Unit 3: Evidence

 

Number of Lectures: 10

Total Length of Lectures: 2:30:43

Welcome back to the course. In Unit 3 we focus on the second learning goal for our course, and our subject is evidence. There are four learning outcomes in this unit, but unlike the previous unit each outcome gets its own lecture(s). Otherwise our strategy is basically the same: the first lecture for each outcome provides the background, and in most cases one or more additional lectures give examples of how the basic concepts of the outcome play out in practice.

The first lecture in this unit introduces the concept of evidence (Lecture title: Evidence):

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Outcome (a): Describe Evidence

The second lecture in this unit introduces you to outcome (a):

(a) Describe the evidence adduced by an author

(Lecture title: Evidence 1a):

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The third lecture gives three short examples to illustrate the concept of evidence (Lecture title: Evidence 1b)

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Outcome (b): Means Used

The fourth lecture in this unit introduces you to outcome (b):

(b) Describe the means used for treating evidence

(Lecture title: Evidence 2a):

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The fifth lecture gives three short examples to illustrate how evidence is treated in different disciplines (Lecture title: Evidence 2b)

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The sixth lecture focuses on just one example in quite a bit of detail (Lecture title: Evidence 2c)

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Outcome (c): Draw inferences from graphs

The seventh lecture in this unit introduces you to outcome (c):

(c) Draw inferences from graphs, tables, and other graphical representations of quantitative evidence

We should apologize in advance, because this lecture is a bit on the long side. You might wish to stop midway through an get a glass of your favorite, non-alcoholic beverage midway through this one (Lecture title: Evidence 3a):

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The eighth lecture gives one example in some detail to illustrate the concepts from the previous lecture (Lecture title: Evidence 3b)

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Outcomes (d): Textual Sources

The ninth lecture in this unit introduces you to outcome (d):

(d) Determine the nature of textual sources referenced in a text and estimate the reliability of a source in a given context

It is harder to provide general rules of thumb for this outcome than for the other outcomes in this unit, and consequently our discussion is paced a little differently than in our other lectures. Fortunately, at this point the outcome should be fairly straightforward, because the previous lectures have provided you with background that will be useful in understanding the present outcome (Lecture title: Evidence 4)

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This is the one outcome in this unit that does not end with a lecture or two of practical examples.

 

Homework Exercise

Like in the previous unit, the reading assignment for this unit is also multidisciplinary. You'll want to read it before you go on to the next lecture:

Reading

Here's a discussion of the reading, which shows the application of a few of the course's learning goals (Lecture Title: Evidence Assign Lecture):

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Unlike the last unit, which was purely introductory, in this unit you'll actually have to produce and turn in a . Here are the directions for producing the writing assignment for this unit:

Assignment

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the instructor. Remember to turn in your assignment on time.