IS 2100 - Perspectives on China-online (4)

This course is an interdisciplinary study of the peoples of China and their traditional and modern civilization. It serves as an introduction to China, including its history, culture, sites, sounds, and issues. We will look at both the past and traditional aspects of China, as well as the present modern situation. We will consider cultural adaptations to China’s environment that have created the unique Chinese culture and history that many people hold in awe. We will look at families, governments, religions, philosophies, and economic systems in China, as well as the arts and literature that are reflections of those systems. 

IS 2100 counts as a Global Perspective Course in General Education. 

E-Mail: riha2@oakland.edu

Office: 1018 Human Health Building

Office Hours: By Appointment 

• Knowledge of the role that different cultural heritages (past and present) play in forming values in another part of the world, enabling the student to function in a global context. 

– INTERNET SERVICE/COMPUTER: You must have a reliable computer and Internet service to participate in this course. If for any reason your Internet service is not working properly, you will still be responsible for 

meeting assignment deadlines. I urge you to develop a backup plan at the start of the course in case your Internet service or computer stops working. You will need to figure out where you can go to make your postings by the deadlines (your office, your neighbor’s house, the public library, OU campus, Kinko’s, etc.). 

– COMPUTER REQUIREMENT: I STRONGLY URGE you to use a laptop or desktop rather than your cell phone to work on the module quizzes and the final paper. You need a full-size screen to read and answer quiz questions correctly and to formulate answers for short answer and essay questions. Students who use their phone to work on the quizzes miss points because their answers tend to be misspelled, incomplete, and overly brief. 

– PERSONAL TRIPS/EVENTS: Some students take trips or attend events during the time that classes are in session at OU. If you have a trip or event planned, you will still need to make your postings by the deadlines. Note that it is not possible to work ahead beyond the modules that I have opened, so please be aware that you need to make your postings within the time frame that I have set out for each module. 

– DUE DATES: Always check our Moodle page to find out what is due and when it is due. This is the key “survival mechanism” for online classes. Postings are always due in Moodle by 11:55 pm on the date indicated. You will receive no credit for late postings! 

– E-MAIL COMMUNICATION: I regularly contact the class by e-mail, and you are responsible for reading my messages and announcements. Since OU business is conducted through your OU e-mail account, I will contact you at that account. If you do not use your OU account, you need to forward your e-mail to your usual e-mail address so you don’t overlook communication from me. 

– CHEATING/COLLABORATION WITH OTHER STUDENTS: You must do all of the work in this course individually, without the assistance or input of others. Do not discuss your answers with others as you work on assignments. Any evidence of collaboration with other individuals will be treated as cheating and will be penalized accordingly. See the “Statement on Academic Honesty” at the end of the syllabus for more information about what constitutes cheating. 

GRADE DETERMINATION: 

1. MODULE 1-13 QUIZZES There are 13 major modules in the course. (Module 14 is the final paper.) Each of the 13 modules will minimally consist of a reading and one or more quizzes on the reading and other materials in the module. Quizzes contain a variety of question types, including multiple choice, short answer, matching, essays, etc. Quizzes are worth from 10 to 50 points. 

2. MODULE 14: FINAL PAPER: FILM AND SHORT STORY ANALYSIS OF “NEW YEAR SACRIFICE”/ZHU FU This course has a final analytical paper in place of a final exam. The final paper is worth 75 points. You will watch a film and read a short story and article that reflect the themes we learn about in the course. There will be specific questions that I want you to answer for your paper that will be posted on Moodle in Module 14. The film can be streamed on the Internet – see the document called “Film for the Final Paper – Please Read!” posted under this syllabus. The film will also be on 3-hour reserve at the Kresge Library circulation desk, and it is available at certain public libraries under its Chinese name, Zhu Fu. 

FINAL GRADE 

You will be graded in comparison with other students. Your final grade will be based on the total number of points you accumulate from both components of the course. I reserve the right to consider other factors in 

calculating your final grade, such as having a poor attitude in the course, missing assignments, collaborating with others, etc. Your final grade will be based on the grading scale below. For example, if your final course percentage in Moodle is 82%, you will receive a grade of B- as your final grade for the course. 

Grading Scale 

Corresponding Final Course Percentages A 95%-100% A- 90%-94% B+ 87%-89% B 83%-86% B- 80%-82% C+ 77%-79% C 73%-76% C- 70%-72% D+ 67%-69% D 60%-66% F 0%-59% 

SCHEDULE Readings other than those listed below will be given, and they will be announced in the relevant module. The final paper will be due during the finals period on the date state below. Week 1, Module 0, 1/6-1/12 Introduction to Course Mechanics, Reading: Ebrey Foreword & Preface Week 2, Module 1, 1/13-1/19 Origins of Chinese Civilization, Reading: Ch. 1 Week 3, Module 2, 1/20-1/27 The Chinese Language, Readings Posted on Moodle (Deadline extended to Monday, 1/27 due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday on 1/20) Week 4, Module 3, 1/27-2/2 Philosophical Foundations, Reading: Ch. 2 Week 5, Module 4, 2/3-2/9 Creation of the Bureaucratic Empire, Reading: Ch. 3 Week 6, Module 5, 2/10-2/16 Buddhism, Aristocracy, & Alien Rulers, Reading: Ch. 4 Week 7, Module 6, 2/17-3/2 A Cosmopolitan Empire, Reading: Ch. 5