Syllabus for AOJ-484-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Public Policy, Crime, and Criminal Justice provides an analysis of intergovernmental relations in the forming and implementing of criminal justice policies, laws, and procedures. Emphasis is placed on the development of quantitative and qualitative information in analyzing and formulating policy.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Assess public policy issues, processes, and resources as they relate to the area of criminal justice.
• Interpret and critically analyze the research bases of knowledge in the field, and demonstrate how they are developed and used.
• Integrate criminal justice theory with practical issues in the discipline.
• Critically analyze the relationships between the public, law enforcement personnel, perpetrators of crime, and the criminal justice system.
• Analyze criminal justice problems and propose solutions.

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COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to complete the work of the course. The textbook is available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

• Criminal Justice: Policy and Planning,, 3d edition, by Wayne N. Welsh and Philip W. Harris (Newark, N.J.: LexisNexis Group, 2009).
  
  ISBN-13: 978-1-59345-508-8

COURSE STRUCTURE

Public Policy, Crime, and Criminal Justice is a three-credit online course. It consists of seven study modules as well as an introductory and a concluding module.

Modular study assignments include text readings and suggested Web sites. You are required to participate in seven graded online discussions and an ungraded "Introductions" forum, which occurs during the first week of the semester. There are eight short quizzes, eight written assignments, and a final project—a critique of a case study.

For the course's assignment modules (study assignments, online discussions, and written assignments), go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. The quizzes are found in the Tests & Quizzes area of the site. See also the Course Calendar for an overview of the assignments and for all due dates. You will find other helpful materials in the areas titled Chapter Pedagogy and Course Documents.

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ONLINE PARTICIPATION

In addition to an ungraded "Introductions" forum, Public Policy, Crime, and Criminal Justice requires you to participate in seven graded class discussions.

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses.

You will be evaluated both on the quality of your responses (i.e., your understanding of readings, and concepts as demonstrated by well-articulated, critical thinking) and quantity of your participation (i.e., the number of times you participate meaningfully in the assigned forums). Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

Meaningful participation in online discussions is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement.

Deadlines for posting responses to the discussion questions are given in the course Calendar.

Specific directions for these activities, and the questions to be discussed, are given in the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Public Policy, Crime, and Criminal Justice has eight (8) written assignments. For the assignment topics and questions, see the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.

The written assignments are the primary means for you to express yourself verbally during the semester, controlling content and meaning. Due dates for each assignment are listed in the course Calendar.

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site, and read through the written assignment question before you begin the reading for that assignment.

Your answers to the assignment questions should be well developed and convey your understanding of the readings and concepts. They should also adequately answer the questions posed. If you need help in writing, take a look at The Writing Center: University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Also, formulate responses in your own words. Do not merely copy answers from your reading materials. When quoting or paraphrasing from the text or other sources, be sure to cite the source of information properly according to APA guidelines (see also Basic Documentation Rules). If you have further questions, your mentor will guide you in accordance with the correct style of documentation.

For the position papers (written assignments) as well as the final project you may access both a set of guidelines and the rubric that will be used for grading. There are links for these documents in each of the individual assignments. You will also find all of these documents on the course site in the Course Documents area.

Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the

>>View/Complete Assignment

link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and submit your assignment file.

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FINAL PROJECT

There is no proctored examination (midterm or final) in this course. A 15- to 20-page final project acts as your final assessment and is worth 40 percent of your grade. You may begin work on this project at any time during the course, but you must submit it by the last day of the semester.

Complete instructions for your final project, as well as your choice of topics, can be found within the Assignment Modules area of this course. (See Assignment Modules/Concluding Module/Final Project.)

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, and the final project are based on the following numerical grades:

Note: To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., assignments, projects, papers, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.
   
   
2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.
   
   
3. Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.
   
   
4. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking your examination. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.
   
   
2. Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

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