College of the Siskiyous
Liberal Arts and Sciences Department

History 1010: World Civilization Since 1450
Syllabus

Course Information

  • Course Title: World Civilization Since 1450
  • Course Number: History 1010
  • Semester: Fall 2011
  • Credit Hours: 3
  • Meeting Time and Location: Online with Etudes

Instructor Information

  • Instructor: Dave Bush
  • About Me: I am a native San Diegan and lived there until completing my undergraduate work in history (with a minor in Eastern Religions) from San Diego State University in 1991. I moved north to attend graduate school in 1992 and earned my history M.A. from CSU, Chico. My academic interest is US social history. Since 1994, I have taught history classes at community colleges. In 2001, I returned to graduate school to study theology, and earned a M.Div. and Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary. After graduating in 2005, I moved to Kentucky where I continue living with my partner in a beautiful (but in need of repair) 1925 Arts and Crafts Bungalow. Outside of the academy, I spend my time working on our house and walking our two dogs rescued from the humane society (Burnin', an Australian Cattle Dog, and Huckleberry, a Vizsla.)
  • Office Hours: Mondays, 9:00 am to 10:00 am. Office hours will be held online through the Etudes messaging system.
  • Contact Information: I'm not on campus and do not have an office or office phone number. For the quickest response, email me through Etudes. I answer emails within forty-eight hours (but usually within twenty-four hours), excluding weekends and holidays. Messages sent to any of my other email address may take up to a fortnight to be answered.

Catalog Course Description

  • World Civilizations Since 1450 will explore the history of world civilizations since contact between Europe and the Americas. Students will be asked to explore the interactions of technology, culture, religion, warfare, environment and politics as they traverse the histories of various civilizations, including Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. Students will then be asked to place the histories of these civilizations into a global context. An emphasis will be placed on student interaction and the exploration of primary source materials.
  • Advisory: None
  • Prerequisites: None
  • Credit Applicability: AA, CSU, UC

Expected Student Outcomes

  • Through objective quizzes, written assignments, discussion board posts, and a final exam students will:
    • Articulate a historical interpretation, utilizing secondary and primary source materials, while creating a written historical argument.
    • Critically evaluate an interpretation of World Civilizations Since 1450.
    • Critically analyze the evidence used by others to construct historical arguments.
    • Evaluate the roles of the environment, ethnicity, class and gender in the evolution of East Asian social, cultural and political institutions over time.
    • Evaluate World Civilizations Since 1450 in a comparative context.

Course Content

  1. Course Introduction / The Maritime Revolution
    1. What is History
    2. Voyages of Discovery
  2. A Changing Europe
    1. The Reformation
    2. The Scientific Revolution
  3. The Transatlantic System
    1. Columbian Exchange and European Colonization
    2. Slavery in the New World
  4. The Muslim World
    1. Origins of Islam
    2. Islamic Empires
  5. East Asia to 1800
    1. Ming and Qing China
    2. Unifying Japan
  6. Global Revolutions
    1. American Revolution
    2. French Revolution
  7. Independence and Imperialism
    1. Revolutions in Latin America
    2. British Imperialism
  8. East and West Collide
    1. Opium War and the Taiping Rebellion
    2. Ottoman Empire
  9. Changing Power Balances and Struggles
    1. Marxism and Socialism in Europe
    2. The Meiji Restoration and a New Japan
  10. The New Imperialism
    1. Africa and the New Imperialism
    2. American Imperialism
  11. World at War
    1. World War One
    2. The World Between the Wars
  12. World at War Again
    1. Depression and the Rise of Fascism
    2. World War II and its Aftermath
  13. Looking for Independence
    1. Struggle for Change in Africa and India
    2. Independence Movements in Latin America
  14. The Bipolar and Multipolar Cold War
    1. A Bipolar Cold War
    2. A Multipolar Cold War, Mao and the Great Leap Forward
  15. The Collapse of the Cold War
    1. Post-Colonial Revolutions
    2. The End of the Cold War
  16. Globalization
    1. A New McWorld
    2. A New McWorld Continued

Assigned Texts

  • McKay, John P. and others. A History of World Societies, Volume II: Since 1500, 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009. ISBN: 978-0312682958. Make sure to purchase the seventh (8th) edition of the textbook and the correct volume!
  • Brook, Timothy. The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. ISBN: 978-0520221543. (NOTE: We will read only some of this book.)
  • Kotkin, Stephen. Armageddon Averted: The Soviet Collapse, 1970-2000, Updated Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0195368635.
  • Additional readings will be provided through the class website.

Statement of Instructional Methods

  • The course is designed to acquaint students with prominent persons and major events in world history from 1450 to the present, to acquaint students with the ways average people reacted to major events during this period, and to enhance students' analytical and critical thinking skills.
  • An Online Course:
    • This is an online course delivered through Etudes.
    • All assignments will be submitted through Etudes.
    • If you are new to online learning, please considering taking EDUC 90: Orientation to Online Learning <www.siskiyous.edu/class/educ90/>.
    • The College of the Siskiyous Online Students <www.siskiyous.edu/online/> web page has many helpful links.
    • To access the class, read the Etudes Student Help Login Instructions <www.siskiyous.edu/online/etudes/index.htm>.
    • Students should have access to a computer capable of quickly and reliably accessing websites.
    • It is expected that students enrolled in this class know how to use Etudes and navigate through websites.
    • Students must access the class at least three days each week in order to participate in class discussions and check for announcements and private messages.
  • The class is divided into several modules. (Modules are found on the Etudes Modules page; to access this page click on "Modules" in the left-hand-column menu of the class website.)
    • The Important Class Information (ICI) module and Module 1 require web readings only; therefore, you can complete all the required work for these modules without your textbook!
    • In most cases, each module has an objective quiz, a written assignment, and a discussion forum.
    • Discussions are graded twice a semester in the First Half Discussion Assessment (FHDA) and the Second Half Discussion Assessment (SHDA). See the FHDA module and the SHDA module for assessment details.

Evaluation, Grading, and Determination of Course Grade

  • Quizzes:
    • Orientation Assignment Quiz:
      • The Orientation Assignment Quiz in the ICI module is based on the Syllabus, Class Schedule, Written Assignment Instructions, and other documents in the ICI module.
      • This quiz is for your benefit, and you can take it as often as needed at the beginning of the semester to earn a 100% score.  Start the semester with an "A"!
    • All other quizzes are based on information from the required books.
    • Each quiz is timed.  Once you begin to take a quiz, you may not stop. You may take each quiz only once.
    • Quizzes have objective questions.
    • Quiz questions are worth one point each.
    • A quiz may only be taken during the time we are studying the module in which the chapter is being discussed.  Quizzes open at 12:05 am on the first day and close at 11:55 pm on the last day a module is being discussed.  You must submit your work before 11:55 pm on the due date.  Since there is ample time to access the quizzes at your convenience, no late work is accepted beyond the one-day late period. (See the Class Schedule for dates.)
    • One day after the the module closes, your score and the correct answers will be available.  Some people may ask, "Why can't I get my score right after I finish the quiz?"  In previous semesters I sent student scores out immediately after the quiz was completed.  However, students have suggested it would be helpful if they received the correct answers as well as their quiz scores; this way quiz questions can be studied in preparation for the final.  Since it would be unfair to release quiz answers before all students have taken a quiz, the best solution is to release student scores and correct answers only after each module closes.
    • If you have a question or concern about one of your quizzes, you must email me within a week after the quiz opens for review.
  • Written Assignments:
    • Written assignments are based on information from websites, the required class books, or other assigned readings.  (Module 1 requires you to only answer questions based on website readings, so you can complete this module even if you do not have the class books.)
    • There are two types of written assignments:
      • Short answer questions are worth five points.
      • Essay answer questions are worth twenty points.
      • See the ICI module for more detailed instructions on answering written assignments.
    • You submit your written assignments to me on the "Assignments, Tests and Surveys" web page in Etudes.  To access the written assignment submission box, select "Assignments, Tests and Surveys" from the left-hand-column menu, and then select the current assignment.
    • I work to grade all written assignments within two weeks of the due date.
    • A written assignment may only be submitted during the time the module is being discussed.  Written assignments open at 12:05 am on the first day and close at 11:55 pm on the last day a module is being discussed.  You must submit your work before 11:55 pm on the due date.  Since there is ample time to access the written assignments at your convenience, no late work is accepted beyond the one-day late period. (See the Class Schedule for dates.)
    • Minimum Writing Requirement: As in all college-transfer-level courses, there is a minimum 2,500 word (ten page) writing requirement. This requirement will be achieved through written assignments and discussions.
  • Discussion:
    • Students are expected to participate by making relevant, thoughtful, constructive and respectful posts on the Discussion Board at least thrice per week. Posts should be based in fact, not in feelings.  Posts should tie into the current module's readings.  Your posts should demonstrate your critical thinking skills.
      • At least one of your posts each week needs to be made by Wednesday. 
      • For grading purposes, posts need to be made at least one day (twenty-four hours) apart. However, students are encouraged to make more than three posts each week, and it is acceptable to make more than one post each day.
    • Throughout a module's discussion period, I will post at least one starter discussion question on the Discussion Board relevant to that module.  Students are encouraged to respond to this question, and or respond to other students' posts, and or begin their own discussion thread by posting questions of their own based on class readings.  I am particularly impressed by students who draw connections between the historical period under study and the present.
    • Grading Class Participation:
      • Posts are worth a total of one hundred points!
      • Twice during the semesters you will select some of your best post for grading.  In the First Half Discussion Assessment (FHDA), fifty points will be awarded approximately half-way through the class based on posts to date.  At the end of the semester, the remaining fifty points will be awarded in the Second Half Discussion Assessment (SHDA).
      • See the Class Schedule for the First Half Discussion Assessment and the Second Half Discussion Assessment due dates.  You will only have about three days to submit each assessment, so keep your eyes on the Class Schedule.
      • Detailed instructions on submitting posts for grading will appear on the Modules page of the Etudes class website.
    • See the Important Class Information Module for additional information on making discussion board posts.
  • Test:
    • There is one objective test based on information from the textbook.
      • Approximately forty percent of the objective questions are taken from the textbook quizzes.
      • The remaining objective questions, all from the textbook, will be new to you.
    • You must take the final on your own; you may not have help from anyone else when taking the exam.
    • The final is open for only one day!  You must take it on its due date between 12:05 am and 11:55 pm. Unlike other work in the class, the test may not be taken late.
    • The final is worth 100 points.
    • The final is not returned to students.
    • More detailed information about the test will be posted on the Modules page near the end of the semester.
  • Life Happens Points:
    • Unexpected events occur in all our lives.  Sometimes our schedules are interrupted with rather insignificant events such as a last-minute work schedule change, a power outage, or a vehicle malfunction.  Other times the unforeseen event is serious; a close friend dies, a loved one is diagnosed with a serious illness and must spend time in the hospital, or you might be in an accident.  Events such as these might result in you missing some class work.
    • Therefore, since life happens, at the end of the semester, I will add ten points to everyone's grade.  If you complete all the module quizzes and written assignments, these added points will be extra credit points.  If, for whatever reason (including adding the class from the Wait List after the first module), you miss a quiz or written assignment, you will be able to maintain your grade in the course.
    • This means there are no make-up quizzes or written assignments - no matter how tragic the circumstance. Most modules are open for a week or more, so plan accordingly.
    • Do not give up or stop participating just because you missed some work. You can still pass the class even if you miss some quizzes or assignments. Email the instructor if you have any questions or concerns about how you are doing in the class.
  • Grade Breakdown:
Assignment Maximum Points Percentage
Quizzes
240
43%
Written Assignments
120
21%
Discussions
100
18%
Final
100
18%
Total
560
100%
  • Course Grade Determination:
    • Grades are based on the quality of the work submitted - not on the amount of effort put into the work.  Now, there is often a correlation between how hard one works and one's grade, but simply working hard does not guarantee any particular grade.
    • Students who earned 90% or more of the total possible points will receive an "A," 80% or more equals a "B," 70% percent or more is a "C," 60% or more is a "D," and below 60% is a "F" or "FW."
    • The "FW" grade will be assigned to students who earn below 60% and have missed two or more written assignments and or three or more quizzes.
    • You can determine where you stand anytime during the semester by doing some simple math.  To find your percentage, multiple the points you have earned by 100 then divide the result by the maximum possible points at that time in the semester. That will give you your percentage in the class.
    • All students enrolled in the class at the end of the semester will receive a course grade.
    • The instructor has absolute and final discretion in awarding grades.

Class Policies

  • Attendance:
    • Students are responsible for accessing the class at least three days each week in order to participate in class discussions and check for announcements and private messages.
    • I will likely drop people who do not take the Orientation Assignment Quiz during the first week of class. This, however, in no way guarantees I will drop inactive students.
  • Class Participation:
    • While this is an online class, it is not an independent study class where a person works at their own pace. Rather, this class has a schedule, due dates, and class participation. We travel this history road together.
  • Computer Requirements and Computer Literacy:
    • Students should have access to a computer capable of quickly and reliably accessing websites and know how to navigate the web and websites.
    • While this does not happen often, you may be asked to go to a website requiring a high-speed connection.  It is the student's responsibility to access these sites.
    • You are responsible for knowing how to use Etudes.
  • Self-Motivation:
    • One key difference between taking a class online compared to a traditional class is that the online class requires significantly more self-discipline.  The student is responsible for monitoring her or his own progress.  If you are not self-motivated and self-disciplined, it would be better for you to take this course in the traditional way.
  • Missed Quizzes or Assignments:
    • Print out a copy of the Class Schedule (found in the ICI module) and keep it handy. This has all the due dates for the class.
    • Because you know all the due dates far in advance and because you may take the quizzes and submit the written work anytime during the period we are discussing the module, late work is not accepted beyond the one-day late period.
    • Since quizzes, written assignments, and the final are open over an extended period of time, there is no reason for work to be late.
    • Computers crash, the power is interrupted, the college's server goes offline, and the internet goes down, so plan accordingly. If you wait until the last six hours, or even the last day, to turn in work and you experience a technical issue, that is not an excuse for late work.
    • Attempting to submit work or take a quiz and receiving a message of "Server is too busy," or some other error message, is not an excuse for late work because quizzes, written assignments, the test, and other work are open over an extended period of time during which the work may be submitted. Warning, do not wait until the last minute (or hour or even day) to submit your work.
    • Being without a textbook (because you have the wrong edition of the book, because your book was stolen or for whatever other reason) is not a valid excuse for late work.
    • The class website can slow down when many people are online at the same time. Inability to access work, submit work, complete work, or the like because of a slow connection is not an excuse for late work. Submit your work early to avoid such troublesome issues.
    • Adding the class late is not a valid excuse for late work.
    • A unexpected event in your life is not an excuse for late work. Expect the unexpected, and submit your work early.
    • If you miss a quiz or two, all is not lost.  See my previous comments concerning the Life Happens Points.

College Policies

  • Drop Policy:
    • I am required to assess your attendance.  If you have not taken the Orientation Assignment Quiz as of the census date, you will likely be dropped, and there will be no refund of tuition and fees.  After this census date, you should not plan on an instructor withdrawal if you want to withdraw from the course.  You are ultimately responsible for your own withdrawal by the withdrawal date.  Non-attendance after the census date will result in an "F" or "FW" if you do not withdraw yourself.
    • It is the student's responsibility to drop the class. You must notify the Admissions Office if you want to drop the class.
  • Withdrawal Policy:
    • It is the student's responsibility to withdraw from the class. You must notify the Admissions Office if you want to withdraw from the class.
  • Students on the roster at the end of the semester will be assigned a course grade.
  • I may drop inactive students - particularly during the first two weeks of class to make room for students seeking to add the class.  This, however, in no way guarantees I will drop inactive students.
    • To avoid being dropped early in the semester, take the Orientation Assignment Quiz within the first five days of the beginning of the semester.
    • If you add the class late, to avoid being dropped take the Orientation Assignment Quiz within one day of adding the class.
  • Incomplete Policy:
    • College's Incomplete Policy: "Incomplete academic work for unforeseeable emergency and justifiable reasons at the end of the term may result in an "I" symbol being entered in the student's record. . . ." (College of the Siskiyous 2009-2011 Catalog, page 146-7 <www.siskiyous.edu/catalog/catalog0911.pdf>) See the catalog for the full college policy.
    • Dave's Incomplete Policy: In addition to the above requirements, to be consider for an Incomplete you (1) must make the request after the last day to withdraw from the class, (2) must have completed all work, or missed no more than one quiz and or one written assignment, due in the class before the day you request an Incomplete, and (3) must have at least a 75% grade average on work you have submitted.
  • Academic Honesty and Student Conduct:
    • Please read the College Behavior Guidelines <www.siskiyous.edu/catalog/catalog0911.pdf> on pages 151 through 155 of the College of the Siskiyous 2009-2011 Catalog .
  • Accommodation of Disability:
    • Students have the right to request reasonable modifications to college requirements, services, facilities or programs if their documented disability imposes an educational limitation or impedes access to requirements, services, facilities or programs. A student with a disability who requests a modification, accommodation, or adjustment is responsible for requesting necessary accommodations by identifying himself/herself to the instructor and, if desired, to the Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSP&S) office in Eddy Hall 1.
    • Students with a print disability—a visual or reading difficulty that limits access to traditional print materials—may request printed materials in alternate media. Examples of alternate media formats include electronic format (e.g., text on CD), Braille, tactile graphics, audiotape, and/or large print. Students can make alternate media requests through the Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSP&S) office in Eddy Hall 1, 530-938-5297.
    • Students who consult or request assistance from DSP&S regarding specific modifications, accommodations, adjustments, alternate text or use of auxiliary aids will be required to meet timelines and procedural requirements established by the DSP&S office.
    • Verification of the disability is required to determine and provide appropriate services.
    • If you feel that you will need academic accommodations in this class due to limits imposed by a disability you must contact the Disability Student Program and Services Office:
      • Phone: (530) 938-5297
      • Toll-free Phone: (888) 397-4339
      • Fax: (530) 938-5378
      • Email: dsps@siskiyous.edu
      • Website: DSPS <www.siskiyous.edu/dsps/index.htm>
    • If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Disabled Student Services (DSPS).  If you qualify for services through DSPS, bring your official notification of your accommodation needs to me as soon as possible. Disabled Student Services is located in Eddy Hall or by calling Donna Farris or Linda Rogers at 938-5297.

Tentative Course Sequence (Class Schedule)

  • The Class Schedule has all the due dates for the semester.  This is an important document; print it out and keep it handy.
  • To access the Class Schedule click on "Modules" in the left-hand-column menu.  Then select "Important Class Information."  Then click on "Class Schedule."

Disclaimer

  • The above is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor (a.k.a. "The Decider").

Read this Syllabus again.

Why attend a history class?  Besides obtaining GE units, it is impossible to fully understand the present without knowledge of the past. Over two thousand years ago the Roman statesman and author Cicero expressed this point when he wrote, "To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child."