Think Tank
Think Tank: Essential Questions
Module C, Semester 1, 2008-2009
Syllabus
Introduction
In this course we are colleagues and our objective is to formulate a group response to several essential questions of the current quarter. The difficulty of our task is time management and division of work—in effect, to balance group brainstorming with individual, goal-oriented research assignments within a tight schedule. Each student is responsible for a resume, spelling out areas of expertise, courses taken, etc., to maximize group knowledge/resources. We plan to compose a formal document and give a short presentation of our findings and essential-question responses to each morning module class.
Focus Skills
The focus skills of this course are working collaboratively and solving problems.
Assignments
Research Assignments
As we work towards our formal presentations to each morning module class, each of us must fulfill various research-oriented tasks. Obviously, we cannot say, now, what these tasks will be: we are a think tank, and so have to come up with a group strategy to putting together our formal presentations. Note that we depend on one another: if one of us “drops the ball,” we all lose. Thus these research assignments constitute the bulk of your final grade. Because we are working under tight deadlines, no late work will be accepted.
Participation and Discussion
Each class will include a formal problem-solving discussion. You must contribute to discussions. You will be graded on participation, quality of ideas, and courtesy (listening to others, giving others a chance to speak, respecting the viewpoints of others, talking in turn).
Research Papers/Presentations
As a class we will produce a formal paper and give a presentation on that paper to each morning module class. Because we are a team, everyone will receive the same grade for each paper/presentation.
Point Breakdown
The following gives the breakdown of points into percentages for this course:
Participation and Discussion 30%
Research Assignments 30%
Research Papers/Presentations 35%
Resume 5%
Class Culture
I consider us colleagues in the common cause of learning. I therefore believe we have an obligation, as a class, not to tolerate any behavior that undermines our shared learning experience. Each of us has chosen to be here, and we want to maximize our class potential. (If you have not chosen to be here, please reconsider now your commitment to our class.) Certain behavior clearly undermines the quality of a class (e.g., arriving late, monopolizing a discussions, etc.). Other behavior, while not disruptive for some, may be for others (e.g., eating, putting feet on the desk, swearing, etc.). We need to be sensitive to these grayer areas, to one another’s peeves, and we should change our behavior accordingly if anyone in the class asks us to do so.
