Pro-Seminar in Critical Skills

Course Description and Home Page

Welcome to the home page of BGS 201-24, Mike Bryson's section of the Pro-Seminar in Critical Skills, MW 6:30-9pm at Robin Campus.  This page provides an overall view of course content, goals, activities, and requirements.  For more detailed information, including useful links for web-based research, consult the links to the right.

FROM READING THE NEWS TO CREATING KNOWLEDGE
Critical Thinking in the Information Age

Life in the Age of Information goes on, even after the dot-com boom and bust cycle which has left technology companies gasping for breath.  Technology--from personal computers to digital video to cell phones to car-based global positioning navigation software to (can you believe it?) wireless wristwatches--saturates our lives.  Information washes over us from many sources:  newspapers, magazines, cable and satellite TV, the internet.  How to make sense of all this noise?  How can we distinguish mere information from useful knowledge?  And how has this dramatic transformation in knowledge production impacted our lives as students and scholars?

This pro-seminar will introduce you to a variety of critical thinking skills at the university level.  We'll discover how to analyze an argument, read carefully and critically, interpret various kinds of images (from ads to graphs to films), use current print and web-based research tools, evaluate web-based information sources, analyze statistical information, craft effective written arguments, and conduct college-level research.  One of our most important resources in achieving these educational goals is the newspaper--still one of the best and more useful conduits of information in modern society.  In addition to our primary text, Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing, we'll use various newspapers to follow and analyze current events and issues; categorize and assess the various kinds of information presented in major news outlets; and gather ideas and resources for research topics.

PRO-SEMINAR GOALS

1.  Introduction to the university and the BGS program.
2.  Assessment and development of university-level skills: thinking, studying, and test taking; research and problem solving; the ability to read, understand, and appropriately criticize material of university-level difficulty; writing skills; discussion and presentation skills.
3.  Support and direction of students' individual skills in an atmosphere of non-competitiveness, helpfulness, and appreciation for individual abilities and problems.
4.  Construction of a cohesive, supportive peer group (your fellow students), with whom you can share your experiences as a student.
5.  One-on-one academic advising for the pro-seminar and the BGS program.

METHODS / ACTIVITIES

The pro-seminar is an intensely discussion-based class--lectures will be short and infrequent.  A strong emphasis is placed on summarizing, outlining, paraphrasing, citing, and analyzing our reading and viewing material.  We will use study/writing exercises such as in-class invention and revision activities, peer review draft workshops for essay assignments, and class discussion of sample student papers.  Finally, we will explore the research process, especially in terms of library usage, data gathering, analytical methods, and the Internet.

The most important thing to know about BGS 201 is that it really is a seminar--although 201 is an introductory undergraduate class in terms of content, I run it much like I would run a graduate seminar course.  In contrast to a "traditional" classroom arrangement, where a professor imparts packages of information to a passive group of students, our class requires you to be an active learner--to ask questions, to participate in small group exercises, to give brief and informal oral reports, to respond to the reading material independently, and to engage in spirited discussions with the class.  As your teacher, I am as much a participant in this process as I am a leader. Finally, I make sure I challenge each student--on an individual basis--according to his/her abilities and  needs.

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

• Good attendance of and participation in all classes
• Miscellaneous in-class writing and group activities
• Reader's/writer's autobiography (2-3 pages)
• Clippings folder (2 news articles per week with short commentaries)
• Two short analytical essays (4-5 pages each)
• Research project:  research proposal (2 pages), rough draft, and final paper (6-8 pages)
• Oral presentation (10 minutes) of research project

An Important Note:  Attendance is required at all class meetings and at any conferences you schedule with me.  Please notify me beforehand if you have to miss a class.  However, you are still responsible for handing in assignments on time, regardless of circumstances (as you will see from the schedule, we're running a tight ship here!).  Excessive absences (specifically, more than 3) will jeopardize your participation grade.  

A FEW WORDS ON GRADING

The pro-seminar is a letter-graded course, but you may request (in writing and by the 3rd week) to take the class on a pass-fail basis.  For details on my grading procedures and guidelines, see the Assignments page.  We'll discuss the pass-fail option the 1st week of class.

GETTING HELP / STAYING IN TOUCH

Please feel free to talk to me during office hours or to make an appointment, should you have questions or feel like you need some individualized help beyond what I can provide in the classroom.  Staying in touch is vitally important in this class, for our schedule is both tight and complex.  Please do not disappear!  I check my voicemail (847-619-8735 RC) and email regularly, and I have both home (773-764-7149) and office (847-619-8750) fax lines available.  Remember that there's no substitute for regular attendance and timely submission of your assignments.

IMPORTANT UNIVERSITY RESOURCES

-- The Roosevelt University website (www.roosevelt.edu):  Your best resource for all kinds of information related to your education.  In particular, check out the resources for current students.

-- The Writing Lab and Academic Tutoring Center (847-619-7978 RC; 312-341-3818 DT):   The writing lab is one of the most valuable resources at any university, and the lab and tutoring center at Roosevelt are excellent.  In addition to the work we do together on your writing, you can get individual assistance in just about any writing task at the lab.  I've worked as a tutor at a writing center in the past, and know how beneficial they can be to students, regardless of your level of writing expertise.   Occasionally, I may recommend that you make a writing lab appointment, as part of an essay revision strategy we discuss together.

-- Advising Center (847-619-7930 RC; 312-341-4340 DT):  As your academic advisor this semester, I am your first contact for advising questions, but you should also take advantage of the services of the advising center professionals.  Most questions concerning academics, course selection, etc. can be dealt with here.  The website links you to a wide variety of advising and academic resources.

-- Counseling (312-341-3548) and Career Services (312-341-3560): These offices provide group and individual counseling and therapy, workshops on subjects from anxiety management to study skills, and employment search and resume assistance.

-- University College Main Office (847-619-8730 RC; 312-281-3134 DT):  My home base at Roosevelt.  Here you can find University College administrators and faculty, basic information about the BGS program, and advising services during registration periods.

-- Roosevelt Univ. Student Handbook:  Available in the advising center (hard copy) and online (pdf file) from the current students link from the RU homepage.  

Assignments

Links

Schedule

Texts

mb's Courses Page
(classes / office hours)

mb's Home Page

Lobby of Roosevelt's Alfred A. Robin Campus (opened 1996)

Roosevelt's National Landmark, the Auditorium Building, downtown Chicago

The Gage Building: home of the College of Professional Studies

Last updated 
12/10/07