Description: C:\Documents and Settings\Jud\My Documents\histbook\softversion\logo2.pngNVCC Distance Courses History 121 and 122
Note: This letter will be mailed to you via U.S. Mail during the first week of class.
Notify me by email if your address changes, or if you do not get this letter.

 

March 1, 2012

Dear Students in History 121 and 122:

It is important that you read all of this letter as well as all the material in Course Documents in Blackboard. The same material can be found on the syllabus and at the top of your assignments page, so you can’t miss it. It is all designed to help you complete the course successfully.

COURSE POLICY. This course is now taught in 8 weeks; the content is the same as for a 16-week or full semester course. Therefore, the first thing you need to know is that the only way to complete this course successfully is to meet course deadlines and finish on time. Allowing students extra time to complete assignments, or complete the course,  is not in their best interest. Over the years, only a very small percentage of students who got an incomplete ever finished. Thus I do not give incomplete grades or course extensions. Students who start on time and keep working almost always pass the course successfully, usually with an A or B. 

COMMUNICATION. I don’t use Twitter, IM, blogs or other Web2 options. I have tried some of them and find it only causes confusion. The simplest, clearest and most direct way for us to communicate with each other is via email. You must also check Blackboard announcements regularly. The college tells you to use your college email, but for this class you may use any email. You are responsible for your own privacy issues. If the college sends info to all students, I will post it in Blackboard announcements. Please use my primary email, hsage@cox.net for the fastest response.

COMPLETE ALL WORK ON TIME. One assignment is due each week in addition to the reading. Once you get behind, it will be very hard to catch up. If you fail to meet deadlines, you may be withdrawn. If you decide to withdraw voluntarily, use NovaConnect—I cannot assign a W grade. Once you pass the college course withdrawal deadline, you no longer have the option to withdraw. You must either complete the course or get an F.

EXTENSIONS. You may have an extension of one week on all assignments for good reason, such as travel. After that, you will get half credit or less. In addition, students who run short of time are often tempted to cut corners and fail the course because of plagiarism. See more about that in your writing instructions. All work must be completed by the official course end date.

COURSE CONTENT. All required course content can be found at www.academicamerican.com. I suggest that you print the content out and place it in a notebook along with your assignment sheet. Your reading topics are linked in the left-hand column of the Assignments page; assigned documents are listed in the center column. Required activities are in the right-hand column. Be sure to read the head notes (top of the page) in the document pages. Exams are based on both topic summaries and documents, including head notes.

TEXT OPTIONS. As a convenience, you can purchase a print version of the text site including documents at online publisher www.lulu.com/hjsage for less than $20, or download a complete PDF file for about $3. You can pay with PayPal or credit card. Delivery takes about one week. While you wait, you can get the first sections from the web site. The only major difference between the print copy and the web copy is that hyperlinks are included in the web version, and the graphics will be mostly in color. The bookstore will not carry this text; if it did, the cost would be significantly higher.
If you use the print version, you should scroll through the web version each week to check for links to outside sources, extra reading recommendations, etc.

EXAMS & QUIZZES. There are two Essay Exams worth 100 points each. You will take them for credit in a testing center, using your exam passes. You may get a proctor for a remote testing site, or you may use ProctorU. (Instructions in Blackboard.) The testing centers will enter the password when you begin the exam. Be sure to answer every question, and your answers will be saved in Blackboard. You will get the questions one at a time, but you may backtrack. After I grade the essays, you may check your final score in Blackboard under “Student Tools.” The Essay exams have a study guide in Blackboard telling you what to expect.

You also have 4 short (MC/TF) quizzes worth 50 points each. You may take each one twice—your higher score will count. I have provided a practice quiz to give you an idea of what they are like. I have found that allowing two attempts is more useful than practice quizzes since you get to see the actual questions. You may take the four short quizzes at home or anywhere else. You may refer to your text or notes while taking quizzes, but do not close your browser window on the quiz. Resetting a quiz may require a penalty. Two of the quizzes will be taken during the same week as an essay exam.

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS. You will have four graded writing requirements, one due every other week. The writing assignments include three short essays based on sources and one site visit essay. I will return each essay by USPS mail with comments and suggestions. See the writing instructions for your course for details.

DISCUSSION FORUMS:  I will post regular discussion questions in Blackboard. You can learn from each other and earn extra credit points by doing regular discussions. They will be posted for credit for about two weeks. Watch Announcements. I do not grade them, but award points at the end of the course for regular participation.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS:

  • The best way to get a good grade is to keep moving forward. Students who keep pace and meet deadlines always get an A or B. This course is not hard if you keep up.
  • I know you are busy—that's probably why you are taking an online course. However, if you are too busy to come to class, are you too busy to take this course? Online classes take more time to prepare than in-class courses.
  • Check Blackboard Announcements at least once every week. I usually post new messages on weekends. I keep track of your progress by reviewing your visits to Blackboard.
  • Be sure to read the syllabus and all linked instruction pages carefully. 
  • Please put History 121 or 122 in the subject line of e-mails and identify yourself in your message. I prefer hsage@cox.net for emails, though I also read my college email. Please don’t send to both at the same time.
  • When submitting a paper, start the file name with your last name. For example, smithessay1.doc.

Good luck in the Course! —JS

History 121 Home | History 122 Home | Updated February 29, 2012