Concepts for Further Review

Personally, I think everything was discussed thoroughly, as to say none of the concepts are still cloudy or need further explanation.  However, I would have enjoyed more information into devices used to manipulate.  I am really interested in the way things affect people’s behavior and outcomes directly related to a single word or phrase.  This also extends to the marketing section of the text.  I would have really enjoyed further information on marketing tactics and ploys.  This is important for every consumer to know so they don’t fall into these tricky marketing traps.  Also, the difference between inductive and deductive arguments is not firm in my mind.  It’s not that it was not thoroughly explained or poorly explained, I just find it hard to remember, unlike other course concepts.  I think every concept was explained well, straightforward, and easy to grasp, with my personal exception of the inductive and deductive arguments. 

Highs and Lows

My favorite thing about this class was being able to write our posts on our own time.  Although some of the posts were more difficult to reach word count, it was still nice to be able to see other people’s posts and get ideas on what to write.  One thing I did not like was the 12 hour separation.  This was purely my own fault however, because some weeks I really procrastinated, leaving me to post my final topic a few minutes before midnight.  However, my least, least, least favorite part of this class was the group work.  It was extremely difficult to coordinate schedules, and get everyone’s motivation to the same level.  I think with an online class, there is a huge mixture in the dedication of the students, making it challenging to find committed group mates.  I think this class would be a lot better without the group work.  Each individual should write his/her own papers.  Also, instead of having to gather people to evaluate their arguments, students could view a video on YouTube or some other video site, which contains multiple course concepts and then evaluate and write about the general video. 

Semester Lessons

Throughout the course of this semester, I have learned a lot of valuable information from this class.  Some is from being in an online class, and the rest is content itself.  The most important thing I am taking away from this class is a greater value on self-reliance.  In other words, this class taught me to be checking updates and staying informed on class information.  Unlike a physical attendance class, the teacher is not in front of you, reminding you what to do and when it is due, like many on campus professors.  Content wise, I think the most important lesson of the class was learning how words can be used to manipulate our emotions, thoughts and decisions.  I knew this was happening in everyday life, but to put a name to the concepts and terms made them more real; for example, slanted questions, the many fallacies, and the various appeals.  Now that I have a name for the concepts stored in my brain, when I encounter them in real-life situations, I will more readily spot them.