*This is an example of what the syllabus might look like. It can be changed to accommodate a longer or shorter course, or be altered for learners outside the university but in the same age range (15-28). Other mediums for course delivery besides Blackboard could also be used. Thanks Professor Menchaca for the CASA concept!
References
Menchaca, M. (2015). Distributed learning white paper: approaches to distance learning.
Course Syllabus
Modern Collegiate Drinking Practices, the Need for transportation and DUI
Instructor: Ramonsita Logan
Course location: Blackboard
Meeting times: 8pm Sunday
Welcome
This course is designed to give students the tools to understand modern drinking or “partying” practices through peer interaction. Further, using discussion and online posts, come up with methods to avoid a potentially life changing event, DUI. This course is a judgment free zone. It is not designed to shame or shock you. There will be no videos showing horrific car crashes, weeping parents, or dead bodies. As an online community we will work together to understand what occurs, discuss it, and come up with solutions. While abstention or prohibition is frequently discussed as options in the media, these ideas are not a true option, and therefore not the intent or focus of this class.
Background of the Course
College students are particularly vulnerable to drinking and driving (DUI). Higher rates of heavy drinking occur in this population compared with same-aged peers who do not attend college (Bachman et al 1984, O’Malley et al 2002). Perhaps the most dangerous consequence to this fact is drinking and driving. The number of college students that sustained fatal injuries in alcohol-related traffic crashes is estimated at approximately 1100 per year since 1998 (Hingson et al 2002). Unfortunately, there is an absence of research on the true impact of alcohol-control policies on college student drinking and driving on a national scale. Intervention has focused on negative policies such as laws, restrictions, and fines. What developed during a post World War II, post prohibition era was a pathological approach to the study of alcohol (deviant drinking). Since that time, deviance and criminology has dominated the literature on alcohol use. This in turn influenced restrictive laws and law makers to “crack down” on this so called deviant and dangerous behavior. However, the restrictions upon, and perceived taboo nature of drinking practices seems to have created a backlash, and the negative measures employed to curb drinking (and by default college drinking and DUI) are not making a difference.
Further, other solutions such as safe ride programs or other restrictive practices such as all out bans of alcohol on campus,are out of touch with current student drinking practices. These attempts to control student drinking are ill-conceived and poorly designed by university administrators several decades older than the students they serve. Indeed drinking practices of today’s youth rival the so called “hippie” era of the late sixties and early seventies, and hold inherent environmental factors that increase the chances of a DUI that the average 50 to 60 year old administrator would fail to understand.
In the early nineteen forties, sociologist Selden Bacon proposed studying drinking behavior from a purely “sociological” point of view (Bacon 1943). Alcohol and drinking should be studied as part of normal social life; with all the behaviors, ideas, customs, mythologies, patterns, processes, traditions, and institutions surrounding drinking open for inquiry and examination (Bacon 1943). Bacon’s notion was that alcohol and drinking behaviors should be studied the same way that a sociologist studies religion or the family; one does not just examine the pathologies and deviancies, but all social aspects of the practice (Bacon 1943).
This online learning environment seeks to employ Bacon’s ideals, and through learner participation will uncover the practices of student drinking behavior, and how this leads to drinking and driving. Further with this knowledge the learners will teach themselves how tounderstand theirown drinking practices and not put themselves in a position where they might get a DUI. An emphasis will be made not to view the process as deviant, but as a distinct social practice within college campuses.Online learning in this setting is the key to a broadly based community effort for DUI prevention. The online learners would be able to learn procedures to avoid DUI, and come up with their own solutions to address the topic.
This is our house, our casa. The CASA method will be employed to outline the course structure, meeting times, assessment etc. Content, Asynchronous, Synchronous, Assessment, get it? If not read on, you will.
Content
You will receive information on 1- DUI definitions 2- the concept of drinking practices 3- best practices to get home safely (DUI avoidance) 4-methods to understand drinking practices and how to use one’s community to engage in the practice of drinking or intoxication without getting a DUI.
Asynchronous
This is the independent portion of the course, called asynchronous because each individual does this portion on their own. Class “runs” Sunday to Sunday, and covers 4 weeks. Week 1 will entail reading “College Students and Safe Ride Programs:
Analysis of Student Drinking Behavior and Attitudes” link is provided on course website.
Each student will write a post about the reading (minimum 4 paragraphs), due by Wednesday. Then each student will pick two posts of their classmates and evaluate them on content, and defend that evaluation in at least 2 paragraphs (due Sunday before synchronous class meeting). Each week will use the same procedure. Readings for the week or in some cases video will be posted on course website after synchronous course meeting.
Synchronous
This is the group portion of the course. Attendance is mandatory. Every Sunday at 8pm the online webinar will begin. As instructor I will take the lead in guiding the conversations, with information from the posts. However, at any time I may ask each of you for ideas or clarification about something in your posts. Participation is also mandatory. The discussion are meant to (and are) fun, and enlightening. Length of the synchronous meeting is minimum 1 hour but may go longer dependant on class progress and mood.
Assessment
Your assessment or grade is broken down in the following way: Attendance 25% (attending webinar), Assignments 25% (posts and peers assessments), Peer review (what your peers thought of your posts)25%and Instructor review 25% (my view of your participation).
Every house has rules our CASA is no different!
Policies
Civility Policy
This course is committed to developing and actively protecting a classenvironment in which respect must be shown to everyone in order to facilitate and encourage theexpression, testing, understanding, and creation of a variety of ideas and opinions. Rude, sarcastic,obscene, or disrespectful posts have a negative impact on everyone’s learning and will not be tolerated. Please refer to the University’s etiquette policy for more information on acceptable behavior andinteraction in the online course environment.
Confidentiality Policy
Students are asked to try to form conceptual links between the course material and their own personalexperiences in class discussions because this is an excellent way to learn new material. Therefore,confidentiality must be guaranteed to all students in order to provide a safe learning environment. Nostudent should ever repeat class discussions or allow people outside the class to access our passwordprotected course Website or read printed versions of any student’s posts.
Plagiarism Policy
Students must cite all sources of information in posts, essays, or papers and provide references to them.Using ideas or words written or spoken by another person without providing a citation and reference forthe source is plagiarism and will not be tolerated in this course
That sums it up “see” you all in class!