HIST-102 - Western Civilization: The Modern Era - Christian Beam
| Course: | Western Civilization: The Modern Era |
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| Professor: | Christian Beam |
| Email: | christina.beam@canyons.edu |
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Introduction
Welcome to 100% online HIST 102 which will provide an online opportunity for you to explore the History and culture of Western Civilization from the Reformation to the 21st Century. Please do not hesitate to contact me via email or on CANVAS messenger if you have any questions or concerns at any time. It is my sincere hope that the analytical thinking, writing, and reading skills that you will utilize in this course will both introduce you to the American experience and equip you for further college and lifelong learning. In order to succeed, you need to be both self-motivated to study and to be able to keep up with the demands of a college-level online course. You will find that the course integrates political, social, economic, cultural, diplomatic, and intellectual history in order to convey the experiences of particular groups within the broader perspective of Western Civilization's modern history. At the same time, it connects events and issues from the past to the concerns of the present. I believe that history shows human beings continuously adapting to new developments as they shape the world in which they live. Often, ordinary people from a diverse range of backgrounds are thrust into extraordinary circumstances and the result is an exciting study in the "human experiment." My hope is that as you study this long-term process, you will also encounter the unexpected; unique events; unintended outcomes; and singular individuals, who were not born great, but became great due to the extraordinary circumstances they faced in their lives.
The 10 lessons associated with the course must be completed in sequential order. For each lesson you must view or complete the assignment within the lesson to move on to the next lesson. Once a page has been viewed or an assignment completed a green check mark will appear to indicate completion. In addition, all assignments must be completed by their assigned due dates. The Introductory quizzes MUST be completed on the first day of class June 8th by 1159 PM or you will be dropped from the course! Like any other course attendance is mandatory on the first day. Your attendance in this online course on the first day is taken by you completing the two introductory quizzes.
Course Description
Department: Surveys the history of Western Civilization from the 16th Century to the present period, including the economic, socio-political, and cultural developments in Europe, the Americas, and the emergent nations of the modern era.
Instructor: The course analyzes the important events and developments in Western civilization from the seventeenth century to modern times and evaluates ideas and institutions as well as political, economic, and social structures. This course will survey the exciting events that have taken place in the post Renaissance world (1600 onward). The course will include discussions, lectures, and readings that will afford the student the opportunity to explore the modern western world experience from early modern times to the recent past. Students will be exposed to the intellectual, social, and political events presented in traditional western civilization courses.
What to Expect in this Course
Achieving Success
During this 100% online course your “attendance” is still critical in order to succeed. Keep in mind, in order to complete this course, you must typically complete assignments by their 11:59 PM PST due dates. Late work will not be accepted. This first week’s Introduction Unit will not require much beyond answering a few simple questions that are related to the course orientation letter, syllabus and writing expectations. This Unit is basically the same requirement for face-to-face classes, where students must be present on the first day and failure to complete the first unit by its assigned due date will result in you being dropped from the course. Furthermore, you will be expected to regularly participate in online discussion boards, as well as to complete quizzes and written assignments on time. This is not a self-paced, or correspondence course, so you will need complete all coursework by the due date, and you will not be allowed to go back and revise old assignments. Again, for the first week of the semester, failure to complete the first week assignments by the due date will result in you being dropped from the course.
Tips for succeeding in this course:
- Tech is Ready- Make sure you have the proper software and other technical requirements and specifications before the course begins. You don’t want to fall behind early or be dropped from the course, so check to see that you are able to log in to Canvas at least a few days prior to the beginning of the semester (even if your specific course isn’t yet available). Then, if there are any problems, you will have time to seek help and fix things.
- Create a Schedule– Even though there are daily Modules for the course you should still make a calendar for the course, and plot all of the due dates and important assignments. By doing this, you will be able to keep up with the course and not have to log in to Canvas every time you are wondering what is coming up in the course. Online classes can move quickly, so it is essential be aware of what is happening. In addition, consider printing your syllabus so you will have a handy hard copy.
- Be Connected – Do not hesitate to contact Mr. Beam with questions and to help you and guide you through the course. Also, do not be shy about connecting with your fellow students. If you are unclear about something, post a question on a discussion board; chances are, you are not alone and others have the same question. By doing this, you will be doing yourself, and your peers, a favor
Types of Assessments
COURSE ASSESSMENTS:
*For each lesson module you will be asked to demonstrate academic proficiency by earning points in the following categories:
Exams: You will be required to write a midterm and final essay which will be administered on CANVAS. To pass these exams, you will need to have mastered the information contained in required readings, PPT lectures, discussions, and debate. In addition, your essay response MUST follow the directions for writing a social science essay in this course and will be graded using the course social science writing rubric. A rewrite option will be available for the midterm only.
*It is mandatory for you to submit both the midterm and final to receive a passing grade in the course.
*Plagiarism Policy: Paragraphs or essay responses that contain plagiarized material that exceeds 30% "Turn It In score" (for any reason) will receive a 0/F on the assignment. If this occurs, you must contact me as soon as possible to discuss.
Quizzes: You will discover that each unit module will have quizzes associated with it that will assess your understanding and comprehension of assigned readings. These quizzes will be embedded into each unit module on CANVAS. Quizzes are designed to assess your knowledge obtained from reading and studying the assigned chapters from the Western Civilization textbook. Quizzes are multiple choice and may be taken as many times as necessary to achieve a high score as long as they are completed by the due dates.
Discussion: You will be required to participate on discussion boards associated with topics that will be derived from assigned reading. These discussions will afford you the opportunity to take positions on major issues in early American history, make comments on other student’s positions and respond to comments made about your opinions on the issues. These discussions will be graded and monitored by Mr. Beam for content and quality.
Textbook Information
This course participates in Zero Textbook Cost Program: Text is provided to students online. You may access the text here:
Western Civilization: A Concise History
Western Civilization: A Concise History is an Open Educational Resource textbook covering the history of Western Civilization from approximately 8000 BCE to the recent past.
Volume 2, from c. 1000 CE – 1800 CE:
Volume 3, from 1800 CE – 2017 CE:
Additional Resources
Canvas
This course can be accessed on the first day of class via Canvas at https://coc.instructure.com. Log into Canvas using your CanyonsID single sign-on:
- CanyonsID Username is your COC student email address (Ex: username@my.canyons.edu)
- CanyonsID Password is your COC student email password
Please visit the Get to Know Your Online Classroom page for help logging into Canvas and for tips on using Canvas and Zoom. Canvas Chat Support is also available 24/7 for any Canvas related issues.
Online Education
Check out the Online Education website for more information on a variety of topics that can help you be a successful online student such as: exam proctoring, learning styles, computer skills, and tips for student success. If this is your first online course, feel free to take our online learning readiness assessment to assess your skills.
The Learning Center (TLC)
The TLC provides FREE online tutoring resources to COC students!
Academic Accommodation Center (AAC)
College of the Canyons AAC provides educational services and access for eligible students with documented disabilities who intend to pursue coursework at COC. A variety of programs and services are available which afford eligible students with disabilities the opportunity to participate fully in all aspects of the college programs and activities through appropriate and reasonable accommodations. For more information on their services visit the Academic Accomodation Center website.
Online Counseling
The Counseling Department offers appointments online. You can schedule an appointment by visiting the Online Counseling website. Counselors can help you map out a plan to reach your educational goals as well as advise you on course selection and registration.
Management of Stress and Mental Health
Often the pressure on our students is very strong, involving academic commitments, relationships, outside jobs and family pressure to name a few. The staff and faculty of College of the Canyons are here to see you succeed academically and care about your emotional and physical health. You can learn more about the broad range of confidential student services, including counseling and mental health services available on campus by visiting the Student Health & Wellness Center in the Student Services Building (across from the bookstore). The phone number is 661-362-3259 that you can call 24/7. You can also e mail for an appointment at StudentHealthCenter@canyons.edu. At the Canyon Country Campus the Health Center will be in the new Student Services Building.
Also, the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline number is now 988. All students at COC are encouraged to enter that phone number in their cells. You can call it when you, or someone you know, is having thoughts of suicide or is in severe distress.
You can also now use the Crisis Text Line: Just text "Courage" to 741741. Someone will get back to you immediately. Its free, 24/7, and confidential.
Veterans Resource Center
The College of the Canyons Veterans Resource Center is a department within the Student Services Division at the college, created to help veterans and veteran dependents with applying to College of the Canyons, enrolling in classes, and requesting VA Education or Vocational Benefits. For more information please visit the Veterans Resource Center website, email veterans@canyons.edu or phone (661) 362-3469.
Library
The Library provides live online and in-person research help, access to a full range of e-resources and physical materials that support the curriculum, individual and group study areas, and much more!
Last updated: 05/28/2021 Sub#: 109