Japan and the New East ASN 4111 Instructor: Eric 宗龍 Messersmith

Japan and the New East
ASN 4111
Instructor: Eric 宗龍 Messersmith, PhD
[email protected]
Institute for Asian Studies
Office: DM 342C
Office hours by appt. online
Course Description
This entirely online course examines in detail, Japan and its relations with China and to a lesser
extent, Korea. While these countries are intrinsically interesting for cultures that are so different
from what Westerners are accustomed to, it is also becoming increasingly difficult to ignore
them on the geo-political stage. Understanding and appreciating the history and culture of East
Asia will not only broaden your perspective, it will help you come to grips with the
interdependence between East Asia and the West, and the possibilities for mutual interchange as
well as conflict. Some representative course topics include: Language, Thought, and Society;
Isolationism and Asian Encounters with the West; Pre and Post-War Japan and China as Models
for Developing Asia.
Course Objectives
By the end of the semester, students should demonstrate global perspective, awareness and
engagement through their ability to:
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Conduct a multi-perspective analysis of contemporary social issues in East Asia
Demonstrate an understanding of globalization and the interrelatedness of the nonAsian impact on East Asia and the impact of East Asia on the rest of the globe
Demonstrate willingness to address contemporary issues in East Asia by making
suggested plans of action
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Policies
Please review the policies page as it contains essential information regarding
guidelines relevant to all courses at FIU and additional information on the standards
for acceptable netiquette important for online courses.
Course Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites however it is a 4000 level course so it
is recommended that it be taken by upper level students with online course experience.
This online section does not require an on-campus meeting and/or exam.
NOTE ON ASSESSMENT
This course is an Upper Division Global Learning course. In compliance with SACS
accreditation (FIU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools, or SACS), materials from this course will be
used as evidence for Student Learning Outcomes for internal self-assessment. The use
of this material examines student performance as a reflection of program efficiency
and is in no way related to your grade in this course. It is a standard policy of the
university in compliance with SACS to inform students which courses are being
assessed for accreditation
Expectations of this Course
All of the course work will be conducted online. Expectations for performance in an
online course are the same as for a traditional course; in fact, online courses require a
degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology skills that can make them
more demanding for some students.
Students are expected to:
Review the How to Get Started information located in the course content.
Introduce yourself to the class during the first week by posting a self- introduction in
the appropriate discussion forum.
Take the practice quiz to ensure that your computer is compatible with Blackboard.
Interact online with instructor/s and peers and keep up with all assignments.
Review and follow the course calendar.
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The instructor will:
Log in to the course a minimum of once per day.
Respond to discussion boards, blogs and journal postings the following day
Respond to emails/messages the same day or the day after.
Grade assignments within one or two days after the assignment deadline.
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COURSE DETAIL
Description of Class Assignments
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I. CLASS EXAMS:
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There will be two exams in this course. The format will be multiple-choice (MC), Fill
in the blanks (FIB), or True/False (TF). Test questions will be wholly derived from the
textbooks. Tests cannot be made up. If an emergency arises, it is imperative that you
contact the instructor BEFORE the test date.
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II. IN CLASS REFLECTION PAPERS:
There will be five Reflection Papers. These will be one page in length. These will
relate to the discussion topics posted by the instructor. These reflection papers should
be posted to the appropriate Forum as a MS Word attachment at any time during the
week they are due.
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III. CURRENT EVENT JOURNAL:
This assignment is meant to keep students up to date with current news events
regarding East Asia (Japan, China and the Koreas). In order to fully understand the
impact that East Asia has on the rest of the world today, each student will post and
comment on one news article per week (not including week one, Thanksgiving or
Spring Break, and the final week of class) that relates to a contemporary issue dealing
with East Asia. All written assignments are limited to ONE page.
For every journal entry, a series of essential questions will need to be addressed that
examine the student's awareness of local, global, international and intercultural issues,
trends and systems along with suggestions by the student on how to take action within
the context of their own lives or engage in a shared solution regarding the news article.
The student will also be expected to provide internet based research regarding the issue
brought up in the news article.
Note: All written assignments need to be in MS Word as a docx attachment in order
for me to grade them. All written assignments are to be one full page, 12 point font
single or 1.5 space
With your name, date, and paper # on top right hand corner single space
Attach any links to online sources for your papers at the bottom but don’t go over
one page
No pictures
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Attendance & Test Policies
Participation & Attendance
Participation and attendance is 20% of your grade. You do not automatically earn
points each week for participation by occasionally replying to notes. To earn a 100%
participation grade, you must meet the following expectations.
1. You are expected to” attend “ class” three days per week.
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2. You are expected to post a minimum of three substantive notes per week on the
class discussion main forum for a total of 36. (12 weeks X 3)
3. You are expected to contribute to the class discussions in meaningful ways. That
means:
• contributing new and relevant information to the course discussion and from readings
of the textbooks;
• commenting in a positive manner;
• building on the remarks of your fellow students;
• posing questions of your fellow students; and sharing quotes, websites, and other
supplementary information.
• demonstrating practical application of the week's key concepts from your
professional/personal experience.
4. Your grade also will be determined by:
• the quality of your responses;
• the timeliness of your response; and
• the ability of your comments to motivate others in a collaborative effort.
Learning Team Power Point Presentation Participation *There is only one
presentation during the semester-please see schedule
Learning teams are an important part of the classroom. We will complete forming
learning teams by the end of Week One. I will accept personal notes to my mailbox
regarding your preferences for groups. I will make every effort to accommodate your
requests, although I cannot guarantee your request will be granted.
If there are any class members who have not joined a Learning Team by the end of
Week 1 Day 5 (Friday), I will assign them to a Learning Team so that Team members
can begin meeting by Week 2 Day 2 (Tuesday).
I prefer that each Learning Team consist of four members, but not less than three nor
more than five members, depending on the number of students in the class.
To receive credit for learning team assignments, you must actively participate with
your learning team and contribute to the project. Your learning team members will
evaluate your contributions to the learning team project. Their evaluations will be
considered when I determine your final grade.
Because teamwork projects are outcome-based, all members of your Learning Team
will generally earn the same grade. However, your grade may be lowered if I see a
substantial imbalance in the level of effort put forth. I will be monitoring the learning
team, and I will ask that groups provide a brief summary of any communication held
outside the class - e.g. if you hold conference calls, work in a real-time chat room, or in
any other way get together outside (happy hours could count too!). Please do not resort
to using any of these other communication tools unless everyone on your team agrees
to the method and to the schedule. Should you have any questions about this, don't
hesitate to ask me.
COURSE GRADE DISTRIBUTION:
Attendance and Group Discussion Class Participation
20%
Reflection paper
10%
(5 x 2%)
Midterm and Final Exam (2 x 20%)
40%
Current Event Journal (10 x 2%)
20%
Team Power Point Presentation (1 x 10%)
10%
GRADING SCALE:
A
94-100
A-
90-93 B+
87-89
B
B-
80-83
C+
77-79
C
74-76
D+
67-69
D
64-66
D-
60-63
F
0-59
84-86
C-
70-73
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is defined as “literally theft,” and will NOT be tolerated. Plagiarism, in forms some
students may not be aware of may include:
(1) A written work that is ENTIRELY stolen from another source
(2) Using quotations from source without proper citation
(3) Paraphrasing from a source without proper citation
Students are expected to UNDERSTAND the definition of plagiarism. To view the University
Code of Academic Integrity please visit
http://www.fiu.edu/~oabp/misconductweb/2codeofacainteg.htm
When all else fails; ASK the instructor for help. If you are found guilty you could receive a
failing grade for the course which in some cases leads to dismissal from the course and in severe
cases from the university.
**IF A STUDENT IS CAUGHT PLAGIARIZING PUBLISHED OR UNPUBLISHED
MATERIALS (INCLUDING THE WORK OF CLASSMATES OR FRIENDS) YOU
WILL RECEIVE A (0) FOR THE ASSIGNMENT.
WEEKLY AGENDA:
Week 1:
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Sign in to class by posting your introduction
Read the syllabus-do this on more than one occasion
Take the practice quiz
Form a learning team (limit 5 members)
Read: Schirokauer chap 1
Week 2:
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Read: Schirokauer chap 2
Read: Kaplan Prologue and chap 1
Post/Comment 3 messages to the Discussion Forum (Can be on reading or topic from
instructor)
Submit one page Current Event Journal # 1 (topic chosen by student)
Watch “Daimyo”
Week 3:
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Read: Schirokauer chap 3; Kaplan chap 2
Post/Comment 3 messages to the Discussion Forum
Submit one page Current Event Journal (CEJ) # 2 (topic chosen by student)
Submit one page Reflection Paper # 1 (topic from instructor’s discussion topic)
Groups finalize topic for Team Presentation and designate team leader
Watch “The Samurai”
Week 4:
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Read: Schirokauer chap 4; Kaplan chap 3
Post/Comment 3 messages to the Discussion Forum
Submit one page Current Event Journal (CEJ) # 3 (topic chosen by student)
Team Leader submit topic for Team Presentation approval
Week 5:
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Read: Schirokauer chap 5; Kaplan chap 4
Post/Comment 3 messages to the Discussion Forum
Submit one page RP #2 (topic chosen from instructor’s discussion topic)
Watch: The Last Samurai
Week 6:
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Read: Schirokauer chap 6; Kaplan chap 5
 Take Midterm Exam thru chap 6 in Schirokauer; thru chap 5 in Kaplan;
 50 questions (2 pts each) MC, T/F,FIB- 2 hour time limit Total points possible-100
Spelling counts! The computer grades your exam so if you misspell a word it will
be marked incorrect. If there is one blank then put in one word-two blanks
means two words, etc. After the exam check your answers for mistakes!
Week 7:
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Read: Schirokauer chap 7; Kaplan chap 6
Post/Comment 3 messages to the Discussion Forum
Submit one page Current Event Journal (CEJ) # 5 (topic chosen by student)
Submit one page RP #3 ( topic chosen from instructor’s discussion topic)
Watch “China-Born Under the Red Flag”
Week 8:
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Read: Schirokauer chap 8; Kaplan chap 7
Post/Comment 3 messages to the Discussion Forum
Submit one page Current Event Journal (CEJ) # 6 (topic chosen by student)
Submit one page RP #4 ( topic chosen from instructor’s discussion topic)
Watch “The Boxer Rebellion”
Week 9:
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Read: Schirokauer chap 9; Kaplan chap 8
Post/Comment 3 messages to the Discussion Forum
Submit one page Current Event Journal (CEJ) # 5 (topic chosen by student)
Submit one page RP #5 ( topic chosen from instructor’s discussion topic)
Watch “Hirohito”
Week 10:
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Read: Schirokauer chap 10; Kaplan Epilogue
Post/Comment 3 messages to the Discussion Forum (open topic)
Submit one page Current Event Journal (CEJ) # 6 (topic chosen by student)
Watch “Black Rain”
Week 11:
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Read: Schirokauer chap 11;
Post/Comment 3 messages to the Discussion Forum (open topic)
Submit one page Current Event Journal (CEJ) # 7 (topic chosen by student)
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Watch “Yasukuni”
Week 12:
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Read: Schirokauer chap 12;
Post/Comment 3 messages to the Discussion Forum (open topic)
Submit one page Current Event Journal (CEJ) # 8 (topic chosen by student)
Watch “Yakuza”
Week 13:
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Read: Schirokauer chap 13
Post/Comment 3 messages to the Discussion Forum (open topic)
Submit one page Current Event Journal (CEJ) # 9 (topic chosen by student)
Watch: China; A Century of Revolution-The Mao Years 1949-1976
All groups to submit their team Power point presentation (by team leader)
Week 14:
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Post/Comment 3 messages to the Discussion Forum (open topic)
Submit one page Current Event Journal (CEJ) # 10 (topic chosen by student)
Week 15: Take Final Exam (cumulative)
Required texts:
Asia's Cauldron: The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific
by Robert D. Kaplan
Modern China and Japan: A Brief History Paperback
by Conrad Schirokauer (Author)

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