Syllabus for GOG-230

WORLD GEOGRAPHY

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Focusing on the processes of globalization, this course provides an opportunity to explore all of the world’s major regions, examining the similarities, differences and inter-relationships among places caused by their  historic, economic, cultural and political geographies.

COURSE TOPICS

1. Areal differentiation and integration
2. Human-Environmental Interactions
3. Demographics and settlement patterns
4. Cultural identity, integration and change
5. Geopolitical Framework: fragmentation and unity
6. Economic and social development

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:

1. Interpret economic and demographic data.
2. Describe, compare and contrast countries and regions.
3. Analyze social phenomena using physical and environmental conditions and processes.
4. Articulate the role of historic development of places in the evaluation of their present condition.
5. Explain the spacial distribution of various social and economic phenomena.
6. Characterize the influences binding and separating people and places.

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the College's textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Required Textbook

Web Resources

1. The National Weather Service has an online “weather school” that provides the basics of meteorology. Each of these short modules comes with a brief quiz. After passing the quiz, you can print a certificate of completion!

1. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/

1. The Unites States Geologic Survey has a wealth of information for every level of interest .  The link below is for the earthquake pages. From up to the minute seismic events to a basic overview of how earthquakes work, you’ll want to explore these pages.

1. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

1. Again from the USGS, here is a index to their Volcanism pages.  

1. http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/about/index.php

1. Both a place for the most current demographic information and for news item that are sure to affect the world, the Population Reference Bureau is a place you’ll want to visit often.  Here is the link:

1. http://www.prb.org/

1. There is a wealth of information on individual countries and territories, including links to the local media outlets at the British Broadcasting Company. Explore a bit….After clicking on a specific region, you’ll find a list of individual countries and territories at the bottom of the page. You can click on each to get the latest news, a brief history and local links.

1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

COURSE STRUCTURE

World Geography is a three-credit online course, consisting of ten (10) modules. Modules include an overview, topics, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

1. Module 1: Introduction

Course objectives covered in this module include #1, 2, ,3 , 4, 5, 6.

1. Module 2: North America

Course objectives covered in this module include #1, 2, ,3 , 4, 5, 6.

1. Module 3:  Latin America and The Caribbean

Course objectives covered in this module include #1, 2, ,3 , 4, 5, 6.

1. Module 4:  Sub-Saharan Africa

Course objectives covered in this module include #1, 2, ,3 , 4, 5, 6.

1. Module 5:  Southwest Asia and North Africa

Course objectives covered in this module include #1, 2, ,3 , 4, 5, 6.

1. Module 6:  Europe and The Russian Domain

Course objectives covered in this module include #1, 2, ,3 , 4, 5, 6.

1. Module 7:  Central Asia

Course objectives covered in this module include #1, 2, ,3 , 4, 5, 6.

1. Module 8:  East Asia

Course objectives covered in this module include #1, 2, ,3 , 4, 5, 6.

1. Module 9:  South Asia

Course objectives covered in this module include #1, 2, ,3 , 4, 5, 6.

1. Module 10:  Southeast Asia, Australia and Oceania

Course objectives covered in this module include #1, 2, ,3 , 4, 5, 6.

Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete four essays, take module quizzes, and complete a final project. See below for more details.

Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Discussion Forums

You are required to participate in ten (10) graded module discussion forums and one (1) graded current events forum that will be ongoing throughout this course.  Discussion forums are on a variety of topics associated with the courses modules. There is also an ungraded but required introduction forum in module 1. All class discussions take place on the class Discussion Board.

About the ongoing discussion forum called "Current Events"

As you progress through the course, you will realize that sometimes the events that ultimately will have the most impact upon your lives are not the major headline news stories. Perhaps a plant disease is attacking crops in the Phillipines and will affect sugar prices around the globe, or the economy is growing quickly in one region of the world that will increase consumer demand and thus put pressure on oil prices (driving up the costs of everything that must be transported. Maybe there is a military coup or a shift in the ruling parties in some part of the world that portends changes to the entire region. Perhaps the big story of the week is the development of a new technology, or a new application of an existing technology that will ultimately change everything. (Think of how “facebook” has changed the world.) You are asked to be explorers of the world, finding new ideas and sources of information. Along with the new story, post your speculation about why this is important and how it may affect the world. Anything is fair game as long as you can connect it to one of our course themes.  You will be require to post to this forum once per module.

Essays

You are required to complete four (4) essays. The essays are on a variety of topics associated with the courses modules.  Answer each of the essay questions as completely as possible. When you use material from your reading or viewing, be sure to cite it properly. Do not merely copy answers from your reading and viewing materials. Formulate answers in your own words, citing source materials where you feel it is appropriate (i.e., strengthens your answer). Use APA or MLA citation protocols.

Module Quizzes

Each module concludes with a short online quiz based on the module's assigned reading. Each quiz consists of twenty (20) multiple-choice questions. You will have 30 minutes to complete the quiz. You may not return to a question once you have answered it and must complete the quiz once you have started it.

Final Project

This course requires each student to complete a final project.  The project will be your opportunity to demonstrate that you have the ability to transfer and utilize knowledge learned throughout this course.

Requirements:  Minimum 10 pages, double-spaced, using APA or MLA citation protocols.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

1. Online discussions—20 percent (ten online discussions)
2. Current Events discussion forum—5 percent
3. Essays—25 percent (four essays)
4. Module quizzes—30 percent (ten module quizzes)
5. Final project—20 percent

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:

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 nonarea of study course), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.

2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.

3. Arrange to take your examination(s) by following the instructions in this Syllabus and the Online Student Handbook.

4. Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.

5. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The Calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations.

2. Check Announcements regularly for new course information.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students at Thomas Edison State College 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.

Academic Dishonesty

Thomas Edison State College 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 College insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty takes the following forms:

1. Cheating
2. Plagiarizing (including copying and pasting from the Internet without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources)
3. Fabricating information or citations
4. Facilitating acts of dishonesty by others
5. Unauthorized access to examinations or the use of unauthorized materials during exam administration
6. Submitting the work of another person or work previously used without informing the mentor
7. Tampering with the academic work of other students

Academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action and possible dismissal from the College. Students who submit papers that are found to be plagiarized will receive an F on the plagiarized assignment, may receive a grade of F for the course, and may face dismissal from the College.

A student who is charged with academic dishonesty will be given oral or written notice of the charge. If a mentor or College official believes the infraction is serious enough to warrant referral of the case to the academic dean, or if the mentor awards a final grade of F in the course because of the infraction, the student and the mentor will be afforded formal due process.

If a student is found cheating or using unauthorized materials on an examination, he or she will automatically receive a grade of F on that examination. Students who believe they have been falsely accused of academic dishonesty should seek redress through informal discussions with the mentor, through the office of the dean, or through an executive officer of Thomas Edison State College.

Plagiarism

Using someone else's work as your own is plagiarism. Although it may seem like simple dishonesty, plagiarism is against the law. Thomas Edison State College takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing will be severely penalized. 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, 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.