work: An Examination of the Relationship Between Team-Member Exchange and Supervisor Reports of Organizational Citizenship Behavior" |
3.1 The Giver Study Questions 3.2 Informal Norms at Work Discussion 3.3 Informal Norms in the Workplace Essay 3.4 Second Field Observation Guideline |
Week 4, Module 4: The Spectrum of Deviance |
Read Module Four Introduction and Overview Read Messenger Read "Understanding workplace deviant behavior in nonprofit organizations: Toward an integrative conceptual framework" |
4.1 Messenger Study Questions 4.2 Deviance in the Workplace Discussion 4.3 Third Field Observation Guideline |
Percentage Distribution of Assignments
Each assignment is graded using a point range of 0-3:
0 = no credit; assignment missing or tardy, incomplete or incoherently written, and/or
misaligned with prompt.
1 = partial credit; assignment tardy and/or poorly written, and/or partially misaligned with prompt.
2 = partial credit; assignment demonstrates coherent thinking, at least partial alignment with prompt, and competent though minimal intellectual substance.
3 = full credit; assignment demonstrates coherent and substantial thinking, perfect alignment with prompt, and full intellectual substance.
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.
|
A = 45-42 |
A- = 41-40 |
B+ = 39-38 |
|
B = 37-36 |
B- =35 |
C+ = 34 |
|
C = 33 |
C- = 32-30 |
D = 29-27 |
|
|
F = 27 or below |
|
Please note: Grades lower than a C- do not earn credit at the School for New Learning.
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.
Participation In the online discussions: your responses will be assessed on whether one or more of the following are present:
The above list was adapted from Gilly Salmon’s book E-Moderating: The key to teaching and learning online.
London: Kogan Page: p.143 (2000).
When you respond to a classmate's post, refrain from simple phrases like, "Great ideas!" or "I like that." Refer to the 9 points above and use words like, "But," "Additionally," "I agree and," "However," "What about," etc.
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.
Discussion posts should be substantial; no fewer than five (5) sentences, and aligning with the relevant prompt. Each Discussion assignment requires the student to reply in an equally substantive manner to at least one (1) other posting.
Discussions are graded on a 0-3 basis (see above).
SNL's online courses are not self-paced and require a regular time commitment EACH week throughout the quarter.
You are required to log in to your course at least four times a week so that you can participate in the ongoing course discussions.
Online courses are no less time consuming than "face to face" courses. You will have to dedicate some time every day or at least every second day to your studies. A typical four credit hour "face to face" course at SNL involves three hours of classroom meeting per week, plus at least three to six hours of study and homework per week.
This course will require at least the same time commitment, but your learning activities will be spread out through the week. If you have any problems with your technology, or if you need to improve your reading or writing skills, it may take even longer.
The instructor should be notified if your life events do not allow you to participate in the course and the online discussions for more than one week. This is particularly important when there are group discussions or you are working as part of a team.
If you find yourself getting behind, please contact the instructor immediately.
Your instructor's role in this course is that of a discussion facilitator and learning advisor. It is not their responsibility to make sure you log in regularly and submit your assignments. As instructor, s/he will read all postings to the general discussion forums on a daily basis but may not choose to respond to each posting. You will receive feedback to assignments.
The instructor may choose to designate "office hours" when s/he will be online and available and will immediately respond to questions. Depending on the instructor, this response may be by e-mail, instant messenger or telephone. Otherwise, you will generally receive a response to emailed or posted queries within 48 hours.
As an online student, you will be taking a proactive approach to your learning. As the course instructor's role is that of a learning guide, your role is that of the leader in your own learning.
You will be managing your own time so that you can complete the readings, activities and assignments for the course, and you will also be expected to take a more active role in peer learning.
Please also note that this is a course offered by DePaul University's School for New Learning (SNL), a college for undergraduate and graduate degree-seeking students 24 years and older. SNL welcomes the perspectives and encourages the participation of all DePaul students, and students who take this course should respect and be mindful of SNL's mission in supporting a diverse and inclusive environment. More information about SNL can be found here.
View this brief demo Taking SNL Online courses in D2L to learn how to navigate through your course.
If you’re new to SNL Online see additional resources on the course home page under Student Resources/Getting Started.
Online discussions are an important part of your course experience. To ensure a positive learning environment, please follow the following minimum expectations. Use your common sense, as not all situations can be covered:
DePaul University is a learning community that fosters the pursuit of knowledge and the transmission of ideas within a context that emphasizes a sense of responsibility for oneself, for others and for society at large. Violations of academic integrity, in any of their forms, are, therefore, detrimental to the values of DePaul, to the students' own development as responsible members of society, and to the pursuit of knowledge and the transmission of ideas.
Violations include but are not limited to the following categories: cheating; plagiarism; fabrication; falsification or sabotage of research data; destruction or misuse of the university's academic resources; alteration or falsification of academic records; and academic misconduct. Conduct that is punishable under the Academic Integrity Policy could result in additional disciplinary actions by other university officials and possible civil or criminal prosecution. Please refer to your Student Handbook for further details.
Plagiarism is a major form of academic dishonesty involving the presentation of the work of another as one's own. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to the following:
Plagiarism, like other forms of academic dishonesty, is always a serious matter. If an instructor finds that a student has plagiarized, the appropriate penalty is at the instructor's discretion.
The intent of the Incomplete grade is to allow students extra time to complete their final assignments. This need arises because, in the closing weeks of the course, they have an event of significant magnitude that adversely affects their ability to complete the course, e.g. serious illness, death in the family, overseas deployment, or natural disaster.
You must request an incomplete grade in writing two weeks before the end of the quarter. Incomplete grades will be considered only after you have satisfactorily completed at least 75 percent of the coursework, and you have such an unexpected, uncontrollable event that prevents you from completing your course. Do not assume that you will qualify for an incomplete. Students who are failing the course at the point where they request an incomplete will not receive one, nor will they be granted after the end of the quarter. Incomplete grades are given at the discretion of the instructor.
If you do receive permission from the instructor to take an incomplete in the course, you will be required to complete a contract with the instructor, specifying how you will finish the missing work within the next two quarters (excluding summer). See the Incomplete Grade Contract Form.
Undergraduate and graduate students will have up to two quarters to complete an incomplete. At the end of the second quarter (excluding summer) following the term in which the incomplete grade was assigned, remaining incompletes will automatically convert to "F" grades. Ordinarily no incomplete grade may be completed after the grace period has expired. Instructors may not change incomplete grades after the end of the grace period without the permission of a college-based Exceptions Committee. This policy applies to undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. NOTE: In the case of a student who has applied for graduation and who has been approved for an Incomplete in his or her final term, the incomplete must be resolved within the four-week grace period before final degree certification.
Students have the option of taking all SNL undergraduate courses as Pass/Fail even if a class is initially structured for a letter grade assessment. In these cases a Pass is awarded when competence is demonstrated at a level that would otherwise earn a grade of C- or higher.
In deciding to select Pass/Fail grading students should be aware that competencies assessed in a course as Pass will earn credit hours toward degree completion but will not be included in computing grade point averages. Attempted competence demonstration assessed within a class as Fail will not only be recorded as credit hours attempted but will also be included in computing a student's grade point average.
For SNL students, competencies awarded for Independent Learning Pursuits and in the Lifelong Learning Domain do not count toward the university's specification that only twenty credit hours may be earned through the Pass/Fail assessment option.
Please note:There are three SNL courses within the BA curriculum that are always assessed on a Pass/Fail basis: Foundations of Adult Learning (course number LL 250; competences L-2 and F-1), Advanced Project (course number FA 303; competences F-11 and F-12) and Summit Seminar (course number LL 390; competence L-12). These classes may not be taken for a letter grade assessment. Therefore, work that might otherwise be assessed at grades A through C- will earn a Pass in these classes.
There are an additional five SNL courses within the Lifelong Learning Area of the BA curriculum for which instructors regularly use a Pass/Fail grading system that may instead be taken for a letter grade assessment if this is a student's preference. These classes are: Independent Learning Seminar (course number LL 103; competence L1); Writing for Competence (course number LL 260; competence L-4), Critical Thinking (course number LL 270; competence L-5), Research Seminar (course number LL 300; competences L-8 and L-9), and Externship (course number LL 302; competences L-10 and L-11). In addition, SNL's undergraduate Writing Workshop (course number LL 140; competence H-3-J) regularly uses Pass/Fail, although students may request a letter grade assessment. In these instances SNL offers undergraduate students the opportunity to request a letter grade assessment from their instructor. Students who need a letter grade for tuition reimbursement may wish to consider this option, as well as those who wish to raise their GPA. Students planning to attend graduate school may also prefer letter grades to Pass/Fail assessments.
If a student wants to switch the method of assessment, either to or from the Pass/Fail option, this must be requested from the instructor in writing by the beginning of the third week of the quarter. For courses that meet fewer than ten weeks of the quarter, this request must be made by the beginning of the third week of the course. The grading basis may not be changed after these deadlines, with no exceptions.
Students seeking disability-related accommodations are required to register with DePaul's Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) enabling you to access accommodations and support services to assist your success. There are two office locations:
Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD)
Loop Campus: Lewis Center 1420. (312) 362-8002
Lincoln Park Campus: Student Center 370. (773) 325-1677
csd@depaul.edu
Students are also invited to contact their instructor privately to discuss your challenges and how the instructor may assist in facilitating the accommodations you will use in this course. This is best done early in the term and the conversation will remain confidential.
The Dean of Students Office (DOS) helps students in navigating the university, particularly during difficult situations, such as personal, financial, medical, and/or family crises. Absence Notifications to faculty, Late Withdrawals, and Community Resource Referrals, support students both in and outside of the classroom. Additionally we have resources and programs to support health and wellness, violence prevention, substance abuse and drug prevention, and LGBTQ student services. We are committed to your success as a DePaul student. Please feel free to contact us.
For more information see: http://research.depaul.edu/
Demonstrating the acquisition of competencies in this course can involve "interactions"—interviewing and or observing other people—discussing those interviews or observations with other class members and writing them up in one or more final report(s). As such, these activities qualify as "research" with "human subjects" and are subject to University and Federal guidelines. Because it takes place in the context of this course, your research is exempt from approval by the School for New Learning's Local Review Board only under the following conditions:
In accordance with DePaul’s Acceptable Use Policy, commentary and materials within SNL Online classes shall not be copied, reproduced or published elsewhere without the express written consent of individuals involved.
This course was designed and produced by faculty and staff at SNL Online of the School for New Learning of DePaul University.
© 2012 School for New Learning, DePaul University. All Rights Reserved by SNL during contractual interval with the author. Printed in the USA.