Inga Johnson
Associate Professor
Department of Mathematics
Willamette University
Ford 212
ijohnson(at)willamette(dot)edu
503.370.6551
IDS 101 - College Colloquium - Syllabus
Class Meetings: MWF 12:40-1:40 in Ford 224
Playing games can be addictive, consuming, and incredibly fun. It is especially fun to win! Inside games are patterns, puzzles and tricks that can be discovered to increase a player's likelihood of winning. In this course we will find these patterns and winning strategies using thorough analysis, critical thinking, and mathematical reasoning. You are expected to be an active participant - to play, investigate, write about, and talk about the ideas you encounter in your assignments.
Course Goals: To develop your skills as a clearer and more self-conscious writer, deepen your critical thinking skills, and become a more confident and reflective participant in class discussion. Also, to have fun, play games, learn about and discover winning strategies, and find interesting new questions of your own.
Reading Assignments and Preparing for Class: Because the assigned reading is the basis for class discussion, careful reading of each assignment is of critical importance. The reading assignments will be relatively short, but deep in content. You should read with your journal and a pencil beside you to work out examples, jot down ideas, and try out some of the problems/ideas suggested in the readings. It should be evident each day in class that you have completed and thought about the reading. Journals will be collected and reviewed throughout the semester.
Attendance Policy: You should make every effort to be present at every class meeting, and, your attendance, as well as your participation in class will make up a significant portion of your final grade. A student who misses a class, for whatever reason, must write a 250-350 word paper analyzing the reading that was assigned for the day they miss. Persistent lateness or failure to prepare adequately for class discussions will result in deductions from the final grade.
Our Writing Consultant and the Writing Center:
Stephanie Crook, scrook (at) willamette (dot) edu, is the writing consultant specifically paired with our course. She will meet with you 3 or 5 times over the course of the semester (probably once for each
paper) to help you with your writing.
The Willamette University Writing Center is an excellent resource to help you write and edit
your papers. You can sign up for an appointment during their office hours, or drop in to
talk to a writing consultant about your paper in progress. Don't feel that this is extra help
that you only need in a crisis - everyone benefits from a second opinion on their writing,
even professionals. The writing center is on the ground floor of Matthews Hall and on the
web
here.
Course Grades:
Your course grades will be calculated as follows:
Formal Papers: 50% The first paper will be worth half that of the later papers. There will be 3-5 papers.
Participation: 50% (oral participation 25%, journal work, written short papers, in-class writing, written peer reviews, etc. 25%)
Academic Honesty:
You should familiarize yourself with Willamette's plagiarism policy, which you can find at http://www.willamette.edu/cla/catalog/2008/resources/policies/. Plagiarism can take different forms, but its essence is presenting the words or work of another as your own. When you are quoting from a source you must place that material in quotation marks and correctly cite the source of the quotation. If you are paraphrasing the words of another you must provide the source from which you are paraphrasing. When using your own words to express an idea or argument of another, the source should be credited. A paper that is plagiarized--wholly or partially-- will receive an F and may not be rewritten. Depending on the severity of the plagiarism, the penalty may very well also extend to failing the course. In accordance with university policy, any instance of plagiarism will be promptly reported to the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
It is appropriate and very helpful to have study groups for working through the class material. Sharing ideas and approaches is a good way to learn. However, all students must find their own phrasing and wording for their written work. Copied work will earn a grade of zero for all parties involved. I will not spend time attempting to discover who copied from whom.
Special Note: If you have a documented disability and anticipate needing accommodations in this course, please make arrangements to meet with me within the first two weeks of the semester. Please request that a Disability Services staff send me the appropriate forms verifying your disability and specifying the accommodation you will need.