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GEOG 1012 (formerly GEOG 1030) Syllabus

Course Syllabus

GEOG 1012 (formerly GEOG 1030) - Cultural Geography

3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

Studies human and environmental interaction within a given area and its cultural characteristics such as language, religion, politics, urbanization, and economics.

Course Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

  • recognize, describe, and explain social institutions, structure, and processes and the complexities of a global culture and diverse society.
  • think critically about how individuals are influenced by political, geographic, economic, cultural, and family institutions in their own and other diverse cultures and explain how one's own belief system may differ from others.
  • explore the relationship between the individual and society as it affects the personal behavior, social development and quality of life of the individual, the family and the community.
  • examine the impact of behavioral and social scientific research on major contemporary issues and their disciplines' effects on individuals and society.
Prerequisites & Co-requisites:

College-level reading and writing.

Course Topics:
  • Module One: An Introduction to Human Geography
  • Module Two: Geographies of Language, Religion, and Identity
  • Module Three: Political and Urban Geographies
  • Module Four: Geographies of Development, Industry, and Services
  • Module Five: Agricultural Geographies and Environmental Challenges
Specific Course Requirements:

You must be knowledgeable in the use of the Internet and related browsers, and the following (see links below under "Common Applications"):

  • Microsoft Word for word processing,
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing reading assignments, the online course dropbox for activities and any extra credit opportunities, the quiz function for taking tests, the discussion tool for participating in required discussions, and
  • RealPlayer,
  • Quick Time, or
  • Media Player for viewing/listening to assigned videos/audios.

It is your responsibility to ensure your service provider is capable of allowing adequate connections and connection time in order to complete and submit tests and assignments to participate in discussion boards.

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."

Supplementary Materials:

The instructor may assign or you may research supplementary references and learning materials.

Hardware and Software Requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.

Minimum software requirements can be found here.

Common applications you might need:

Web Resources:

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)

The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook

Student Resources:
  • Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
  • Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
  • Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.

Instructor Information

Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.

Participation, Assessments, & Grading

Testing Procedures:

Getting Started: In order to get started in this course, you will be required to complete several introductory tasks within the first week of the course.

  1. You will need to read the syllabus thoroughly. When reading the syllabus, you should take notes about any questions, issues, or concerns you might have and email them via the online course to the instructor for clarification.
  2. After reading the syllabus, you must send the instructor an email via the online course stating you have read and understand all of the course requirements.
  3. Now you will want to familiarize yourself with the course tools and inform the instructor about any difficulties you might experience in using these tools.
  4. Finally, you will post a message to the Introduction section of the discussion board. In the message, you will tell a little about yourself, your education, your previous experiences with online learning, and the reasons you are taking this course. Your completion of the tasks will not be assigned points but will be required to participate in the course.

TESTS:
You will be required to complete five tests throughout the assessment/quiz tool. You will be allowed two hours for each test. Tests will be available for approximately a one week period- if you fail to take the test during this period, you will receive a score of 0. in order to take tests, you will go to Assessment and click on the name of the test. Information and instructions for the test will be displayed to the right. Tests will include a combination of objective questions such as multiple choice or true/false and subjective essay-type questions. Test questions will require you to critically evaluate information from your textbook readings and any other assigned materials for each module. Essay questions must be thoroughly answered and written in paragraph form with full sentences. Tests will be worth a possible 100 points each.

Note: You should not postpone completing textbook readings and other assignments until the time of the test. The tests will require an understanding beyond trying to look up answers. It is recommended you use the learning objectives and key terms for each module as a guide as you complete reading, viewing, and listening to assignments and prepare for tests.

DISCUSSIONS:
Following the Introduction discussion, you will be assigned to participate in five graded discussion board sessions. The discussion topics will reflect required assignments. Participation in each discussion session will be worth a possible 20 points. In order to be eligible for full credit no discussions, you will be required to participate by posting, reading, and responding during the time period designated by the instructor. Your failure to participate in the discussion board during the designated time period will result in 0 points for that discussion session.

Evaluation of your discussion participation will be based on: posting an answer that demonstrates your understanding of assignments and ability to think critically; reading all other postings (as indicated by the system tracking mechanism); and replying to at least two other postings (replies should go well beyond "I agree" or "I disagree"- in short, you should explain all responses). It should go without saying that you are expected to be considerate and respectful at all times- inconsiderate and disrespectful participation will not be tolerated by the instructor.

In order to post in assigned discussions, you will go to Discussions, click on the name of the discussion, Add Message, and then Submit when you have completed your message/post. In order to respond to a posting, use Reply.

ACTIVITIES:
You will be required to complete five graded activities, one of which will be in each module. The activity will reflect the current material, and each activity will be worth a possible 30 points. Your failure to turn in the activities during the designated time period will result in 0 points for that activity.

QUIZZES:
You will be required to complete twelve graded quizzes, one for each chapter of the textbook. The lowest two of these quizzes will be dropped. The quizzes will reflect questions from the readings, and each quiz will be worth a possible 10 points. Your failure to turn in the quizzes during the designated time period will result in 0 points for that quiz.

Grading Procedures:

Your progress in this course will be evaluated as follows:

  • Five (5) tests worth 100 possible points each or 500 possible points total
  • Five (5) discussion sessions worth 20 possible points each or 100 points total
  • Five (5) activities worth 30 possible points each or 150 possible points total
  • Ten (10) chapter quizzes worth 10 possible points each or 100 possible points total
Grading Scale:
Point RangeAssigned GradePercentage Scale
765-850 PointsA90 - 100%
680-764 PointsB80 - 89%
595-679 PointsC70 - 79%
553-594 PointsD65 - 69%
under 553 PointsFBelow 65%
Assignments and Projects:

Graded Items

DescriptionPoints
5 Tests @ 100 points each500 points
5 Discussions @ 20 points each100 points
5 Activities @ 30 points each150 points
10 Chapter Quizzes @ 10 points each100 points
Total Points850 total points
Class Participation:

Instruction in this course will be conducted in an independent manner. You are responsible for any readings, audios/videos, tests, discussions, written assignments, papers, or other materials as assigned by the instructor. Timely submission of required work is essential for success in this course. You, not the instructor, are responsible for ensuring that work is submitted on the assigned dates and that regular communication with the instructor is accomplished. Due to the independent nature of this course, you must be responsible for checking course announcements frequently and for requesting help when you need it. Thus, you are encouraged to contact the instructor as often as needed via email, telephone, or any other manner deemed appropriate by the instructor. Furthermore, you are encouraged to interact with other students, taking into careful consideration the parameters of academic dishonesty, as this is considered a valuable component of the learning process.

Late Policy:

TESTS: You must complete and submit tests by the due dates as established by the instructor. Submission of tests past the due date will not be accepted under any circumstances and a grade of 0 will assessed for the test.

DISCUSSIONS: You must participate in discussions within the time period established by the instructor. Participation includes posting, reading other posts, and responding to peers. Your failure to participate in the discussion board during the designated time period will result in 0 points for that discussion session.

ACTIVITIES: You must submit your activities on the due date as established by the instructor. Late submission of your activity will result in will result in 0 points for that activity.

Course Ground Rules

The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:

RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Read the document in its entirety here.

1. Standards of Conduct:

  • Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.

2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:

  • In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
  • to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
  • or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution.  Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.

In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.

Other Course Rules:

Students are expected to:

  • Participate in all aspects of the course
  • Communicate with other students
  • Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
  • Address technical problems immediately:
  • Observe course netiquette at all times.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussions:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.


Last Revised on July 12, 2021