IP 4500: IDS Senior Seminar
Fall 2024, Wednesdays 6.00-9.20pm, Lamson 031
Martha Burtis, mfburtis@plymouth.edu, Lamson 003
Office Hours (for questions about classwork, assistance with the class, etc): Wednesdays, 4-6PM or by appointment (Any changes to office hours will be announced in Canvas.)
IDS Office Hours (for general IDS advising): Monday through Friday, 8:30am–5:00pm. Appointments can be made online. Virtual appointments are available any day of the week. In-person appointments and drop-ins are available Monday through Thursday.
Course Description
Gives senior-level Interdisciplinary students the opportunity to reflect on what they have accomplished through their program of study. Students examine current theories and debates in Interdisciplinary Studies, as well as consider the ways their coursework can be integrated with questions related to key categories of inquiry that shaped their programs, such as diversity, global awareness, and what it means to be an educated person. As part of this seminar, each student will undertake a thesis project that will bring her/his education to a culmination, thus providing a capstone experience. This thesis may take many forms (a long paper, a presentation, a multimedia project, a film, a web site, etc.), will incorporate both quantitative and qualitative thinking and the use of technology-related tools, and will be accompanied by a written piece that functions as a process paper, summarizing the project’s integrative construction and conclusions. Pass/No Pass. Prerequisite(s): Interdisciplinary Studies majors only. (INCO/WRCO)
Course Objectives
The course objectives for this class are framed around PSU’s general education “Habits of Mind.” By the end of the class, you be able to
- Showcase the skills and knowledge you have developed during your interdisciplinary course of study
- Reflect on how your interdisciplinary course of study can and/or will impact both society and your own post-PSU life
- Be able to articulate to a general audience the skills, knowledge, and experience you have acquired through your education
- Create a comprehensive capstone project that integrates your coursework, synthesizes the major themes and issues raised through the various courses you have taken, and draws conclusions related to your focus
- Reflect on how their interdisciplinary course of study can and/or will impact both society and your own post-PSU life
Reflect on your experience in the PSU IDS community
Chart the transition from your current PSU learning community to your future scholarly or professional communities
- Understand how power and privilege operate to shape scholarly and professional communities in order to create a more equitable future world
- Describe the role that technology plays in your academic and personal life and develop a plan for how you will use and choose technology intentionally and purposefully.
- Analyze how technology has shaped and structured your academic experiences and research the role of technologies in your future chosen career
- Use your ePort to share the voice and perspective you have cultivated while completing your IDS major and to showcase the work of your major for your intended audience.
Course Work
The work of this course consists of three major components:
Writing Portfolio
Your writing portfolio is an opportunity for you to write and revise pieces that are important and meaningful to your IDS major, and demonstrate your ability to do meaningful research.
Action Project
You will choose a project to design and complete that is related to your IDS major and that allows to demonstrates your ability to work in and through the disciplines that make up your IDS program. The point of your project is to do real work in the world that has an impact.
ePort
You will share your Writing Portfolio, Action Project, and other work of the class on a website that you design and develop. This will serve as a destination for others who want to learn more about you and your work at PSU. It can also become an online digital portfolio for you to showcase your time at IDS.
Other Work
In addition to these three major course components, we will also have other course activities including:
- Short assigned readings/viewings and reflection assignments (particularly during the first 5 weeks of class)
- Creating a "Research Network" resource on your ePort based on activities you complete this semester
- Career Night on October 16th -- everyone is expected to attend!
Course Materials
Yourself
Your full self, as much as possible. But we will accept your tired, bedraggled, distracted, and/or frustrated self, too.
A Laptop
If you don't own one, you can check one out from the Help Desk in HUB 123 (You can reserve it ahead of time online.) If you have trouble obtaining a laptop, let me know!
Some Paper. A Pen or Pencil.
We won’t use them a lot, since most of what we do is digital, but now and then we do need to use the good old-fashioned tools.
A Willingness to Experiment
A lot of what we do is weird and experimental. Sometimes we’ll do things that don’t work. Sometimes we’ll do things that take trial and error.
Course Format: Hybrid
Meetings of this course may be taught in person and online, synchronously (so we are all together at the same time either in class or in Teams). Keep an eye on the Course Schedule and Canvas for information about the format each week.
If you cannot attend an in-person meeting of the course, you may request a Teams link to attend. Whenever possible, I will accommodate these requests! Please be aware that sometimes, this may NOT be possible, mainly because whatever is planned for class that day won’t translate well to virtual/split classroom or because I haven’t had enough notice to get a room set up. If this happens, you will need to get caught up on whatever you missed. (This is also a reminder to let me know ahead of time whenever you can.)
A few times during the semester, I may choose to have class meet “asynchronously” meaning we will not be in class or in Teams together; instead you will work independently on work that week. However, I will use this format sparingly as the course is much better when we are all able to be together (in person or online), interacting and discussing.
Note on recording of class sessions: I will not regularly be recording class sessions unless requested.
Grading
This is a Pass/No Pass (P/NP) course. There are benefits and detriments to that. We’ll talk about them in class.
You won’t receive any letter or number grades for this course beyond the P/NP at 6-week grades and the end of the term. No assignments will be graded in the traditional way.
We will keep track of assignments in Canvas as we go along so that you have a sense of your progress. There will also be a few self-evaluations that will help you know how you’re doing and help me understand what’s going well for you and what’s not.
How do you know if you’re passing? Ask yourself if you’ve done the work for the course. If you have, you’re passing. If you haven’t … we should talk and figure out a plan.
Attendance
Attend and engage to the absolute best of your ability, and when you can’t, try hard to let me know as soon as possible. I hope you don’t miss any classes, because missing even 1 class may have an effect on your learning. (We only have 1 class/week, so missing 1 class means missing 1 week!) If you miss class, you will, indeed, miss stuff. More than that, we will miss you. Absences detract from the whole class experiences for everyone and the learning community we are trying to create. That said, life happens, and I understand that you may not be able to attend every class session.
IF YOU MISS…
1 week of classes: You don’t need to do anything. Stuff happens. I don’t even need to know anything about it, but if you want to let me know, I’m happy to hear.
More than 1 week of classes: Inform me of what’s going on as soon as possible. I’m not going to yell at you, or, for that matter, criticize you in any way. I don’t need to see doctors’ notes. We just need to chat to make sure you’ve got a plan.
Many (3+) weeks of class: There is a point at which you may miss too many classes for me to be able to say you should get credit for the course. How many this is depends on a lot of factors: what we did in the classes you missed, how well you have kept up with classwork overall, your ability to make up work without falling further and further behind, etc. Talk to me if you find yourself in this situation!
Note on Incompletes: A grade of IC (Incomplete) is possible if you are only missing 1 major assignment at the end of the term. More than 1 major assignment is too much for an IC to handle.
The university has an excused absence policy that I am required to link to, but it doesn’t really apply to what we do. The best thing to do if you are absent is to communicate with me so we can try to figure out a plan. If you find yourself in a situation where you have numerous absences (particularly if this is impacting you across other courses), you should contact the university’s Academic & Student Advocate, Dr. David Zehr, at zehr@plymouth.edu or 603-535-3294, who can help you work through your options.
If you are sick
PLEASE don't come to class if you are sick.
- If you are under the weather, but feel well enough to participate, this would be a great time to request a Teams link.
- If you are well enough to attend class but think you may still be contagious, please wear a mask.
- If you are too sick to participate or to attend, let me know, but feel free to take time to recover!
About TECO & WRCO
This course has been designated as a Technology and Writing Connection course for the purposes of General Education.
Technology Connection (TECO)
In the modern world, technology has application to every academic discipline, and educated people must have an understanding of technology that will allow them to adapt to rapid technological change.
Students take a three or four-credit Technology in the Disciplines (TECO) course specified as required for the major. This course may be taught within the major discipline or not. The course will help students examine the role of technology within their own discipline and within a larger societal and cultural context. The TECO course will provide students with hands-on experience using current technologies; with a broad understanding of the concepts underlying current technology; with an understanding of the potential ethical issues involved with the use of technology; and with an understanding of forces, based in the needs and values of our culture, that drive technological innovation.
Writing Connection (WRCO)
Students take a three or four-credit Writing course (within a major) that contains significant writing experiences appropriate to the discipline. These experiences must include Writing Across the Curriculum activities that facilitate student learning and help students become better writers. At a minimum these activities demonstrate three specific aspects. (1) Students in the course do substantial writing that enhances learning and demonstrates knowledge of the subject or the discipline. Writing assignments should be an integral part of the course and account for a significant part (approximately 50 percent or more) of the final grade. (2) The course demonstrates an approach to writing as a process where students have the opportunity to submit and receive feedback on multiple drafts of major assignments. (3) Students have the opportunity to write for formal and informal, graded and ungraded occasions throughout the course with an emphasis on the use of writing as a mode of learning.
Names
For the sake of submitting your final term grade to the Registrar, I need to know the name by which PSU links you to your records. Other than that, you’re welcome to use whatever name you prefer in class and on your work, and we in the class will address you as you wish to be addressed. This is true, also, of the pronouns you want us to identify you with, if you have a preference. That’s just basic good manners.
You are welcome to make your ePort and all components of your Personal Learning Network pseudonymous or anonymous. You can easily do this by associating them with your Registrar-recognized name in the course spreadsheet. If you would prefer to use another name (or to be pseudonymous/anonymous) in the course spreadsheet as well, then you need to email me to let me know that is what you are doing. I will then be sure to associate your Registrar-recognized name with your preferred name in my private records so that you get credit for your work.
You can address me as Martha. If you really feel uncomfortable with this, you can call me Professor Burtis.
Accommodations
Plymouth State University is committed to providing students with documented disabilities equal access to all university programs and facilities. If you think you have a disability requiring accommodations, you should contact Campus Accessibility Services (CAS), located in Speare 210 (535-3300) to determine whether you are eligible for such accommodations. Academic accommodations will only be considered for students who have registered with CAS. If you have a Letter of Accommodation for this course from CAS, please provide the instructor with that information privately so that you and the instructor can review those accommodations.
Snow Days
If school is canceled because it is unsafe to travel to campus, we will in most cases move some work online and stick to the syllabus. Given how much of this course is online, unless we lose power for an extended period of time, there is little reason for us to adjust the syllabus too much if class is canceled.
Academic Integrity
Getting Help
In almost all cases, the best way to get help is to ask as soon as you know you need help. Contact me (Martha) or stop by the IDS Office in the basement of Lamson, which is open 8.30am-5pm every weekday and is filled with people whose job it is to help you.
Asking for help is GOOD! It shows that you are aware of what you need and that you are able to take some control of your life and education, even if it’s just to say, “I have no control over my life and education! Help!”