INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

GRADING CRITERIA

In this course, we will be using the Connect learning system for all assignments. Therefore, you must purchase access to this program. Documents and videos are in Canvas to show you how to get registered and comfortable with Connect if you aren’t already proficient.

LearnSmart is an adaptive technology that gives you questions based on how you answered previous questions. The upshot is that the program will not “let you go” until you have mastered the information. This is an important exercise because it serves as the “information giving” part of a course that is usually done through lecture. Since I can’t imagine anything more boring than watching a video of me talking, it is better to learn this way. Take note: Simply reading the chapter ISN’T completing the LearnSmart; if you aren’t answering questions, you’re not doing the assignment!

Homeworks are short little quizzes that serve as your first attempt at understanding information. You will receive full feedback one hour after the due date passes, so it is imperative these be done on time. You will not have the chance to answer after the due date because then the answers will be “out there”.

The essay exams are the largest portion of your grade; hence they are the most important to your evaluation. These questions are formulated in such a way as to find out how well you can evaluate and synthesize information, which are the hardest levels in teaching (the easiest is identification). So LearnSmart and homework assignments get you the information, and the essays ask you how all of the information works together.

Discussion boards are a place where we can find out how all of this book learning works in the real world. I will give some type of current event and we will explore how our learning helps us understand what is going on “out there”.

Lastly, no late work can be accepted. I have set the due dates and they are SET. The material should take the average student 8-9 hours per 168 hour week. This course should not be more than 5% of your life. However, because it’s only 5% of our life, we frequently wait until the last minute. Don’t feel bad about that; there are scientific reasons why humans usually procrastinate. It is a bad habit though, and one we must strive to break. Therefore, my STRONG advice is to not wait until the last minute to do this work. I will not reopen missed chapters for ANY reason. You would be amazed how many times internet connections die and software updates have to occur right at 11:59pm. Just sayin’.

Time management is an important skill to learn, and by having firm due dates, you may have to juggle your priorities. This is especially pronounced in online courses, where there is always something else that can be done instead. Fight the compulsion to procrastinate! I have faith in you!

In Summer sessions, the biggest hurdle I have seen in my 12 years of doing this is the family vacation. I don’t mind if you have a vacation planned, but this is not Amazon where you can stop by anytime you like and pick up where you left off. We only have 5 weeks together, which means the course moves very quickly. Being gone for a week doesn’t work well here. I promise this course will be offered again; if you find it difficult to keep up, NCTC has a very liberal drop policy (see below) and my advice would be to try again.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  Absence does not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work.  Dropping a course is the student's responsibility, but you MAY be dropped for excessive absence.  See Attendance Regulations in the North Central Texas College Catalog.

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is August 2, 2018.

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 or call 940-668-4209.  Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209.

North Central Texas College is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112).   http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices/Disabilityservices.aspx

CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA______________________________ 

o        Communication

o        Mathematics             

o        Life and Physical Science

o        Language, Philosophy & Culture

o        Creative Arts

o        American History

X         Government/Political Science

o        Social and Behavioral Sciences

o        Component Area Option

X         Critical Thinking

X              Communication

o             Empirical and Quantitative

o             Teamwork

X              Personal Responsibility

X              Social Responsibility

COURSE TYPE

STUDENT HANDBOOK