Syllabus: Assignments and Grading
Assignments and Grading:
Problem sets 35%
Weekly Assessments 50%
Research Project 15%
Extra Credit +<5%
Problem Sets
Each problem set contains a wide variety of practice problems. Figuring out how to solve them is an important part of learning logic and succeeding in the class. By completing practice sets, students will (i) practice the abilities they learned from the reading and lectures, (ii) check their understanding of logical concepts, and (iii) assess their strengths and weaknesses before the Weekly Assessments.
Problem sets are published Sunday evening and due each Thursday by 5pm. Answers are published Thursday evening. That gives students about four days to complete each problem set. Graders will evaluate work to make sure students are setting up problems correctly and, at least half the time, coming up with the right answer. If so, the problem set gets a 100%. If not, students receive a temporary grade of 60% and three days to resubmit the work to earn up to 90%. In order to get credit for the resubmission, you’ll also need to complete a Problem Set Resubmission Worksheet (link Links to an external site.).
Weekly Assessments
Each weekly assessment contains 10 challenging problems. Students solve them problems using the logical concepts and abilities learned each week. By completing the weekly assessments students challenge their understanding of logical abilities and concepts essential for moving forward in the course. The 2 lowest Weekly Assessment grades will be dropped.
Weekly Assessments are published on Friday at 9am and close on Saturday at 5pm. Students have 2 hours to complete the assessment once they start it.
Each weekly assessment contains an optional written portion that you can complete for up to 20 points of extra credit on that weekly assessment. The written portion is, roughly, a 750 word essay about logical concepts from the week’s material. They’re due Sunday night at 5pm each week. Students can view the optional, written portion before the assessment.
Preparing for Weekly Assessments.
The best way to prepare for the Weekly Assessments is to keep up with the lectures and problem sets. But! Here are two extra options.
(1) I’ll post a set of really tricky problems each week called “Jordan’s Puzzlers”. These are not graded, so you can use them to check your own understanding of logical concepts and abilities. The puzzler problems are more difficult and complex than the ones on the weekly assessment. So, if you can do these, you’ll probably do great on the weekly assessments!
(2) I’ll host a live 1hr review session each Thursday at 4pm via Zoom and Discord. I’ll serve up some tips for success on the weekly assessments, provide practice problems, organize small group work, and answer any questions you have about the material.
Research Project
The Research Project is a short presentation of some research on one of the formal logic systems we cover in the class: sentential logic or predicate logic. Students will research the history of the logic system, including relationships to philosophical projects, some important benefits of the system, and weaknesses or limitations to the system. Then, summarize the research into a, roughly, one page summary or 5 minute presentation.
Its up to you how to format your research project. You might create a research poster, a pamphlet, a podcast, a video, an interview, a piece of art (with an artist’s statement), a website, a wiki, or find some other way to present your research. Its up to you
I will provide a rubric and detailed instructions (with plenty of examples!) for the assignment at the end of week 4. I will also recommend some contemporary philosophers for you to research in the assignment instructions and during lectures each week. The most creative and well-researched projects will be awarded extra-credit.
Extra Credit
Students can earn up to 5 points of extra credit toward their final grade. There are two ways to earn extra credit:
(1) Participate in a discussion section: participate in a Zoom discussion section. Students can earn .5 (half) a point of extra credit for each week they participate in a discussion section. Discussion section dates/times posted here (link).
(2) Attend a weekly review session on Thursday at 4pm (link). I’ll randomly select answers for extra credit points during in-class polls and questions.
Grading Scale:
100-97 = A+
96-93 = A
92-90 = A-
89-87 = B+
83-86 = B
80-82 = B-
77-79 = C+
73-76 = C
70-72 = C-
67-69 = D+
63-66 = D
60-62 = D-
50-60 = F
Week At a Glance
While the class is asynchronous and remote, there’s still a weekly assessment schedule and opportunities for live meetings via Zoom. Here’s a week at a glance in the course. The optional live meeting opportunities are highlighted in green.