Syllabus for HIS-121
Introduction to World History I
In Introduction to World History I, students will explore the global structures and transnational forces that have shaped history, from prehistory, through the emergence of agriculture and urban centers, to 1492. Students in this course will examine both the distinctive characteristics of individual societies and the connections that have linked the fortunes of different societies, as well as comparisons of major societies. The course will chronologically highlight the traditions of global regions and their encounters with one another, including the Middle East, Europe, South Asia, East Asia, and the Americas. The historical material will enable students to recognize the twin themes of tradition and encounters. Students will engage in comparative analysis of different societies, their religious and cultural differences, as well as the expanding global trade and technology networks.
After completing this course, students should be able to:
CO1 List, in order, a series of significant events in world history to exhibit knowledge of the chronological flow of human history.
CO2 Discuss change and continuity in world history from prehistory to 1492, within broad concept themes.
CO3 Interpret events, issues, developments, relationships, and perspectives of history in world history.
CO4 Identify particular thematic interpretations of historical change about world history.
CO5 Explain how and why historical interpretations differ and how they are affected by time (i.e., historical context).
CO6 Apply multiple perspectives to show how causal relationships in world history might have different interpretations.
CO7 Utilize appropriate primary and secondary sources to discuss events, issues, and theories in world history.
CO8 Discuss relationships among events, issues, and developments in different spheres of human activity (i.e., economic, social, political, and cultural) in world history.
You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the University’s textbook supplier, MBS Direct.
Introduction to World History I is a three-credit, online course consisting of nine modules with discussion forums, written assignments, quizzes, a midterm exam, and a final project. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.
For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in seven online discussion forums, complete five written assignments, take nine quizzes, take a proctored midterm examination, and complete a final project. See below for details.
Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.
One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.
You are required to participate in seven graded discussion forums, each focusing on a different subject. There is also one ungraded but required Introductions Forum in Module 1.
Communication among fellow students and with the mentor is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates’ responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as “I agree” and “ditto” are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.
You are required to complete five written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.
Grading rubrics for the written assignments can be found within each assignment’s submission link in Moodle.
You are required to take nine formative quizzes: one per module. Quizzes are open-book and unproctored, and they will help you review basic terminology and concepts. All quiz questions are multiple choice. There is no time limit for taking each quiz.
You are encouraged to take the quizzes multiple times for additional practice. You will see some different questions each time. The gradebook will record your most recent score.
For a list of key concepts that may appear on your exam, refer to the study guide available in the Examinations section of the course website.
You are required to take a closed-book, proctored, online midterm examination. For the exam, you are required to use the University's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the Examinations and Proctors section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course website) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to schedule your exam within the first week of the semester.
The midterm exam is two hours long and covers material from Modules 1–4 in the course. It is closed-book and contains multiple-choice and essay questions.
You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:
If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.
For the final project, you will demonstrate your understanding of the unique civilizations and cultural identities of different peoples in medieval Europe and Asia, and their interactions by examining secondary sources to extract applicable information for your project and creating a narrative that accurately depicts the people and cultures of the silk roads.
In the project, you will:
Your final project will be submitted in two parts, both at the end of the semester. In the first part, you will create a written travel journal; in the second part, you will present your travel journal as a PowerPoint or Google Slide presentation and record yourself presenting it using Kaltura’s CaptureSpace tool.
Consult the Final Project section of the course for more details.
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:
A | = | 93–100 | C+ | = | 78–79 | |
A– | = | 90–92 | C | = | 73–77 | |
B+ | = | 88–89 | C– | = | 70–72 | |
B | = | 83–87 | D | = | 60–69 | |
B– | = | 80–82 | F | = | Below 60 |
To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings).
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:
Consider the following study tips for success:
Thomas Edison State University is committed to maintaining academic quality, excellence, and honesty. The University expects all members of its community to share the commitment to academic integrity, an essential component of a quality academic experience.
Students at Thomas Edison State University are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.
All members of the University community are responsible for reviewing the Academic Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog and online at www.tesu.edu.
Thomas Edison State University expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the University insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty can take the following forms:
Thomas Edison State University is committed to helping students understand the seriousness of plagiarism, which is defined as using the work and ideas of others without proper citation. The University takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing are subject to discipline under the academic code of conduct policy.
If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, or without identifying it as a direct quote, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > Citing Sources.)
Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.
Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.
Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.
For examples of unintentional plagiarism, advice on when to quote and when to paraphrase, and information about writing assistance, click the links provided below.
Examples of Unintentional Plagiarism
When to Quote and When to Paraphrase
Writing Assistance at Smarthinking
Acts of both intentional and unintentional plagiarism violate the Academic Code of Conduct.
If an incident of plagiarism is an isolated minor oversight or an obvious result of ignorance of proper citation requirements, the mentor may handle the matter as a learning exercise. Appropriate consequences may include the completion of tutorials, assignment rewrites, or any other reasonable learning tool in addition to a lower grade for the assignment or course. The mentor will notify the student and appropriate dean of the consequence by e-mail.
If the plagiarism appears intentional and/or is more than an isolated incident, the mentor will refer the matter to the appropriate dean, who will gather information about the violation(s) from the mentor and student, as necessary. The dean will review the matter and notify the student in writing of the specifics of the charge and the sanction to be imposed.
Possible sanctions include:
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