IV. Methods of Instruction
This course will be taught entirely on-line. You will have access to
all assignments, lecture notes, quizzes, and other course material through home
computers with Internet access or by internet-ready computers in one of the
college labs.
All students will be required to have an e-mail account. Your e-mail address
is to be submitted to the instructor with your syllabus for the class. You
should also notify the instructor immediately if you change your e-mail address
during the class session.
The textbook is the foundation for the topics to be covered during class
sessions, with lecture notes primarily used to present the topics scheduled for
each week.
Discussion group assignments take the place of classroom conversation and
debate. All students are expected to participate. The instructor will post a
weekly, subjective question to which each student will be required to post an
answer. In lieu of classroom debates, the students are to respond to several other students’ responses. The students will also have the ability to
post their own questions about their current work assignments to which the other
students may respond.
In the box below type, I understand the methods of instruction and agree to
abide by them. Then type a summary of the methods of instruction as you
understand them.
V. Meeting with the Instructor
VI. Course Content and Exam Dates
Chapter 6; The Human Population and Its Impact
Chapter 7; Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity
Quiz 2; Chapters 6 and 7
Week Three
Lesson 3
Chapter 8; Aquatic Biodiversity
Chapter 12; Food, Soil and Pest Management
Quiz 3; Chapters 8 and 12
Week Four
Lesson 4:
Chapter 13; Water Resources
Chapter 14; Geology and Nonrenewable Minerals
Quiz 4; Chapters 13 and 14
Week Five
Lesson 5:
Chapter 16; Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Midterm Examination (Covering Chapters 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14 and 16)
Week Six
Lesson 6
Chapter 17; Environmental Hazards and Human Health
Chapter 18; Air Pollution
Quiz 5; Chapters 17 and 18
Week Seven
Lesson 7:
Chapter 19; Climate Change
Chapter 20; Water Pollution
Quiz 6; Chapters 19 and 20
Week Eight
Lesson 8:
Chapter 23; Economics, Environment, and Sustainability
Week Nine
Final Exam (Covering Chapters 17, 18, 19, 20, and 23)
In the box below type, I understand and agree to abide by the course
schedule listed on the syllabus.
VII. Quizzes and Tests
There will be a quiz at the end of each week beginning with week 1, except
for week 5 and week 8 when the mid-term and
the final examinations will
be given. The quizzes will be taken on-line, cover material presented for that
week only, and the students will be able to see their test results right after
submitting the quiz for grading.
The quizzes will be activated on either Tuesday or Wednesday of the week they
are due, and deactivated after the due date. It will not be possible to take a
quiz once it has been deactivated. If you have any conflicts that would prevent
you from taking a quiz during the week it is due, you must inform the instructor
by email in advance to avoid missing the quiz and receiving no credit.
The midterm and final examinations must be taken during the 5th and 8th
weeks; due dates are on the front page of the course web page. Both tests will
be proctored and taken online. For those within the commuting distance of
Barstow College, the computer lab will proctor both tests. Both tests may also
be proctored by the College's office staff at Ft. Irwin. For others not within
the commuting distance of Barstow College, you may request that the tests be
proctored by a school administrator, librarian, or education officer.
A proctor
form (front page of the course web page) must be filled-out completely by the
student and submitted to the instructor for review and approval no later than
the 3rd week of the course. Both exams are
OPEN book
and
closed notes. Late exams will
not be accepted for grading without prior approval of the instructor, and then
only for extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the
student.
In the box below type: I understand and agree to abide by the quiz and test
schedules and policies listed above. Further, I know the dates for taking the midterm and
final exams, and that these tests must be proctored by either the College's
computer lab, the College's offices at Ft. Irwin, or by a proctor of my choosing
and approved by the instructor. I understand I must complete these exams during
the scheduled times without exception, and that I cannot pass the course without
taking and passing both tests.
Discussion Board
Each student is required to participate in the weekly discussion board by
posting a response to the instructor’s question, and responding/interacting to
other student’s postings. Discussion group postings must be done on schedule, as
late postings will not be accepted for grading. Each week’s assignment will be
given in the first lesson of the week, and your response to the assignment must
be posted no later than the following Wednesday by midnight.
Each student is expected to participate in the group discussions and
respond/interact to other student’s postings. Each assignment is worth 10 points
towards the final grade. This is broken down as follows; 8 points possible
for the main posting and 2 points possible for responses to other students
postings; focus most of your effort on the main posting. Failure to participate in the discussion group can
result in the instructor dropping the student from the class. The discussion
group takes the place of classroom discussion and debate, and is considered an
integral part of the course content.
Course Policies
Make-Ups: All assignment due dates and examination dates are final.
Although there will be no make-ups allowed, I will recognize rare or extenuating
circumstances such as sickness, hospitalization, or military service, but only
if the student has contacted me before the due date or exam date to make the
necessary arrangements.
Cheating: In accordance with Barstow Community College’s Student
Academic Policy, any student caught cheating on an exam will receive an "F" in
the course, and notification of such activities will be forwarded to the
appropriate administrative office for disciplinary action. Such action may
include suspension or expulsion from the college.
Plagiarism:
The act of plagiarism (presenting
the work of another as your own work) is a crime punishable by failure,
expulsion, and possible legal action. It is the student’s responsibility to
learn how to give proper credit for the materials taken from other sources. It
is understood that ignorance is not a defense to plagiarism. An excellent
presentation on what constitutes plagiarism is found at:
http://wwwold.ccc.commnet.edu/mla/plagiarism.shtml
All students should read the sections under Student Rights and
Responsibilities in the current Student Handbook. Pay particular attention to
the sections on Cheating, Plagiarism, and Student discipline.
All students must do their own work. Teamwork is not allowed for assignments
or quizzes in this class. However, study sessions for obtaining general
knowledge and clarity of course material are encouraged.
Dropping from the Course:
If you elect to
withdraw from the course, it is your responsibility to drop yourself from the
class (contact the Admissions/Registration Office for further information).
Although the instructor may drop you from the course for non-participation,
failure to participate in the class exercises and complete assigned work can
result in an "F" grade, unless the student processes a drop form with the
Admissions Office. Please review the Barstow College Class Schedule.
In the box below, type: I understand the course policies and agree to abide
by them.
VIII. Online Instructions:
YOU MUST FILL OUT THIS SYLLABUS IF YOU INTEND TO TAKE THE COURSE!
It is your responsibility to make sure the instructor has the all the contact
information stated at the top of this syllabus by the start of classes!! It is
your responsibility to email the instructor if you have any problems or do not
understand this syllabus.
It is your responsibility to confirm your enrollment either via the Internet
at
https://bcregweb.barstow.edu
or by calling (760)252-2411 x 7236, if you
are having problems accessing the course material. After you have confirmed your
enrollment, go to
www.bcconline.com/orient and read the password link.
Following this procedure will ensure you are helped in the fastest manner
possible.
By enrolling for this class, the assumption is that you possess the necessary
skills to read at the college level, to enter and perform research on the
internet, to email using proper email etiquette and to post to the discussions.
When emailing your instructor include your
full name. Send all email with the name of the course in the subject line and
Lesson No. or the words: problem, question or comment. Many times I receive
email with no name in the body of the email. Sign all email with your name as
registered at school, or else you will not receive a reply and your assignment
will not be graded.
You must explain the problem in the subject line. Email without an
appropriate subject line will be deleted and will not be read. With the current
high incidence of viruses and unsolicited email I automatically delete all email
without appropriate subject lines.
Remember I do not answer email on the weekends, so 48 hours response time does
not include Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. If an email stating
problem, help, or question in the subject line is sent on Monday through
Thursday you can expect a response within 24-48 hours. If an email stating
problem, help, or question in the subject line is sent on the weekends there
will be a longer turn around time, but the email will be answered by Tuesday of
the following week.
I appreciate your understanding of the above stated timelines and will
respond to ALL questions and concerns about this class within the timeframes
stated above.
At the conclusion of the class students may find out their grades by calling
(760) 252-6868 (local or out of state) and (877) 336-6868 (toll free within
California). You may also find out your grade by going on the Internet at
https://bcregweb.barstow.edu.
I do not email or post student grades and will not respond to inquiries about
grades at the conclusion of the course.
In the box below type, I understand and agree to abide by the online
instructions written above.
IMPORTANT:
You will not officially start this course until after you have completed the
orientation sessions at
www.bcconline.com/orient/tutorials.htm
. No work
should be completed until AFTER you have reviewed the orientation area. The
orientation area will answer many frequently asked questions about online
instruction and also provides tutorials on common problems students encounter
while doing online courses. If you are experiencing technical difficulties
and/or need to learn how to use our courseware you should first check the
orientation area to see if it answers your technical question. If your technical
question is not answered on the website you may then email the
webmaster@bcconline.com
with your question.
If your question pertains to class materials you should email
bsage@bcconline.com. The webmaster cannot answer course related questions, and
your instructor does not answer technical questions. Remember that you
must state your full name, problem, question or concern and your class name in
the subject line when asking a question.
In the box below type:
I understand I must
fill out the syllabus in order to complete this course and that completing the
online orientation before beginning my course work is mandatory. I realize that
I should email the instructor with any class related questions. I also
understand that I should first check the orientation area for answers to my
technical questions and can email the
webmaster@bcconline.com
my technical questions ONLY after checking the orientation area for the answer
to my question first.
