Course Syllabus

Course Information
(course number, course title, term, any specific section title)ED 4359 Chess II - Using Institutional
& Cultural Contexts of Chess

Professor Contact Information

(Professor’s name, phone number, email, office location, office hours, other information)Dr. Alexey
Root, 940-484-2265, aroot@utdallas.edu, office hours by appointment. GR2.240
(administrative assistant's office)--her name is Michele Dunavin and her phone is 972-
883-2057.

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

(including required prior knowledge or skills)
No prerequisites.

3 semester hours. ED 4359 students give examples of the cultural role of

Course Description
chess as a combination of art, game, history, and science using the interdisciplinary
methods of the arts and humanities. Students in ED 4359 analyze essays on chess in
education. Each student's culminating paper proposes improving an existing chess
program or developing a new chess program.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes ED 4359 students examine the various roles chess
plays in culture, as game, art, sport, and science. Students summarize research and
discuss resources to promote the play and study of the game of chess. Students
demonstrate knowledge of chess and interact with a classmate by playing and notating a
game of chess. Students write a proposal for a chess program for an institution in their
community.

Required Textbooks and Materials

Required Books (all students):

Course texts are on reserve at the UT-Dallas library. Required and suggested course texts
are available for sale at the UTD bookstore, Off Campus books, and through online book
retailers. Exception: Tim Redman's book is available from Tim Redman. Normally the
book sells for $25 plus tax and handling, but ED 4359 and ED 5345 students will pay
$24.65 ($20 for the book, $3 for shipping, and $1.65 for state tax for TX residents only).
The check should be made out to UTD account #525569 and sent to:

Course Syllabus Page 1

Tim Redman
Arts and Humanities, JO 31
P.O. Box 830688
Richardson, TX 75083-0688
Chess and Education: Selected Essays from the Koltanowski Conference. Editor: Tim
Redman. Chess Program at the University of Texas at Dallas. 230 pages. ISBN10: 0-
9786742-0-0
ISBN13: 978-0-9786742-0-5

Students receive a Your First Lessons in Chess© CD, available free from UTD General
Studies, Michele Dunavin <dunavin@utdallas.edu> or (972) 883-2057.

The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board

Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science and the Human Brain (Hardcover)
by David Shenk. Hardcover: 352 pages; Publisher: Doubleday (September 5, 2006).
ISBN: 0385510101.

Suggested Course Materials

Chess for Dummies by James Eade (first or second edition). Second edition Information:
Publisher: Wiley (September 2, 2005); Paperback: 361 pages. ISBN: 0764584049.
The 64-Square Looking Glass: Great Games of Chess in World Literature (Paperback) by
Burt Hochberg. Paperback: 352 pages; Publisher: Random House Puzzles & Games; 1st
edition (January 26, 1993). ISBN: 0812919297.
Children and Chess: A Guide for Educators by Alexey W. Root. Paperback: 136 pages;
Publisher: Teacher Ideas Press, an imprint of Libraries Unlimited; 1st edition (March 30,
2006). ISBN: 1591583586.

Assignments & Academic Calendar

(Topics, Reading Assignments, Due Dates, Exam Dates)
Each Unit takes 2 weeks if the students take ED 4359 on the 16-week schedule.
Each unit takes one week if the students take ED 4359 on the 8-week schedule. There are
no exams in the course. Since this course is online, the students read my "lecture" for the
Unit. Students also have reading assignments each week, and must summarize and debate
those readings in online group threaded discussions. Some discussions are weighted
differently for ED 4359 and ED 5345, but those distinctions are listed below within the
Units and also posted on the Discussion Board. All assignments must be completed by
Monday midnight at the end of the Unit.
For all Discussion Board postings, consider the implications of the readings and
the Discussion Board prompt in terms of your proposed chess program for an institution.
When posting on the Discussion Board about the week's readings, show knowledge of
those readings by making summary-style statements about the readings. For example,
"David Shenk described chess and its role in the Muslim Renaissance. Chess looked
different in those days from what we play today, but there were also similarities."
Support those statements with quotes or paraphrased sentence(s), followed by the page

Course Syllabus Page 2

number or URL of those sentences. "For example, on page 31 Shenk shows a diagram of
Islamic Chess, where the board (unlike today's chess board) doesn't have checkered
squares." Then give a reaction to the reading, or its implication for chess at your
institution. "Members of my institution need to learn that Islam shares history with
western culture. By showing that the western and Islamic peoples both play chess, and
have for centuries, I hope to promote greater cultural understanding in this time of war in
the Middle East. One step toward that understanding will be to teach them that chess was
and is a part of Islamic culture, and give examples such as this chess diagram on page 31
from Shenk's book."
By participating fully in each Discussion Board question, you will be, in effect,
writing parts of your paper #1. You will be able to re-use postings you've done from the
Discussion Board in your paper, and quote from others' Discussion Board postings in
your paper. For each unit, one through eight listed below, students read my "lecture" for
the unit. Log into the UT TeleCampus www.telecampus.utsystem.edu. Once in the
BlackBoard platform course, click on "Outline" from the left menu. Within Outline,
select the Unit whose lecture you wish to read. Within the Unit, use the "Go To" and
arrow buttons to read every page in the Unit.

Unit One
I. Discussion Board A: Tell where you will introduce or further develop chess in an
institution in your community and describe your role in the chess program's
implementation (40 points).
II. Update your TIS (TeleCampus Information System) to reflect a UTD email address
(10 points).
III. Send me an email from your UTD email account stating your chess level: absolute
beginner; beginner with knowledge of the rules of chess; intermediate player with several
chess games under your belt; or tournament chess player. (10 points).
IV. Discussion Board B: Choose the one best chess book, Web site, or piece of chess
software for your proposed community chess program (40 points).
Reading assignments for Unit One: Play through the software Your First Lessons of
Chess©, a chess tutorial from Think Like a King™ School Chess Software series Visit
About.com's chess pages. Read Tom Brownscombe's essay "Chess Resources for
Classroom Teachers" in the Redman book. Read Shenk's Appendix I: The Rules of Chess
if you are still shaky about basic chess rules.

Unit Two:
I. Discussion Board C: Play, notate, and analyze the first five moves of your chess game
with your classmate opponent (50 points).
II. Discussion Board D: Assess three more chess books, Web sites, or software programs,
considering how they might be of use to your proposed institution's population. (50
points).
Reading Assignments for Unit Two: For Discussion D, students must read and evaluate
chess resources appropriate for themselves and for the institution at which they will
develop a chess program.

Unit Three:

Course Syllabus Page 3

I. Discussion Board E: Identify the characteristics of successful chess lessons according
to Shenk and MacEnulty. Tell which characteristics you plan to implement in your
proposed chess program, and describe how you would ensure their implementation (100
points, which means a very detailed answer).
Reading Assignments for Unit Three: For Discussion E, students read Shenk, "Chapter
12: The Next War"; Redman book, David MacEnulty essays "Tips and Tricks for
Teaching Total Beginners," and "Developing a Successful Chess Program in the
Elementary School."

Unit Four:
I. Discussion Board F. What are the mental processes associated with chess? Which
processes are most in need of development among your community's members? (50
points).
II. Discussion Board G: What negative outcomes are associated with chess, and how can
those be avoided? Are there particular negative outcomes that members of your
community might be susceptible to? (50 points)
Reading Assignments for Unit Four: For Discussion F: Shenk, Chapter 7, "Chess and
the Working Mind"; Redman book, Bart essays, "How children solve simple endgame
problems" and "What is known about what occurs in the brain." For Discussion G:
Shenk, Prologue and Chapter 8 "Chess and the Shattered Mind"; Redman book, Problems
section which includes Root, "Crying" and Kiewra & Igo, "Distractions."
Graduate students read the first half of Birth of the Chess Queen by Yalom.

Unit Five:
I. Discussion Board H: What are some of the connections of chess to history? (65 points
for ED 4359 students; 75 points for ED 5345 students; this means an extra long and
detailed answer.) All students will show a thorough understanding of the Shenk readings.
Graduate students cite also from all parts of Birth of the Chess Queen.
II. Discussion Board I: Develop a timeline for at six least dates in the evolution of
computer chess, and tell how each date you selected was important in that evolution (35
points for ED 4359 students 25 points for ED 5345 students).

Reading Assignments for Unit Five: For Discussion H, Graduate students will read the
second half of Birth of the Chess Queen. All students: Shenk, "Openings" section,
chapters 1-6. Redman book, Hirsch essay. For Discussion I, read Shenk Chapter 11.

Unit Six:
I. Discussion Board J: Play, notate, and analyze the remaining moves of your chess game
with your classmate opponent, which you first posted about during Unit Two (50 points).
II. Discussion Board K: Summarize and analyze your choice of one of the following
author's essays from the Redman book: Redman, Kopec, Bayley, Moreno, Potts, Kiewra
("Developing Masters" essay), Samer, or Gobet & Jansen (50 points).
III. Graduate students only: Paper #2 is due.
Reading Assignments for Unit Six: Students choose an essay (Redman, Kopec, Bayley,
Moreno, Potts, Kiewra ("Developing Masters" essay), Samer, or Gobet & Jansen) from
Redman's book.

Course Syllabus Page 4

Unit Seven:
I. Discussion Board L: Which three chess in education research studies do you think
would be most persuasive to leaders of your target institution? Describe the methods,
results, and implications for members of your institution of the three studies that you
selected (50 points).
II. Discussion Board M: Give three examples of chess as metaphor, art, sport, science, or
symbol that you plan to use with your target institution (50 points).
Reading Assignments for Unit Seven: For Discussion Board L, Redman book:
Eberhard, Gobet & Campitelli, Benson, and Ferguson. For Discussion Board M, Shenk
Chapters 9-10 and Appendix 3.

Unit Eight:
I. Paper #1 is due for all students.
II. Discussion N: Funding opportunities. All students search online and find funding
source(s) for chess in education. Post the granting institution, description of grant, and the
link. ED 4359 students describe one opportunity. ED 5345 students summarize three
opportunities. Pick opportunities in all cases that might be of interest to your target
institution (50 points for ED 4359 students; 80 points for ED 5345 students).
III. Email me what you liked about the course, what you didn't like, and your suggestions
for future versions of this course (50 points for ED 4359 students; 20 points for ED 5345
students).

Grading Policy
(including percentages for assignments, grade scale, etc.)
Each Unit is worth 100 points. Thus the Units are worth 800 points (50% of an
ED 4359 student's course grade) and the Paper #1 is worth 800 points (the other 50% of
an ED 4359 student's course grade). Please see previous section of this syllabus for
detailed point by point break-down within each 100 point unit. Please see after the
grading scale for criteria for your Paper #1. Grading scale is as follows (out of 1600
points possible):
1584-1600 A+
1472-1583 A
1440-1471 A-
1408-1439 B+
1312-1407 B
1280-1311 B-
1248-1279 C+
1152-1247 C
1120-1151 C-
1088-1119 D+
992-1087 D
Below 991 is an F

Here are the guidelines for that Paper #1 assignment:

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 Paper #1 All students taking ED 4359 will write a proposal for introducing,
expanding, or formalizing chess at an educational, recreational, community or worship
institution. Turning in a rough draft of this paper is encouraged, but not required. The
final draft of this paper is due on the final day of class. There is no final exam for this
course. You will email Paper #1 to me in Word format as an attachment. If you don't
have Word, you can paste your paper in the body of your email. There should NOT be
graphics or illustrations with this paper.
The sections of the paper are developed through your coursework. The paper's
outline is based on the curriculum theory of Ralph Tyler (The Tyler Rationale), which
states that three sources must be addressed by curricula. Those sources are content,
societal concerns, and developmental needs of learners.
Here is the outline for a successful Paper #1. Note that you could rearrange roman
numerals I, II, and III if that fits your logic better. Just make sure that I, II, and III are all
addressed within your paper:
I. Aspects of chess as content. Depending on your goals for chess content, you might
choose to highlight chess as sport, as art, as science, as literature, as related to history, or
as a game. Although you will want to emphasize positive aspects of chess, mention also
what negative aspects of chess (mental illness? Not appealing to girls?) might be of
special concern and how those concerns will be alleviated by the way you present chess
content. Detail the methods and resources that will be used in your proposed program.
II. Conditions in your community, and in particular at the institution at which you
propose implementing chess. In this section, tell about the characteristics of your
community and the problems or concerns it faces. Connect the positive aspects of chess
with a need in your community. For example, in your community old people might be
segregated from the rest of the population in rest homes. One problem or concern might
be the social isolation of these older citizens. Chess could connect old and young through
a chess program where young people come play chess with residents.
III. The developmental needs of members of your institution, and how chess might meet
those needs. Continuing our prior example, older people need methods to keep their
brains and bodies active. The cognitive stimulation of chess would help slow decline of
the older folks' mental functions.
IV. This section is only required for ED 5345 students.
You will email Paper #1 to me in Word format as an attachment. If you don't have
Word, you can paste your paper in the body of your email. There should NOT be
graphics or illustrations with this paper. Paper #1's grade will not be reflected in your
semester grade for the course if it is turned in after final grades for this course are due.
Paper #2, referred to in Unit Six, is for ED 5345 students only.

Course & Instructor Policies

(make-up exams, extra credit, late work, special assignments, class attendance, classroom citizenship, etc.)
Each unit is valued at 100 points. Because the course is 8 units long, the highest possible
score for unit completion is 800 points. Most assignments within each 100 point unit are
worth 10-60 points. Late assignments are penalized 5 points per day late. Deadlines are
indicated by the Course Calendar. Paper #1 is worth 800 points, and will be penalized 5
points per day late. If you wait until the day that grades are due from me to UTD to turn
in Paper #1, your paper's grade will not be reflected in your semester's grade. In other

Course Syllabus Page 6

words, the latest day to turn in Paper #1 is 24 hours before my grades are due to the UTD
Registrar. If you can't complete Paper #1 or other major assignments by that date, see the
policy on Incomplete grades in this syllabus for your options.

Field Trip Policies

Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and
University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information
regarding these rules and regulations may be found at the website address
http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional information is
available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any travel and/or risk-
related activity associated with this course.

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations
for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and
each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern
student conduct and activities. General information on student conduct and discipline is contained
in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each academic
year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and
Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and
in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating
Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the
Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship.
He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules,
university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the
standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or
criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because
the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the
student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual
honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to
applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or
material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the
following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students
suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Course Syllabus Page 7

 Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other
source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see
general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the
web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

Email Use

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues
concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university
encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email
address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a
UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the
identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD
furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with
university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses.
These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures
must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any
class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork
to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the
class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities,
of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments
of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to
resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the
grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain
primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at
that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the
respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the
respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not
resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of
Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic
Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic
appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at
the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade
must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the

Course Syllabus Page 8

 required work to complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the
specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities
equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the
Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and
Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments
necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary
to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for
students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for example,
a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes
enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities.
The college or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or
mobility assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members
to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special
accommodation should contact the professor after class or during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for
the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are
exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding
the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to
take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period
equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the
instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A
student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a
failing grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of
observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has
been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the
student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or
his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative
intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief
executive officer or designee.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.

Course Syllabus Page 9