Geography of Asia and the Pacific Rim

I'm excited for you to join our class, Geography of Asia and the Pacific Rim! My name is Christabel Devadoss, and I will be your instructor this semester. I'll introduce myself more in our first discussion post. In the meantime, check out our syllabus below, which is your resource guide for the semester. Looking forward to meeting everyone!

INSTRUCTOR:  CHRISTABEL DEVADOSS 

CONTACT: CHRISTABEL.DEVADOSS@MTSU.EDU

VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS: BY APPT

Get ready to learn about Asia and the Pacific Rim's nuanced, multifaceted, and diverse geographies. We will use a variety of approaches – including physical, economic, political, social, and cultural – to critically engage with this region. There are a lot of misconceptions and stereotypes about Asia, and many US representations about this region are incorrect, so we will spend time discussing common Western stereotypes. This is a large region, so we will not detail every issue/country. We will discuss the physical geographic features of the region and investigate human and cultural geographic issues such as human population, culture, language, migration, and politics, among others. We will consider political geography, stressing geopolitics and imperialism, to understand political situations in the region. During the course, we will connect our course materials to current events through various media as we explore the region.

1. D2L Readings, Videos, and Podcasts. I will upload a series of materials, including textbook chapters that you will be required to read, watch, or listen to throughout the semester. These are free.
2. Subscription service - Netflix, Amazon, Kanopy (free through MTSU), etc. to watch a film for your film assignment and one other discussion assignment.
3. Discord - after the first initial meeting, we will have our classes on Discord. You can sign up for an account here: https://discord.com/. I will post the channel details in D2L. You will need to join the channel.

This course is asynchronous - which means it is self-paced in some ways. There are still due dates and required time frames to complete course material. Interacting with the instructor and classmates in discussions and other course activities consistently will help us learn from one another as we explore our world!

• Expect to have about 15-20 hours per week set aside to complete all the due materials.
• Discussion Posts are due on Tuesdays at 11:59 p.m. Follow-up responses and Quizzes are due on Thursdays at 11:59 p.m. Exams and other Assignments are due on Fridays at 11:59 p.m. You can plan to submit things a day earlier or whatever works for your schedule as long as it is not after the due date.
• Plan to log in multiple times a week to view weekly announcements and updates and review course materials.

This class is designed to teach you and help you be successful. Online classes demand much from students regarding time management, participation, and organizational skills. It is important to follow these tips for success:

1. Find consistent, reliable access to a computer and internet.
2. Have a backup plan for unexpected incidents that would prohibit internet access (MTSU and other libraries are possibilities).
3. Be proactive: read directions and materials closely, stay in touch via email, and plan ahead to balance personal and professional lives with academic responsibilities.
4. Read, analyze, and memorize the assigned material and videos on D2L
5. Complete assignments on time according to instructions
6. Seek assistance from the professor in a timely manner
7. Maintain strong online participation
8. With everything you do and with all submitted assignments, be professional. Professionalism is one of the most important factors when evaluating and distinguishing academic work.
9. To gauge your progress, ask yourself: 1) Am I completing class discussions? 2) Am I  completing all requirements, pushing beyond if need be? 3) Am I reading and analyzing assigned material, and using examples as evidence to support my point when necessary? 4) Am I taking all of my quizzes and exams on time? If yes, you are on the right track. I encourage you to contact me with any questions about grades.

In this course, my goal is for you to: develop a more nuanced view of the world, apply critical thinking skills in and beyond the classroom, have practical knowledge and tools gained in the classroom translate to everyday skills, and inspire interest through engagement and creativity. To do this, I ask you throughout the semester to engage in a variety of practical exercises that require reflection, discussion, reading, listening, watching, and then application through project-based and experiential learning. I have designed material and content in our courses to allow us to encounter and deal with diverse perspectives, challenge our own biases and stereotypes, and most importantly, learn together and from one another. My hopes for you are that 1) you think reflectively and empathetically about global issues – how they affect your daily lives and the lives of those around you, 2) you leave with a more critical, informed, and culturally competent approach to the world in your personal interactions and in your future careers, and finally, 3) you will use your knowledge and skills to ultimately, contribute to our world in meaningful and positive ways.

1. I am open to suggestions from you and welcome your input on a variety of multimedia. Students in former classes have shared comedy skits or poems that they thought related to our concepts or themes and I have incorporated those into the classroom.
2. My goal is to make our classroom a safe environment that everyone can contribute to because each one of you has an important perspective from which we can all learn.
3. I will provide a variety of assignments to accommodate various learning needs.
4. I will provide a clear and organized course so that you can meet the learning outcomes.
5. If you need support in the course or have questions, I will work with you to help you succeed.
6. I will make some mistakes because no one is perfect, but I will try my best to learn and grow from them as you do.

*Assignments must be submitted on D2L and will not be accepted via email.*

1. Reading: The course schedule indicates the chapters that should be read. The rate of reading is commonly less than 100 pages per week.
2. Multimedia: Material or films for discussion posts will not always be in the textbooks but might be included on quizzes or exams. For each discussion post, it is vital that you watch, listen to, or read the material beyond the textbook. I would recommend focusing on multimedia for the discussion posts and reading for the quizzes, though I encourage referencing both for each assignment. You should expect to devote at least 2 hours a week to viewing/listening/interacting with additional multimedia material.
3. Quizzes (22%): Quizzes are intended to ensure you are learning the material and will also expose you to how geographers engage with geography. You should read and examine the material and instructions critically and carefully to succeed. Much of the quiz material will be on the exams. Unlike posts—which require concentrated, in-depth responses—quizzes are designed for straightforward reading comprehension and thus will often be short (multiple-choice, etc). Quizzes have a time-window of availability and cannot be made up, no matter the excuse or reason. DUE: EVERY FRIDAY BEFORE 11:59 PM. I will drop your lowest quiz grade at the end of the semester.
4. Exams (30%): Exam material will come from previous quizzes but will also contain essay questions that require you to demonstrate mastery of the material. Exams will be cumulative. You will be tested on readings, films, and discussions. To do well on the exams, you must complete all the assigned readings, participate in discussions, and take all quizzes. There are no make-up exams in this course. Exams will also be open a week before the due date. Exams have a time window of availability and cannot be made up, no matter the excuse or reason. DUE: WEEK OF EXAMS ON FRIDAYS BEFORE 11:59 PM.
5. Discussion Posts (30%): Discussion posts function similarly to in-class time. As this is an upper-division course, they also function as a writing and scholarly material application. You may be required to research each weekly topic outside the assigned readings. In some ways, this is difficult, but it also evenly distributes your work throughout the semester rather than having a single final paper. Discussions are composed of two components: 1) initial discussion posts (usually the most time-consuming) and 2) two follow-up response posts. It is essential to post discussions and discussion responses each week. You must meet the weekly minimum word count requirement to receive full credit. I may (not always) respond with thoughts to consider or to encourage interest and guide reading comprehension, though this type of instruction and guidance is also provided in announcements. Peer responses are also meant to encourage critical thinking. Ultimately, we share in the teaching and learning through robust analyses and meaningful exchanges. Late Posts within 48 hours are awarded credit up to 50%. After 48 hours, posts will not be accepted. DUE: INITIAL POST DUE EVERY TUESDAY BEFORE 11:59 PM. RESPONSE POST DUE EVERY THURSDAY BEFORE 11:59 PM. At the end of the semester, I will drop your lowest discussion post grade.
6. Film Assignment (18%): This exercise allows you to experience watching cinema from another significant film industry in Asia. You will conduct a film analysis and provide a reaction and discussion to your chosen film. I will distribute details of this assignment later in the semester. The use of AI to write this assignment is prohibited. You will automatically receive an F if you use AI (ChaptGPT, Bard, etc.).

1. Some of the topics in this class will focus on provocative social issues.  You are encouraged to think critically and ask questions, but always respect your fellow students and your instructor. Make sure that when discussing issues that you do not insult or “troll” your peers or instructor, but rather respond professionally and respectfully. The 2017 Merriam Webster definition of “troll” verb) is “to antagonize (others) online by deliberately posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content.” If you engage in this behavior, you will lose discussion points.

2. You may arrive at conclusions different from those of your classmates and your professor. This is OK and your final grade is in no way dependent on whether or not you agree or disagree with the concepts presented in this class. Instead, it is based on your efforts to think about and engage critically with them in a thoughtful, respectful, and professional manner.

3. Use of artificial intelligence (AI) applications (ChatGPT or similar) to complete assignments is prohibited. You need to write in your own words and cite your sources. If you chose to use AI to outline or brainstorm, you will need to upload and send all of the drafts of how you used AI and also highlight specifically the words that are your own, otherwise you will receive a 0.

4.  It is ok to bring up points outside of the assigned readings (and you may bring in additional sources); however, you MUST cite these sources. In other words, you need to make sure that you are including accurate, up-to-date information. You will not get full credit if you do not cite 1) a reputable source or 2) accurate information.

5. Your initial posts will generally be 350 words, but may vary, depending on the topic. Sometimes posts will be 400 or 450 words. Make sure to read and pay attention to post instructions and word count requirements. Follow-up posts are an additional 75 words for each post (2 required).

Graduate Students have more rigorous requirements for this course. Please get in touch with me at the beginning of the semester with any questions, but in addition to the above work, graduate students have the following additional requirements:

1. Discussion posts (50%) - Because graduate work is focused on sustained writing, graduate students will not take Exams. They will be required to create longer discussion posts (750-1000 words) that will include additional course readings. These will also include all the readings for the undergraduate quizzes.
2. Discussion Lead (20%) - Graduate students must create or add to one of our weekly discussion posts. Contact me for further details and review requirements in the Graduate Student Folder under Content.
3. Final project (30%) - Graduate students will not take Exams, but will need to submit a final project on a topic of their choosing (must be approved first) in ArcGIS StoryMaps.

1. Attendance Reporting: Class attendance is monitored through discussion posts.MTSU requires that instructors complete an attendance report for each course at midterm and at the end of each semester.
2. D2L Grades: Sometimes, online learning systems do not always display grades correctly. So always be sure to check the syllabus for correct points and percentages. Your grade is based on the amount of work you have done in class. So, for example, if you have completed 50 percent of the work, but the online learning system is showing that you have an A, you will not receive an A in the class. Be sure to keep track of grades and points on D2L and make sure that they match with those in the syllabus at all times and get in touch with me as soon as you notice something is off.
3. From MTSU: Incomplete grades are given rarely and only in extenuating circumstances. Page 56 of the MTSU Undergraduate Catalog states: “The grade I indicates that the student has not completed all course requirements because of illness or other uncontrollable circumstances, especially those which occur toward the end of the term. Mere failure to make up work or turn in required work on time does not provide the basis for the grade of “I” unless extenuating circumstances noted above are present for reasons acceptable to the instructor.” Please refer to the Undergraduate Catalog for the complete Incomplete Grade Policy.

Accessing D2L: To be successful, you need reliable internet access and regular use of D2L. Familiarize yourself with the learning system. You really want to prepare ahead of time and not wait for the last minute to address technical issues. Make sure your web browser (i.e. Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari) is configured correctly. Check your email and D2L daily for course communication. If classes are canceled (whether from snow or other emergencies), all work will still be due as scheduled.

Email and D2L: Per the  Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act  (FERPA), all course communication will be conducted using university email. Faculty cannot respond to student emails via a non-institutional assigned email account. Before sending an email, first check the syllabus and assignment explanations, as your answer is likely there. Then, please only email me from your university email. I will try to respond within 48 hours, though weekends and holidays may take a bit more time. However, we may not be able to address all issues if you email me the day (or even a couple days) before an assignment is due. In some cases, I may not even receive the email in time. I strongly recommend contacting me well ahead of due dates or regarding potential conflicts.

Email Etiquette: Feel free to use this as guide for professional correspondence, i.e. professors, businesses, jobs, contacts, etc):

1. Include a brief but explanatory subject line.
2. Include your full name and class information. Some professors prefer to see this info in the subject line, that’s fine too. 
3. Be clear and concise.
4. Before hitting send, reread the email for clarity and double-check the “To” address.  
5. Before emailing questions, please check the syllabus and assignment instructions. 
6. Allow for at least 48 hours for a response time. If you do not receive a response within 48 hours, send a follow up email.
7. On weekends, many people do not check work emails, so expect it might be longer.

Scholarly sources and Writing/Tutoring Assistance: Please be sure that you understand the definition of a scholarly source. Sites like Wikipedia are not acceptable/reliable sources of information. Here are some good sources for definitions of Scholarly Sources:  USC Lib Guides  and  UBC’s Get Research Help . Also, be sure to check out MTSU’s Library  resources  and databases for scholarly searches or  Google Scholar .

Both the  Writing Center  and the Library are great resources for writers. They offer a variety of appointments (even online), to help you with writing projects. Look over the Writing Center’s  Online Resources  and make sure you are familiar with scholarly  citation . For general tutoring, take advantage of  free tutoring services  at MTSU.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is a form of cheating and generally involves using someone else’s work as your own without proper citations. Since we are all using the same texts for this class, you typically will not need to cite the textbook every time (specific directions on this provided elsewhere). However, if you use any other source for discussions, you must cite according to citation guidelines. Ultimately, if you are ever in doubt, better to be safe and cite and/or ask me for help. See Purdue OWL’s citation  resources  for specific style guides (you may choose any citation style, just be consistent). ANY DISCUSSION OR ASSIGNMENT CONTAINING PLAGIARISM WILL RECEIVE AN F AND WARRANTS A FORMAL REPORT TO THE UNIVERSITY. THERE IS NO NEGOTIATING THIS GRADE. To avoid this situation, please ask for help when you have any questions.

Common Knowledge: One challenge of avoiding plagiarism can be distinguishing “common knowledge”—which does not need citations or references—from specific or researched information, which does. Some helpful resources on “common knowledge” are at  MIT  or  Princeton . Generally, common knowledge: is not always easy to distinguish; is not solely up to you (it’s not about whether you believe the info to be common knowledge or not); and can depend on instance or audience. Thus, again, I advise to be cautious and safe: when in doubt, cite and/or ask me for help. See the plagiarism handout on D2L.

Going online and using information without proper citation, copying parts of other students’ work, creating information to establish credibility, or using someone else’s thoughts or ideas without appropriate acknowledgment is academic misconduct. If you have a question about an assignment, please ask me to clarify.

MTSU Policies: Please review the information on Academic Integrity and Misconduct. Academic integrity is a hallmark of Middle Tennessee State University. We expect students to present original work for all academic assignments turned in for credit and appropriately credit all sources used. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

1. Plagiarism: The adoption or reproduction of ideas, words, statements, images, or works of another person as one’s own without proper attribution. This includes self-plagiarism, which occurs when an author submits material or research from a previous academic exercise to satisfy the requirements of another exercise and uses it without proper citation of its reuse.
2. Cheating: Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise. This includes unapproved collaboration, which occurs when a student works with others on an academic exercise without the express permission of the professor. It also includes purchasing assignments or paying another person to complete a course for you.
3. Fabrication: Unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise. 
4. AI: The use of AI-generated context including text, images, code, figures, and any other material is strictly prohibited for any material submitted in this class.  This includes using this content for homework, papers, codes, or other creative works.  This restriction encompasses the creation or revision of work by AI. Violation of this policy will be considered academic misconduct and will be dealt with accordingly. The use of basic word processing AI systems including grammar and spelling checkers need not be disclosed in this class.

All cases of academic misconduct will be reported to the Director of Student Academic Ethics and may result in failure on the test/assignment or for the course. Students guilty of academic misconduct are immediately responsible to the instructor of the class. In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions (including suspension from the university), which may be imposed through the regular institutional procedures as a result of academic misconduct, the instructor has the authority to assign an “F” or zero for an activity or to assign an “F” for the course. Students accused of plagiarism will be immediately reported to the Director of Student Academic Ethics.

 Frequently Used Student Resources 

Technical Support: Students who experience technical problems including, but not limited to, logging into their course, timing out of their course, and using the course website tools, should be encouraged to contact the  MTSU Help Desk online  (24/7) or at 1-615-898-5345.

Students with Disabilities: Middle Tennessee State University is committed to campus access in accordance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Any student interested in reasonable accommodations can consult the  Disability & Access Center (DAC) website  and/or contact the DAC for assistance at 615-898-2783 or dacemail@mtsu.edu.

Hope (Lottery) Scholarship Information: Do you have a lottery scholarship? To retain the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship eligibility, you must earn a cumulative TELS GPA of 2.75 after 24 and 48 attempted hours and a cumulative TELS GPA of 3.0 thereafter. A grade of C, D, F, FA, or I in this class may negatively impact TELS eligibility. If you drop this class, withdraw, or stop attending this class, you may lose eligibility for your lottery scholarship, and you may not be able to regain eligibility.For additional Lottery rules, please refer to your  Lottery Statement of Understanding form  or contact your  MT One Stop Enrollment Counselor .

Grade Appeals:  University Policy 313, Student Grade Appeals , provides an avenue for MTSU students to appeal a final course grade in cases in which the student alleges that unethical or unprofessional actions by the instructor and/or grading inequities improperly impacted the final grade.

Title IX: Students who believe they have been harassed, discriminated against or been the victim of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence or stalking should contact a Title IX/Deputy Coordinator at 615-898- 2185 or 615-898-2750 for assistance or review MTSU’s Title IX website for resources.  MTSU faculty are concerned about the well-being and development of our students and are legally obligated to share reports of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking with the University’s Title IX coordinator to help ensure student’s safety and welfare. Please refer to  MTSU’s Title IX website  for contact information and details.

Outreach and Support Programs: The MTSU community is committed to the academic achievement of each student, and we know that struggling to address basic needs can affect a student’s ability to perform academically. If you are having trouble finding a safe and stable place to live or enough food to eat, please contact Danielle Rochelle (615-898-2808 / Danielle.Rochelle@mtsu.edu ), come by the MTSU Food Pantry at the MT One Stop, or speak with your instructor to get the assistance and resources you need.