Faml 100 - The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Outcomes

The purpose of this course is to make The Family: A Proclamation to the World “live” in the hearts and minds of students. In an environment of faith your classmates and your instructor will engage in a careful study of this inspired document and its important relationship to societal changes and scholarly research on marriage and family. This course will employ principles from the Family Proclamation, in conjunction with support from relevant scholarly research, to:

Success in this course results from both understanding and application of valuable eternal principles, and assisting others to do the same. As you prepare and participate in the course you should move a little closer to discovering how the Lord can help you in your family. Each lesson can become a revelatory session that moves you to deeper covenant making and keeping. The design of the course gives you opportunity to learn as broadly and deeply as you would like.

Description

Some students mistakenly assume that online courses are easier because work can be done at the student's convenience. This assumption is false. FAML 100 requires the same commitment from students as a face-to-face course even though some things may be a little harder to accomplish online. And students who try to cram a whole week's worth of work into one or two concentrated blocks of time end up being frustrated and feeling overwhelmed with the work load. For the religion courses in particular, attempting to complete all assignments at once will most likely lessen your ability to learn and be taught by the Spirit, and thus minimize the experience you could have in this course. Students who have done well in this class say that spacing assignments throughout the week, or dedicating some time daily to the course, made a huge difference in their learning and satisfaction. We suggest committing to organize your time this semester so as to spread out your assignments so you are completing something every few days and are not pushing up against deadlines. It will make a difference in what you experience. This course is a study of The Family: A Proclamation to the World. The main topics in this class include The Plan of Salvation, marriage partnerships, and family relationships. As with all BYU- Idaho online and campus courses, each credit equates to approximately three or four hours of work per week. Therefore, you need to be able to dedicate 9-12 hours of work each week to completing this course's assignments. Additionally, this course is designed using the BYU-Idaho learning model. Though online, this course is NOT an independent study course. You will be expected to interact with classmates weekly in order to teach one another about what you are learning. Some interaction is accomplished on Discussion Boards; other weekly activities use Adobe Connect in order to meet with classmates synchronously. Apart from the introductory and conclusion lesson, this course follows a steady routine and weekly lesson structure comprising three main activity areas as follows:

  1. Preparation - This folder contains a weekly reading assignment and a reading discussion board. You will offer your first observations on a weekly discussion board by Wednesday at 11:00 PM local time, and then comment on others’ observations by Friday at 11:00 PM (MST (see discussion board for further details.) This discussion board assignment will help you prepare for other learning activities.
  2. Weekly Activities-This folder contains a “Teach One Another” discussion board, a student-choice “Learning Activity,” and a “Connection Session” to discuss your completed activity (using Adobe Connect).
  3. Periodic Project Updates – Four times during the term you will be prompted to submit an update on your on-going Family Proclamation Project.

Learning Model Architecture

In keeping with the carefully developed Learning Model uniquely embraced by Brigham Young University-Idaho, students and instructors are encouraged to seek, recognize and note spiritual impressions regarding the subjects of study. You are also strongly encouraged to engage in meaningful exchanges inside and outside of class. Your purposeful sharing—academic, personal and practical—is critical to the success of this class. Please do your coursework with an attitude of listening and learning. Lovingly support others in doing the same.

Required Materials

The text for this class is Successful Marriages & Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives ISBN: 978C0842528030 (by A. Hawkins, D. Dollahite, & T. Draper). For the first few weeks of the semester we have provided the first few chapters to give you time to order the book. Make sure that have the book by Week 5. Additional readings may come from the scriptures, LDS Church publications, the Church website—http://lds.org—or other resources that are readily available. Additional documents and presentations will also be offered throughout the course and will be considered required reading.

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Grading Policies

Introduction Week Activities (5% of Final Grade)

In the Introduction week you will participate in various activities to help you understand the purpose of this course and to introduce you to your peers. This week will assist you in understand what is required of you for the rest of the semester and how to accomplish future assignments.

Required Papers (20% of Final Grade)

Plagiarism

As a university student you are expected to develop your own ideas and distinguish between your own and someone else’s intellectual property. When you copy the words or ideas of anyone else and pass them off as your own you are engaged in plagiarism, a serious academic and moral offense. Plagiarism is considered to be extremely unethical and is taken very FAML 100 Page4 Syllabus seriously in academics. It also compromises your integrity and is a violation of the BYU-I honor code.

Plagiarism includes copying and pasting text, pictures, or other content from books, websites, or other media into class assignments and passing them off as your own. If an assignment asks you for your own work (i.e. opinion or understanding) and you copy someone else’s material (even just a paragraph, even if you replace some of the words with your own synonyms), without properly giving credit to the original source, you are plagiarizing.

Anyone caught plagiarizing will be penalized (usually with a failing grade). Other consequences can be as severe as being expelled from the university. Take a few minutes to read through the university’s website concerning plagiarism (Academic Honesty Policy) to make sure you do not sabotage any work you do for this course by plagiarizing.

  1. What I Intend to Learn (5%) After reviewing the Proclamation and perusing its text, offer your thoughts as to what you intend to learn in this semester. You will receive up to 20 points each for communicating (a) a general understanding of the Proclamation, and (b) areas in which you wish and intend to expand your understanding and commitment to those principles, including specific questions you will seek answers to. Up to 0 points will be granted for format, grammar, spelling, etc. Approximately 800–900 words in length.
  2. Proclamation Project Paper (10%) This paper will accompany and describe your semester-long Family Proclamation Project. See more details below in the section entitled Family%Proclamation%Project.
  3. What I Now Understand & Action Plan (10%) As the title and timing imply, this is your opportunity to discuss those things that you have learned/gained during this semester focusing on The Family Proclamation. Your challenge is to demonstrate an understanding or commitment to principles and practices beyond those with which you entered the course. Students are encouraged to review their earlier paper, What I Intend to Learn, and compare the two.
While a good understanding of principles is valuable, application is most important. Devise and document a clear plan of action, utilizing those things that you have found to be valuable and applicable from your study this semester. You will be graded as follows: Discuss some significant ways in which your perceptions, understanding, or commitments to principles from the Proclamation have changed as a result of your studies and efforts in this course (50 points). How do these outcomes compare with your expectations and hopes at the beginning of the semester (20 points). Develop a plan of action, what you will do from here with the information or understandings you have gained as you studied the Proclamation (30 points). This assignment should be 800– 000 words in length. All papers will be submitted in the appropriate digital drop box.

A Note regarding written assignments

Format

Of the points available, up to 10 are granted for format, grammar, spelling, etc. Keep in mind that the mechanics of writing help to clearly communicate the author’s thoughts. Since class members are engaged at the university level, it is expected that your writing will reflect that. Each paper should use the Times New Roman font, in 12-point size, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins.

Content

Of course, the bulk of the grade comes from your careful consideration and responses to the topics about which you are writing. It is assumed that university students are prepared to offer carefully crafted responses to problems or thought provoking questions. It is not enough to offer a brief synopsis or “what I think about…” type of response.

Students are encouraged to sincerely ponder the topic/prompt, then work hard for meaningful responses. These assignments are, after all, for the benefit of the student—not the instructor. It is hoped that all will be edified in the process of learning and teaching.

Search for scriptural and inspired supports and clarification. Do not be shy about seeking direct inspiration. One need not “look beyond the mark,” but do not settle for the simplistic responses.

Teach One Another Discussion Board (10% of Final Grade)

Students will complete readings each week. Several of these come from the text; others will be linked articles relating to the topic PowerPoint presentations, or other media introducing or reviewing concepts and principles. Students will need to complete these readings prior to exchanging thoughts on the Teach One Another discussion board.

Each lesson’s discussion board will contain prompts for discussion on related topics. Each student will need to complete reading/media assignments and make their first discussion board entry prior to Wednesday evening, 11:00 PM local time. In addition each student will read 5–10 posts from other students and offer meaningful responses to each by Friday evening, 11:00 PM local time. (See discussion boards for more detailed explanations.)

Weekly Connection Session (15% of Final Grade)

Each week you will choose at least one learning activity from several different options. These activities will pertain directly to the material being discussed in the readings and media. You should choose from the activities based upon personal interest and applicability to your family circumstances.

Structured learning activities should also be chosen to enhance and support the semester-long Family Proclamation Project. This allows you to customize learning experiences to address your personal needs and interests.

You will then meet with your assigned group using Adobe Connect. Here you and your group members will discuss the learning activity you completed, and what you gained from these experiences. This session provides opportunities for direct interaction with students, and allows you to offer feedback and learn from the efforts and observations of other students.

Family Proclamation Project (35% of Final Grade)

Students will devise and complete a “Family Proclamation Project”—an ongoing project which allows students to use their own creativity to design and implement a product of their choosing. This project can be any item the student believes will help to accomplish the following objectives:

Students will need to progress systematically throughout the semester with regular reports of progress toward their objective. They will also demonstrate their projects during a show-and- tell session at the end of the term. Examples of FPPs could include, but are not limited to: While considering project ideas, keep these points in mind: See the rubric included in the assignment directions.

Becoming a Learner

Students are expected to act and not be acted upon. Prepare spiritually to study and participate in each lesson; prepare to invite the Holy Ghost to teach you. You will find the more you take responsibility for your own learning, the more enjoyable the experience will be. This evaluation will be submitted at the end of each lesson on a class form.

Weekly Report (15% of Final Grade)

You will complete self-assessments throughout the course and are expected to use the following standards to help you assess and evaluate your efforts.

A: “Outstanding, understanding, application, and integration of subject material…diligent application of Learning Model principles, including initiative in serving other students.”

B: “Considerable/significant understanding, application, and incorporation of the material including participation in the Learning Model as applied in the course.”

C: “Sufficient understanding of subject matter but minimal initiative to be prepared for class activities including marginally participating in the Learning Model.

D: “Poor performance and initiative to learn, understand, and apply course materials. Remediation or recommitment seems necessary.”

E: Failure to participate in this week’s learning opportunities.

I am an “A” Learner:

I was/am highly engaged in learning process. My work for this lesson is of exceptional quality; my performance is impressive and beyond expectation. I am not focused on the process of earning an A, but far more concerned with the final product. The grade is far less important to me than learning the material and becoming a true learner. I made ample use of ideas and materials provided in the lesson as demonstrated by my willingness to learn and engage additional learning opportunities (find and study materials that have not been assigned). “A” students asked thoughtful questions born of their own inquiry and pondering. “A” students go beyond the expectation set by others. “A” students can say “I was an active participant in this lesson.” Through the various learning opportunities provided in this lesson I can demonstrate deep learning through my own original connections. I have been enabled by the Holy Ghost to understand and grasp the concepts presented in this class.

I am a “B” Learner:

I am not quite there, but I am catching the vision. My work is impressive but I could reasonably have done more on my own; an impressive quantity of my work is somewhat better than average quality. I made progress toward becoming an independent true learner. I am still concerned about earning an “A” in this class and it is still as important to me as learning the material. “B” students asked questions, but questions are more of factual nature than the original connections that grow out of the ponderings of “A” students. I participated in the lesson faithfully, with possibly a few reasonable exceptions.

I am a “C” Learner:

I want traditional education, tell me what to do and I will do it. I did the work, but met the expectations without distinction. My efforts are of acceptable quality but lack inspiration or depth of insight. Evidently, I was just going through the motions. I participated in the lesson regularly, but made only a perfunctory effort to apply the material. I asked few if any questions, preferring to respond only when required. I made little or no effort to benefit from available resources; rarely sought individualized guidance from the instructor; seemed unwilling to take the initiative for a deep learning experience. A good amount of work/participation was of average quality.

I am a “D” Learner:

I didn’t catch the vision. I did the minimum amount of work. I put forth minimal effort—barely adequate to pass the course. I submitted little work, or work was carelessly presented. My participation was at a minimal level, and I was frequently unprepared.

I am an “F” Learner:

I didn’t catch the vision—I didn’t do the work. I put forth little or minimal effort.

Late Policy

Work that is late hampers your ability to fully participate in the course and will be accepted only at the instructor’s discretion. Any late work that is accepted will be penalized 10% each day it is late unless other arrangements are made with the instructor. Points for small group work cannot be made up once the group has met because the purpose of those assignments is to meet together. Do not expect an instructor to bend the course due dates to accommodate your personal scheduling conflicts, including weddings and vacations. However, if you know you will be unable to meet a due date for any particular assignment, an instructor may be able to work with you if you make prior arrangements to submit your work.

Course Question Board

This course has a discussion board in the Course folder on the left hand menu where you are encouraged to post general questions/problems/concerns etc. Using this board will inform other class members, the instructor, and Online Course Improvement of the issues you find and allow the proper people to correct them for everyone. Please check this board throughout the semester. If you are experiencing the same problem, you can post as well so others know the seriousness of the problem. Or, if you know the answer to a problem, you are encouraged to post solutions. Helping your classmates fix posted problems is another way to teach one another. Additionally, your instructor and/or course improvement people are monitoring this board and will post fixes and solutions here. You should only email your instructor directly if the problem is of a personal nature. Otherwise, posting to this board is the fastest and most efficient way to report problems you encounter and get them resolved.

Final Grading Scale

A=94%-100% B+=87%-89.9% B-=80%-83.9% C=74%-76.9% D+=67%-69.9%
A-=90%-93.9% B=84%-86.9% C+=77%-79.9% C-=70%-73.9% D=64%-66.9%

The instructor reserves the right to change any part of this syllabus at any time during the semester in order to adapt to changing course needs. You will be notified prior to any changes that may take place.