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Introduction to Oceanography with Professor Chamberlin This page last updated: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 10:35 AM 8. Course of Studies: How it Works Our class meets "online" so to speak, although our meetings are asynchronous, i.e., separated in time. There are no requirements for you to be online at a particular time but you will want to log in at least 3-4 times every week during summer to be successful This course incorporates a 24-7 internet-based system called CE6 for delivering course materials, interacting with your fellow students and your instructor, and completing assignments and exams. In addition to weekly class participation through our discussion board, you will be required to complete five exams using CE6. You will also find vital course announcements and late-breaking news in the Important News section of the Discussion Board. When you first log in, please check the course home page (click on the course link from your CE6 home page) for ocean-related information and course updates in the IMPORTANT NEWS section of the discussion board. You are REQUIRED to read the materials posted in the Important News section. You should log in 4-5 times a week at a minimum to check for important news. FOCUS ON LEARNING Your final grade in this class is based on your ability to learn and understand the assigned materials and meet the learning outcomes for this course (see section on student learning outcomes). The goal of college is to prepare yourself for a successful life and a career beyond college. In taking this course, you are being trained to master an unfamiliar knowledge set, to apply what you learn in new situations, to think about competing possibilities, and to articulate your rationale for choosing a particular way of thinking. A number of tools will be provided for you to learn the materials, obtain the knowledge, and develop the understandings to meet these outcomes. Not all of the available tools earn you points but you can bet that if you go beyond the required work, you are going to be more successful in your point-earning assignments. Some of these tools, such as online participation, will help you form your knowledge (formative assessments). Other tools, such as exams, will assess what you have learned (summative assessments). READING AND STUDYING Course content and required reading comes from the textbook and additional materials posted on the CE6 course site (such as Important News and, possibly, other materials, mentioned in or attched as PDF files in Important News). Additional information and concepts may be provided through other links on the the course web site. You are responsible for all materals assigned in the textbook and on the course web site. For best results, STUDY THE ASSIGNED CHAPTERS A MINIMUM OF 3-4 TIMES. Make notes in the margin as you read. Make notes on a separate piece of paper after you read and see what you have retained. Fill out the vocabulary worksheets without looking at the book and test yourself. Take the practice quizzes on the textbook web site. Try to describe what you have just read and learned to a classmate, family member, or friend. Above all, ask questions...lots of them! My favorite e-mails are from students asking about questions about the course content. The Course Syllabus (see next page) lists the assigned reading in the textbook. Note that the textbook includes figures and tables. It's just as vital to study the figures and tables as the text! The assigned reading provides a fundamental knowledge and understanding of the world ocean. We do not cover the book in order but we do cover most of the book! Please pay close attention to the sections we cover and don't be afraid to skip around and read non-assigned sections if they help. Use the entire textbook and any outside resources in your effort to learn everything you can about the world ocean. PARTICIPATION Each week, you will earn 20 points (5 weeks, 100/500 points maximum) for participating in our classroom discussion using the discussion board. The goal of participation is to liven up our "classroom", to encourage student-student and student-teacher interactions and to prepare you for the exams. Discussion posts are due at 1155PM on Thursday of each week. Your post involves a 150-word original response to a critical thinking question posted in the Discussion Board or an Exploration Activity from the textbook, as directed by the instructor's post in the Discussion Board. Caution: Do not plagiarize or copy from anywhere, including work you may have done in a previous semester. In additon to your oroginal post, you must post a no-less-than 100-word reply to at least two classmates. If you post late, if your post does not meet the minimum requirements, and/or if your post is not substantive, then you will not earn points. This is a great opportunity to learn from each other! Put some time and thought into it and you will be rewarded ten-fold! EXAMS Five 100-point ONLINE exams (5 exams, 100 points each, 400/500 points total) will occur according to the schedule provided in the Course Syllabus. Each exam will consist of multiple choice, true-false, matching, fill-in-the-blank, quantitative (math problems), short answer, and essay-type questions. Exams are designed to test your knowledge (or ability to find knowledge), to test your ability to apply what you have learned, and to assess your understanding of the course materials. Use the practice quizzes, homework assignments, and other learning tools to prepare for the exams. One low exam score will be dropped. No makeups will be allowed for any reason. EXTRA CREDIT At my discretion, I may offer extra credit for special events, lectures, and ocean-related activities. Extra credit will apply to participation points only, and, if offered, be announced in Important News. MAKEUPS There are no makeup exams. Your lowest exam score is dropped automatically. If you miss more than one exam, then you will receive a zero for the second exam missed. FINAL GRADES The course is based on 500 points. Your lowest exam score will be dropped automatically.
Final grades are based on the grade scale below. I reserve the right to lower the grade scale at the end of the course to better reflect your level of learning. A = 90%
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