Extra Credit points are simply added to your total score.
Extra Credit Paper(s)
f2024 Due by End of Week 13, Sunday, 24 November 2024 (up to 30 points for review, 100 points for case study)
Upload your Extra Credit Paper(s) in your Week 13 Module Section
AVISO: Late Extra Credit Papers will not be accepted unless (1) arrangements for an alternate date have been arranged in advance, or (2) medical emergencies or similar extraordinary unexpected circumstances make it unfeasible to turn in the assignment by the announced due date. Why?
NOTE: The Gradebook entry for Extra Credit requires that “out of zero” be used when setting up an Extra Credit assignment.
Don't be distracted by that.
. . . by writing a review of a public lecture or by doing a film / lecture / event review on an optional qualifying film or lecture presentation, or event
You may do one Extra Credit Case Study
option
and / or one Extra Credit Film / Lecture / Event Review
Extra Credit points are simply added to your total score.
Extra credit Case Study papers
allow you to cover an additional course topic in a more comprehensive fashion.
You may write on any topic related to this course, including those disscussed below, but your paper
must reflect work and include materials not considered a normal part
of this course.
Extra credit Case Study papers can receive up to 100 points-- if they
are turned in on time.
(Please Note: For the Film / Lecture Review Option you must choose a feature-length film or a documentary relevant to the class that is not assigned in class.)
Although in Understanding Global Cultuers we view a substantial number of videos, in the area of Understanding Global Cultures many hundreds of quality films exist--including feature films, documentaries, "shorts," interesting YouTube vignettes.
For the Film / Lecture Review Option choose an approved feature-length film or a documentary that is not assigned in class and review it, as you might for a column in your college newspaper.
A few recommended "Optional" and "Supplementary" videos are listed on your Canvas page "Topic Presentations" sections. This same information is also available for the semester on the "Video Schedule" page. You may choose others, but check with the instructor first.
Qualifying public lectures will be announced as opportunities arise. The public lectures extra credit option could include approved lectures available on-line from Open University type lectures availble from some universities.
See, for e.g. . . .
On-Line Lectures from Other Universities and Organizations
Extra credit Film / Lecture Reviews can receive up to 18 points (about 1.5% of final grade*) -- if they
are turned in on time.
Extra Credit Paper(s)
f2024 Due by End of Week 13, Sunday, 24 November 2024 (up to 30 points for review, 100 points for case study)
Upload your Extra Credit Paper(s) in your Week 13 Module Section
AVISO: Late Extra Credit Papers will not be accepted unless (1) arrangements for an alternate date have been arranged in advance, or (2) medical emergencies or similar extraordinary unexpected circumstances make it unfeasible to turn in the assignment by the announced due date. Why?
NOTE: The Gradebook entry for Extra Credit requires that “out of zero” be used when setting up an Extra Credit assignment.
Don't be distracted by that.
For your footnotes, "bibliography" ("Works Cited" or "References"),
and other matters like that, use either the APA (American
Psychological Association) citation style, the MLA (Modern Language
Association) style, the CMS (Chicago) style, or the CBE (Council of
Biology Editors) style. Don't make up your own.
Use of AI-content generators for assignments in this class
When I taught Advanced Writing for the Social Sciences here at UMD, for over twenty-five years, my rule of thumb advice to students was to plan to spend 60% or more of their time and effort revising drafts (for academic type writing).
In 2001 Wikipedia appeared on the scene and very quickly became a useful tool asa starting point for many academic projects even though as an open-source resource the Wikipedia entries are not checked and verified in the same manner as other traditional reference materials.
Spelling and grammar checkers arrived on the general scene and helped with spelling and grammar checking, but, as you no doubt have discovered, they continue to require human editing.
And, of course, before that we had a selection of excellent Encyclopedia offering good starting points for many projects, the most popular being The Encyclopedia Brittanica.
And long before that there were libraries--since at least the days of Alexandria in Egypt, in the third century B.C.
The bottom line . . .
Today the evolution of research resources and aids continues with the relatively rapid appearance of ChatGPT and other automated content generators.
As many folks have already found out, they can be very useful as starting points, much like their predecessors. But, from the academic point of view, they are still only starting points.
Professors nationwide are for the most part advised, and even encouraged, to experiment with the potentials of ChatGPT and similar apps.
In this class it is fine to experiment, with the caveat that all of your written academic work demonstrates that your personal efforts—including content development and revision—reflect your personal originality, exploration, analysis, explanation, integrating and synthesizing of ideas, organizational skills, evaluation, and overall learning and critical thinking efforts.
That is to say you may experiment with the AI tool to do tasks such as e.g, brainstorming, narrowing topics, writing first drafts, editing text, and the like. AI-generated works should in no case be more than that.
In the end you need to become familiar enough with the various subjects, peoples, and places discussed in this class to research a topic and problem-solve on your own, and carry on an intelligent conversation about them in modern-day society . . . a conversation that goes byond your voicing an unsupported opinion.
For the record, what follows is the official UMD Academic Integrity Policy. Note that "unless otherwise noted by the faculty
member" this is the default policy.
"UMD’s Academic Integrity policy covers any work done by automated content generators such as ChatGPT or other generative artificial intelligence tools unless otherwise noted by the faculty
member. These tools present new challenges and opportunities."
"Within the confines of this
class The use of AI-content generators is strictly prohibited for any stage of homework/assignment
(e.g., draft or final product). The primary purposes of college are developing your thinking skills,
being creative with ideas, and expanding your understanding on a wide variety of topics. Using
these content generating AI tools thwarts the goal of homework/assignments to provide
students opportunities to achieve these purposes. Please make the most of this time that you
have committed to a college education and learn these skills now, so that you can employ them
throughout your life." -- Jennifer Mencl, UMD Associate Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, 10 May 2023
. "Academic dishonesty
tarnishes UMD's reputation and discredits the accomplishments of
students. UMD is committed to providing students every possible
opportunity to grow in mind and spirit. This pledge can only be
redeemed in an environment of trust, honesty, and fairness. As a
result, academic dishonesty is regarded as a serious offense by all
members of the academic community. In keeping with this ideal, this
course will adhere to UMD's Student Academic Integrity Policy, which
can be found at [http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/integrity/Academic_Integrity_Policy.htm].
This policy sanctions students engaging in academic dishonesty with
penalties up to and including expulsion from the university for repeat
offenders."
— UMD Educational Policy Committee, Jill Jensen, Chair
(08/16/2007)
The instructor will enforce and students are expected to follow the University's Student Conduct Code [http://www1.umn.edu/regents/policies/academic/Student_Conduct_Code.html].
Appropriate classroom conduct promotes an environment of academic
achievement and integrity. Disruptive classroom behavior that
substantially or repeatedly interrupts either the instructor's ability
to teach, or student learning, is prohibited. Disruptive behavior
includes inappropriate use of technology in the classroom. Examples
include ringing cell phones, text-messaging, watching videos, playing
computer games, doing email, or surfing the Internet on your computer
instead of note-taking or other instructor-sanctioned activities."
— UMD Educational Policy Committee, Jill Jensen, Chair
(08/16/2007)
Failure to comply with the above
codes and standards when submitting an Extra Credit paper will result in
a penalty commensurate with the lapse, up to and including an F final grade for the course, and, at a minimum, a reduction in total
points no fewer than the points available for the Extra Credit project.
The penalty will not simply be a zero for the project, and the
incident will be reported to the UMD Academic Integrity Officer in the
Office of Student and Community Standards.
A Note on "Cutting and Pasting" without the Use of Quotation Marks (EVEN IF you have a citation to the source somewhere in your paper)
If you use others' words and/or works you MUST so indicate that with the use of quotation marks. Failure to use quotation marks to indicate that the materials are not of your authorship constitutes plagiarism—even if you have a citation to the source elsewhere in your paper/work.
Patterned failure to so indicate that the materials are not of your own authorship will result in an F grade for the course.
Other instances of improper attribution will result in a 0 (zero) for the assignment (or a reduction in points equal to the value of an Extra Credit paper), and a reduction of one grade in the final grade of the course.
All incidents will be reported to the UMD Academic Integrity Officer in the
Office of Student and Community Standards as is required by University Policy.
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