Needs Further Discussion

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.

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.

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!