AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION: GSC issues recommendations on supporting graduate students during COVID-19.

Dear DAVID, We write to you on behalf of the Graduate Student Council of the American Philosophical Association. The GSC acts as a liaison between graduate students and the board of the APA, and has the charge of advocating on behalf of all graduate students in the discipline. We have compiled recommendations for how to support graduate students in light of the unprecedented public health crisis that is COVID-19. Our hope is that these recommendations will be helpful during departmental and university decision-making in the coming weeks, related to both near-term finances and the next fiscal year. We acknowledge that departments are limited both in the financial means they have available to them and the power they have to put pressure on universities to allocate more funding and other forms of support to graduate students. Thus, while we outline a number of recommendations that involve the increased funding of graduate students, we also outline a number of other (non-financial) interventions that can be implemented at the department level to help meet the needs of graduate students and support their success during this incredibly difficult time. Please review our recommendations and share them widely with your departments and networks. Take care of yourself and be well. Regards, Emma McClure, Heather Stewart, and Arianna Falbo APA Graduate Student Council

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BLAST FROM THE PAST: WHAT PROGRESSIVES MUST LEARN. DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF HATE: THE ''NEW'' REPUBLICAN PARTY. (UPDATE).

Progressives, no matter where found, must understand, and not forget, that the REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT EXISTS TODAY IS DIFFERENT FROM THE PAST. THOSE WHO HAVE LED THE CHARGE TO NOMINATE DONALD TRUMP, ARE FROM A SMALL NUMBER OF EXTREMIST FACTIONS WHOSE RISE TO POWER WITHIN THE PARTY HAS BEEN DRAMATIC. IT HAS ALSO BEEN THE RESULT OF THE PARTIES INCREASING USE OF INTOLERANT AND HATE FILLED PROPAGANDA TO STIGMATIZE THE OPPOSITION, AND MISLEAD THE PUBLIC.

The Problem for the REPUBLICANS, was the Idea that these FACTIONS could be Utilized for the benefit of the Party as a whole, but controlled and prevented from attaining to much power and influence within the Parties Hierarchy. When needed they could be Mobilized for Money, Votes, Voices on Radio, Demonstrations, or any Party need that could not be satisfied Through Normal, Traditional, Intellectually Honest or Morally Commendable Channels.

These Factions Include Individuals who could be Described in the following ways:

-   RELIGIOUS ZEALOT.

-   RADICAL ISOLATIONIST.

-   ECONOMIC BIGOT.

-   ANTI- INTELLECTUALIST.

Now, they're Racists, Bigots, Homophobes, Xenophobes etc., , to be found in every walk off life. However, in the Republican Parties case, They now call the shots by setting Policy, and promoting certain Individuals as Candidates to Nominate for the Upcoming Election. 

...AND DONALD TRUMP IS THEIR LEADER..., NOT OURS.  

AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION: MEMBER WEBINAR ON ONLINE TEACHING REPLAY NOW AVAILABLE.

Dear DAVID, Last week the APA held a webinar for APA members, Teaching Philosophy Online: Advice and Tips from Experienced Instructors, to help support philosophers in making the transition to online instruction during the coronavirus pandemic. The replay of the webinar is now available online. The webinar includes brief presentations from three philosophers based on their experiences in teaching online philosophy courses, followed by Q&A with attendees. The panelists for the webinar are the following: Merritt Rehn-DeBraal (Texas A&M San Antonio) Kristina Grob (USC Sumter) Fritz McDonald (Oakland University) Whether you’re teaching online for the first time due to the current crisis or whether you teach online regularly and are looking for ways to make your courses even better, this webinar will offer useful advice and insight. We have also set up an online forum for discussing online teaching on the APA Connect platform. You’re welcome to stop by and join the conversation. If you have a suggestion for a topic for a future webinar, submit this form. All the best, Amy Ferrer Executive Director

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AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION: General Discussion Digest for Sunday March 29, 2020.

General Discussion   Post New Message   Mar 29, 2020 Discussions started 5 days ago, Melissa Ebbers (17 replies) Online teaching forum    1.  Here is a link to an online logic course: John Baldwin 2.  For Venn diagrams, I tell them to always have... Craig Vasey 3.  Some LMSs have a grid-style question type that... Jonathan Haber 4.  Hi Joerg! Here's one question that might be... Melissa Ebbers 5.  While I couldn't find a way to create a grid... Jonathan Haber   top next 1. Re: Online teaching forum Reply to Group Reply to Sender Mar 29, 2020 10:25 AM John Baldwin Here is a link to an online logic course: https://richardzach.org/ Zach has more information on his blogs.  I am not sure whether testing is included. ------------------------------ John Baldwin Professor emeritus University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, Illinois IL ------------------------------   Reply to Group Online   View Thread   Recommend   Forward   Flag as Inappropriate   ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 03-28-2020 23:07 From: Joerg Tuske Subject: Online teaching forum Does anybody have any suggestions about how to conduct online logic exams? My University uses Canvas/MyClasses as a teaching Platform and I am teaching a 100-level Critical Thinking class which includes some basic truth tables and Venn diagrams (for categorical logic). I would prefer not to have multiple choice exams but let the students develop truth tables and diagrams instead. Is there a good way of doing this within an online teaching platform? Thank you for your suggestions! Best Joerg ------------------------------ Joerg Tuske Salisbury University Salisbury MD   top previous  next 2. Re: Online teaching forum Reply to Group Reply to Sender Mar 29, 2020 10:37 AM Craig Vasey For Venn diagrams, I tell them to always have the minor term circle on the left, the major on the right, the middle on the bottom; to number the segments 1-7 from left to right; draw it on their own, and just report on the exam which segments are shaded or x'd.    Or to draw them and send photos.    Truth tables are not hard to do in Word: Use "Insert table," choose the number of rows and columns you need.  Or, again, they can do them on paper and send a photo of their work. Craig R. Vasey Professor of Philosophy Department of Classics, Philosophy, & Religion University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg VA 22401 540 654 1342   Reply to Group Online   View Thread   Recommend   Forward   Flag as Inappropriate   ------Original Message------ Does anybody have any suggestions about how to conduct online logic exams? My University uses Canvas/MyClasses as a teaching Platform and I am teaching a 100-level Critical Thinking class which includes some basic truth tables and Venn diagrams (for categorical logic). I would prefer not to have multiple choice exams but let the students develop truth tables and diagrams instead. Is there a good way of doing this within an online teaching platform? Thank you for your suggestions! Best Joerg ------------------------------ Joerg Tuske Salisbury University Salisbury MD ------------------------------   top previous  next 3. Re: Online teaching forum Reply to Group Reply to Sender Mar 29, 2020 11:12 AM Jonathan Haber Some LMSs have a grid-style question type that might support questions built around truth tables, although I don't think Canvas has that item type. Canvas does allow you to create questions with multiple fill-in-the-blanks and multiple drop-downs that might be suitable for questions related to truth tables.  While I know you said you weren't interested in multi-choice style questions, if you make use of exhibits (such as graphics of truth tables) or illustrated answers (which are supported in Canvas), you might be able to get pretty far measuring what you want to measure.  If you want to post a sample question or two that you like to use in your written exams, I might be able to suggest some options.  You might also benefit from that set of YouTube videos I mentioned previously on how to apply professional test-design principles when creating online assessments.  There's a section on creating linear test items, basically the item types your LMS allows you to automate.  Best, Jonathan ------------------------------ Jonathan Haber Chief Learner Degree of Freedom Lexington MA ------------------------------   Reply to Group Online   View Thread   Recommend   Forward   Flag as Inappropriate   ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 03-28-2020 23:07 From: Joerg Tuske Subject: Online teaching forum Does anybody have any suggestions about how to conduct online logic exams? My University uses Canvas/MyClasses as a teaching Platform and I am teaching a 100-level Critical Thinking class which includes some basic truth tables and Venn diagrams (for categorical logic). I would prefer not to have multiple choice exams but let the students develop truth tables and diagrams instead. Is there a good way of doing this within an online teaching platform? Thank you for your suggestions! Best Joerg ------------------------------ Joerg Tuske Salisbury University Salisbury MD   top previous  next 4. Re: Online teaching forum Reply to Group Reply to Sender Mar 29, 2020 12:14 PM Melissa Ebbers Hi Joerg! Here's one question that might be helpful for deciding what approach to take: what would the format for this assignment be, if you were still offering the course in the physical classroom? For example, would you ask students to create and print a document with their answers, or write out their answers by hand, or allow them to choose among those options, or something else? The reason that I ask is that you might be able to do something very similar here. If you'd ask them to create and print a document, then as Craig highlights, they could create the truth-tables in Word (or similar), and create the Venn Diagrams either in Word, too, or in Paint (or similar) and copy and paste them into the same document, and then upload it. If you would ask them to write out their answers by hand, you could ask each of your students to let you know whether they have access to either a scanner or camera to create an image of their work that they could upload. (In the past, I've allowed students to do either of these, based on what works best for them.) If neither of these approaches would work well in this case, could you say a little more about what you have in mind so that we can help better in that way? Also, if anyone is scheduled to teach online logic in the coming terms and would be interested, I would be happy to share my experience using Cengage's MindTap. Their digital platform gives students access to the eBook version of the text (which, when I asked them, most students strongly preferred over using the more expensive print version), and it allows instructors to create randomized problem sets for each section covered in the course. I've used the Hurley: youtu.be/BnqdYwvQzX4  The randomized assignment feature that is covered starting around 40 seconds into this video -- youtu.be/poW5DzHHXKI -- is really valuable: it allows you to create randomized problem sets. I used this feature to allow my students to complete as many practice problem sets as they'd like before completing a graded assignment with the same type of questions that differed in the details. My students *loved* this feature. They made good use of being able to do the problem sets, and reported that it helped them to make sure that they were ready for the homework assignments, quizzes, and chapter tests. Also, if, while doing the practice problems, they discovered that they weren't sure about something, they could identify the need to ask a question about it, which they were encouraged to do. Let me know if it would be helpful to say more about the platform, and the various ways that I've used it in my intro to logic course. ------------------------------ Melissa Ebbers ------------------------------   Reply to Group Online   View Thread   Recommend   Forward   Flag as Inappropriate   ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 03-29-2020 11:11 From: Jonathan Haber Subject: Online teaching forum Some LMSs have a grid-style question type that might support questions built around truth tables, although I don't think Canvas has that item type. Canvas does allow you to create questions with multiple fill-in-the-blanks and multiple drop-downs that might be suitable for questions related to truth tables.  While I know you said you weren't interested in multi-choice style questions, if you make use of exhibits (such as graphics of truth tables) or illustrated answers (which are supported in Canvas), you might be able to get pretty far measuring what you want to measure.  If you want to post a sample question or two that you like to use in your written exams, I might be able to suggest some options.  You might also benefit from that set of YouTube videos I mentioned previously on how to apply professional test-design principles when creating online assessments.  There's a section on creating linear test items, basically the item types your LMS allows you to automate. Best, Jonathan ------------------------------ Jonathan Haber Chief Learner Degree of Freedom Lexington MA   top previous  5. Re: Online teaching forum Reply to Group Reply to Sender Mar 29, 2020 2:06 PM Jonathan Haber While I couldn't find a way to create a grid-style question in Canvas, you can create a table in Word and add drop-down menus in the cells of the table to create a truth table that looks like this: IYou'll still need to manually grade the results, but this adds a bit of automation to the process.  Here's a video that explains how to add drop-down menus to a table in Word.  It doesn't llike Google Docs allow you to do this, but you could always just leave cells blank and have them fill in the correct answers to create a document with tables you can grade manually. ------------------------------ Jonathan Haber Chief Learner Degree of Freedom Lexington MA ------------------------------   Reply to Group Online   View Thread   Recommend   Forward   Flag as Inappropriate   ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 03-28-2020 23:07 From: Joerg Tuske Subject: Online teaching forum Does anybody have any suggestions about how to conduct online logic exams? My University uses Canvas/MyClasses as a teaching Platform and I am teaching a 100-level Critical Thinking class which includes some basic truth tables and Venn diagrams (for categorical logic). I would prefer not to have multiple choice exams but let the students develop truth tables and diagrams instead. Is there a good way of doing this within an online teaching platform? Thank you for your suggestions! Best Joerg ------------------------------ Joerg Tuske Salisbury University Salisbury MD You are subscribed to "General Discussion" as macblazer1981@aol.com. To change your subscriptions, go to My Subscriptions. To unsubscribe from this community discussion, go to Unsubscribe.