Capstone in London CAP 3130: Science and : Critiquing the World around You Summer 2022 Instructor: Carolyn Hildebrandt, Ph.D. Contact Information: 1077 Bartlett Hall, 273-7179, [email protected] Pre-Departure Meetings: We will have six meetings on Fridays from 4:00-5:50 p.m. in Bartlett 34. Dates: Feb. 4, Feb. 18, March 4, March 25, April 8, and April 22 Study Abroad in England: May 26 – June 9 Course description: Daily, we are bombarded with interesting and novel breakthroughs involving claims that may or may not be true. In this age of alternative facts and evidence-free assertions, critical thinking is of paramount importance. In this course, students will integrate their knowledge and apply critical thinking and scientific analysis to controversial topics from a broad variety of disciplines.

Our home base will be London, where we will visit research institutes, museums, and historic sites. We will also take day trips to Cambridge, Bath, Stonehenge, and Downe. The focus of the class will be multicultural and interdisciplinary. Students from all majors and minors are welcome! Prerequisites: junior standing, 2.5 gpa, acceptance by the UNI Study Abroad Center.

Learning Objectives: The purpose of the course is to explore science and pseudoscience from an interdisciplinary, multicultural perspective. Cross-cultural goals include interacting with faculty and students at London University, comparing the study of science and pseudoscience in England and the U.S., and learning about current social and cultural issues in England. At the end of the course, students should be able to: ● Distinguish science, pseudoscience, protoscience, and religion ● Describe the scientific method and identify uses and abuses of it ● Define theory, fact, and hypothesis; describe the importance of theories for scientific research ● List common logical fallacies and cognitive biases and give examples of each ● Define anomalistic ; give examples of anomalistic ideas, how they are formed, how they are maintained, and how they can be explained and/or refuted ● Discuss and critically evaluate current controversies (e.g., evolution, climate change, vaccinations) from multiple perspectives ● Explain how to identify misinformation, and disinformation in print and electronic media ● Describe similarities and differences in current social and cultural issues in the U.S. and England

Travel Guide: Each student should purchase a travel guide to London in advance of the trip. Here are some that I would suggest: Eyewitness Travel: London; Rick Steves: London; Lonely Planet: London. Readings: There will be a course reader consisting of articles and chapters from selected sources: Foresman, G. A., Fosi, P. S., & Watson, J. C. (2017). The critical thinking toolkit. West Sussix, UK: John Wiley & Sons. This interdisciplinary guide takes a holistic approach to critical thinking by presenting tools and methods for clear, analytical, and logical thinking in a range of scholarly contexts and everyday situations. We will be focusing primarily on tools for detecting formal and informal fallacies, critical thinking about justification, and critical thinking about science and the scientific method. Vyse, S. (2013). Believing in magic: The psychology of . Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. (Available online through Rod Library)

Winner of the prestigious Book Award, this book includes an engaging account of what superstition is, why we have superstitious beliefs, and who is most likely to be superstitious. It examines the science behind this normal part of human behavior and provides alternative ways to cope with life’s uncertainties.

French, C. C., & Stone, A. (2014). Anomalistic psychology: Exploring paranormal belief and experience. London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. This book provides a lively and thought-provoking introduction to the psychology underlying paranormal belief and experience. It covers the latest psychological theories and experiments within different psychological perspectives—including clinical, developmental, cognitive, and psychobiological—to shed new light on key debates. Grossman, W. & French, C. C., Eds. (2014). Why statues weep: The best of the Skeptic. New York, NY: Routledge, Chapman, & Hall. This edited volume includes articles from The Skeptic, a British Magazine billed as "the UK’s longest running and foremost skeptical magazine, which examines science, skepticism, secularism, critical thinking and claims of the paranormal.”

Miller, P. H. (2016). Theories of , 6th Ed. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Chapter 1: What is a theory? What is a developmental theory? What is the value of developmental theories? Chapter 3: Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory

Hildebrandt, C. & Oliver, J. (2000). The mind as black box: A simulation of theory-building in psychology. Teaching of Psychology, 27(3), 195-197.

Recommended TED Talks and Lectures: ● “ and Science” by Dr. Christopher French ● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObXWLF6acuw

● “Why People Believe Weird Things” by Dr. Michael Shermer ● https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_shermer_on_believing_strange_things

● “Where Do Come From?” by Dr. Stuart Vyse ● http://ed.ted.com/lessons/where-do-superstitions-come-from-stuart-vyse

● “Battling Bad Science” by Dr. Ben Goldacre ● https://www.ted.com/talks/ben_goldacre_battling_bad_science

● “The Mind at Play” by Dr. Stuart Vyse ● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knpNhARcy00 Pre-Departure Meetings: During the Spring 2022 semester, students will attend six two-hour meetings to get ready for the trip. Part of each meeting will be devoted to practical tips for traveling in England. The rest will focus on academic preparation for the trip. There will be a short online quiz or assignment due after each meeting. Detailed instructions for each assignment will be presented in class and posted in eLearning. ● Pre-departure meetings will be on Fridays from 4:00-6:00 p.m. in Bartlett 34 ● Dates: Feb. 4, Feb. 18, March 4, March 25, April 8, April 22

In England, students will:

● Attend a short lecture and discussion each day ● Go on daily excursions with the group ● Engage in extra-curricular activities of their choice ● Keep a daily journal where they record where they went; what they read, heard, and saw; the most important things they learned each day; and how this relates to the study of science and pseudoscience

After we return, students will

● Submit a final project. It can be a 5 page paper, a poster, or a video/slideshow on a topic about science or pseudoscience. Final projects may be done alone or with one other person from the class. ● Present their final project to the group at a reunion dinner or afternoon tea in the fall (date TBA).

Course Delivery: The course will be delivered face-to-face and online. Online assignments will include quizzes, blogs, and discussions. Online elements will be on Blackboard, UNI’s eLearning site and the course Facebook page. Credit hours: This course meets the Course Credit Hour Expectation outlined in the Course Catalog. Students should expect to work approximately 2 hours per week outside of class for every course credit hour.

Attendance: Students are expected to attend all class sessions. Written assignments are closely related to the lectures, activities, and discussions, so it’s best not to skip class. Absences will be excused for illness, injury, bereavement, military service, or a university-sanctioned event (e.g., a concert, student government, or sporting event that you must participate in). Please arrange your work life, social life, and family vacations so that you don’t miss any class.

Quizzes: During the Spring semester, students will take 5 online quizzes. The quizzes will consist of true-false, multiple choice, multiple answer, and short answer questions on topics covered during class. Study guides for these quizzes will be provided on eLearning.

Blogs: During the Spring semester, students will submit two online blogs. In Blog 1, you will introduce yourself to the class. In Blog 2, you will describe three term projects that you might like to do. Specific guidelines for these blogs will be provided on eLearning. Daily Reflections in London: Students will submit a one-page, single-spaced daily reflection on eLearning at the end of each full day in London. The reflections should include highlights of that day’s curricular and extracurricular activities. (Curricular activities are required activities that we do as a whole group. Extra-curricular activities are optional activities that students do on their own or in small groups.) In addition, students should submit at least one photograph that they or a friend took that day. The reflections will be in the form of blogs and open to the entire class to read and comment on. Specific guidelines for these reflections will be provided in class and on eLearning.

Final Project: At the end of the course, students will submit a term project on a topic of their choice. The topic must be related to the course and subject to prior approval of the professor. The project can be a 5-page paper, a video and/or slide show, or a poster. Students may do this project alone or in collaboration with one other student in the class. Assignments: Description Points Due online Blog 1: Introduce Yourself! 10 Feb. 9 Quiz 1: The Scientific Method 10 Feb. 23 Quiz 2: The Psychology of Superstition 10 March 8 Quiz 3: Science and Pseudoscience 10 March 29 Quiz 4: Logical Fallacies and Cognitive Biases 10 April 19 Quiz 5: Travel Essentials 10 May 3 Blog 2: Describe 3 Possible Term Projects 10 May 17 Daily Reflections in England (10 points per day) 140 End of each day Final Project 50 June 19 Total 270

Grading: A 93-100%, A- 90-92%, B+ 87-89%, B 83-86%, B- 80-82%, C+ 77-79%, C 73-76%, C- 70-72%, D+ 67-69%, D 63-66%, D- 60-62% Points earned for each assessment will be posted in the My Grades tools link in the eLearning website. The total will be figured into a percentage, and the grade will be determined by the grading scale above. Students are expected to monitor their own grades on eLearning and save all graded work on their own computer.

Late Work: Late quizzes and assignments will be accepted, but 10% will be deducted for each day they are late. Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination: The University of Northern Iowa does not discriminate in employment or education. Visit 13.03 Equal Opportunity & Non-Discrimination Statement (https://policies.uni.edu/1303) for additional information. Diversity and Inclusion: It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit. It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups. In addition, if any of our class meetings conflict with your religious events, please let me know so that we can make arrangements for you.

Student Accessibility Services: The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Fair Housing Act, and other applicable federal and state laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. To request accommodations please contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS), located at ITTC 007, for more information either at (319) 273-2677 or Email [email protected]. Visit Student Accessibility Services (https://sas.uni.edu/) for additional information. Students with Special Needs: If you have a documented disability that requires assistance, you will need to visit Student Disability Services (SDS) for coordination of your academic accommodations. SDS is located in the Student Health Center, Room 103, 273-2677, http://www.uni.edu/sds . In addition, you should discuss your needs with me within the first week of class. The Learning Center: All students are encouraged to use The Learning Center @ Rod Library for assistance with writing, math, science, and college reading and learning strategies. Beginning week two, The Learning Center (TLC) operates on a walk-in basis and is open 10:00 am to 10:00 pm Monday through Thursday. For more information, go to https://tlc.uni.edu/tutoring, email [email protected] , call 319-273-6023, or visit the TLC desk located on the main floor of Rod Library. If you are unable to come in during normal tutoring hours, online tutoring is available through Smarthinking. You will need your CATID and passphrase to gain access. To access the Smarthinking platform go to https://tlc.uni.edu/schedule.

Rod Library: Rod Library is here to help, so take advantage of their services. Need help finding resources for a research paper? Need to find some information and can’t figure out where to look? Contact the Rod Library! You can stop by, chat, email, text or call the library all hours the library is open. www.library.uni.edu/research/ask-us

Counseling Center: UNI’s Counseling Center is free, confidential, convenient, and effective. It is the mission of the University of Northern Iowa Counseling Center to promote the personal development and psychological well-being of all students and to encourage a college environment that is conducive to growth and learning. We strive to provide ethical, high quality psychological and counseling services to UNI students and consultation services to UNI faculty and staff. To make an appointment, call 273-2676 (8:00-5:00 M-F). For urgent situations outside of office hours, call the Counseling Center at 273-2676 and press 2 to speak to a crisis counselor. Call 911 in case of immediate danger.

Academic Ethics and Integrity: Students must observe the Academics Ethics Policies (http://www.uni.edu/policies/301). Instances of cheating and plagiarism will be dealt with on an individual basis, but understand that cheating and/or plagiarism are unacceptable and may result in an “F” for the course. Online Component: The online component can be assessed through the following website: http://elearning.uni.edu/. Students are advised to check the website and their email for communication regularly. Any changes to the course syllabus or schedule will be announced through eLearning. Assignments are due as specified in the course schedule and on the course Blackboard page in eLearning. Students are responsible for learning how to use Blackboard for on-time submission of assignments. Blackboard tutorials are available at http://www.uni.edu/continuinged/support/tutorials/index.shtml#elearning. Communication: If you have questions about the course content or how the course is conducted during the Spring semester, you may contact Dr. Hildebrandt at [email protected] or at 319-273-7179. She will be available each weekday to respond to student questions and concerns. If you send an email or leave a phone message, she will answer/acknowledge it within 24 hours on weekdays and 48 hours on weekends. Dr. Hildebrandt will be available in person on a daily basis to respond to questions and concerns while we are in England. During non-class hours, you may contact her by email, cell phone 319-230-6194 or via WhatsApp. Classroom Civility: It is my intent to support the free and open exchange of ideas and civil discourse. The manner in which we interact with one another is critical to cultivating and maintaining a meaningful and effective intellectual environment. Our course can only thrive when we approach each interaction and conversation with an open mind and when everyone can contribute fully. During the spring, we will create a Capstone in London Code of Conduct using guidelines provided by Study Abroad, which each student will sign. Online Etiquette: Always remember to address your professors and the other students in the class in a respectful manner. For further online etiquette rules, visit http://albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html Technology Requirements: For this course you will need: Internet access/connection (preferably high-speed), Email, and a word processor with Microsoft Word. Technical Support: If you have technical problems with your computer, email, or eLearning, please do not contact the professors. Please contact IT Service Deck (https://it.uni.edu/service-desk) by calling 319-273-5555 or by submitting an incident report at https://servicehub.uni.edu/ Tentative Schedule

Pre-Departure Meetings Date Topics Assignment Due Online Feb. 4 Introductions Blog 1: Introduce Yourself! Feb. 6 Ice-breaker Activities Overview of the Course Travel Tips for England Feb. 18 The Scientific Method Quiz 1: Scientific Method & Feb. 20 Theory Building Theory Building Travel Tips for England March 4 The Psychology of Superstition Quiz 2: Psychology of March 6 Draft Student Code of Conduct Superstition Plan Extra Curricular Activities March 25 Science and Pseudoscience Quiz 3: Science and March 27 Anomalistic Psychology Pseudoscience Sign Student Code of Conduct Plan Extra Curricular Activities April 8 Logical Fallacies & Cognitive Biases Quiz 4: Logical Fallacies & April 10 Plan Extra Curricular Activities Cognitive Biases Discuss Possible Term Projects April 22 Current Social and Political Issues Quiz 5: Travel Essentials April 24 in the UK Travel Essentials, Q & As Distribute Oyster Cards No Individual Research on Possible Blog 2: Three Possible Term May 6 meeting Term Projects Projects

London Schedule: Class will meet for 60-90 minutes most mornings at the London Mathematical Society before group visits to the sites listed in the schedule below. There will be ample free time for students to explore other sites in London not listed on the schedule.

Tentative London Schedule Date Topics Assignment Due Wednesday “Welcome to London!” Bloomsbury Bingo May 25 --Check into the Royal National Hotel (Just for fun) --Welcome Dinner at Bloom’s Pizza Café --Pass Out Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tickets --Explore Neighborhood around the Hotel

Thursday “Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Living and Reflection 1 5-26 May 26 Dying” --The British Museum --Picnic in the Park (weather permitting) --Hop-on, Hop-off Bus Tour of London Friday “Science, Medicine, and Magic” Reflection 2 5-27 May 27 --The Grant Museum of Zoology --The Wellcome Collection --Hop-on, Hop-off Thames River Cruise Saturday “Theories of Evolution” Reflection 3 5-28 May 28 --Excursion to Darwin's House in Downe --Lunch at the Queen’s Arms or the George & Dragon Pub (paid on own) Sunday "Religious Diversity in London" Reflection 4 5-29 May 29 --Visit a place of worship of your choice (e.g., Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Buddhist Temple, London Central Mosque, Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel) Monday “Theories of the Unconscious Mind” Reflection 5 5-30 May 30 --The Freud Museum --Indian Tasting Buffet Lunch Tuesday “History of Mental Health Diagnosis and Reflection 6 5-31 May 31 Treatment in the UK” --Bethlem Museum of the Mind --Turkish Tasting Buffet Dinner Wednesday “Weird Science: Anomalistic Psychology” Reflection 7 6-1 June 1 --Lecture on "Ghosts and Hauntings" by Dr. Christopher French, Director of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit, Goldsmiths College, London University --Lunch at a local pub with Dr. French (paid on own) Thursday “Healing Waters, Sacred Stones” Reflection 8 6-2 June 2 --Excursion to Stonehenge and Bath (Lunch included) Friday “British Contributions to Science and Reflection 9 6-3 June 3 Technology” --Natural History Museum --London Science Museum --Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park

Saturday “Science, Pseudoscience, and Social Justice” Reflection 10 6-4 June 4 --Charles Dickens Museum --The Foundling Museum --London Unseen: Covent Garden Area Walking Tour Sunday “Hindu Approaches to Science and Religion” Reflection 11 6-5 June 5 --Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Temple Monday “The Psychology of Superstition” Reflection 12 6-6 June 6 --Sherlock Holmes Museum --Regents Park & Queen Mary’s Rose Garden --London Astrology Shop Tuesday “Pioneers of Science and Medicine” Reflection 13 6-7 June 7 --Excursion to Cambridge University --Punting on the River Cam Wednesday “Medicine and Social Justice” Reflection 14 6-8 June 8 --Florence Nightingale Museum --British Red Cross Museum Thursday “Farewell to London” 6-9 June 9 --Students and professor depart

June 10-13 Work on Final Project Final Project 6-13