Course Syllabus

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The COURSE GRADE is to be computed from average scores (on a 100 point scale) for assignments and activities that are weighted, summed, and converted to a letter grade like this:

ROUND(SUM([3 TESTS]*.4, [DISCUSSIONS/COLLABORATIONS]*.2, [TERM PROJECT]*.2, [PARTICIPATION points (up to 100)]*.2),0)

In other words, the test scores combined have a weight of 40%. The term project score, the participation score, and the score for discussions and collaborations are each worth 20%.

And then the total score for the course is rounded up to a whole number in order to convert to a letter grade.

If the rounded sum is ≥ 97 then A+
otherwise, if ≥ 93 then A
otherwise, if ≥ 90 then A-
otherwise, if ≥ 87 then B+
otherwise, if ≥ 83 then B, and so on

You can earn up to 100 points for participation. Points can be accumulated in the following ways:

  1. up to 40 points for online course activity (amount + quiz scores)
  2. up to 40 points for section attendance
  3. up to 20 points for particularly effective contributions to online discussions and collaborations
  4. 10 points for correct Canvas registration, with photo of yourself, Last name first, etc.
  5. up to 20 points for the final exam (= oral presentation of term project)
  6. up to 20 points for an outstanding term project, such as one that yields a document or video that can be part of this course in the future
Note: For the Participation score, points just accumulate in various score categories and are summed and added to the grading schema at the end of the course. It's possible to get more than the maximum of 100. If this happens, it could, in principle, provide motivation for bumping you to a higher grade category in case of a really close call (such as a total course score on the borderline of an A-, like 89.4). You should also bear in mind that only exceptional results will yield points in the ways described in #3 and #6 above. More details about the scoring procedure for participation can be found it the description of the assignment Participation Summed, which is the name of the column in the grade book where the summed participation score will be entered at the end of the quarter.

Details about the term project, discussions, collaborations, and other assignments will be made available as the course proceeds. Lesson activities and other assignments will be released in a staggered fashion, such that the members of each section are working more or less on the same thing at the same time and each section can be on a time track that is in sync with its face-to-face meeting days.

If you want to read a standard textbook that covers the same topics that this course does, some potentially viable choices are: Fromkin and Rodman, Language Files, and Contemporary Linguistics: An Introduction. Look for older editions to save money, as the newer editions generally aren't much different.

Course Summary:

Course Summary
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