SOCI-0101 DL - Principles of Sociology
Distance Learning & Brick and Click
Instructor: L Zayac
Welcome to online Principles of Sociology.
On this page, I am posting things you need to know in order to be successful in
this class.
Welcome to
Society: The Basics - Online/or Brick & Click
SYLLABUS/OVERVIEW
CONTACT INFO (Before classes begin)
Phone - (413)572-8142 - Email:
lzayac@wsc.ma.edu
Once class starts, you may email me within the
course with the Plato email system.
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS AND DESCRIPTION - This course introduces students to the
discipline of Sociology. The objective of the course is to introduce the
student to thinking and writing sociologically. This is called using the
sociological imagination a term/concept coined by C. Wright Mills. Next, we
will use this technique to critically examine and understand a range of
contemporary social problems. The final project will focus on poverty in the
The final
grade will be an average of the following items, and each activity will be
evaluated equally.
This course
consists of the following activities:
1. Students
are expected to read assigned material. Please note discussion forum
postings/exercises and readings complement each other. In order to successfully
complete the course, students are required to read the assigned material and
take the quizzes for each chapter assigned by instructor.
2. Students
are expected to check the calendar and the weekly folder for assignments and
activities on a regular basis for course readings and assignments and do all
work posted here.
3. Students
are expected to participate in general and group discussion online. This
will clarify and increase one's understanding of sociology. Students will
receive a grade for their participation and assignments posted in the
forum. Exceptional participation and assignment postings going beyond the
basics of the assignment will result in a grade of an "A". A good
faith effort to participate on a regular basis at the proper time will result
in a grade of a "B". Lesser participation will result in lower grades.
I will maintain a record of the discussion and will be checking in to see your
participation on a regular basis.
4. Students
are expected to do weekly assignments posted in the weekly folders and calendar
which will expand one's understanding of the history
of Sociology as well as expand one's understanding of the sociological
imagination.
5.
Students are expected to take online weekly quizzes.
6. Students (Special
instructions will be posted inside the course for summer students) are expected
to do a final position/reaction paper and power point public service
announcement to the book "Amazing Grace".
PLEASE NOTE: By enrolling
in this class, the student is agreeing to all of the policies listed above.
Students are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the course
policies and to ask questions using the main forum and e-mail feature of
Plato/Vista. Students may also call me at home for problems and or
clarifications of an emergency nature.
DISABILITY
NOTICE: If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodations to
enable you to participate in this course, please contact me during the first
week of class.
CATALOGUE
COURSE DESCRIPTION: A scientific examination of human social phenomena. Major topics
include interaction, statuses and roles, groups, social institutions, culture,
socialization, social control, conforming and deviant behavior, collective
behavior, social inequality, demography, social change, urbanism, industrialism
and globalization. 3 credits
TEXT BOOKS: There are two required books for this class and
they are available at the WSC bookstore.
VIP- You may purchase these at the Westfield State College Bookstore in
person, by phone (413)572-5657 bookstore manager, or online at the bottom of
the page for the link to order books online.
Text
Macionis, John J., Society the Basics 8th Edition Online
Text with One Key (access code) - This is an inexpensive online
version of the text with Videos and VISTA Access Code. This package must be purchased at the WSC
Bookstore. ISBN# 0-131547402
Reader
Kozol, Johnathan,
Amazing Grace, Harper Perennial ISBN# 0-06-097697-7
At the bottom of the page, I have included a link to
the WSC Bookstore so you can order the texts online.
Ashley Reale Text Book Manager can assist you with your order.
ONLINE
INTERACTION AND COURSE ACTIVITIES
OVERVIEW/INFO
PAGE Two things are found here:
1. Overview of
Class
2. Syllabus- This is an
outline of full directions on what you need to do when requirements are listed
on the calendar tool.
3. WEEKLY
ASSIGNMENTS AND ACTIVITIES -The weekly assignments and activities folders icon
describes in detail all the weekly assignments. The weekly folder for the
week contains all the links to various weekly assignments. The calendar tool describes in a
summary form what is due on a particular date. Further detail will be found by
clicking on the number of the day or an underlined entry for web links.
FORUM CLASS
DISCUSSION - This is an online tool that provides the real backbone of the
course. Essentially this a bulletin board with weekly asynchronous discussion
that you can participate in and in many cases will be mandated to post
assignments in. Directions on how to use the bulletin board are in your
instruction course.
CHAT - A chat room is
a synchronous live discussion forum, in which participants can sign on at the
same time. Some of you may want to set up a chat room to communicate. If I feel
the need to enhance a concept, I will post a chat, which will not be mandatory,
and a copy of the subject chat will be posted in a forum for those who are
unable to participate.
ONLINE CHAPTER
QUIZZES - After the chapter reading has been assigned, students will take an
online quiz. This is not timed and students can take the quiz as many times as
they would like until they achieve the grade they are satisfied with. This is
included in the final grade but is used more as a reading check.
FINAL PAPER
ASSIGNMENT – (Special instructions will be posted inside the course for
summer students) You will write a reaction paper and create a power point public
service announcement to the book "Amazing Grace"
by Johnathan Kozol.
Specific instructions with web links will be posted on the calendar and in the
Final Resource Center Folder. Students will post their assignments in the Final
Paper Assignment Drop Box and the Public Service Announcement in the Amazing
Grace Power Point DF.
Professor Lynn
Zayac,
STUDENT
RECORDS - Student grades are posted online when work is submitted in
addition to the standard college grade report sent by the college.