Course Information

• Political Science 355 OF
• Fully online asynchronous course
• Moodle will be used as the course learning management system (http://moodle.csun.edu)

Course Description

The University Catalog describes this course as "a detailed study of the structures and functions of the national government and California state and local governments. Special attention is given to the legislative and executive branches in the policy-making and administrative processes as well as the constitutional bases for these processes". This course also satisfies your Title 5 requirement for American history and government.

The course is set up in an asynchronous format. This means there will be no set days or times for students to be online. The only exception to the latter will be the midterm and final exams, which are scheduled for specific dates on Moodle. Please make sure to view the dates below and mark your calendars ahead of time since there will be no make-up work in the course.

The course will be divided into 16 weekly modules with one or more chapters of reading assigned along with corresponding resources and activities such as videos, podcasts, links to original historical documents, pictures, quotes, governmental web pages and other educational sites. The items listed under the subheading Graded Assignments in Moodle will be the only ones students will receive a score on. There will be exactly one week to complete the weekly module usually beginning on Sundays and ending on Saturdays unless otherwise stated on the schedule below. (See exact dates below)

Student Learning Objectives

The overall goal of this course is to provide you with an understanding of how our government works at each level (national, state and local). The specific learning objectives and criteria for assessment for the course include:

• Active Citizenship and Civic Engagement – Students should demonstrate a knowledge and awareness of contemporary issues, political institutions, and problems in the community and their historical contexts. Students should demonstrate an understanding of the importance of community involvement and leadership.
  
  • Assessment criteria for discussion questions and graded assignments – Evidence suggests that student is able to identify a major political and/or policy problem and is able to conceptualize and analyze the causes of the policy issues
• Political Decision Making – Students should demonstrate an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the political institutions through which public policies are formulated, modified, and implemented.
  
  • Assessment criteria for discussion questions and graded assignments – Evidence suggests student is able to identify political issues and link them to the institutions involved in solving these issues

Course Requirements & Grading

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

You are required to participate in discussion groups every week. Each week you will be reading the chapters and addressing the discussion question pertaining to the reading and material covered.

The goal of the discussion questions is to create student interaction and learning through class discussions, which usually exist in traditional classrooms. You are all encouraged to interact with one another and exchange ideas within the discussion sections. If you do not agree with a classmate’s response, then explain why you disagree. Make sure to use proper citations when referencing another's work in your responses.

OTHER GRADED ASSIGNMENTS:

There will be a series of graded assignments available within given weekly modules, including scavenger hunts. Students will be required to read the textbooks and research the topic before responding to each question.

EXAMS/QUIZZES:

All the course exams will be timed. Please see the Course Schedule below for the specific dates and mark your personal calendars in advance. Quizzes and exams may NOT be rescheduled.

• Quizzes:  

There will be two quizzes scheduled for the semester. The quizzes will be available for the entire week (from Sunday to Saturday), but will be timed once a student has logged into a quiz. Each student will be permitted two attempts on each quiz and the student may decide whether he/she would like to take once or twice. If taken twice, then the highest score will be recorded into the course gradebook.

• Midterm exam:

There will be one midterm exam, which will be a combination of true/false, multiple choice and/or fill-in the blank questions.

• Final exam:

The final exam will include a combination of true/false, multiple choice, fill-in the blank and one essay question.

*Having regular access to a computer and a CSUN email address is a requirement in order to participate in the course. There are computer labs located throughout campus including the Oviatt Library and the University Student Union.

There will be 260 points available for the course. The grading will be broken down as follows

Discussion questions and other graded assignments will be scored after each quiz and the midterm exam.

*There will be no extra credit or make-up work available in the course. Make sure to mark your personal calendars in advance since the due dates are not negotiable.

Course Schedule

* Shortened weeks

At any time this syllabus may be amended or revised. Students will be notified if any changes are made.