Click for Regular Office and I am available by appointment
Email: marklinl@kellogg.edu

It is best to contact me via the course discussion board or email.  I will respond to email within two working days.

Required on campus sessions:   None

Special labs or practicum:  None

Number of assignments:  45 discussion board posts, 4 worksheets, 4 quizzes, 3 projects, a Midterm, and a Final.

Online Participation:  Regular online participation is imperative.  Important material is discussed in the bulletin board each week, and it is crucial that students plan to log on at least four times per week.  Successful students log on each day to stay current.

Preparation is an important part of effective participation.  Complete all reading and writing assignments and come to class bulletin board prepared to contribute.

Estimated time per week:  For a full semester class of 15 weeks, students need to plan to spend 3-5 hours per week completing the readings, 3-5 hours per week on writing assignments and 3 hours (45 minutes on 4 different days) per week in online discussion. 

The total estimated weekly time commitment is 9-13 hours.

Group interaction required:  Yes

Scheduled activities or self paced:  Scheduled activities

Students must have access to the following:

• Equipment:  You will need a computer that is able to access and interact with the Web. For best results, a Pentium or PowerMac with a 28.8 Kbps or faster modem and 64 MB or more of RAM should be considered the minimal system.
   
• Software:  You will need an Internet browser version 5 or higher, either Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer.  A word processor capable of saving and opening RTF (rich text format) documents is required (almost all popular word processing programs can do this).
   
• Internet connection: Home users need Internet access through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that offers a reliable, direct connection to the Internet.

Other requirements: A subscription to Netflix is highly recommended.

COURSE DESCRIPTION and GOALS

Lite 230 offers a critical study of the Hebrew Bible (TANAK) and the Christian Bible as distinct but related literary and theological traditions.

Biblical writings will be examined in light of their cultural, historical, and literary contexts. Emphasis will be placed on narratives and especially the literary qualities of the texts (for example: the uses of symbol, metaphor, repetition; typology and myth; dialogue and narrative technique), though other approaches to the study of the Bible will be encouraged and explored throughout the semester.
 

In this course you will read a large portion of  the Old Testament, Apocrypha, and the New Testament. By studying  the Bible’s many genres and tones, you will discover that, after many centuries, the Bible remains a compelling literary masterpiece.

COURSE GOALS

• Develop student knowledge of the creative process
• Develop student ability to appraise the significance of the literary arts
• Develop student competence in literary analysis

Upon completion of this course, successful students will have demonstrated through discussion posts, exams, written assignments, and student projects the ability to do the following.

1. Evaluate the scope and range of Biblical literature
2. Analyze and discuss the human experience as described in the Bible.
3. Recognize interpretive techniques and terms used in the study of literature.
4. Analyze the historical, social, political, and cultural foundations of the Bible.
5. Identify the various literary elements of the Bible
6. Explain how major monotheistic religions view and use the Bible
7. Utilize college level critical reading skills
8. Discuss the historical and social context of Biblical literature

You need to revise and redraft prior to turning in a preliminary draft to me.  Writing is a mode of thinking; the composing process only gradually brings together ideas that initially exist only half-formed in your mind until the act of writing gives them shape.  The drafts I read must represent ideas and opinions that have already been coherently shaped and formed.  The majority of your assignments will be graded the first time that I read them.  For the final research paper, you will be given the option of using a late slip to revise your paper for a higher grade.  All drafts that are handed in to the instructor must be done on a computer.

Expectations for your written assignments are clearly explained in the course reading material, and questions will be answered in the bulletin board forum and during office hours.  Students who log on regularly and who complete their readings rarely experience difficulty in writing or in structuring their papers.

No paper re-treads.  All papers submitted in this course must have been written during this 15 week semester.  No re-treads of high school or college papers will be acceptable.  It may be possible to tailor a paper written in this course to meet the requirements of a concurrent course, provided you have the explicit consent of both instructors.

Approximate Grading Breakdown – 400 points are planned for the semester

100 - 93% - A

92 - 89% - A-

88 - 87% - B+

86 - 83% - B

82 - 79% - B-

78 - 77% - C+

76 - 73% - C

72 - 69% - C-

68 - 67% - D+

66 - 65% - D

64 - 63% - D-

62% and below - F

A grade of W can be given by the instructor after a student has failed to complete all the assignments for any of the units.  Please note that a grade of W in a course affects scholarship, financial aid, and athletic eligibility.

To receive a grade of A, your writing should:

CONTENT - contain a central idea that is clearly defined, developed with originality and careful thought, and supported substantially and concretely   
ORGANIZATION - follow a plan that progresses by clearly ordered and necessary stages   
STYLE - contain paragraphs that are unified and developed with unusual effectiveness, transitions within and between paragraphs that are clear/effective, and paragraphs and sentences that are coherent and effective 
DICTION - utilize language that is appropriate, fresh, accurate, concise, and idiomatic

To receive a grade of B, your writing should:

CONTENT - contain a central idea that is defined with more than usual care and clarity, developed fully and with consistent attention to proportion and emphasis, and supported with sufficient and consistently relevant detail  
ORGANIZATION - follow a plan whose purpose and method are consistently apparent & completely fulfilled   
STYLE - contain paragraphs that are well-developed and unified, transitions between paragraphs that are explicit and effective, and paragraphs/ sentences that are coherent and emphatic  
DICTION - utilize language that is appropriate, clear, carefully chosen, and idiomatic

To receive a grade of C, your writing should:

Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling

Discussion is an essential component of this class. A good way to think of the discussion board is as an ongoing conversation.
For this conversation to work well, we need to do four things:

1) Read and carefully think about the assigned readings

2) Prepare your answer carefully as you will not be able to edit or remove your posts.

3) Respond thoughtfully to the discussion thread I have posted, if there is one.

4) Respond thoughtfully and respectfully to the thoughts of classmates.

If we are going to feel free to share our interesting -- and therefore sometimes risky -- ideas, we need to know that our audience is not hostile, close-minded, or thoughtless. So we must dedicate ourselves to being friendly, open, and thoughtful. (I will immediately remove postings form the discussion board that interfere with the friendly, open, and thoughtful environment the discussion board should be.)

Each and every week, you are required to make at least two ORIGINAL thoughtful posting and four Replies within the appropriate forum for each week.   Click for further discussion board expectations

Read through ALL the posts of other students before posting your reply. In your reply, state your ideas and acknowledge the ideas of students who have posted previously.

Academic dishonesty is NOT permitted. Any students caught engaging in academic dishonesty will receive NO points for the exam, quiz, or writing assignment in which the cheating occurred, and/or will be subject to the disciplinary procedures of Kellogg Community College (at the discretion of the instructor).  

Types of Academic Dishonesty
Un-permitted collaboration. A small amount of collaboration is permitted in this course, and guidelines for collaboration are given below. Students who work together in violation of the collaboration policy in this class are guilty of academic dishonesty and will receive the penalties outlined below

Plagiarism - Plagiarism is using another person's writing dishonestly. If you submit for a grade any writing that was written by an author (profession or non-professional) other than yourself, you are guilty of academic dishonesty, and you will receive the penalties outlined below.

 Cheating – The most common form of general cheating is the sharing of answers on quizzes, tests, homework, or other assignments when the work is to be completed individually.  If you cheat in this manner, you are guilty of academic dishonesty, and you will receive the penalties outlined below.

 Fabrication- Fabrication is the falsification if information, sources, or citations in an academic exercise. "Invented" information may not be used in any academic exercise without authorization from the instructor.

 Facilitating Academic Dishonesty - Students who knowingly or negligently allow their work to be used by other students or who otherwise aid others in academic dishonesty are violating academic integrity.

The penalty for any form of academic dishonesty, at a minimum, is a zero on the assignment, which will often seriously jeopardize your semester grade. The incident will then be reported to the KCC’s Dean of Student Services who will keep a record of the incident in your permanent file. If, at this time, it is discovered that you have any other incident of academic dishonesty on file at KCC, you will be dropped from this course with an "F" and considered for suspension from the college. If you choose to cheat more than once in this class, you will be dropped from this course with an “F.”

Students can talk with each other about the assignments, and this discussion is encouraged. In this class, collaboration is permitted when the assignment specifically indicates that working with another student is allowed. Always assume that collaboration is NOT allowed unless you are told something different.