3). Pick one other concept in the book (any chapter) that you feel needs further discussion?
I think one thing this semester that needs further explanation and discussion is cause and effect. On the last written exam, I found it very hard to distinguish causes and effects and the different types. I got 3 questions wrong on the test and 2 of them dealt with cause and effect I'm pretty sure. I feel like I know what cause and effect is but the book has a different way of explaining it that really confused me. The book has already been very confusing to me the whole semester, but I think this was the most confusing part. I think the entire subject can be simplified and made less complex for such a simple concept. The examples were also really hard to understand. I think pictures and diagrams would have made it so much easier. Overall, maybe it was just me and I didn't take enough time to really study it.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Chapter 14
1). Pick one concept from Chapter 14 that you found useful or interesting.
I found chapter 14 to be easy to understand. I have always heard of generalizations and I thought I knew what they were. However, I was surprised to find out what it really was through the book's examples. I like where they break down what makes a good generalization. First of all, the sample size matters. You can't create a conclusion from only surveying a few people. The larger the sample, the more accurate it will probably be. Secondly, the sample must be studied well. This means that the proper questions or procedures need to be done correctly in order to ensure your generalization is accurate. Other requirements for a good generalization are the margin of error, variation in population, risk, and analogies. Generalizations remind me a lot of the statistics class I am taking currently. Statistics are basically generalizations about a population through a sample. One gathers information from a sample, calculates, and creates generalizations for the entire population.
I found chapter 14 to be easy to understand. I have always heard of generalizations and I thought I knew what they were. However, I was surprised to find out what it really was through the book's examples. I like where they break down what makes a good generalization. First of all, the sample size matters. You can't create a conclusion from only surveying a few people. The larger the sample, the more accurate it will probably be. Secondly, the sample must be studied well. This means that the proper questions or procedures need to be done correctly in order to ensure your generalization is accurate. Other requirements for a good generalization are the margin of error, variation in population, risk, and analogies. Generalizations remind me a lot of the statistics class I am taking currently. Statistics are basically generalizations about a population through a sample. One gathers information from a sample, calculates, and creates generalizations for the entire population.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Some Things I Learned in This Course
2). Discuss some of the things you learned throughout the semester in this course.
There are many things I learned in this course. First of all, I learned how to recognize a valid argument versus a weak argument. I learned what makes it a valid argument, such as the premises lead to the conclusion, and what makes it a weak one. In addition, I learned specific concepts such as fallacies and cause-and-effect. Another big thing I am taking from this class is the ability to remember to do assignments without a teacher constantly reminding me in class. This online class taught me to read instructions and deliver work without needing verbal explanations from someone. Lastly, this class taught me to work with my group and break down different tasks for each group member to complete. My group found it extremely hard to coordinate all of our schedules to meet at the same time, so we all learned how to effectively conference and strategize over the computer. Overall, this class showed me many different things I have never learned before!
There are many things I learned in this course. First of all, I learned how to recognize a valid argument versus a weak argument. I learned what makes it a valid argument, such as the premises lead to the conclusion, and what makes it a weak one. In addition, I learned specific concepts such as fallacies and cause-and-effect. Another big thing I am taking from this class is the ability to remember to do assignments without a teacher constantly reminding me in class. This online class taught me to read instructions and deliver work without needing verbal explanations from someone. Lastly, this class taught me to work with my group and break down different tasks for each group member to complete. My group found it extremely hard to coordinate all of our schedules to meet at the same time, so we all learned how to effectively conference and strategize over the computer. Overall, this class showed me many different things I have never learned before!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Discussion #2 (Mission Critical)
2). What was useful about the Mission Critical webiste?
The Mission Critical website was useful when I got to the section about Burden of Proof Fallacies. I never quite understood how asking someone to prove something was a fallacy but this section made it so clear, I didn’t know how I didn’t see it before. It clearly showed how asking someone else to prove something you’re trying to argue isn’t the right way to go about it. If you’re trying to convince them, then you’re the one who has to show them the proof. I assume someone would shift the burden of proof when he or she can’t come up with premises or claims that are reasonable to support their argument. I liked the exercises at the end of this section, also. It clearly shows me how a burden of proof fallacy is obvious. For example, one exercise showed that someone saying, “She must be guilty. After all, she has no alibi for the night of the crime,” is a burden of proof fallacy because the person is making the accused person now have the burden of proof to prove he or she is not guilty.
The Mission Critical website was useful when I got to the section about Burden of Proof Fallacies. I never quite understood how asking someone to prove something was a fallacy but this section made it so clear, I didn’t know how I didn’t see it before. It clearly showed how asking someone else to prove something you’re trying to argue isn’t the right way to go about it. If you’re trying to convince them, then you’re the one who has to show them the proof. I assume someone would shift the burden of proof when he or she can’t come up with premises or claims that are reasonable to support their argument. I liked the exercises at the end of this section, also. It clearly shows me how a burden of proof fallacy is obvious. For example, one exercise showed that someone saying, “She must be guilty. After all, she has no alibi for the night of the crime,” is a burden of proof fallacy because the person is making the accused person now have the burden of proof to prove he or she is not guilty.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Discussion #1 (Cause & Effect website)
1). What was useful about the Cause and Effect website reading and exercises?
The things I found most helpful about the Cause and Effect website reading and exercises was being shown the way one can determine the strength of a causal argument. This website illustrates three ways to determine the strength of the argument. First of all, one has to think of how acceptable the implied comparison is. One must consider if there is a similarity between what has happened now and what has happened before. Secondly, one has to think of how likely the causation might be. One has to interpret the situation and figure out if it is believable. Lastly, one has to determine how credible the claim is about the only significant difference or commonality is. One must think if the certain situation is what caused something to happen that was different from the past. The exercises really helped me by using the simple potato salad example. It allowed me to clearly see the significant difference and significant commonality by illustrating how they all ate the potato salad and then immediately got sick.
The things I found most helpful about the Cause and Effect website reading and exercises was being shown the way one can determine the strength of a causal argument. This website illustrates three ways to determine the strength of the argument. First of all, one has to think of how acceptable the implied comparison is. One must consider if there is a similarity between what has happened now and what has happened before. Secondly, one has to think of how likely the causation might be. One has to interpret the situation and figure out if it is believable. Lastly, one has to determine how credible the claim is about the only significant difference or commonality is. One must think if the certain situation is what caused something to happen that was different from the past. The exercises really helped me by using the simple potato salad example. It allowed me to clearly see the significant difference and significant commonality by illustrating how they all ate the potato salad and then immediately got sick.
Discussion #3
3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading (chapter 15), that we have not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
This chapter in the book made it very clear about causes and effects. It has always been somewhat unclear to me what you can refer to as a cause and what you can call an effect. However, the example the book shows makes it easier for me. It uses a simple example of a dog waking up a person. Previously, I would have to think hard about the different ways things could be causes and the different ways things could be effects. However, the book laid it out to show that because Spot barked and then Dick woke up, Spot must be the cause of Dick waking up. It also showed me how normal conditions can help prove that one situation caused another. For example, Dick woke up at 3am and the dog was barking. He doesn't normally wake up at 3am so it must be because of the dog barking.
This chapter in the book made it very clear about causes and effects. It has always been somewhat unclear to me what you can refer to as a cause and what you can call an effect. However, the example the book shows makes it easier for me. It uses a simple example of a dog waking up a person. Previously, I would have to think hard about the different ways things could be causes and the different ways things could be effects. However, the book laid it out to show that because Spot barked and then Dick woke up, Spot must be the cause of Dick waking up. It also showed me how normal conditions can help prove that one situation caused another. For example, Dick woke up at 3am and the dog was barking. He doesn't normally wake up at 3am so it must be because of the dog barking.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Appeal to Spite
3). Pick one concept, idea or exercise from the assigned reading, that we have no already discussed, that you found useful or interesting, and discuss it.
I found appeal to spite interesting in chapter 10 this week. The book describes it as “the hope of revenge”.It is where a person tries to justify doing something wrong to another person because they have done something wrong to you before. I never thought of this as an argument before. However, the book broke it down and explained why it is an argument. It is an argument because a person is justifying why he or she is doing something wrong to another person. For example, I won’t remind my roommate to empty her trash on Wednesday so the garbage man gets it because she didn’t remind me last week and I forgot. In this sense, I am justifying why I won’t help her out and remind her. It is an argument.This can also work by telling another person not to do something for another person because he or she wasn’t helped by that person in the past. Appeal to spite seems like it starts a huge chain of reactions that carries from one person to the next and down the line.
I found appeal to spite interesting in chapter 10 this week. The book describes it as “the hope of revenge”.It is where a person tries to justify doing something wrong to another person because they have done something wrong to you before. I never thought of this as an argument before. However, the book broke it down and explained why it is an argument. It is an argument because a person is justifying why he or she is doing something wrong to another person. For example, I won’t remind my roommate to empty her trash on Wednesday so the garbage man gets it because she didn’t remind me last week and I forgot. In this sense, I am justifying why I won’t help her out and remind her. It is an argument.This can also work by telling another person not to do something for another person because he or she wasn’t helped by that person in the past. Appeal to spite seems like it starts a huge chain of reactions that carries from one person to the next and down the line.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)