Assessment

90%

Engagement

The bulk of your grade will be based on your consistent engagement with class content. The emphasis is on having a go and trying ideas out – so don’t worry about whether you are saying brilliant things.

• Main Consideration
  • Did you help enrich the class for everyone?
  • Did you join the conversation, say what you think, and (more importantly) why you think it?
• There are three main ways in which you are expected to demonstrate your engagement.
  • Before Class:
    • Prepare for class by doing required readings ahead of time and posting a comment or question on the corresponding pinned Canvas@UD Discussion the day before the class. Respond to other people’s posts (which you will be able to see after you have posted your own initial reaction).
  • During Class:
    • Join in the Zoom class discussion by asking silly questions, speaking up if you feel you are missing something, and trying out your own view.
  • After Class:
    • Take some time, at least weekly, to review what’s happened in class and journal some follow up thoughts on Canvas@UD Discussions. These could be a review of things that stood out to you, it could be your latest thoughts on particular class topics, it could be something ethical that goes beyond class discussions. This is very free-form, so focus on what’s useful to you

Fri
Jan 10
end of class
10%

Bad Argument Assignment

• You know you can make them, but can you demolish them? Your mission is:
  • Find a truly terrible argument on the web.
  • Set out the essence of the argument.
  • State the main thing that is wrong with your target argument, and explain why the problem is fatal.
• General guidance:
  • Preparation:
    • Familiarize yourself with these instructions, the worksheet (see below), and review these examples of what to do and what not to do.
    • Find a candidate bad argument or two well ahead of time, and think about how you would complete the assignment worksheet for your target bad argument.
    • Feel free to ask about potential arguments ahead of time.
  • Completing the assignment:
    • We will start with everyone giving concise presentation of their candidate bad argument. Once we know the options, the group will decide which one to pick.
    • Use this Bad Argument Assignment Worksheet. Read the worksheet carefully as you complete it – it contains lots of checks against common mistakes, so don’t ignore them.
    • *DO NOT use a source that is presenting and discussing your target as an example of a bad argument. This is plagiarism