Davis, A. pg.

REL 100: Introduction to World Religions

Tuesdays: 1:00pm-3:00pm in Building, Room #
Prerequisites: none; Credit Hours: 3
This course fulfills the following requirements: General Education, Writing
Intensive
Instructor: Allison Davis (students may address instructor by first name)
Office hours: By appointment, Tuesdays (10am-11:30am, 3:30pm-5:00pm),
and Wednesdays (10am-3pm)
Office location: Building, Office #123
Contact information: adavis10@luc.edu, Office Phone: 555-555-5555
Course Description
Introduction to World Religions is a general introduction to the basic
religious concerns of humanity, and the ways in which religions have
developed in Eastern and Western history. Students will learn about the
people and practices of six major religions, analyze their components, and
engage the issue of religious diversity in the United States.
Learning Goals/Outcomes for Course

Students will develop their own working definition of religion.

Students will be able to apply knowledge of different religions to their
own lives.
Students will be able to analyze diverse religions and their respective
aspects.
Students will be able to critically engage the issue of religious diversity
in the national context.
Students will be able to compare and contrast different religions.
Students will identify ways they can further expand their knowledge of
foreign religions.

Attendance Policy:
Attendance is essential. If you do not attend class, you will miss essential
aspects of this course, and your performance will suffer as a result. However,
emergencies and sickness do happen. Please inform the instructor PRIOR to
the missed class, if possible, that you will not be in attendance.

Assignments and Assessments

The class is assessed on a point system. The highest number of points a
student can receive is 200. The 200 points is broken down as follows:

Davis, A. pg. 2

Journal Reflections (J1-J4): Once a month (due dates are listed in course
calendar), you will write a one-page journal of your definition of religion
to be emailed to me. Starting with month 1, you will explain what your
definition of religion is and how you came to understand religion in that
way. Each month, you will modify your definition (or not) based on your
learning and readings for class. [all journals are cumulatively worth 10
points (2.5 points each)]
o Rubric would be listed here for Journal Reflections
Class participation: We will engage in discussions every week about
the readings, as well as discuss our development of our definition of
religion monthly. Specifically, in week 7, we will discuss how knowledge
of and appreciation for different religions will help us in our professions.
Participation in class discussions is not just about how much you speak,
but also about the quality of your responses, your ability to actively
listen to others, and your class attendance. [Class participation will be
worth 20 points]
Site visit: In preparation for your mini-research paper (discussed
below), you will visit a religious ceremony outside of the religion or
non-religion you adhere to. You will contact sites and request to visit,
dress appropriately, and then submit a 1 to 2-page reflection on your
experience (upload to e-portfolio). [Your completion of the site visit and
reflection paper are worth 30 points]
o Rubric would be listed here for site visit reflection.
Mini-research paper (upload to e-portfolio): You will complete a
research paper on the religion of your choice (does not necessarily
have to be one we cover in class), including your personal insights. As
part of this assignment, you will visit a religious ceremony of the
religion you chose to write about for this paper. [The mini-research
paper is worth 25 points]
o Rubric would be listed here for the mini-research paper.
Critical Essay (to be uploaded to e-portfolio): You will write a critical
essay on how religious diversity affects your everyday life. Also include
how you think religious diversity positively affects our society. This
essay will be 3-4 pages in length. [This essay is worth 30 points]
o Rubric would be listed here for critical essay.
Comparison project (upload to e-portfolio): You will compare and
contrast your religious adherence to a new one that you have learned
about and connected to in class. Make sure to mention similarities and
differences in ontology, soteriology, religious leaders, media attention,
media discrepancies, etc. Also include any information you learned
about both of the religions youve chosen that was eye-opening to you.
You may complete this project in any format you wish as long as it can

Davis, A. pg. 3

be uploaded in some way to e-portfolio [if you hand-make a poster,

take a photo of it as clearly as you can and upload that; this is your
chance to present information in a way that suits you best]) [This
project is worth 40 points]
o Rubric would be listed here for comparison project.
Final Learning Plan paper (upload to e-portfolio): You will identify 3-5
topics related to religion that you still need/want more information
about. This can be about an entirely new religion, or a topic within a
religion, or a religious leader, etc. You will then develop a learning plan
to outline ways you can learn more about those topic. The paper
should be 3-6 pages, with each topic you identify spanning the length
of at least one full page. [The final learning plan paper is worth 45
points]
o Rubric would be listed here for the final learning plan paper.

Grading Scale
90-100: A
80-90: B
70-80: C
60-70: D
Below 60: F

Late Assignment Policy

Late assignments will be subject to a 10 point grade drop for every day the
assignment is late, up to 3 days. After 3 days, the assignment will not be
accepted and a grade of 0 will be given. Missing class is not an excuse for a
late assignment; please upload the assignment to Sakai (or email the
assignment if there is no listing in Sakai) BEFORE the missed class, unless it
is an extreme emergency deemed so by the instructor.

Academic Honesty Policy

Academic honesty is an expression of interpersonal justice, responsibility and
care, applicable to university faculty, students, and staff, which demands
that the pursuit of knowledge in the university community be carried out
with sincerity and integrity. The Policy on Academic Integrity can be found at:
www.univeristyurl.edu. For additional academic policies and procedures refer
to: www.universityurl.edu.

Davis, A. pg. 4

Accessibility
Students who have disabilities which they believe entitle them to
accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act should register
with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD) office. To request
accommodations, students must schedule an appointment with an SSWD
coordinator. Students should contact SSWD at least four weeks before their
first semester or term at Loyola. Returning students should schedule an
appointment within the first two weeks of the semester or term. The
University policy on accommodations and participation in courses is available
at: www.universityurl.edu.

EthicsLine Reporting Hotline

The University has implemented EthicsLine Reporting Hotline, through a third
party internet & telephone hotline provider, to provide you with an
automated and anonymous way to report activities that may involve
misconduct or violations of University policy. You may file an anonymous
report here on-line or by dialing 855-603-6988 (within the United States,
Guam, and Puerto Rico).
The University is committed to the highest ethical and professional standards
of conduct as an integral part of its mission of expanding knowledge in the
service of humanity through learning, justice and faith. To achieve this goal,
the University relies on each community member's ethical behavior, honesty,
integrity and good judgment. Each community member should demonstrate
respect for the rights of others.
www.universityurl.edu/ethicsline

Technology
This course will utilize Sakai as the course management system and
Taskstream as the ePortfolio system (digital portfolio collection and
dissemination system). It is a web-enhanced course, as multi-media, written
reflection will be highly encouraged. The use of electronic communication
devices during class meetings is prohibited. Students may use laptops to
take notes during class, but those found to be disruptive to class (texting,
messaging, Facebooking, tweeting, pinning, tumbling, etc.) will be asked to
leave the class for the remainder of the meeting.

Davis, A. pg. 5

Electronic Communication Policies and Guidelines

The University faculty, students and staff respect each others rights, privacy
and access to electronic resources, services, and communications while in
the pursuit of academic and professional growth, networking and research.
All members of the university community are expected to demonstrate the
highest standards of integrity, communication, and responsibility while
accessing and utilizing technology, information resources, and computing
facilities. A link to the University official policies and guidelines can be found
at:
http://www.universityurl.edu/media/lucedu/education/pdfs/SOE_Cyberbullying
_Policy.pdf

Diversity
This course will engage participants in dialogue around three major themes
related to diversity: 1) diversity in learning perspectives, styles, and
approaches related to constructing significant learning experiences; 2) the
tension presented by constructing high impact learning and encouraging
diverse groups to engage with them; 3) developing welcoming educational
spaces for individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Further Information about Allison:

Bachelor of Arts- Elementary Education
Converse College, 2014
Masters of Education- Higher Education
Loyola University Chicago, 2016
I enjoy movies (RomCom and some fantasy), music (my favorite bands are
Imagine Dragons and Mumford & Sons), and flying in airplanes. Im scared of
heights (except for airplanes), roller coasters (again, heights), and tornadoes.
I love snow, puppies, and sweet tea.
Were going to have a great, informative, learning and laugh-filled semester. I
look forward to working with all of you.

Davis, A. pg. 6

Course Calendar:

Week 1: What is religion?

Due today: Bring with you to class a paragraph or so about what you
think religion is.
Activities:
Introduction to course: Video- What is Religion?
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQm_mJKoO50)
Talk about it- What is religion? What were the differences in the
testimonies from the video? What were the commonalities? Who
decides if something is religion or not?

Week 2: What is religion? cont.

Due today: J1- What is your definition of religion? Type your response
and save it in the Journals folder in our class site.
Activities:
Talk about it- What has changed about your definition of religion since
the first class? Why is that?; Definitions: Ontology (how the world came
to be, the creation story) and soteriology (the goal of the religion,
what is salvation and how do we get there?)

Week 3: Christianity
Due today: Reading from The Worlds Religions (Huston Smith)
Activities:
Talk about it: What did you think about todays readings on
Christianity? Strengths? Criticisms? Questions?
Foundational knowledge: Ontology and soteriology of Christianity.

Week 4: Judaism
Due today: reading from The Worlds Religions (Huston Smith)
The Thirteen Principles of Jewish Faith
(http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/332555/jewish/
Maimonides-13-Principles-of-Faith.htm)
Activities:
Talk about it: What did you think about todays readings on Judaism?
Strength? Criticisms? Questions?
Foundational knowledge: Ontology and soteriology of Judaism.

Davis, A. pg. 7

Week 5: Islam
Due today: Reading from The Worlds Religions (Huston Smith)
Charlie Hebdo: Gun Attack on French magazine kills 12:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30710883
Activities:
Talk about it: What did you think about todays reading? Strengths?
Criticisms? Questions? What about the article? What tensions did you
find about Islam between the information from the Smith book and the
information from the BBC article? Why do you think that is?
Foundational knowledge: Ontology and soteriology of Islam (students
will fill in the information about Islam in small groups, information will
not be delivered by instructor, but by students based on their readings)

Week 6: Assets of knowledge/Mini-research paper

Due today: J2- What is religion? Has your definition evolved? Why or
why not?
Activities:
Talk about it: Discussion of J2; talk about mini-research paper, paper
guidelines, site visit, answer questions, library specialist will visit our
class and give presentation on how to utilize schools resources

Week 7: Confucianism
Due today- Reading
o The Worlds Religions (Huston Smith)
o Scholastic resource:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/confucianism
o Yahoo! Answers forum:
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?
qid=20120926203011AA2eNnK
Activities:
Talk about it: What did you think about todays reading? Strengths?
Criticisms? Questions? What about the article? What did you think
about the responses on the forum? What do you think? Is Confucianism
a religion or a philosophy? Why? Is there a difference?
Foundational knowledge: history of Confucianism, brief intro to
Confucius, precepts of Confucianism

Davis, A. pg. 8

Week 8: The Value of Religious Knowledge

Due today: draft topic of research paper; site visit narrowed down to
two options
Reading:
o Program takes kids on religious journeys from Detroit Free Press
(http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2015/01
/18/students-religious-diversity-journeys/21976879/)
o Huffington Post Blog (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ianreifowitz/religious-freedom-gives-m_b_6598628.html)
Activities:
Talk about it: Why do we learn about religions? What value is there in
it? What do you think about the program from the Detroit Free Press
article? What information would change if the lawmakers in the
HuffPost Blog knew more about different religions? How might that
knowledge influence lawmakers?
Small group discussions and reporting out: How will knowing about and
appreciation of other religions help you professionally? Will it help at
all? Why or why not?

Week 9: Religious Leaders

Due today: Site visit and visit reflection paper
Reading:
o Article on Gandhi
(http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,988159,0
0.html)
o Article on Dalai Lama: (http://time.com/3637363/dalai-lama-thelast/)
Activities:
Talk about it: Discussion on site visits, experiences, connections, ah-ha
moments, anxieties, etc.; talk about Gandhi, why is Gandhi an
important leader? The Dalai Lama? Why do we spend time learning
about religious leaders? Why are religious leaders important?

Week 10: Hinduism

Due today, Reading:
o The Worlds Religions (Huston Smith)
o BBC Resource: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/
Activities:
Talk about it: What did you think about todays reading? Strengths?

Davis, A. pg. 9

Criticisms? Questions? What about the resource? Were there any gaps
in the information or discrepancies between the two resources?
Factual knowledge: Ontology and soteriology of Hinduism.

Week 11: Sikhism

Due today, Reading:
o Explore Sikhism website: http://www.sikhs.org/topics.htm
o CUNY resource:
http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/PHIL_of_RELIG
ION_TEXT/CHAPTER_2_RELIGIONS/Sikhism.htm
Activities:
Talk about it: What did you think about todays reading? Strengths?
Criticisms? Questions? What about the resource? Were there any gaps
in the information or discrepancies between the two resources? How
many of you had heard of Sikhism before? Do you remember where
you heard about it/experienced it? Why do you think this religion is one
that many people do not know exists, despite its large number of
adherents?

Week 12: Research presentations

Due today: J3- What is religion? Has your definition evolved? Why or
why not?
Due: Research paper
Activities:
Talk about it: Research paper presentations- major points, discoveries,
ah-ha moments

Week 13: No class (Spring Break)

Week 14: Comparing Religions project

Due today: Comparison project
Activities:
Talk about it: Small-group discussions. In small groups, you will talk
about your comparison project. What youve learned, what you wish
you would have found, what you liked about the assignment and what
you didnt like, interesting resources you want to share with your
classmates, etc.

Davis, A. pg. 10

Week 15: NOT the end.

Due today: Final project- Learning plan
Activities:
Talk about it: 10 minute presentations on learning plans; final thoughts
about course, final reflection paper in-class (what youve learned, what
was the best part of the course, any criticisms or things you wish had
been part of the course, etc.) These reflection papers will help me, as
an instructor, plan for the next group of students who choose to take
this first-year seminar course.

The above schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to
change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure
better student learning.

Reflective Analysis
I chose to construct a course syllabus on an introductory world
religions course. This seemed like a perfect option for me because it is
something I am really interested in and passionate about, and was also one
of my favorite courses as an undergraduate student. I think this course is a
really important one as it helps to foster an appreciation for religions outside
ones own faith or non-faith system, as well as helps to clarify any
misconstrued information publicized by the media.
In my construction of a course syllabus, I modeled syllabi that I used in
my past academic experiences that I found useful and easy to follow. One of
my apprehensions about creating a course syllabus was that it would make
sense to me, but not to potential students. For this reason, I structured the

Davis, A. pg. 11

syllabus in a linear fashion, in an order that I perceive as making the most

sense.
I began the syllabus with the course title and number, meeting days
and times, prerequisites requires (there were none as this is an introductory
class), general education requirements the course might fulfill (depending on
institution), the instructors name, contact information, and office location.
All these components were included based on Nilsons advice (Nilson, 2010).
The next section includes the learning outcomes from the course. The
learning outcomes come early in the syllabus because I want those to be
among the first things that students see when they begin reading about the
course. These learning outcomes are ones that I hope students who take the
class carry with them throughout their lives. It was difficult to compose the
learning outcomes because there were things I wanted students to take with
them after the class was over that were not measurable outcomes.
Next on the syllabus came the attendance policy, which was also an
important part of the class and a piece I believed needed to show up early
on. The expectation for attendance, and by association participation, was
important to disclose early on so that students could begin setting those
expectations for themselves.
The middle section is for assignments and assessments. These
assignments are ones that will be completed outside the class times and will
be assessed. I chose to calculate grades on a point system, because I felt
that was easier not only for me as an instructor, but will give students an
easier time when calculating their own grades. This also keeps me from
constantly receiving emails form students who want to know their grades.

Davis, A. pg. 12

After each course assignment is where a copy of the rubric would go for each
assignment. I felt it necessary to include those within the syllabus instead of
attached to it because students would be able to read the descriptions and
see how the assignments will be graded all in one place, instead of having to
flip back and forth, which, as a student I find slightly annoying.
Two of the assignments/assessments I find worth mentioning in a little
more detail are the participation grades and the final learning plan paper.
Within the participation explanation, I mention that participation is not just
about how many times a student speaks up in class, but about the quality of
the information they present and how well they are exhibiting active listening
skills. Nothing discouraged me more as a student than feeling like I had to
say something or I would be punished for it. This will give the students who
are introverted the chance to earn their participation points and learn how
they learn best: by listening. If making students respond out loud in class is
the only way to earn these points, then responses and discussions become
only about points and not about sharing insights and ideas. It becomes more
about a grade and stifles organic passion, which is something really
importing in creating innovators who generate creative ideas (Wagner &
Compton, 2012).
The next assignment I would like to draw attention to is the final
learning plan assignment. I got this idea from Fink, who describes the
learning plan as students building a learning agenda and strategy and then
receiving feedback on their plan. Fink uses this as a way to promote
significant learning in that it guides students to become self-directed learners

Davis, A. pg. 13

(Fink, 2003). I thought this would be a perfect culminating assignment for

the end of the course because it would give students the power to direct
their own learning and take ownership of that learning.
I decided to have students upload many of their assignments to an
ePortfolio site for two reasons. One, it can be a way for students to keep
track of their progress as writers and thinkers. The second reason is for
students to be able to review their assignments long after they have finished
with the course, and remind themselves of their hard work and their passion
for learning about different identities. The more selfish reason to have
students upload their assignments to an ePortfolio system is that is gives
me, the instructor, a way to monitor how well my class and activities are
succeeding and benefitting the students (Fink, 2003).
After the assignment/assessment descriptions, the grading scale is
listed, followed by the late assignment policy. As emergencies do happen-and because I want students to understand that I genuinely care about them
and their well-being--I decided to accept late assignments up to three days
after they are due, with an automatic ten-point grade reduction for every day
the assignment is late. I decided to include the point reduction because it is
important that students manage their time well so that are not completing
heavy assignments at the last minute.
Immediately following the late assignment policy is the academic
honesty policy, a statement on accessibility, information on the EthicsLine
reporting hotline, and a section on technology use. In the technology
section, I mention the online resources we will be utilizing for the class, as
well as a statement on my policy of technology use in the classroom. I have

Davis, A. pg. 14

decided to allow laptops in the class, as it will be a helpful tool for organizing
the factual information the students are learning about, with the caveat that
students will be asked to leave the class meeting if they are disruptive or are
on any sites unrelated to the course.
The next sections include electronic communication policies and
guidelines, a statement on diversity, and further information about me, the
instructor. Not many of my undergraduate professors included extra
information about themselves other than their degrees, and I think it is an
important part of the syllabus. I included it per advice from Nilson (2010)
and think that it humanizes the instructor more than if students just knew
about my degrees and titles.
The final section, and arguably the longest, is the course calendar.
This section was the absolute most difficult for me to construct. The other
components of the syllabus were pieces that I did not have to think much
about (except for the learning outcomes). This was also difficult for me
because I was trying to be conscious of my learning goals when creating the
course calendar and coming up with the activities for class.
The course calendar is split up into weeks, with a short title about what
each week's focus will be on, and then the week is split up into what is due
that day (readings and/or assignments and the activities for that week).
Each week, there is a "talk about it" activity, where the class and the
instructor engage with each other about the readings, including a-ha
moments, further questions, strengths and weaknesses of the readings, and
connecting them to everyday life. One "talk about it" session I would like to
explain in detail occurs on Week 8, where students get into small groups and

Davis, A. pg. 15

discuss how learning about other religions will help them in their future
chosen professions. I think this conversation is an important one for
students to engage in because it helps them see the applicability of what
they are learning in class, as well as develop passion for learning about
different cultures and identities (Wagner & Compton, 2012). There is a
higher chance that they will develop passion for this type of learning because
it will positively affect their growth as professionals.
Completing this syllabus taught me that creating syllabi is no easy
task. It takes almost as much effort to design a course as it does to create its
syllabus. I think more now about how professors get advanced degrees in
their fields, with little to no training on how to effectively teach, design
courses, or construct syllabi. I feel privileged that I had the opportunity to
spend a couple of weeks creating a syllabus step-by-step with the help of my
peers, a knowledgeable instructor, and some really effective graphic
organizers, which is way more than many professors are afforded. I am also
more conscious now of the learning outcomes on my current syllabi and how
they fit in with the assessments and activities we do in my class as a student
(Fink, 2003) than I ever was before this project, where I developed an
understanding of how much effort is takes to create an integrated course and
an integrated syllabus.

References

Davis, A. pg. 16

Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated

approach to developing college courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Nilson, L.B. (2010). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for
college instructors. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (Ch. 13)
Wagner, T. and Compton, R.A. (2012). Creating innovators: The making of
young people who will change the world. New York: Scribner.