Being Successful in this Course

"Oh, I can do that later. . ."

I want you to be successful in this course. Each week you will have reading, discussion boards, online lessons, and chapter quizzes to complete. There is a temptation to think in-person activities are more urgent than your online work. The problem is, then your online assignments pile up and you fall behind. Follow the weekly schedule and stay on top of your assignments.

I recommend that you log in at least three times per week to complete your work.  Use the Canvas Calendar and create alerts in your phone or on your computer for lesson due dates or anything else you think you might forget! Set up your Notifications in Canvas Links to an external site. as well. (You can receive notifications via text Links to an external site..)

Take your quizzes from a reliable computer, preferably one with high speed internet. I will not reopen quizzes if they are missed or lock up after the day they are due so please give yourself enough time to find a solution if there is a problem.  Take your chapter quizzes early, well before the 11:59 pm CST cut off time, or you risk the quiz closing and losing your score.

I'm sure you understand that it is your responsibility to get to a computer to complete your work on time.  Go to school, a relative, or a friend’s house if your computer crashes or your Internet goes down.  Please do not contact me for extra time on assignments.  You have options so I strongly urge you not to wait until the last minute to do your work.

Course Syllabus 

The course syllabus (see "Syllabus" in left menu) contains important information about class procedures, due dates, grading policies, etc. It's a guideline for what you can expect of me and what I expect of you throughout the term.

It's so important that you are aware of all these details, that I've created a quiz on the Syllabus in Week 1 as a way to encourage you to read it thoroughly. (Yes, it's required ;-) )

Student Activities

In order to achieve the student learning outcomes you will be evaluated through the following assignments:

  • Participation Activities: To encourage engagement with course content and materials, students will complete a variety of activities and assignments.  
  • Discussion Forums: To make sure students engage each other over the material, each student will be graded on discussion forums dispersed throughout this course worth points.  These posts must be professional, meaningful and incorporate specific examples from the text or Learning Modules.
  • Quizzes and Exams: To assess general knowledge of course material and critical thinking skills, students will take chapter quizzes and course exams.   
  • Research Project: Students will select a topic to research.  

Time Commitment

Time to complete each module may vary from week to week. If you want to get the most out of the materials presented and earn the best grade you can, you should plan to spend at least 3-4 hours on the reading and assignments each week.

Contacting Me

I value an interactive and personal learning environment and I want to make sure you know that you're not alone in the course. Please contact me with questions, concerns or just to dig deeper into that week's material.

I set aside several hours each week to be available to you if you need me. My office hours are on Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. CST via Pronto and I will be available during the scheduled class period (5:30 and 7 p.m. CST) via this Zoom link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8948674506?pwd=Yyt0TFd3SWk2Q1htRDBXMnNUT3IzQT09 Links to an external site.

Meeting ID: 894 867 4506, Passcode: hf3gA5

 

Canvas Mail

If I need to get a hold of you this semester, I'll contact you through Canvas mail.  You can access this feature by clicking "Inbox"  in the left-hand global navigation bar.

I respond to email within 24 hours, Monday through Friday. I reserve the right to wait until Monday to reply to messages sent over the weekend. ;-) Please include the course name and section number in the Subject Line (HIS 202).