REL3185 - Healers and Mediums

Professor Erin Weston

 

General Information

Course Description and Purpose

This online course investigates healing outside the norm of the USA through mediumship, channeling, PSI (paranormal psychological phenomena), shamans, animals and plants and offers a unique experience through alternative global practices that are studied through the use of texts, electronic readings, video streaming, artwork and resources information. In addition, the skeptic viewpoint that questions the validity of such healing and PSI experiences is included. An overview of accepted global alternatives in health and religious practices of categories that were considered taboo in Western medicine for many years, are currently being investigated and implemented by institutions of higher learning, universities and research laboratories in the US and world-wide. "Healers and Mediums" (through religious and cultural practices) treat diseases, maladies, and physical-emotional-spiritual problems encountered by human beings. Many treatments have been used for hundreds or thousands of years, and lie outside the normative practice of Western science, technology and medical practices.

Course Objectives

Upon completing this course, students will be able to:

• Define the terms healer/s and medium/s using the glossary of terms for the course. GLI
• Develop an understanding of the role that healers, mediums and shamans play in cultural and cross-cultural societies and describe some of their alternative methods of healing. GLI
• Recognize patterns of evolutionary change past rituals and practices used in healing that may play a role in reshaping future traditions of aesthetics and cultural values. GLI
• Recognize shamans exist within in specific community and that shamanism per se is not considered a specific religion or denomination within a religious realm in western concepts even though some shamanic beliefs have similar practices. GLI
• Demonstrate knowledge of some alternative methods of healing and how they are being incorporated into medical practices of western medicine, i.e. meditation, yoga, acupressure and acupuncture. GLI
• Describe healing methods that include ethnobotany: the use of plants in healing, and describe some plants used in healing. Note the indigenous cultures use of plants. GLI
• Explain in definitive terms how animal are healers and used in the healing process through analysis of their importance today. GLI
• Define PSI and the believers who support PSI experiences. GLI
• Define skepticism from the glossary of terms and the accompanying skeptic viewpoints; synthesize why the skeptical viewpoint is important. GLI
• Distinguish global perspectives that shape trends in dealing systems like reincarnation or past-life regressions. GLI
• Gain an appreciation for the diversity of healing methods for life on Earth as well as concluding ways to heal the maladies of the body from global perspectives the lie outside the Western medical practices. GLI
• Compare and contrast healing from areas like Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America.
• Relate the above objectives in problem solving regarding healing methods from the course beginning with the pre-course survey and connecting the solutions through the post course survey. 

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Course Communication
Communication in this course will take place via course email. An early warning system exists that will send a message directly to you if you miss an assignment, assessment or discussion; a zero is assigned for the missed work. No make-ups will be accepted unless discussed in advance of the due date and verified by the professor.
The message feature is a private, internal communication system. Users must log on to the Canvas system to send/receive/read messages. It is recommended that students check their messages routinely to ensure up-to-date communication. This is the best method to communicate with your instructor privately.

 

Global Learning Graduation Honors

FIU’s Excellence in Global Learning Graduation Medallion is awarded to students who complete at least four global learning courses, participate in a variety of global co-curricular activities, and complete a capstone consisting of one of the following: a substantial original research project and presentation on a global topic; extensive foreign language study; long-term study abroad; or, a globally-focused internship. The Peace Corps Prep certification is conferred upon students who complete at least four global learning courses, extensive language study, and a global problem-solving project. For more information, visit goglobal.fiu.edu

• Global Learning Course Outcomes

 

Important Information

Policies
Please review the policies page as it contains essential information regarding guidelines relevant to all courses at FIU and additional information on the standards for acceptable netiquette important for online courses.

Religious holidays

“Every effort will be made, where feasible and practical, to accommodate students whose religious practices coincide with class requirements scheduling. Please make sure to notify your instructor at the beginning of the semester of which dates you will be absent or any anticipated problems with completing course work.”

Physical, mental and sensory challenges accomodations

“Every effort will be made, where feasible and practical, to accommodate students who are so challenged. Should you require accommodations, contact the Disability Resource Center if you have not done so already.” Please note that if you have a student who is registered with the DRC, you will receive notification about the student’s disability and a detailed description of accommodations the student will require.

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Technical Requirements & Skills
One of the greatest barriers to taking an online course is a lack of basic computer literacy. By computer literacy we mean being able to manage and organize computer files efficiently, and learning to use your computer's operating system and software quickly and easily. Keep in mind that this is not a computer literacy course; but students enrolled in online courses are expected to have moderate proficiency using a computer. Please go to the "What's Required" page to find out more information on this subject.
Please visit our technical requirements page for additional information.

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Accessibility And Accommodation
Obtain more detailed information about the specific limitations with the technologies used in this course. For additional assistance please contact our Disability Resource Center 

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Course Prerequisites
The course does not have any prerequisites.

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Textbook and Course Materials

 

	Walking Through Walls: A Memoir (Required)  Philip Smith Atria; First Edition edition (2008) ISBN-10: 1416542949 ISBN-13: 9781416542940 You may purchase your textbook online at the FIU Bookstore
	Of Water and the Spirit: Ritual, Magic and Initiation in the Life of an African Shaman (Required)  Malidoma Patrice Some Penguin Books, 1994 ISBN-10: 0140194967 ISBN-13: 978-0140194968 You may purchase your textbook online at the FIU Bookstore
	Shamanism (Required)  Piers Vitebsky University of Oklahoma Press, 2001 ISBN-10: 0806133287 ISBN-13: 9780806133287   You may purchase your textbook online at the FIU Bookstore
	Life Before Life  Jim B. Tucker, M.D. St. Martin's Griffin, 04/01/2008 ISBN-10: 031237674X ISBN-13: 9780312376741 You may purchase your textbook online at the FIU Bookstore

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Expectations Of This Course
This is an online course, meaning that the course work will be conducted online. Expectations for performance in an online course are the same as for a traditional course; in fact, online courses require a degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology skills that can make them more demanding for some students.

Electronic information: DVD’s. PDF’s. PPT’s and glossaries are listed in the weekly syllabus below and noted in each week of the course. These complement the required readings and topics for each section: 1) Introduction, 2) PSI and Healing Through Mediums, 3) Shamans, 4) Skeptics

Students are expected to complete the following

• Sign the agreement form that you have read and understand the course information and requirements.
• Review PPT “Avoiding Errors”
• Take the practice quiz to ensure that your computer is compatible with Canvas.
• Interact online with instructor/s and peers to meet all assignment and assessment deadlines/due dates
• Review and follow the course calendar. Any appropriate changes will be sent via course message and announcements. so it is important to read and review these weekly if not more often.
• Log in to the course at least twice weekly during the fall and spring semesters
• Respond to discussion boards, blogs and journal postings as required, following due dates that are posted in the course calendar. For discussions, the initial post is usually on Thursday evening followed by a minimum of 3 responses by Sunday evening..
• Submit assignments and complete assessments by their corresponding deadlines
• Respond to course messages within 3-5 days.
• Use word doc or docx to submit. assignments, double line space your work using academic style writing. If you send an incompatible document, it will be returned with a grade deduction and resubmitted in the proper format for a grade.

 Instructor will:

• Log in to the course at least 5 times per week
• Respond to discussions, blogs and journal postings within 3 days or sooner
• Respond to [emails/messages] within 3 days or sooner
• Grade assignments within 2 weeks or sooner of the assignment deadline

Academic Honesty And Plagiarism FIU Academic Misconduct Statement 
Florida International University is a community dedicated to generating and imparting knowledge through excellence in teaching and research, the rigorous and respectful exchange of ideas, and community service. All students should respect the right of others to have an equitable opportunity to learn and honestly to demonstrate the quality of their learning. Therefore, all students are expected to adhere to a standard of academic conduct that demonstrates respect for themselves, their fellow students, and the educational mission of the University. All students are deemed by the University to understand that if they are found responsible for academic misconduct, they will be subject to the Academic Misconduct procedures and sanctions, as outlined in the Student Handbook.

Academic misconduct includes:

• Cheating – The unauthorized use of books, notes, aids, electronic sources, or assistance from another person with respect to examinations, course assignments, field service reports, class recitations or other work; or the unauthorized possession of examination papers or course materials, whether originally authorized or not. Cheating violates both University and College codes.
• Plagiarism – The use and appropriation of another’s work without any indication of the source, and the re-presentation of such work as the student’s own. Any student who fails to give credit for ideas, expressions or materials taken from another source, including Internet sources, commits plagiarism. Plagiarism violates both University and College codes.
• Unacceptable behavior – Students will be disciplined accordingly if they show repeated or egregious disrespect for classmates or instructors or are disruptive.

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Discussion Forums
There are 8 discussions posted for grading. Each student will post her/his comments for the topic listed and then respond to at least three other students' postings. Discussions and chats are graded according to content (see the Discussion Rubric) of the original post and responses on a 10-point scale; 10 points are awarded for the discussion and responses; deductions are awarded according to the quality of the posted information responses. [Review the Discussion Rubric]

Keep in mind that forum discussions are public, and care should be taken when determining what to post.
Students are also required to know the expectations or "netiquette" that pertains to the discussion board. Students who abuse this forum by making harassing, inappropriate or abusive statements will be removed and receive a zero (0). Remember, your participation is key to connecting with other students. Further, often it is the deciding factor between receiving a higher or lower grade at the end of the term.

• Discussion Rubric

Discussion Rubric is based on the California State University at Hayward: Assessing Effectiveness of Student Participation in Online Discussions and altered accordingly to fit this course.

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Quizzes

Each quiz will be available from Monday 12:00 am till Monday 11:59 pm of the given week (US Eastern Standard Time or Daylight Savings Time). Each student has one attempt at each quiz. Once you open the quiz, you will have the allotted time to save each response and submit all your answers. (Remember not to touch the computer Back button; follow the directions listed in Canvas. Please study all the relevant course material for each week. You will need to complete the quizzes and exams by yourself. Any interaction of any form with others will constitute cheating, and may have serious repercussions. Quizzes are designed with multiple-choice, matching and true/false items.

In order to mitigate any issues with your computer and online assessments, it is very important that you take the "Practice Quiz" from each computer you will be using to take your graded quizzes and exams. It is your responsibility to make sure your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements.
Assessments in this course are not compatible with mobile devices and should not be taken through a mobile phone or a tablet. If you need further assistance please contact FIU Online Support Services

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Exams
Exams are intended to assess your comprehension, retention, and knowledge of the materials covered in electronic postings, videos and required texts. The midterm exam is open for a 5-day period, (one attempt) from 08:00 of the first day until 23:59 on the 5th day. The midterm follows the same format at the quizzes: multiple-choice, matching, true/false, with one short essay question.

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Essays/ Critical Book Review
All essays and/or critical book reviews are written in academic style (3rd person) unless otherwise stated and must contain proper referencing for quotations or concepts from any author or resource. Double-line space your essays; you may include a title page (not required), date, course and your name; properly list all references, even in the case of a personal reflection essay.  There are information sheets posted in the course content for “Academic Papers/Essay Recommendations, ” “Critical Book Reviews” and a “Grading Rubric.” For the critical book review, the book list is posted under the Assignment Dropbox, Critical Book Review Part A. Again, as a reminder, no late work past the due date and time will be accepted!

• Essay Rubric

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Make-up Policy
No make-up assignments, quizzes or exams are accepted. All assigned material and due dates are indicated in the syllabus and a zero (0) grade will be assessed for any late or missed coursework. If some unforeseen emergency arises that prevents you from taking an exam or handing in an assignment, documentation must be provided (i.e., a summons for jury duty, letter on Physicians letterhead stating explicitly why student could not hand in assignment/take exam. This documentation will be verified by contacting the appropriate individuals. Once verified, a decision to proceed will be made by the Professor.

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Please Note That There Are Discussions, Assignments And Assessments Due During The Same Week, Same Date And Time. A brief of assigned work is attached at the end of the Course Calendar. All Assignments and assessments are due as listed.

Course Requirements	# Of Items	Weight
Written Essay assignment - #1 (Critical review of PSI website, 250-word minimum); GLI	1	10%
Written Essay Assignments #2- #5 (300 word minimum); GLI	4	15%
Graded Discussions (6),	6	10%
Quizzes; GLI	4	10%
Timed Midterm Exam; GLI	1	25%
Final Essay Critical Book Review in 2 parts: Part A- abstract- 200 words, essay outline, bibliography 10%; Part B- Review, 1,000 words 20%; (Part A must be completed before Part B is submitted; GLI	1	30%
Total		100%

 

Letter Grade	Range	Letter Grade	Range	Letter Grade	Range
A	93 and above	B	84 - 86	C	76 - 70
A-	90 - 92	B-	80 - 83	D	69-60
B+	87 - 89	C+	77 - 79	F	<60