Criminal Justice (Intro to Social Science CJ 3375) 9 Week full E-course(Please read course requirements before bidding)

TROY UNIVERSITY

eTroy

CJ 3375 XTIA

Introduction to Social Science Inquiry

COURSE SYLLABUS

Term II, 2013

October 14th – December 15th

For course syllabus posted prior to the beginning of the term, the instructor reserves the right to make minor changes prior to or during the term. The instructor will notify students, via e-mail or Blackboard announcement, when changes are made in the requirements and/or grading of the course.

The textbook provider for the eCampus of Troy University is MBS Direct. The Web site for textbook purchases is http://bookstore.mbsdirect.net/troy.htm.

· Author(s)Maxfield, Michael G.

· Edition/Copyright3RD 12

· PublisherWadsworth, Inc

· TypePaperback

· ISBN-101-111-34691-7

· ISBN-13978-1-111-34691-1

Students should have their textbook from the first week of class. Not having your textbook will not be an acceptable excuse for late work. Students who add this course late should refer to the “Late Registration” section for further guidance.

Recommended additional text: APA Manual 5th edition or 6th edition

REQUIRED ADDITIONAL READING:

There may be word lists, review questions, and any other handouts posted on blackboard for study purposes.

RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL READING:

Current periodicals in the field of criminal justice and the social sciences are suggested for additional reading or to be announced via Blackboard throughout the term. Students can also go to the "External Link" button on Blackboard and research the current websites to find desired materials.

LATE REGISTRATION

Students who register during the first week of the term, during late registration, will already be one week behind. Students who fall into this category are expected to catch up with all of Week #1 and Week #2's work by the end of Week #2 with the exception of the discussion boards because those lock down weekly and you cannot make those up. No exceptions, since two weeks constitutes a significant percentage of the term's lessons. Students who do not feel they can meet this deadline should not enroll in the class. If they have registered, they should see their registrar, academic adviser, GoArmyEd/eArmyU representative, or Military Education officer to discuss their options.

Also note that late registration may mean you do not receive your book in time to make up the work you missed in Week #1. Not having your book on the first day of class is not an excuse for late work after the deadlines in the Schedule.

PREREQUISITES

CJ1101 and general studies math as per p. 114 & 115 of the 2012/2013 undergraduate catalog

ENTRANCE COMPETENCIES

The student must possess the knowledge and skills of a high school graduate and the capability to perform on a college level. Knowledge of basic mathematics, such as multiplying and dividing fractions and using percentages, simple algebra, and the ability read and construct graphs, is assumed. Students who feel they do not possess the needed graphical skills should work through the tutorial listed in the “Useful Web sites” section of this syllabus.

STUDENT EXPECTATION STATEMENT

· The student is expected to participate in the course via e-mail exchanges (or other communication) with the instructor, by reading the assigned readings, submitting comments to the discussion forums, submitting assignments, and completing exams in a timely fashion.

· Students are expected to check their e-mails daily and the announcements at least every 48 hours

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

Principles of pure and applied research for the social sciences. Special emphasis is given to the types of research methods employed by social scientists including survey techniques, field research, quasi experimental designs and analytical procedures currently used in the social sciences. Prerequisite: General studies math.

PURPOSE (COURSE OBJECTIVES)

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to discuss, identify, or interpret the course objectives which will serve as a foundation for more specialized and advanced courses in criminal justice.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Specifically, the student should be able to comprehend the:

Objectives

· Explain measurement procedures applied in criminal justice research

· Distinguish various research designs applied in criminal justice research

· Identify the unique ethical principles associated with criminal justice research.

· Develop a criminal justice research assignment, including the review of related extant scholarly literature, the application of appropriate research methodology and the identification of data sources and accurate data analysis procedures.

Students will demonstrate the above through application of introductory skills in the art of verbal and written communications. These applications are optional and will be assigned at the discretion of the instructor.

RESEARCH COMPONENT

See information in Blackboard under Project information button

USEFUL WEB SITES FOR THIS COURSE

See the external links button in blackboard for websites for this class

eTroy COURSES AT TROY UNIVERSITY

All eCampus courses at Troy University utilize Blackboard Learning System. In every eTroy course, students should read all information presented in the Blackboard course site and should periodically check for updates—at least every 48 hours.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Attendance will be required via online interaction and email contact for participation in class discussion via Blackboard. Students are expected to have completed the assigned material prior to the scheduled online timer period assigned. Each student is expected to be an active participant and make meaningful contributions to the class.

Biographical Sketch - due the first week. Review my Bio located on the course site under the "Faculty Information" link and my post in the biography section of blackboard the first week. Post yours on the Discussion Board by clicking on "Discussion Board" and then click on the thread/forum entitled "Biography". These "bios" will provide additional information to help us get to know one another. By placing your biographical sketch here the first week of class will grant you points also to be used for your Discussion Board section.

There will be six (6) quizzes given on line via BB during this term. These quizzes will appear in the quiz/exam section of BB and you will have only a certain time period in which to complete them on line. Once the quizzes close out, they will be removed from the quizzes/exams section and you will not be able to take them. These are timed and you will only have 1 minute per question. These are closed-book, no notes. I will take your five highest scores for your final quiz grade.

An online midterm exam will be administered via Blackboard. This is a closed book, timed exam and will contain 50 multiple choice/short answer questions worth two points each for a total of 100 points. You will have one minute per question. IF YOU DO NOT TAKE THE MIDTERM IN THE TIME PERIOD SPECIFIED, you will lose five points per day for lateness.

An on line comprehensive final examination will be administered during this course. Some of the quiz questions may be on it as well as questions from the midterm exam consisting of 100 points and you will have one minute per question. Exams taken late will lose five point per day. Reviews MAY be posted to the course information section of BB.

Completion of a research project to be submitted in the assignments section of BB (see paper requirements located in BB). Each student will complete a research project. The assignment will have various individual parts as per the example posted in BB. Each part of the assignment is to be typed, double-spaced and due at various dates throughout the term for review if desired. References and citations will be in APA format.

Completion of at least five (5) discussion board topics will be required out of seven. To obtain full credit for the week's participation on the board, you must respond to at least five or more of your classmates per discussion board. These topics will open weekly and close weekly so you only have six days to post. I will monitor and make comments from time to time throughout the week. The boards/topics will be controversial in nature. Remember to be considerate of the rights and beliefs of your classmates. Keep the language clean and not offensive to anyone or you will be barred from participating in the discussion boards and lose credit for the term. In order to obtain full credit each week on the discussion board, you must respond to five or more students with quality posts consisting of 5 or more sentences. Your initial post must be made by Thursday. All boards open on Sunday and close on Saturday night. If you miss a board, you cannot make it up. If you do not post by Thursday, then I will deduct 2 points off your score for that week. If you post on Saturday you will only receive half credit for that day. I will use your five highest boards for your final discussion board score.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

In addition to interaction via Blackboard and e-mail contact, students are required to contact the instructor via e-mail or telephone by the first day of the term for an initial briefing. Although physical class meetings are not part of this course, participation in all interactive, learning activities is required.

MAKE-UP WORK POLICY

Missing any part of this schedule may prevent completion of the course. If you foresee difficulty of any type (i.e., an illness, employment change, etc.) which may prevent completion of this course, notify the instructor as soon as possible. Failure to do so will result in failure for an assignment and/or failure of the course. See “Attendance,” above. There is no make up work and it is at the instructor's discretion as to allow you to make up a quiz without penalty.

INCOMPLETE GRADE POLICY

Missing any part of the Course Schedule may prevent completion of the course. If circumstances will prevent the student from completing the course by the end of the term, the student should complete a request for an incomplete grade.

Note: A grade of incomplete or “INC” is not automatically assigned to students, but rather must be requested by the student by submitting a Petition for and Work to Remove an Incomplete Grade Form. Requests for an incomplete grade must be made on or before the date of the final assignment or test of the term. The form will not be available after the last day of the term. A grade of “INC” does not replace an “F” and will not be awarded for excessive absences. An “INC” will only be awarded to student presenting a valid case for the inability to complete coursework by the conclusion of the term. It is ultimately the instructor’s decision to grant or deny a request for an incomplete grade, subject to the policy rules below.

Policy/Rules for granting an Incomplete (INC)

An incomplete cannot be issued without a request from the student.

To qualify for an incomplete, the student must:

a. Have completed over 50% of the course material and have a documented reason for requesting the incomplete. (50% means all assignments/exams up to and including the mid-term point, test, and/or assignments.)

b. Be passing the course at the time of their request.

If both of the above criteria are not met an incomplete cannot be granted.

An INC is not a substitute for an F. If a student has earned an “F” by not submitting all the work or by receiving an overall F average, then the F stands.

METHOD OF INSTRUCTION

Self study of the textbook materials, student study guide, audio chapter lectures, online quizzes, and an online class discussion will be the primary methods of instruction used in this course. CJ3375 will be taught using online eCourse lesson modules. This course can only be completed successfully by students who have on-demand capability for communication with the instructor and student classmates. This is an eCampus class. It is not a “correspondence course” in which a student may work at his/her own pace. Each week there will be assignments, on-line discussions, and/or exams with due dates. Refer to the schedule at the end of this syllabus for more information.

METHOD OF EVALUATION

Quizzes will be graded by the computer in BB along with the online midterm and final exam. All assignments will be read and graded individually by the instructor as well as the term paper and final exam. All grades will be posted in the student Grade Center in Blackboard.

ASSIGNMENT OF GRADES

All grades will be posted in the student grade book in Blackboard and will be assigned according to the following or similar scale:

A 89.5 - 100%

B 79.5 - 89.4%

C 69.5 – 79.4%

D 59.5 – 69.4%

F 59.4% and below

Postings: I post grades in Blackboard, in the Grade Center.

FA: “FA” indicates the student failed due to attendance. This grade will be given to any student who disappears from the course for three or more weeks and who doesn’t do any work. See the Attendance section of this syllabus for additional information.

.

SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS

Quizzes will be taken via Blackboard and graded immediately by the computer. The exams will be graded by the computer and taken also on Blackboard. All assignments (if there are any this term) will be submitted via BB like the quizzes and exams, and term paper can be submitted via the Assignment section in Blackboard or via email attachment.

EXAMINATION SCHEDULE & INSTRUCTIONS

There will be on-line midterm and final examinations, completed via Blackboard. More information is provided under course requirements and course schedule.

The exams will be delivered online via Blackboard. They will be found in the Exams and quizzes section. The exams will be timed. Points will be deducted if the student overruns the time limit for the exam. See the exam instructions for the time limit and how the overrun deductions are calculated.

TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS

Students must have:

· A reliable working computer that runs Windows XP or Windows Vista.

· A TROY e-mail account that you can access on a regular basis (see "TROY e-mail" above)

· E-mail software capable of sending and receiving attached files.

· Access to the Internet with a 56.9 kb modem or better. (High speed connection such as cable or DSL preferred)

· A personal computer capable of running Netscape Navigator 7.0 or above, Internet Explorer 6.0 or above or current versions of Firefox or Mozilla. Students who use older browser versions will have compatibility problems with Blackboard.

· Microsoft WORD software. (I cannot grade anything I cannot open! This means NO MS-Works, NO WordPad, NO WordPerfect)

· Virus protection software, installed and active, to prevent the spread of viruses via the Internet and e-mail. It should be continually updated! Virus protection is provided to all Troy students free of charge. Click on the following link https://it.troy.edu/downloads/virussoftware.htm and then supply your e-mail username and password to download the virus software.

Internet Access

· This is an on-line class. Students must have access to a working computer and access to the internet. Students can use the TROY computer lab, a public library, etc., to insure they have access.

· “Not having a computer” or “computer crashes” are not acceptable excuses for late work. Have a backup plan in place in case you have computer problems.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT INFORMATION

If you experience technical problems, you should contact the Blackboard Online Support Center. You can do this in two ways. First if you can log onto the course simply look at the tabs at the top of the page. You will see one entitled, “Tech Support.” If you click on this tab, you will see the information below. You can click on the “Blackboard Support Center” link and receive assistance. If you cannot log onto the course, simply contact the center by calling toll free the number listed below. Assistance is available 24 hours a day/7 days per week.

Blackboard Support Center

Blackboard Online Support Center for Troy University provides Customer Care Technicians who are available to support you 24 hours a day/7 days a week.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your coursework or with features in Blackboard that are generating errors, please click on BB technical assistance located in the top of Blackboard.

NON-HARASSMENT, HOSTILE WORK/CLASS ENVIRONMENT

Troy University expects students to treat fellow students, their instructors, other TROY faculty, and staff as adults and with respect. No form of “hostile environment” or “harassment” will be tolerated by any student or employee.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITY ACT (ADA)

       Adaptive Needs (ADA)

Troy University recognizes the importance of equal access for all students.  In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the University and its Adaptive Needs Program seeks to ensure that admission, academic programs, support services, student activities, and campus facilities are accessible to and usable by students who document a qualifying disability with the University. Reasonable accommodations are available to students who:

         are otherwise qualified for admission to the University

         identify themselves to appropriate University personnel

         provide acceptable and qualifying documentation to the University.

Each student must provide recent documentation of his or her disability in order to participate in the Adaptive Needs Program.  Please visit the Adaptive Needs Website @ http://www.troy.edu/ecampus/studentservices/adaptiveneeds.htm to complete the necessary procedure and forms.  This should be accomplished before the beginning of class.

COURSE SCHEDULE

CLASS Week TEXT COVERAGE

1 10/14 Review course requirements and APA Guidelines

Post Biography in Discussion board

Listen to audio introduction of how to do project

Submit your topic to instructor for approval

2 10/21 work on the Part I and II of your research project

send to instructor for approval

take quiz #1 if ready

3 10/28 Take Quiz #2 if ready

work on the sampling procedure of your research project

send to instructor for approval

4 11/3 Quizzes #1, 2 & 3 due TODAY 11/3 by midnight

work on cover letter/questionnaire

send to instructor for approval

5 11/10 Midterm Exam due TODAY 11/10 by midnight

work on literature reviews of your research project

and submit to instructor for approval

6 11/17 Take Quiz #4 if ready

work on data analysis of your research project

7 11/24 Quiz # 4 & 5 and optional quiz #6 due TODAY 11/24

8 12/1 final project due today 12/1 by midnight

9 12/8 Final Exam is due today 12/8 by midnight

10 12/15 BLACKBOARD WILL LOCK DOWN FOR GRADING

NOTE; THE INSTRUCTOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THIS SCHEDULE AS NECESSARY.

To find out what chapters each quiz and the midterm will cover …go to the quizzes/exams button in BB. Do not click on them until you are ready to take them though.

� EMBED MSPhotoEd.3 ���

PAGE

8

Page

CJ 3375 - Introduction to Social Science Inquiry

<Newvine>

_1207402281.doc

Blackboard Support Center

_1175966821.bin