Welcome to the Fall 2007 mediated section of PHIL 160 ("Philosophy of Science") at San José State University.

Once you've enrolled in the class and accessed this page, email me at jstemwed@email.sjsu.edu with your name and the message, "I'm enrolled in PHIL 160 section 03." The class website will be available beginning August 23, 2007. If you're already enrolled in the course, the user name is your "W" number (W+last seven digits of your student ID number). The password is "fall".

click here to look at the course syllabus

click here to decide whether the mediated version of this class is really right for you

click here to look at the course FAQ

The lectures for this course will be available as streaming video through the course WebCT shell. The first lecture will be unlocked Wednesday, September 5, 2007.

There will be a very important class meeting on Wednesday, August 29, 2007, 8:00-10:00 PMin IS 134A. This meeting will help orient you to the course and its requirements (as well as to WebCT, which we will be using for the online portion of the course). It will also give you a chance to meet your classmates and your professor in person. If you are unable to attend this meeting, it is your responsibility to make arrangements to catch up on the missed content and to learn the WebCT basics required for this course! Please let me know if you cannot attend this meeting but still plan on being in the class!

The agenda for this in-person meeting will be similar to the one posted here.

Online activities will commence on August 23, 2007. Be sure you contact me and access the class website no later than August 31, 2007, so you don't get a late start!

Course Description
This course will explore what science is, what it does, and how it works. We will examine: the features of its methodology which distinguish science from pseudo-science; how theoretical considerations and experiments interact to shape the scientific picture of the world; how scientific theories evolve and how theories from different scientific disciplines are related; and whether science does or should purport to give us a literally true picture of the world. We will consider not only what is peculiar to the culture of science, but also how this scientific culture fits into the culture of the larger society. PHIL 160 is a 3 unit that fulfills advanced G.E. area R (Earth and Environment). Students MUST complete core G.E., have upper-division standing, and have passed the Writing Skills Test (WST) before registering for PHIL 160.

Adding the Class
Students will be added to the course to a maximum enrollment of 60. Once enrollment reaches 60, the class will be closed.
If you are having problems adding the course online, please make sure:
*You are using the correct course code; it's 53357.
*You have met the course prerequisites (upper division status, passed WST); if you do not have these prerequisites, you will not be able to enroll. If you do have these prerequisites but the computer system doesn't recognize that you do, you'll need to contact Enrollment Services (408-924-2550).
*You have made arrangements to pay your tuition and student fees. The system may not let you register if it doesn't recognize you as paid up.
*If you really have met the prerequisites and paid your bill and the system still won't let you enroll, contact me to see if the course is actually full. (408-924-4521; if you get the voice mail, leave a message with your name, phone number, and "I'm trying to add your online course.") We're keeping a list of people who are trying to add the course; we'll put you on it.
*If all else fails, come to the live meeting [day and date] at [time] in IS 134A. We'll get things squared away then!

Important Dates
* mid-August—Email the instructor (do this no later than August 31)
* starting August 23—Access the class website
* Wednesday, August 29—Classroom orientation to WebCT (IS 134A, 8-10 PM)
* Wednesday, September 5—First online assignment due
* Wednesday, September 5—First lecture unlocked
* Friday, September 7—Last day to start the class

Texts
Peter Godfrey-Smith, Theory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003. ISBN: 0226300633. (Available from the Spartan Bookstore and Amazon.com.)

PHIL 160 Course Reader. (Available from Maple Press, 481 E. San Carlos Street, San José, just off campus between 10th and 11th St. Telephone 408-297-1001.)
If they have sold out stock on hand, you can pre-pay for an "on demand" reader. Note that it may take a business day or two for your reader to be printed.

Note that Maple Press is only open M-F, 8:00 AM-5:30 PM, and that they only accept cash and checks (no credit or debit cards).
However, during the beginning of the term, they usually have extended hours:

(In past Fall semesters, these were:

Monday-Thursday 8:30 am-8:00 pm
Friday 8:30 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am-2:00 pm)

Summary of Assignments
Discussion, reading response essays (6 x 300 words each), group tasks, quizzes (open-book, multiple-choice, fill-in or matching), research assignment (on argumentation in the scientific literature), cumulative final exam (open-book, short essay format).

Important Pages and Tools
Before we get too far into the semester, browse through the website to get a feel for how this class will work. Please pay particular attention to these pages and tools:
* Course Basics: a folder of information on how to paricipate in discussions and complete assignments, plus information on how you will be evaluated.
* Syllabus: course description, learning objectives, assignments, grading scale, and more.
* Calendar: describes what we'll be doing in class each week, including online activities and lecture broadcast schedule
* Group Tasks: details for the specific tasks you'll be completing with your group prior to lecture.
* Journal Club: complete details, suggested topics, and timeline for the research assignment.
*Tip of the Day: gives bits of friendly advice on how to make the course, and WebCT, work smoothly for you.

WebCT URL
Bookmark the main WebCT site: sjsu.webct.com

Tech Support

* Browser Check. WebCT College Edition (CE) 4.0 is not compatible with all browsers such as Netscape 6.0 (Mac), Opera, Mozilla, and Safari. Please go to the WebCT main page right now, click on "Check Browser" in the upper right corner, and make sure your browser will work. Do the tune-ups necessary if you have a version that is not compatible with WebCT.
* Help desk. Because a large portion of this class is conducted online, there are occasional technical problems. I will do my best to help, but the most likely source of problems is your browser configuration, so please be sure you complete the browser check. For basic technical support, contact the SJSU Help Desk at helpdesk@sjsu.edu or call 408-924-2377, 8-5 weekdays.
* eCampus tutorials. Go to the eCampus Student Resources page for WebCT tutorials, learning tools, and learning resources.

Contacting the Instructor
I eagerly anticipate working with you in our electronic classroom. Please email Dr. Stemwedel at jstemwed@email.sjsu.edu if you have any questions.