Course Syllabus
GEOG G-130 - World Geography (28029)
Lecturer: Andy Baker
Email: bakeran@iupui.edu
Office: Cavanaugh Hall, 207 C
Office Hour: Thursday 10:30am-11:30am
There is no required textbook or e-book to purchase.
All course content is available here in our Canvas site for free.
GEOG G-130 begins January 10 and ends May 2.
G-130 is in the General Education Core - Social Sciences.
Please carefully & completely read the following course guidelines.
FYI: Any text in blue font like THIS is a link to specific course content.
Instructor
My name is Andy Baker. I can be reached online via the Canvas Inbox or bakeran@iu.edu
Course Overview
This is a "blended" or "hybrid" course bringing together the best of both online and on-campus formats. Attendance is never recorded and your participation in lectures has no impact on your final course grade. Besides the first (January 10) and last (May 2) days of the semester, we will never meet on Tuesdays.
On Thursdays, an optional, on-campus lecture is held and the primary way exam content is delivered from the lecturer to the student. Further, all on-campus meetings (besides exams) will be video-recorded and posted to YouTube and/or our Canvas course site. This means students can re-watch lecture content whenever they want and in preparation for an exam.
Why do we not meet on Tuesdays? Because that is time set aside for you to review the extensive online readings, lectures, and videos that I have created and curated over the years. These online materials are organized into "chapters" and available for free in our Canvas page. The chapters contain information useful for completing the course activities, quizzes, and exams. In other words, the answers to the questions posed on the activities, quizzes, and exams are found somewhere in the chapters here in Canvas. I will be available online Tuesday mornings, so this is also a good time to ask questions and receive quick responses from your instructor.
What happens on the fifteen, different Thursdays with on-campus meetings? A mix of tasks, which is why it is important to closely follow the schedule. Some meetings are optional, but some are required.
Most Thursdays will be a lecture specifically answering exam questions. That's it. I "teach to the test". I will have an exact, word-for-word exam question posed and then answer it how you should answer it. These will be recorded and made available.
There are four required meetings for this course. You will see these required meetings are highlighted in yellow below in the Course Schedule. The required, on-campus exams are held on three, different Thursdays (February 2, March 2, April 6). Note, that the required, on-campus Exam 4 is held on a Tuesday (May 2) because that is when the school assigned our final exam.
I will focus on explaining the course layout and schedule during our first on-campus meeting on Tuesday, January 10. As always, ask me questions via Canvas Inbox or bakeran@iu.edu.
There are 320 total points in this course.
Final Course Grades (Grading Scale)
310 – 320 = A+
297 – 309 = A
288 – 296 = A-
278 – 287 = B+
265 – 277 = B
256 – 264 = B-
246 – 255 = C+
233 – 245 = C
224 – 232 = C-
201 – 223 = D
0 – 200 = F
The 320 total points in this course are broken down into four, individual sections each worth 80 points.
Course Schedule
Section 1 (80 points): Covers all Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 material
Topics: Physical & Human Geography of Our World
1) Activity 1 (20 points) Due before 11:59pm on Tuesday, January 31 via Canvas Assignments. Information about Activity 1 will be available Thursday, January 12 when we will discuss it during our lecture meeting.
2) Online Quiz 1 (15 points) Available and completed via Canvas Quizzes between Thursday, January 12 and Tuesday, January 31 at 11:59pm.
3) Exam 1 (40 points) Will be at 9am on Thursday, February 2 in CA008C
4) Online Discussion 1 (5 points) Available and completed via Canvas Discussions from Thursday, January 12 to Thursday, February 4 at 11:59pm.
Section 2 (80 points): Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6
Topics: North America, Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa & Middle East, and Central Asia
1) Online Quiz 2 (15 points) Available and completed via Canvas Quizzes between Thursday, February 9 and Tuesday, February 28 at 11:59pm.
2) Exam 2 (30 points) Will be at 9am on Thursday, March 2 in CA008C
3) Map Quiz 2 (10 points) Available and completed via Canvas Quizzes from Thursday, February 16 to Thursday, March 2 at 11:59pm.
4) Online Discussion 2 (5 points) Available and completed via Canvas Discussions from Thursday, February 9 to Thursday, March 2 at 11:59pm.
5) Activity 2 (20 points) Due before 11:59pm on Sunday, March 5 via Canvas Assignments. Information about Activity 2 will be available Thursday, February 16 when we will discuss it during our lecture meeting.
Section 3 (80 points): Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9
Topics: South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia
1) Map Quiz 3 (10 points) Available and completed via Canvas Quizzes from Thursday, March 2 to Thursday, March 30 at 11:59pm.
2) Online Quiz 3 (15 points) Available and completed via Canvas Quizzes between Thursday, March 2 and Tuesday, April 4 at 11:59pm.
3) Exam 3 (30 points) Will be at 9am on Thursday, April 6 in CA008C
4) Activity 3 (20 points) Due before 11:59pm on Sunday, April 9 via Canvas Assignments. Information about Activity 3 will be available Thursday, March 9 when we will discuss it during our lecture meeting.
5) Online Discussion 3 (5 points) Available and completed via Canvas Discussions from Thursday, March 2 to Thursday, April 13 at 11:59pm.
Section 4 (80 points): Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12
Topics: Oceania, Europe, Middle and South America
1) Map Quiz 4 (10 points) Available and completed via Canvas Quizzes from Thursday, April 6 to Thursday, April 20 at 11:59pm.
2) Online Quiz 4 (15 points) Available and completed via Canvas Quizzes between Thursday, April 6 and Tuesday, April 25 at 11:59pm.
3) Online Discussion 4 (5 points) Available and completed via Canvas Discussions from Thursday, April 6 to Thursday, April 27 at 11:59pm.
4) Activity 4 (20 points) Due before 11:59pm on Sunday, April 30 via Canvas Assignments. Information about Activity 4 will be available Thursday, April 13 when we will discuss it during our lecture meeting.
5) Exam 4 (30 points) Will be at *8am on **Tuesday, May 2 in CA008C
Assessments of Learning
Activities
Each activity will vary, but they can range from writing assignments, in-class presentations, to creating original, audio-visual content. These are designed with the sole purpose of providing students an opportunity to showcase their learning of the course material. Each activity will be described/explained via “Assignments” in our Canvas site.
Typically, once an activity becomes available, students will have about two weeks to complete it. Of course, do not hesitate to ask questions during a lecture meeting or via email. Each of the four activities are due before 11:59pm on the the Tuesday prior to each section exam.
Online Quizzes
The four online quizzes will be taken and submitted online via “Quizzes” in Canvas. If you are in the middle of taking a quiz when it closes after the due date, you will receive a zero, so plan accordingly.
Once you start a quiz, you will have 30 minutes to complete 15 questions. You get two attempts for each quiz with the higher of the two scores being recorded in your Grades. Quizzes will include multiple-choice questions.
Most questions are automatically scored after you take the quiz and are available after quiz completion in “Grades” in Canvas. However, the correct answers for the quizzes will be revealed and available to you after all students have completed each quiz.
Exams
There will be four exams completed on campus during our normally scheduled time and location on specific dates (except Exam 4 -- see below). Each exam is worth 30 points.
Exam 1 will be at 9am on Thursday, February 2 in CA008C and will cover only Section 1.
Exam 2 will be at 9am on Thursday, March 2 in CA008C and will cover only Section 2.
Exam 3 will be at 9am on Thursday, April 6 in CA008C and will cover only Section 3.
Exam 4 will be at *8am on **Tuesday, May 2 in CA008C and will cover only Section 4.
These exams will be explained in more detail during lecture meetings each Thursday.
*Note Exam 4 is at 8am instead of 9am
**Note Exam 4 is on a Tuesday and not a Thursday
Map Quizzes
There are for Map Quizzes with one included in each section. You can find these quizzes via "Quizzes" on the left side of this page. Each quiz is worth 10 points and includes an informational page that explains the quiz details.
Once you start a quiz, you will have 30 minutes to complete 10 questions. You get three attempts for each quiz with the highest score being recorded in your Grades. Quizzes will include fill-in-the-blank questions.
Online Discussions
There are four Online Discussions with one included in each section. All of these discussions can be found by clicking "Discussions" on the left-side of this page. Each discussion is worth 5 points and explained in greater detail in the instructions. The discussion topics relate to the section chapters and often connect with current events. Key to earning full-credit for each Online Discussion is submitting a well-reasoned, thoughtful, and original post.
Student Resources Available on Campus & Other Course Information
Course Description
“GEOG-G130 World Geography (3 cr.) Analysis of population, culture, environment, and economies of major world regions. Examination of issues of global importance, including development, demographic change, urbanization and migration, and international conflict.” –from the Indiana University Bulletin
Student Learning Outcomes
Below are the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) achieved upon completion of this course. These are the foundation upon which all course material and assessments of student learning are based. Each of these three outcomes also specifically connect to both the Profiles of Learning for Undergraduate Success (IUPUI+) and Indiana Statewide Transfer General Education Core (STGEC). G-130 students demonstrate the IUPUI+ Profiles of being a Communicator and Community Contributor. The specific STGEC outcomes relate to the “Social and Behavioral Ways of Knowing” (5.1, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6) and are also included below each SLO.
1) Recognize the diversity of people and places across our world and distinguish specific geographic patterns of religion, language, and other cultural markers. (5.1)
2) Apply specific geographic principles, concepts, and methods via interpretation and analysis of population, demographic, economic, and environment data from across the world. (5.1)
3) Examine the ways globalism and localism are interwoven in our interconnected world, particularly as it relates to the modern global economy and globalization. (5.5)
4) Explain the interaction between people and their environment and evaluate the benefits and consequences of human actions on our environment. (5.4)
5) Examine contemporary world problems in order to make informed decisions regarding complex issues and to use acquired knowledge to explore new questions. (5.1, 5.6)
University Information Technology Support:
Please contact the UITS Support Center (317-274-HELP) if you have a computer, network, or technical problem. They are very helpful. I have called them many times and in every instance, they provided information to correct my problem. You will have to provide your user-id to speak with one of the consultants employed there. This is a free service to IUPUI students, faculty, and staff.
Adaptive Education Services (AES):
Students needing accommodations because of a disability will need to register with Adaptive Educational Services (AES) and complete the appropriate forms issued by AES before accommodations will be given. The AES office is located in Taylor Hall, UC 100. You can also reach the office by calling 274-3241. Visit http://aes.iupui.edu/ for more information.
Dean of Students/Student Advocate:
You should be aware that the campus Student Advocate Office can help you overcome obstacles towards your academic goals. The Advocate will answer your questions, direct you to the appropriate departments and people, familiarize you with university policies and procedures, and give you guidance as you look at ways to solve problems and make choices. The Student Advocate Office is located in UC002 and can be contacted by phone at 278-7594 or email at stuadvoc@iupui.edu.
Withdrawals and incompletes:
You may withdraw with an automatic “W” through the stated date in the Academic Calendar. Withdrawals after that date will be assigned a grade of “F”. Incompletes will not be given except in cases of documented medical emergencies or illness.
IUPUI Withdraw Deadlines
Sunday, March 12: Last day to withdraw with automatic grade of W.
Monday, March 13 to Thursday, April 27: Withdrawal with grade of W or F begins. Beginning on this date, drops will be approved only in serious, extenuating circumstances.
Administrative Withdrawal:
A basic requirement of this course is that you will participate in all class activities and assessments and conscientiously complete all required course activities and/or assignments. Keep in touch with me if you q1are unable to attend, participate, or complete an assignment on time. If you miss more than half of the required activities within the first 25% of the course without contacting me, you may be administratively withdrawn from this course. Administrative withdrawal may have academic, financial, and financial aid implications. Administrative withdrawal will take place after the full refund period, and if you are administratively withdrawn from the course you will not be eligible for a tuition refund. If you have questions about the administrative withdrawal policy at any point during the semester, please contact me.
Academic Integrity and Misconduct:
Please read Sections 1 through 6 of Part G in the Academic Responsibilities & Misconduct of the IUPUI Student Code of Conduct carefully by clicking HERE. I assume that you have read and agree with all terms of the Code and will grade your submitted assessments & evaluate your communications accordingly. The consequences of academic dishonesty range from a warning, penalty, or removal from university, depending on the severity of your fraud.
What is cheating? Any of the following situations involves cheating:
- copying the answers from a quiz obtained from another person in the class or from a previous term
- having the aid of another person, electronically or physically, to assist you in selecting an answer on a quiz
- having another person take a quiz or for you
- altering the quiz time length or submission techniques
- attempting or completing any method that bypasses the security features of the course or Canvas
- printing or copying any question on a quiz
If I detect suspicious activity concerning submission times I will contact you via Canvas Inbox or email. You might have to come into my office to take a substitute quiz that might include essay questions.