Photo: Ron Batzdorff / NBC.

Each course module will have 2 types of quizzes:

1. Quizzes embedded into my Panopto videos, and
2. Module quizzes posted on UB Learns.

You are expected to complete 2 modules a week, according to the class schedule. So their quizzes are due at the end of the week they are assigned. For these purposes, each week ends on Saturday at 11:59PM (midnight), Buffalo (Eastern Standard) Time.

However, keep in mind that you also have an automatic, additional 24-hour grace period for completing all your quizzes for the week. That means there is no penalty if you complete a week’s quizzes by that Sunday at 11:59PM (midnight), Buffalo (Eastern Standard) Time.

1. Here’s What I Want You to Do
2. Here’s Why I Want You to Do It
3. Here’s How to Do It
4. Here’s How You’ll Earn Philosophy Experience Points
5. Using Philosopher’s Stones
6. Collaboration & Academic Integrity

Photo: Justin Lubin / NBC.

Here’s What I Want You to Do

As you are watching my Panopto videos for a module, occasionally the video will pause and you will have to complete a multiple-choice problem. Take your time, as needed, to carefully respond. Once you have done that, you should then be able to continue watching the video.

Meanwhile, each module also has a separate quiz posted on UB Learns. These module quizzes consist of an Commitment to Academic Integrity Pledge and 5 multiple-choice problems. Each problem will appear one at a time, and once you have completed a problem you cannot go back later to change your response. Also, once you begin a module quiz, you have 15 minutes to finish it. If you stop, you cannot restart. (1 minute per multiple-choice problem is standard for college-level quizzes. I am giving you a little extra time, so you may consult your notes during the quiz.)

If you have any technical difficulties with any quiz, let me know immediately! I will gladly go into UB Learns and try to fix things for you.

Photo: Colleen Hayes / NBC.

Here’s Why I Want You to Do It

The weekly quizzes act as the starting point on your path towards the first 3 learning outcomes for this course:

1. Identify and employ common terminology for philosophical approaches to ethics,
2. Explain and summarize important arguments within philosophical texts, and
3. Apply important ethical concepts and theories to various hypothetical and real-world situations.

This means that quizzes will have problems that involve definitions, summarizing basic points, and doing simple applications.

In addition, the Panopto video quizzes will also help you pay attention while checking your understanding of the material as it is presented. Meanwhile, the module quizzes will assess your basic understanding of the material presented in the Panopto videos and in the posted readings.

Photo: Colleen Hayes / NBC.

Here’s How to Do It

Each module includes reading questions that will help you identify important points and ideas in the texts. So as you are reading, I highly encourage you to take simple notes that attempt to answer (or at least sketch out an answer to) those reading questions. If convenient, you might consider printing out the reading and writing your answers directly on the text itself.

After that, as you are watching the Panopto videos, I encourage you to take notes as you would do in any regular, face-to-face course. However, do not feel like you must write down literally everything they cover. Just try to capture their main points, such as definitions, premises and conclusions to arguments, and any applications of course conceptions. You should also note anything else that helps you answer those reading questions.

All quizzes are open note, open book, and open video—so taking notes is a great way to prepare yourself for success!

If you take notes in these ways, then the quizzes should be pretty straightforward. You will immediately know the solutions to quiz problems, or, at least, know where to quickly find those solutions. Of course, some problems may still challenge you, but I do not intend for any of them to trick you!

Photo: Justin Lubin / NBC.

Here’s How You’ll Earn Philosophy Experience Points

Unless I say otherwise, each Panopto video quiz problem will be worth 2 philosophy experience points. There will be 25 of these problems per module, for a total of 50 possible philosophy experience points per module.

Again, unless I say otherwise, each module quiz will be worth a total of 50 philosophy experience points. Each problem on a module quiz is scored in the following way:

• Each correct response earns 10 points,
• Each incorrect response earns 0 points, and
• Each response of “I don't know” earns 2 points.

I award points in this way to discourage random guessing on the module quizzes. It also highlights problems that I may need to reassess.

Putting this together, you can earn up to 100 philosophy experience points per module for completing all these quizzes. With 2 modules a week, that is a total possible 200 points per week.

You will also notice that Panopto video quizzes are worth significantly fewer points than the more comprehensive module quizzes. This is because I expect a lot of incorrect responses with the video quizzes—hey, doing something for the first time can be tough! Make those mistakes, learn from them, and do not stress that your course grade is being destroyed in the process.

In addition, if you think there is a problem with a quiz problem, let me know! In fact, if I correct a mistake you identify, I’ll give you 0.20 (i.e., one fifth) of a philosopher’s stone. Boo-ya!

Photo: Colleen Hayes / NBC.

Using Philosopher’s Stones

You may exchange 1 philosopher’s stone for the Time Stop philosophical power:

Time Stop (Q)

You may also exchange 2 philosopher’s stones for the Borrowed Knowledge philosophical power:

Borrowed Knowledge

Photo: Colleen Hayes / NBC.

Collaboration & Academic Integrity

Since the weekly quizzes are meant to assess your progress through the course modules and the extent to which you are achieving the learning outcomes, I expect you to do all quizzes on your own without assistance. Naturally, I also expect that you are not helping others with their quizzes either. If anyone does ask you for help, just send them to me. I’ll gladly assist them. In short, all weekly quizzes are closed to collaboration.

Please remember that quizzes are not group assignments. Let me know if you are struggling and I’ll gladly help!

Furthermore, please do not try to find solutions to the quizzes online. Also please do not attempt to use an automated text generator or other form of artificial intelligence (AI) to find solutions. (Honestly, you will likely not have have enough time to find solutions in those ways anyhow.) With all the weekly quizzes being open book, open note, and open video, you really should already have everything you need to do well on them.