Introduction to Sociology with Virtual Labs and Sims
Price
TBA
Duration
2 Quarters, 1 Semester
Table of Contents
COURSE OBJECTIVE
Ever wondered why people behave the way they do? In this interactive course, you'll delve into the fascinating world of sociology, the science of society and social interaction. Explore how social structures, cultural patterns, and everyday interactions shape our lives and the world around us.
Why Sociology Matters:
Become a Global Citizen: Sociology equips you with critical thinking skills to analyze social issues and diverse perspectives in our interconnected world.
Level Up Your Social IQ: Discover how group dynamics, social norms, and social change impact individuals and communities.
Unleash Your Inner Investigator: Explore how sociological research has driven social reforms and empowered positive change.
Get Ready to:
Dive Deep: Analyze social issues through interactive discussions and simulations (think Sims!).
Level Up Your Skills: Hone critical thinking, communication, and social awareness through engaging activities.
Make Connections: Apply sociological concepts to your life and the world around you.
Expand Your Horizons: Sociology helps you understand your place in society and how others see you. You'll learn to question assumptions, appreciate diverse perspectives, and navigate our increasingly connected world.
This course is perfect for curious minds who want to become active and informed citizens in an ever-changing social landscape.
COURSE FORMAT
The class meets 90 minutes twice a week (M/W or T/Th) for 20 weeks. Like all other courses in our curriculum, Introduction to Sociology with Virtual Labs and Sims consists of two components: asynchronous and synchronous learning.
We use the Sociology 101: Intro to Sociology course for the asynchronous flipped classroom portion of the course. This makes up 30% of your overall grade.
Your academy instructor will facilitate the virtual in-person synchronous portion of the course. This makes up 60% of your overall grade.
Asynchronous Learning
Sociology 101: Intro to Sociology course on Study.com was created by a panel of expert instructors who break down concepts with bite-sized, animated video lessons organized into topical chapters that improve comprehension and retention, making learning fun and engaging. Each video is approximately 5-10 minutes long and comes with a quick quiz to help you measure your "first exposure learning" during the pre-work phase before the actual class. At the end of each chapter, you will complete a chapter test to see if you're ready to move on or have some material to review.
You should expect to spend 50-70 minutes per week on these homework assignments. The academy intentionally schedules no classes on Fridays to provide dedicated time for homework assignments and out-of-class projects.
Synchronous Learning
Our academy instructor, who will also serve as your Gamemaster, will facilitate the live, virtual classroom sessions, which will supplement and build upon the Sociology 101: Intro to Sociology with Sims course. Additionally, they will answer any questions you may have about the asynchronous material.
Our course utilizes the free, online textbook Introduction to Sociology 3e by OpenStax. This interactive text goes beyond foundational concepts, actively engaging you in critical thinking about society and culture. Packed with current data, diverse perspectives, real-world examples, and thought-provoking discussions, the text empowers you to understand the "why" behind human behavior and societal structures. Clear learning objectives guide you through each module, ensuring you master key concepts. From exploring diversity and social inequalities to examining social policy and debate, Introduction to Sociology 3e equips you with the knowledge and tools to become a more informed and engaged citizen.
Our in-person sessions are designed to make learning fun and interactive! Here's what you can expect:
Interactive discussions: We will delve deeper into key concepts from the asynchronous material and address any common misconceptions.
Team-based activities: You'll work collaboratively with your fellow students to earn points and badges, and climb the leaderboard as you embark on scientific edventures!
Labs and Simulations: We will conduct virtual labs and simulations to provide hands-on experience with key sociology concepts, like culture, norms, social structure, social class, power, inequality, ethnicity, biases and more.
Exams
There will be a comprehensive mid-term exam over all content covered during the first quarter and a comprehensive final exam over all content covered during the second quarter. Both of these exams are weighted equally, and the combined average will count as 10% of your course grade.
COURSE TOPICS
Chapters: 13; Lessons: 129
INTERACTIVE DISCUSSION BOARD
Each chapter features an interactive discussion board powered by Discussion Hero, a gamified platform developed by Northwestern University. Students choose between "hero" and "villain" roles and avatars, earning points for their contributions. This fosters a sense of competition and engagement, making discussions even more rewarding.
Benefits of Participating in Discussions:
Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills: Go beyond memorization and passive learning by analyzing information, evaluating different perspectives, and forming your own conclusions.
Enhance communication skills: Practice clear communication, learn to articulate your ideas effectively, and develop respectful listening and rebuttal skills.
Fosters a collaborative learning environment: Learn from each other, share knowledge, and collaborate on problem-solving, creating a dynamic and enriching learning community.
Deepen your understanding of the content: Actively engaging with the course material through discussion solidifies and expands your understanding beyond lectures and readings.
Provides diverse perspectives: Discussions expose you to different viewpoints and interpretations, encouraging critical thinking and broadening your understanding of the subject matter.
Offers opportunities for self-reflection: Examining your own thoughts and arguments in response to prompts and engaging with others' perspectives helps solidify your learning and identify areas for further exploration.
Apply knowledge to real-world scenarios: Apply course concepts to real-world situations through discussions, enhancing the material's relevance.
Build a digital learning portfolio: Discussions serve as a reference for your learning journey, allowing you to revisit key concepts and track your progress.
Develop digital literacy: Discussions provide a platform to practice online communication etiquette, including respectful disagreement, constructive argumentation, and responsible information sharing.
To actively engage in meaningful learning and reap the benefits mentioned above, participation in each chapter's discussion board is expected and will contribute to your overall grade. Your instructor will provide a clear rubric within Discussion Hero outlining the expectations for participation and how your contributions will be evaluated. This ensures consistent and transparent assessment while allowing you to showcase your understanding and critical thinking skills throughout the course.
VIRTUAL LABORATORY
Ever wondered how unconscious biases might influence your thoughts and decisions? Project Implicit, a renowned non-profit research group, investigates these automatic reactions, often based on stereotypes, through a collaborative network of researchers. They've developed innovative tools like the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to measure these hidden attitudes. Implicit bias can have real-world consequences, impacting areas like education, healthcare, and hiring practices.
Through this Virtual Laboratory, adapted from Project Implicit's work, you'll embark on a journey of self-discovery and social awareness. You'll explore implicit biases using IATs, scientifically validated tests that will reveal automatic associations you may not be aware of. This Virtual Laboratory offers a safe and educational experience to explore these biases and their potential influence.
Here's what you get:
Uncover your unconscious biases: Take Implicit Association Tests (IATs) to explore your automatic associations with different social groups.
Gain insights into societal trends: Analyze anonymized datasets from the IATs to understand broader social attitudes and stereotypes.
Develop strategies for change: Participate in group discussions to explore how implicit biases can be addressed and mitigated.
Below are the various IATs you will explore in this Virtual Laboratory:
IATs Exploring Social Identity
Delve into the complexities of societal attitudes with a range of Implicit Association Tests (IATs). From exploring perceptions of race and ethnicity to unraveling biases surrounding age, religion, and disability, each test offers a unique perspective on implicit biases fostering deeper understanding and empathy.
IATs Relating to Automatic Association
Embark on a journey through automatic associations with a series of thought-provoking Implicit Association Tests (IATs). From examining perceptions of gender and career to exploring biases surrounding weight, skin tone, and sexuality, each test offers insight into the subconscious mind. Through these immersive experiences, gain a deeper understanding of automatic associations and their impact on social interactions and perceptions.
VIRTUAL SIMULATIONS
The Sims 4: Your Virtual Behavioral Science Lab
Imagine exploring human behavior not just through lectures, textbooks, and case studies, but by creating virtual worlds and shaping the lives of the virtual people (Sims) who inhabit them! Our innovative virtual simulations, featuring the popular game The Sims 4, bring key concepts in behavioral science to life in a fun and effective way.
The Sims 4 isn't just a game – it's a life simulation powerhouse, with some role-playing game (RPG) elements, that caters to diverse learners. This open-world environment empowers you to create your own narratives and experiment with theories of sociology in a safe, controlled setting. Unlike traditional games, The Sims 4 has no set goals or win/lose conditions, allowing you to focus on maximizing your learning impact.
Throughout the course, you'll participate in various solo and team-based simulated challenges related to key themes and concepts in sociology. Your instructor will provide clear guidelines, including the theme, backstory, learning objectives, goals, rules, constraints, and scoring rubrics. Additionally, they may offer suggestions on other parameters such as storyline, Sim traits, or other demographic characteristics like age, marital status, profession, lifestyle, and socioeconomic background, to ensure a comprehensive and dynamic learning environment.
Ready to Dive Deeper?
If you're new to the game, you can explore specific aspects of The Sims 4 and how they contribute to our virtual simulations.
COURSE OUTCOMES
After completing this course, you will be able to:
Explain the definition of sociology, types of research methods, and some basic theories and perspectives, including the work of Marx, Weber, Durkheim and DuBois
Interpret what culture is and identify social roles in a culture
Summarize theories of how individuals develop socially through perspectives from Freud, Piaget, Kohlberg, Gilligan, Mead, and Erikson
Distinguish how social groups form and the characteristics of these groups
Identify why diversity is important to society
Outline the roles gender, race, and ethnicity play in individuals and society and explain the role of sex in society
Identify the effects that aging has on society and individuals
Connect the economy, politics and society by exploring the evolution of the economy, political parties, labor unions, and social power
Examine a range of social institutions, such as family units, religious groups, schooling and healthcare systems, to see how these groups play a role in society
Describe how a society changes over time including the role of collective behavior, social movements, and population growth
Analyze the impact of globalization on social structures and interactions.
Evaluate the role of technology in shaping contemporary social dynamics.
Discuss the ethical implications of sociological research and practice.
Identify strategies for addressing social inequalities and injustices.
Apply sociological concepts and theories to real-world scenarios and contemporary issues.
PREREQUISITES
There are no prior course prerequisites for this course. However, students must be at least 17 years old.
COLLEGE OR DUAL CREDIT
Sociology 101: Intro to Sociology has been evaluated and recommended by both ACE for 3 semester hours and may be transferred to over 2,000 colleges and universities. If you're seeking college credit, after completing this course, you can take the online proctored exam at any time for an additional fee.
Your Instructor
TBD
