Spring 20: Syllabus

Instructor: Dr. D’Haeseleer

  • Contact me!
    • e-mail: tinekedhaeseleer@muhlenberg.edu (I respond to e-mails which warrant a response within 24hrs, usually after 12pm. If you need something from me more urgently, drop by at my office or phone)
    • Office phone: 484-664-3324
    • Office: Ettinger 300A (Open door policy: if the door is open: knock and come in! If the door is closed, I’m not in, or I cannot be disturbed. Please respect the closed door.)

“One of the teaching classrooms.” (but not ours!) by travelationship is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Class meeting time:

Tue-Thu 3.30PM-4.45PM, Ett. 204

Drop-in tutorial times

(What actually are drop-in tutorials?)

  • Tue: 2PM-3PM
  • Wed: 1PM-2PM
  • Thu: 11AM-12PM
  • Or by appointment. Check my Google Calendar to see my availability and make an appointment. (“Add someone else’s calendar” (using an e-mail address))
  • For quick questions or to make an appointment for a longer consultation, I have an open door policy: drop in when the door is open!
  • Changes and cancellations to to the regular scheduled drop-in tutorial times will be announced on the course website and via e-mail.

Warning:

The syllabus is long. There are certain things I need to include by college policy. Take your time reading through it, and annotate with hypothes.is in the group HST107 with your questions, or suggestions for improvement.

Table of Contents

About the course

Course contents

“A cultural history of the strange in premodern China.” How did the Chinese people of the past explain the existence of phenomena that apparently went against the order of things, such as ghosts, demons, immortals, fox spirits and other freaks of nature? What do the encounters between humans and these other creatures tell us about the premodern Chinese worldview, and how much of that tradition is still alive in present-day China? In this course we use a variety of texts, images and objects to learn more about how to prevent your ancestors from turning into vengeful ghosts, what to do (and what not to!) when you encounter a demon or suddenly find yourself in hell or another form of the afterlife, and where you have the highest chance for encounters of the spooky kind.

You will also help to write the textbook for the course, by expanding an existing chapter, or writing a new chapter, for our Pressbooks open textbook.

Course goals

At the end of this course you will:

  • be familiar with the major ideas that have over the centuries contributed to the traditional Chinese world view
  • understand the continuities and developments in the worldview of the Chinese people, and the way people in premodern China thought about the natural world around them, and about phenomena that deviated from the norm
  • understand how that cultural heritage still plays a role in the worldview and cultural practices of many Chinese people today, in China and in the wider diaspora
  • have developed your analytical skills as a historian
  • be able to work with primary source materials, such as documents in translation, paintings, archaeological objects: how to interpret them, which questions to ask and where to find answers, and how to place them in the historical context
  • have improved your oral and written communication skills by taking part in discussions in small and large group settings, short presentations, and by writing short pieces to generate discussion as well as longer pieces
  • have co-created the second edition of our “Open Education Resource” (OER) textbook for this course (Congratulations!)

Course unit instruction:

This class is schedule to meet for 3 hours (=2 sessions) per week. Additional instructional activities for the course include attendance at specified College lectures and events, film screenings (dates and times TBA), and conferences with the instructor and Digital Learning Assistants across the semester. These activities will add an additional 14 hours of instruction.

All about Grades:

Course requirements

You must attempt all course components to pass:

Due dates

  • Tuesday before class: smaller written assignments for portfolio
        • Portfolio closes for rewriting on May 4
  • May 4: Textbook chapter/contribution
        • “Building towards the textbook” smaller assignments: dates TBD
        • There will be individualized due dates for some of these smaller assignments as you present your work-in-progress in class.

Note: All your written work is open for revision and rewriting, based on feedback, new insights, comments and general growth, until May 4 (11.59PM). There is no extra credit in this course, but you can rewrite and revise until you get an A if you choose to do so. (If you put in the extra time and effort, it will show in the final product!)

Late work and extensions

Due dates are important for you, and for me: I space them so that you have enough time to complete the assignments and work with the feedback on earlier assignments. Due dates also help me to stay (more or less) on top of the feedback throughout the semester, so my responses can be prompt. Missing due dates means you are crowding your submissions closer together, and I may not be able to turn around work as soon as you would like, or in a timely manner for you to apply to the next assignment.

I understand that life and personal issues can get in the way, and I am open to extending due dates, but I need you to communicate with me, so I know what to expect, and (more importantly) when. If you notice that you will be unable to finish a particular assignment by the due date, you can request an extension in advance. See me in class, drop by at my office, or e-mail, and give me a new deadline which fits your schedule better. I will confirm this new deadline in writing within 24 hours.

If you fall ill suddenly, or are otherwise unable to submit your work by the due date due to circumstances beyond your control you may not be able to ask for an extension in advance. In that case, let me know as soon as reasonable. If this is part of something bigger in your life, get in touch with the Dean of Academic Life or the Dean of Student Affairs, or the Health Center. They can help you to coordinate care to see you through a rough patch.

If you habitually and routinely miss due dates or class, I will ask you in for a cup of tea and a chat, so we can address what the underlying problem is and how I/the College can help you. This does not mean you fail. It only means that I really care about your performance as a student and your wellbeing as a human. To help you find the right balance, we need to communicate (and a cup of tea usually helps to get the dialogue started.)

Incomplete grade

Incomplete grades: Please check the College policy. Note that YOU must request an incomplete grade for the course, I cannot initiate this process.

Grading guidelines

  • A= strong
  • B= good
  • C= weak
  • D= very weak
  • F= unsatisfactory

“The ‘To Do’ Pile” by ninniane is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Useful Information

Texts and course materials:

There is no required text, instead course materials will be made availabe via the course website, Canvas and Trexler Library course reserves.

Because there is no single book that will cover all the topics we will expand the first edition open source textbook created by the students from the Spring ’19 course.

Language of Instruction

The entire course is conducted in English, all materials are provided in English and all work will be submitted in English.

You may consult materials in other languages, and use those in your work, with proper referencing to these sources. We can work together on how to put in references in an English language paper to Chinese primary and secondary sources, for instance.

Attendance and Participation

The success of this course depends on your presence and thoughtful participation in this “Learning Commons”. You cannot participate if you are not present, therefore I expect you to be present in class. Being absent excessively or habitually not being prepared for class will have an impact on all components of your final grade: directly on the Thoughtful Participation in the “Learning Commons”, and indirectly on your portfolio work and essays.

Flexible attendance and missed class policy

If you must miss class due to circumstances beyond your control: send in as soon as reasonable (ideally before the next session you attend) appr. 300 words on the materials we covered that day in class. This is not a summary, but a short piece of writing that reflects your insights and ideas, and how you see the materials fit in with what we covered so far in the course. You will get feedback. This only replaces your class attendance and participation, not any other writing assignments.

If something in your life prevents you from being physically present in class on a regular basis, we will discuss accommodations to try and approximate your presence and participation with other means.

See also Thoughtful Participation

“Isometric illustrations” by Michał Mareczko is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Electronic Devices Policy

  • Electronic devices such as laptops and tablets may be used in class, for instance to consult materials related to class contents, or to take notes. As a responsible member of the class community you should be respectful of your fellow students, and not distract them by surfing to off-topic sites. (Facebook is very off-topic!)
  • Cell phones can be very distracting to the others in the room, including your instructors, if you are constantly staring at your lap. Therefore, use cell phones only if you have no access to another e-device (e.g. for a dictionary not installed on your laptop), and laid flat on the table.
      • Switch to “do not disturb” to avoid distractions from incoming messages and calls during class time, if you must use your phone at all.
      • If you expect an important call, for instance due to a family emergency, please let me know at the start of class that you need to have your phone ready for incoming calls. You may leave the room to take such an important call.
      • Bear in mind that cell phone users in a learning environment are more prone to becoming distracted than laptop or tablet users; if possible, leave your cellphone in your bag/in your room during our class.
    • Each student has the authority to request that a fellow student moderates their use of an electronic device if it impedes the learning of other students. If you feel uncomfortable doing so yourself, I’m happy to do it on your behalf (without disclosing the identity of the complainant).
    • Occasionally, I may ask you to put away all devices so we can focus on a particular issue without any distractions.
    • This policy is open for further debate. Changes will be made after a class discussion and with unanimous consent from all students.

Top tip: Many studies indicate that taking notes by hand, rather than on an electronic device, increases your retention of the course material and result in a higher grade. Look here, for instance. Recently other researchers have suggested this issue is more complicated when we look at longer term effects: it depends on what you do with the notes after you make them. Yet I encourage you to try to take notes by hand, because the temptation to “quickly” check email or surf away to non-related topics is irresistible for most. Please be present in body and mind in class. (I can tell you more about fountain pens and good quality paper, which make note-taking fun)

What if class is canceled?

In the event I cannot make it to class, class will be canceled, and may be rescheduled at a mutually convenient date and time. I will send a message via Canvas, email and will also post an announcement on the course website. If you commute to campus, please check your email before setting off on a long journey that may be wasted, or set up an alert system with your classmates to pass the message via your preferred medium (text, WhatsApp,…).

Accommodations for disabilities and special needs

To ensure that you get the most out of this course, I welcome accommodations if you have a disability or special needs. The College strongly encourages you to make arrangements with the Office of Disability Services, which then legally entitles you to certain accommodations and levels of support. The process to get fully tested and an accommodation plan set up is lengthy, so please get in touch with the office as soon as you arrive on campus, or even earlier. You do not have to disclose your disability or special needs to your instructors (including me). You can help me be a better and more inclusive/less excluding teacher by telling me specifically what I can change to support your learning. Past examples of changes I made include adding presenter notes to images on Powerpoints, creating handouts for lecture structures, flexibility with deadlines (with mutual agreement in advance of the deadline) and specific seating arrangements. I hope to learn from you how to create a truly inclusive classroom.

(The college’s official language:) Students with disabilities requesting classroom or course accommodations must complete a multi-faceted determination process through the Office of Disability Services prior to the development and implementation of accommodations, auxiliary aids, and services. Each Accommodation Plan is individually and collaboratively developed between the student and the Office of Disability Services. If you have not already done so, please contact the Office of Disability Services to have a dialogue regarding your academic needs and the recommended accommodations, auxiliary aides, and services.

Financial hardship and basic needs

If you are experiencing financial hardship, have difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day or do not have a safe and stable place to live, and believe this may affect your performance in this course, I would urge you to contact our CARE Team through the Dean of Students Office for support. Their website is www.muhlenberg.edu/main/aboutus/deanst/careteam/. You may also discuss your concerns with me if you are comfortable doing so.

Academic Integrity Code (AIC) and Academic (Dis)Honesty

I consider it my duty to uphold academic integrity and to teach my students how to do this. I will not hesitate to forward a case to the Dean’s office if I suspect dishonesty. In this course, this will mainly concern references (“citations”) to sources. I will always give you feedback on your work and a chance to correct any issues before doing so. If, however, you do not make the required changes, or in later assignments still do not heed the warnings, I interpret your behaviour as disrespecting the Academic Integrity Code, and will report the case to the Dean of Academic Affairs. The penalty varies on the seriousness of the offence, but you will at the least receive a 0 for that particular grade component.

Muhlenberg College takes academic integrity very seriously, so please read in detail and with great attention through the College’s policy. May I in particular draw your attention to this sentence: “The College puts the burden of responsibility on students for knowing what plagiarism is, and then making the effort necessary to avoid it.”1

The citation/reference format we use in this course is Chicago “notes and bibliography”.

Course Schedule

What to prepare for each class? Check the Course Schedule tab on the website. (More details to follow soon)

If you struggle to keep up, come and chat with me during drop-in tutorials (see top for details), so I can help you to identify effective and winning strategies. Top tip: if you are spending less than 1 hour of preparing (reading, taking notes etc.) per class, you should begin by increasing the time you allocate to class prep.

Detailed Information about the Assignments and Grade Components

Portfolio

We will cover a variety of topics and there will be many different types of assignments. All of these go into a portfolio on your own website on “Berg Builds“. You may use password protection, for instance for work-in-progress, but you will have to share the password with the class for peer reviews etc.

Types of assignments include for instance: summaries of articles we read, descriptions of objects, plot summaries of stories, writing brief responses to chapters or articles, assessing the quality of course materials, annotated bibliographies, short essays. These assignments are structured to help you come to terms with key questions and methods you use as a historian to engage with the past, and will give you a chance to explore connections between materials. There will also be regular reflections on what we learned, or on your learning process.

You will at regular intervals receive feedback from me and from your fellow students. You can use this feedback to rewrite any of the assignments in this portfolio.

  • Objectives: analytical reading and writing, basic digital skills

Building towards the textbook

In the second half of the semester, you will continue to work on small assignments in response to class materials, but you will also work on a topic of your choice that will result in a contribution to the textbook of approximately 1200 words. This can be expanding an existing chapter, or writing a brand new one.

  • initial idea and rationale, a brief project proposal
  • annotated bibliography
  • outline (bullet points)
  • abstract (1-2 prose paragraphs)
  • draft
  • presentation of work in progress in class, and providing materials for a class session
  • Final “paper” posted as a chapter on the class’ Pressbooks site.

In the second half of the semester, you will present your work-in-progress in class, and we spend time working with materials suggested by you to help you create an awesome chapter.

The final version of the chapter is due in Finals Week, but submitting the chapter to Pressbooks is only the victory lap of an entire semester’s worth of work that helped you get there.

  • Objectives: analytical reading and writing, formulating a research question, locating sources, time management for a larger project.

Thoughtful participation in the Learning Commons

A “Learning Commons” is a virtual and physical space that aims to optimize learning, exploring, discovering, and fosters curiosity through collaborative effort. Only if all of us do our bit, will the learning happen.

To create such a space, your thoughtful participation is required, inside the classroom, in online spaces connected to this course, and in your head. Thoughtful participation requires more than just being in the room. Here is how you can bring your best self to each class to make the learning commons come to life:

Before class: Prepare for class by doing the assigned readings and taking notes. Make a summary or list of what you think are the most important points of the chapter(s) or text(s) for that day. Mark passages that you don’t (quite) understand, and be ready to explain precisely what the question is. Likely you are not alone! Prepare any micro-assignments that are requested to be completed.

In class: Take part in the discussions! When I ask you, “what did you think about the reading?”, this is not a question you can simply answer by “I like it” or “I did not like it”. If you have read the materials, you will be able to say something meaningful about the text, about how you see it fit in with the other materials. At the very least, your reading notes will give you a couple of ideas: what is interesting? What is revealing? What is strange?

I treat this course as a seminar course, not a lecture series, and this only works if you verbally participate in class discussions. Having two (or more) points prepared in advance, based on the readings, will make it very easy to direct or jump into the discussion. You should strive to make an active contribution AT LEAST once per two sessions (i.e once per week). I will provide opportunities to shift discussion into new topics, when you can jump in with for instance “This is something completely different, but I noticed [insert point here]”.

“Filling airtime” with contributions that wander aimlessly off-topic is not thoughtful. You may of course draw on your personal perspective and experiences, but it needs to remain connected to the topic of that session. If you are an extremely active contributor, I may ask you to hold back and give your fellow students a chance to join in. Please understand not everybody is as quick with their thinking, or as comfortable, speaking in a larger group.

If you feel uncomfortable speaking in front of a large group, please read the document This course is hard, for a few tips and quick-win strategies that work for most courses. And take part in the small group activities in class: I want to hear you formulate ideas, questions, and see you interact with your fellow students during those moments.

Other ways to participate:

  1. Sharing materials: e.g. link to a news report on a recent archaeological discovery, a great video you found that helps you to understand the course material better, a useful website or podcast.
    • You can e-mail me a link, or alert me to a blog post you created. Include a brief comment on why you think that material is interesting for our course and/or how we can discuss this in class.
  2. Use hypothes.is or add comments on your fellow students work on their websites even when you’re not listed to do a peer review. Treat these as an extension of the classroom space for further discussion. Make thoughtful contributions: be specific, concrete and kind; you can also provide links to examples or request further information.
  3. Be professional: this includes arriving in timely fashion for class, being prepared for class, and having your materials with you, treating micro-assignments with appropriate earnest (e.g. a closing exercise, peer reviews). Being professional also includes helping to create an environment conducive to learning, and a respectful atmosphere in class, for instance not being disruptive to the group by eating a full three-course meal at your desk or getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of a fellow student’s presentation (medical emergencies excepted). I expect you to respond promptly (=within 24hrs, Mon-Fr.) to e-mails or other messages, and keep me and where necessary your classmates up to date if you encounter problems in keeping up with your obligations for the course.

Objectives: developing analytical reading skills; developing your ability to formulate research questions; becoming a better team mate; improving oral and written communication skills; improving time management skills; becoming a better student and a better human.

Legal stuff

  1. Emphasis in original. http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/aboutus/dean-academic/integrity/definingplagiarism/ (last visited August 25, 2017).↩