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Required

  
 

Required Reading

Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal"
Rubiayat & Parody
Jay Bookman on Stephen Hawking editorial
   

Resources

  
 

This ta
   

Objectives

  
 

Students will be able to:

  • recognize and use elements of argumentation such as premises, conclusions, evidence, values, assumptions, etc.;
  • recognize how values and worldview affect response to arguments;
  • evaluate non-fiction texts for quality, credibility, and validity;
  • create, analyze, and evaluate written work collaboratively;
  • recognize and avoid rhetorical abuses in writing, including common logical fallacies;
  • incorporate academic-quality research and resources into writing;
  • use college-level writing skills to summarize, evaluate, analyze, and persuade;
  • appropriately cite all sources used in the preparation of course work.
   

Week 16 Introduction & Task Descriptions

  
 

Introduction

Introduction

There are some relatively common rhetorical strategies that we haven't yet discussed. We need to discuss them because they are influential, easy to misinterpret, and often mistakenly used as if they were all referring to the same thing. These terms and working definitions are...

 

16a Science

Facts ... we like to think it's facts that persuade us. We like to think of ourselves as rational beings who do not succumb to flimsy arguments. However, the truth is we can be led astray pretty easily. If something SOUNDS good, right, logical, or plausible, we might just jump on the bandwagon.

Pseudoscience depends on that common critical thinking weakness.

You're about to make a sophisticated academic argument. It depends on research. You have been reading about your subject for weeks now. Some of the arguments others have made are convincing. Now you need to decide whether they are convincing because they are based on credible evidence or whether you are convinced by compelling but weak claims.

That's what this discussion will be about. For your first post in this thread, consider the articles and opinions you've gathered. Determine whether science or pseudoscience is used on one side or the other. Write your evaluation of the scientific credibility of the evidence used in arguments about your topic.

Then, consider the evaluations of others to see if their reasoning is well supported.

16b Pseudoscience

Facts ... we like to think it's facts that persuade us. We like to think of ourselves as rational beings who do not succumb to flimsy arguments. However, the truth is we can be led astray pretty easily. If something SOUNDS good, right, logical, or plausible, we might just jump on the bandwagon.

Pseudoscience depends on that common critical thinking weakness.

You're about to make a sophisticated academic argument. It depends on research. You have been reading about your subject for weeks now. Some of the arguments others have made are convincing. Now you need to decide whether they are convincing because they are based on credible evidence or whether you are convinced by compelling but weak claims.

That's what this discussion will be about. For your first post in this thread, consider the articles and opinions you've gathered. Determine whether science or pseudoscience is used on one side or the other. Write your evaluation of the scientific credibility of the evidence used in arguments about your topic.

Then, consider the evaluations of others to see if their reasoning is well supported.

 

  
   

Week 16 Assessment Rubric

  

This is the assessment rubric I will use to evaluate the discussions this week.

GD (Graded Discussion)
Assessment Rubric
Possible
Earned
16a
16b
Timing
First post no later than Thursday
1
1
2
Frequency
At least 3 well-developed posts in each discussion.
3
3
6
Quality
* 5-7 pts per high-quality post
* 3-4 pts per medium-quality post
* 0-2 pts per low-quality post
21
21
42
Total Earned
50
Comments:

For grading quality I choose the 3 best posts made in a discussion. The more posts you make, the more chances you have of crafting 3 that are excellent.

Each post should be at least one well-crafted paragraph and add value to the discussion. This can be done in a variety of ways:
* provide evidence of understanding assigned materials;
* engage with the ideas of others in the class;
* integrate ideas from experts (yes, research);
* include well supported interpretations;
* demonstrate a clear understanding of the facts; etc.
* All posts should be clearly written and carefully edited to eliminate grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.

Quality criteria

*High quality (5-7 pts.) = Purposeful development; clear evidence of understanding reading assignments; extends the boundaries of the discussion but remains focused on topic; may demonstrate synthesis of ideas from multiple sources; there are few or no grammar, word use, punctuation or other errors.

*Medium quality (3-4 pts.) = Moderate development; shows evidence of reading assignments; may lack depth or show some lack of comprehension; there may be grammar, word use, punctuation or other errors, but they do not interfere with the meaning in the post.

*Low quality (0-2 pts.) =  Limited in scope, development, and correctness; may simply agree or disagree with another in the class; little if any evidence of having read the assignments; may be numerous grammar, word use, punctuation or other errors. Note: posts that simply agree or disagree will earn little, if any, credit.