Course Description

Informal logic is logic in action in the real world — the messy, and sometimes convoluted, syllogisms of everyday speech and writing. Rhyme & Reason (provided online) helps the student grapple with these challenges and avoid the danger of studying formal logic in  isolation. Instead of producing great thinkers, logic without context may well produce those who think they know how to think, but don’t. They’re experts at rarified reason, while the meaning and subtleties of the argument they’re analyzing is lost to them.

Our logic sequence features two improvements over deficiencies of traditional logic courses.  First, it starts with the study of inductive reasoning (particular to general), which is at least as common as deductive reasoning. But it’s often excluded from secondary school logic courses. Without studying induction, however, our view of logic will not be well-rounded.

Second you’ll learn to recognize the most common logical fallacies that appear daily in the  media with assistance of our supplementary text: With Good Reason: An Introduction to Informal Fallacies by Morris Engel (purchase required). Some lists contain over 200 such informal fallacies, but we’ll focus on about 25-30 of the most common.

• Tuition:      $275 Premier           OR            Tuition:      $25 Basic
•  Grade:       7-8                                                 Grade:      7-8
• Mode:       Asynchronous                            Mode:       Self-taught
• Offered:   Fall                                                 Offered:   Open Enrollment
• Textbook: See above                                    Textbook:  See above

Textbook & Course Materials

Required Text:: “An Introduction to Informal Fallacies” by  Morris Engel.

Course Requirements

• Internet connection (DSL, LAN, or cable connection desirable)
• Desktop or laptop computer

Course Structure

• The course is delivered in 16 weeks, divided into 3 units corresponding  to Foundations of Logic, Patterns of Logic. Principles of Logic
• Each unit consists of reading a chapter in the book, followed by  ungraded review exercises and a chapter quiz. The instructor is available during specified office hours on the learning platform to  answer questions and/or interact with groups of students. Students may interact with each other at any time on the forum

Part 2: Student Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of the course the student will be able to
1) Explain the interaction of revelation & reason in defending the faith
2) Articulate the 3 Laws of thought.
3) Explain the difference in deductive and inductive reasoning.
4) Evaluate an argument by criteria of truth, validity & soundness
5) Complete exercises & quizzes to identify 8 fallacies of assumption
6) Complete exercises & quizzes to identify 8 fallacies of appeal.
7) Complete exercises & quizzes to identify 8 fallacies of ambiguity.
8) Complete the Term Project: Stuff They Don’t Teach You In School: Success Leaves Traces

Student will meet the objectives listed above through a combination of the following activities in this course:

• Attendance and participation in the class forum
• Study of assigned online reading
• Listen to video lectures
• Completion of pretests and practice exercises
• Completion of 15 Chapter quizzes, mid-terms & Final Exam
•  Completion of the Term Project

Part 3: Topic Outline/Schedule

UNIT I: Foundations

Assignment (Week 1): Read the online Chapter 1 about the relationship between revelation and reason, complete the ungraded REVIEW exercise, listen to the lecture, and take the quiz

Assignment (Week 2): Read the online Chapter 2 about the Purpose of Logic, complete the ungraded REVIEW exercise, listen to the lecture, and take the quiz. Enter a question related to Unit I on the class forum and respond to at least one
of your classmate’s questions.

Assignment (Week 3):Read the online Chapter 3 about the Classical Purpose  of Logic, complete the ungraded REVIEW exercise, listen to the lecture, and take  the quiz.

Review the requirements of the Term Project and select a major life goal you’d  like to achieve. This can be a relationship goal or a goal related to any other area of your life. Order the free book, “Success Leaves Traces,” by Armand
Morin: https://successleavestraces.com/

Assignment Week 4): Read the online Chapter 4 about the Limitations of Logic, complete the ungraded REVIEW exercise, listen to the lecture, and take the quiz. Enter a question related to the definition of Logic on the class forum
and respond to at least one of your classmate’s questions.

UNIT II: Patterns

Assignment Week 5): Read the online Chapter 5 about induction vs. deduction, complete the ungraded REVIEW exercise, listen to the lecture, and take the quiz.

Assignment Week 6): Read the online Chapter 6 about the Laws of Thought, complete the ungraded REVIEW exercise, listen to the lecture, and take the quiz.

Assignment Week 7): Read the online Chapter 7 about premises and conclusions, complete the ungraded REVIEW exercise, listen to the lecture, and take the quiz. Study Chapter 1 in Engel and take Mid-Term Exam #1.

Assignment Week 8): Read the online Chapter 8 about patterns embedded in language, complete the ungraded REVIEW exercise, listen to the lecture, and take the quiz. Enter a question related to Patterns of Logic on the class forum
and respond to at least one of your classmate’s questions.

Assignment Week 9): Read the online Chapter 9 about premise types, complete the ungraded REVIEW exercise, listen to the lecture, and take the quiz.Assignment Week 10): Read the online Chapter 10 about diagramming
patterns embodied in language, complete the ungraded REVIEW exercise, listen  to the lecture, and take the quiz. Study Chapter 2 in Engel and take Mid-Term Exam #2.
For your Term Project, select the success model you’d like to imitate and list 75 attributes of that model, per the instructions. You may find that they fall into natural categories.

Assignment Week 10): Read the online Chapter 10 about diagramming  patterns embodied in language, complete the ungraded REVIEW exercise, listen   to the lecture, and take the quiz. Study Chapter 2 in Engel and take Mid-Term  Exam#2.
For your Term Project, select the success model you’d like to imitate and list 75 attributes of that model, per the instructions. You may find that they fall into natural categories.

UNIT III: Principles

Assignment Week 11): Read the online Chapter 11 about evaluation of arguments, complete the ungraded REVIEW exercise, listen to the lecture, and  take the quiz.

Assignment Week 12): Read the online Chapter 12 about fallacies of  assumption and study Chapter 4 in Engel. Complete the ungraded REVIEW exercise, listen to the lecture, and take the quiz.

Assignment Week 13): Read the online Chapter 13 about fallacies of appeal  and study Chapter 5 in Engel. Complete the ungraded REVIEW exercise, listen to  the lecture, and take the quiz.

Assignment Week 14): Read the online Chapter 14 about fallacies of  ambiguity and study Chapter 3 in Engel. Complete the ungraded REVIEW  exercise, listen to the lecture, and take the quiz. Enter a question related to
informal fallacies on the class forum and respond to at least one of your  classmate’s questions.

Assignment Week 15): Read the online Chapter 15 review of patterns and  principles, complete the ungraded REVIEW exercise, listen to the lecture, and  take the quiz. Take the PRACTICE Final Exam as many times as necessary to
thoroughly assimilate the nature of the 25 tested fallacies. When ready, take the FINAL exam.

Assignment Week 16) : Complete Term Project: “Stuff They Don’t Teach You  In School”: Success Leaves Traces. Build your list as directed and complete  your first 5 activities.

Part 4: Grading Policy

Graded Course Activities
The course grade is determined as follows

The course grade is determined as follows
Participation in discussion	10%
Ungraded  Review Exercises Quizzes: Online Notes & Lectures Midterm 1 & 2(Engel)	15%(15 x 1pt) 45%(15 x 3pt) 10%  (2 x 5pt)
Final Exam: Engel Fallacies	10%
Term Project	10%
TOTAL	100%

Late Work Policy: Be sure to pay close attention to deadlines—there will be no make up assignments or quizzes, or late work accepted without a serious and compelling reason and instructor approval.
Your instructor will update the online grades each time a grading session has been complete—typically 2 days following the completion of an activity. You will see a visual indication of new grades posted in Moodle.

Letter Grade Assignment

Final grades assigned for this course will be based on the percentage of total   points earned and are assigned as follows:

Letter Grade Percentage Performance

Letter Grade	Percentage	Performance
A	93-100%	Excellent Work
A-	90-92%	Nearly Excellent
B+	87-89%	Very Good Work
B	83-86%	Good Work
B-	80-82%	Mostly Good Work
C+	77-79%	Above Average Work
C	73-76%	Average Work
C-	70-72%	Mostly Average Work
D+	67-69%	Below Average Work
D	60-66%	Poor Work
F	0-59%	Failing Work

Part 5: Course Policies

Participate

Instructor will be using a tracking tool, discussions, chat sessions, and group work,to monitor your participation in the course.

Build Rapport

If you find that you have any trouble keeping up with assignments or  other aspects of the course, make sure you let your instructor know as early  as possible. As you will find, building rapport and effective relationships are  key to becoming an effective professional. Make sure that you are proactive in  informing your instructor when difficulties arise during the semester so that  they can help you find a solution.

Complete Assignments

•  Assignments must be submitted by the given deadline or special  permission must be requested from instructor before the due date. Extensions  will not be given beyond the next assignment except under extreme  circumstances.
• All discussion assignments must be completed by the assignment due  date and time. Late or missing discussion assignments will affect the student’s  grade.

Understand When You May Drop This Course

It is the student’s responsibility to understand when they need to   consider disenrolling from a course. After this period, a serious and    compelling reason is required to drop from the course.

Incomplete Policy

 Under emergency/special circumstances, students may petition for an   incomplete grade. Inform Your Instructor of Any Accommodations Needed 

 Commit to Integrity

 As a student in this course (and at this Academy) you are expected to   maintain high degrees of professionalism, commitment to active learning and   participation in this class and also integrity in your behavior in and out of the  classroom.

Academic Dishonesty Policy

Academic dishonesty includes such things as cheating, inventing false information or citations, plagiarism and helping someone else commit an act  of academic dishonesty. It usually involves an attempt by a student to show  possession of a level of knowledge or skill that he/she does not possess.

Course instructors have the initial responsibility for detecting and dealing with academic dishonesty. Instructors who believe that an act of academic dishonesty has occurred are obligated to discuss the matter with the  student(s) involved. Instructors should possess reasonable evidence of academic dishonesty. However, if circumstances prevent consultation with student(s), instructors may take whatever action (subject to student appeal) they deem appropriate.

Instructors who are convinced by the evidence that a student is guilty of academic dishonesty shall assign an appropriate academic penalty. If the instructors believe that the academic dishonesty reflects on the student’s academic performance or the academic integrity in a course, the student’s grade should be adversely affected. Suggested guidelines for appropriate actions are: an oral reprimand in cases where there is reasonable doubt that the student knew his/her action constituted academic dishonesty; a failing grade on the particular paper, project or examination where the act of dishonesty was unpremeditated, or where there were significant mitigating
circumstances; a failing grade in the course where the dishonesty was premeditated or planned. The instructors will file incident reports with the Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs and for Student Affairs or their designees. These reports shall include a description of the alleged incident of academic dishonesty, any relevant documentation, and any recommendations for action that he/she deems appropriate.