COOPERATIVE ARGUMENTATION—
Theory and Practice
Course Description:
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This course introduces students to cooperative argumentation—the art of collaborative inquiry, deliberation, and decision-making. We explore diverse approaches to ethical and effective inquiry, deliberation, and advocacy, as we develop the skills necessary to their practice. The course focuses particularly on development of critical thinking and reasoning abilities, self-reflexivity, empathic listening, reading, viewing, and speaking skills, dialogic inquiry, and ethical and effective advocacy skills.
Instructional Resources:
• Makau & Marty, (2001): Cooperative Argumentation: A Model for Deliberative
Community
• Participants will be asked to identify and secure a number of additional
instructional resources (from the Internet, Library Learning Complex, and other
sources)
Assignments:
• Listening Exercise (1-2 pages;
due week three)
• Deliberation Log (5-8 pages; TBD)
• Round Table Presentations (due date TBD)
• Position Paper (3-5 pages; due week
eleven)
• Draft Argumentation Essay (6-10 pages;
due week fourteen)
• Critical Review (in class assignment;
last day of class meeting)
• Final Argumentation Essay (6-10 pages;
due during “finals” week)
• Informed, active, respectful participation in class discussions and
learning activities
Assessment & Grade Distribution:
• Listening Exercise: 5%
• Collaborative Essay: 10%
• Deliberation Log: 15%
• Round Table Presentation: 10%
• Position Paper: 10%
• Argumentative Essay: 25%
• Critical Review: 10%
• Participation: 15%
Learning Outcomes:
This course is designed to foster development of the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with EngCom C and the CSU system-wide GWAR—graduation writing assessment requirements (see EngCom Learning Outcomes for details).
Students who participate regularly in class discussions and learning activities, submit all assignments on due dates, and demonstrate a satisfactory level of competency--meeting a satisfactory level of performance on course assignments throughout the semester--will earn a grade of “C” /2.0 or better. Students who meet or exceed this standard of performance will be certified as having fulfilled EngCom C /GWAR or the corresponding Liberal Studies Major Requirement in this area.
Participants’ Rights and Responsibilities:
1. Presence & Participation: participants are expected to be on time and prepared for each class session. Informed, active, respectful participation in class discussions and other learning activities is expected (and required for satisfactory level of performance). If a student must miss a class discussion or other learning activity, she or he is responsible for working with other class participants to secure the necessary information, as well as to contribute to the group’s learning process.
The instructor is responsible for being well prepared to facilitate learning through respectful engagement with students and their learning processes, and to provide thoughtful, responsible, and responsive assessment of student learning.
2. Meeting Deadlines and Fulfilling Outcomes: all assignments are to be submitted at the beginning of class on the due date unless other arrangements are negotiated in advance with the instructor. Valid reasons to negotiate extensions include serious illness or personal emergency. All paper assignments are expected to be typed, double-spaced, following guidelines presented in class.
The instructor is expected to provide clear assignment and assessment guidelines, and to assess student work in a timely fashion (three weeks maximum) with comments and assessments of student learning (as appropriate). Students are entitled to discuss their assessment with the instructor.
3. This campus welcomes and accommodates students with disabilities. Students who may need accommodations are asked to consult with the course instructor during office hours or make an appointment to meet with the instructor no later than the third week of the semester.
Anticipated Schedule
Week One:
Day one: Introduction to each other & to the course
Day two: Selection of Roundtable Topic
Readings: Text, pp. 1-43
Week Two:
Day three: Labor Day Holiday (no class scheduled)
Day four: Refinement of Roundtable Topic and Selection of Roundtable Groups
Readings: Text, pp. 45-80
Week Three:
Days five and six: Identifying key terms, commonplaces, and issues
Listening Exercise due
Readings: Text, pp. 81-154
Week Four:
Days seven and eight: Ethical and Effective Inquiry and Advocacy
Sharing and Review of Resources
Roundtable Preparations
Readings: Text, pp. 111-193
Week Fives & Six:
Days nine and ten: Group Work: Collaborative Essay
Days eleven and twelve: Roundtable Preparations
Readings: Text, pp. 195-285
Collaborative Essays Due
Week Seven:
Days thirteen and fourteen: Fall Planning Week
Week Eight:
Day fifteen: Group One Roundtable
Day sixteen: Group Two Roundtable
Week Nine:
Day seventeen: Group Three Roundtable
Day eighteen: Group Four Roundtable
Group One Roundtable Deliberation Log Due day nineteen
Group Two Roundtable Deliberation Log Due day twenty
Week Ten:
Day nineteen: Group Five Roundtable
Day twenty: Introduction to Argumentative Essay Assignment and Theme
Group Three Roundtable Deliberation Log Due day twenty two
Group Four Roundtable Deliberation Log Due day twenty three
Group Five Roundtable Deliberation Log Due day twenty four
Weeks Eleven & Twelve:
Days twenty one-twenty four:
Deliberative Inquiry
Identification and review of key terms
Exploration of Deliberative Community’s Commonplaces and Issues
Sharing and Review of Resources
Position Papers Due
Week Thirteen
Days twenty five and twenty six:
Continued Exploration of issues/Final Essay preparations
Week Fourteen:
Day twenty seven: Reflections
Day twenty eight: Peer Essay Review
Draft Argumentative Essays Due last class meeting day
Final Argumentative Essays Due During “Assessment Week”