Part 1: Overview of Module

a. Subject Matter Developing critical thinking skills and intro to academic writing
b. Module Title

HUM101 Writing & Ideas

c. Learner

Language for instruction is English. All students are Vietnamese university freshmen who

Characteristics

speak English as their second language and may need extra help in using typical English

and Special

phrases for: (1) expressing their opinions and presenting evidence for those opinions in

Considerations

their papers and presentations; (2) structuring their paper or presentations.

d. Type of

The blended course is a compacted summer module with 7.5 hours of class per week

Delivery

for 5 weeks. Students are expected to do self-study and collaborate with peers,
particularly through the Google Classroom page.

e. List of
Activities

Complete annotated reading of Beyond Feelings: A Guide to Critical Thinking by

Vincent Ryan Ruggiero
Short written responses to the text including in-class public speaking and
discussions, all of which are shared in Google Classroom with peers
One essay on a topic of the students choice, preferably relevant to the students
social lives, academic progress, or future careers
One presentation utilizing ICT (information communication technology) tools to
effectively communicate the intended message of the essay
Final exam on critical thinking theory

Other

This course requires use of MLA style of referencing, logical support for premises, and

Information:

English for academic writing. These skills will be nurtured in the class.

Part 2: Objectives
a. List Your

By the end of the course, each student should be able to:

Learning

discover original source documents

Objectives

evaluate information in source documents and form explicit opinions

reply to arguments and expose fallacies
support opinions while avoiding logical fallacies
enhance persuasive and argumentative skills in English language use

Part 3: Technology Tools

a. One

Since the course already has significant time devoted to synchronous classroom

Synchronous

sessions, another synchronous tool may not be greatly beneficial. However, if I the class

Tool

sessions were not as frequent, perhaps meeting only once week, then synchronous tools
might be more helpful. Nevertheless, I could utilize a couple of synchronous tools to
guarantee quality customer service. My university has subscribed to the Google Apps
services, so all faculty and students have a Google account. So when I am not on campus
teaching, and I am home, I can set open office hours online using Google Apps
(Hangouts, Gmail) and offer live homework support through Google Docs.

b. One

Asynchronous tools that I can use other than the typical posts to the Google Classroom

Asynchronous

are Slideshare and Thinglink. Both of these will help communicate my intended lectures

Tool

even after the class session has finished. Also, students can use these tools for their own
presentations at the end of the course, as they will have to discover ways to use ICT in
order to make the information in their presentations easily accessible.

c. Challenges of

For the open office hours on Google Apps, I need to make sure that I am home and on

Using These

Gmail at the time that I specified. The hours will be clearly defined on the syllabus. For

Tools and

the asynchronous tools Slideshare and Thinglink, a potential obstacle is that students

Strategies for

may not actually use them to review the lectures until the time of the final exam closer

Overcoming

to the end of the course. Also, when contemplating how to make their own final

Them.

presentations accessible to others, they may limit themselves to Slideshare and

Thinglink, and not consider other ICT tools. To encourage more review online as well as
using different ICT tools for their own final presentations, I can review a different tool
every class session. There seem to be an unlimited number of ways to communicate an
intended message to an audience (click here).

Part 4: Differentiated Instruction (At Risk, High Performing, and Special Needs Students)
a. Teaching

Auditory and kinesthetic learners: I encourage note-taking by using traditional

Methods (at

means of providing an incomplete outline and dictating details, requiring students

least 2)

to rely on hearing details and writing them down.

Visual learners: I use clips from various news outlets to show certain arguments
and discuss them in class, whether they contain any logical fallacies; I use clips
from older films and adverts to illustrate certain concepts in some chapters
regarding mass culture, media manipulation, psychological influences, etc.

b. Accessibility

Students have access to a computer room on campus or can use their portable device
with the free on-campus WIFI in order to access the online classroom outside of the
synchronous sessions. Though I do not have any students with impairments, such as
poor vision, I do have access to the ebook and audiobook of the course textbook.

c.

Students can use the library facilities and dorm rooms, both of which provide IT

Accommodations equipment and WIFI. For class sessions, the school bus transports students to and from
the English department building. The actual synchronous class sessions take place in an
upstairs classroom (elevator provided) that has a chalkboard, projector, and stereo
system.
Part 5: Community Building (Interaction and Communication)
a. Method for

I am fortunate to typically have smaller class sizes, so interaction is typically not an issue,

Promoting

neither is knowing if they can understand the concepts. If I have a larger class, I will

Interaction

have to use more tools to track the amount of reading the students are doing in the
textbook and how much of it they actually understand. I like giving reading
comprehension questions requiring a unique and personalized answer that students
may (sometimes need to) share with others. If the class did not meet often, I would
have this done online using the typical Google Classroom (for written responses), or
Soundcloud (for verbal responses) both of which have comment functions for peers.
In-class quizzes can be effective if done properly; I sometimes make quizzes a group
effort so they can piece together information in groups.

b. Ways of

Communicating with the teacher: Google Classroom and Gmail

Communicating

Communicating with peers: face to face, Google Classroom, Gmail

Communicating the project: class presentation and ICT online (Slideshare, Scribd,
YouTube, Thinglink)

Part 6: Assessment
a. Method(s) of

CRITERIA FOR HOMEWORK

Assessment

Complete and on-time task submission

Excellent and above average task responses
Responses fully supported by specific references

Points
10-9

Complete and on-time task

submission
Average task responses
Responses minimally supported by
references

Partially complete or late

submission
Excellent and above
average task responses
Responses fully supported
by specific references

7-8

Complete and on-time task

submission
Below average task responses
Responses not supported by
references

Partially complete or late

submission
Average task responses
Responses minimally
supported by references

5-6

Partially complete or late

submission
Below average task responses
Responses not supported by
references

Mostly incomplete or more

than one week late
Excellent and above
average task responses
Responses fully supported
by references

3-4

Mostly incomplete or more than one week late

Average or below average task responses
Responses not supported by references
No submission
TOTAL POINTS

1-2
0
10

CRITERIA FOR PROJECT

The topic must be approved before beginning work on the project.
Criteria for written essay

Points

1,000 words

Summary of topic and media documents

Critical writing
Exposes fallacies or pitfalls in logic
Avoids fallacies and pitfalls in arguments
Provides support for own opinion
Suggests alternative solutions (if necessary)

English usage

Style
Uses MLA format with sourced information
Provides original documentation

Criteria for presentation

Effectiveness
Appeals to the three dimensions: logic, society, emotion
Well-planned, well-rehearsed, easily understood

Creativity
Presents information in an original and memorable way
Utilizes various communication tools and mediums

TOTAL POINTS

CRITERIA FOR FINAL EXAM: ANSWER KEY

15