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WELCOME Welcome to your personal computer based course! Online courses can be a great way to learn from the convenience of home or other remote location without having to come into a traditional classroom. It’s not for everyone though. Distance learning requires a high degree of self-discipline, excellent time management skills, and motivation! The ACC Distance Learning office and your professor are dedicated to helping you succeed. As an introduction to distance learning and this course you will be required to complete a few tasks that will orient you to the program overall and to the course specifically.
Is Distance Learning for you? The first thing you should do is go to the ACC Distance Learning web site by clicking on the link in brown. Take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with the site and maybe explore some of the links. Before you leave there, click on DL 101: Learning Style Self-AssessmentandDL 101: Technical Skills Checklist and complete them. When you’re finished, email the page to amcneely@austincc.edu. Put your course synonym in the subject line so you can be identified in one of several courses. If you discover that you’re not suited for distance courses, contact Student Services for advice .
Blackboard Blackboard is an online course management system that can be used as an addendum to classroom courses or as a virtual classroom. It is a very handy resource available 24/7. We will use Blackboard extensively in your course. ACC’s Blackboard server is located at http://acconline.austincc.edu/. Once your browser has accessed the Blackboard site, click the "Login" button to begin using Blackboard. You will be prompted to enter a User ID and Password to access your courses. For help logging in to Blackboard, click
Your Course Once you’ve determined that you’re ready for online learning, you will need to familiarize yourself with the course materials available to you on Blackboard. If you are not already online, go to http://acconline.austincc.edu/ . If you aren’t familiar with Blackboard, click on the Student Guide link and follow directions to login and choose a password. Once you are on, select your course, either PSYC 2301 or SOCW 2361. You will see Announcements on the right and a menu on the left. Spend some time getting to know the course organization and become familiar with all of the links.
PSYC 2301 This course is a survey of introductory topics such as learning, memory, sensation and perception, personality, life-span development, physiological basis of behavior, stress and health, psychological disorders, social psychology, and research methods. Additional topics such as language development, states of consciousness, and psychotherapy may also be included as determined by the instructor. SOCW 2361 Social Work 2361 is an introductory course whose purpose/goal is to introduce the student to social work theory, practice methods, and areas of service as they are applied to assessment and intervention at the individual, organizational, and community levels. The course examines social work history and its influence on social work practice today. It is designed to provide students with some basic social work practice skills, including Genograms, Eco Maps and methods of community assessment. Throughout the course, special attention is given to factors affecting diverse population groups, including groups distinguished by culture, class, race, ethnicity, age, mental and physical ability, religion, and sexual orientation. Which course are you enrolled in?
General Policies Special Needs ACC is an equal opportunity institution. If you have a disability or special need that may require accommodations in the classroom, please contact me outside of class to discuss your needs. You should also meet with the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) on the campus you attend regularly.
General Policies ECS Students This is a college course and all students enrolled in this course will be treated as college students. All sections of this syllabus and orientation pertain equally to all students in this course, regardless of age or educational status. Regardless of their age, high school students who are enrolled in a college course are protected by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. In compliance with this Act, I will not discuss your grades or your academic progress with your parent(s) , unless you are present, or unless I have your written permission to do so. Email will not be accepted.
General Policies Academic Freedom In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, there are bound to be many differing experiences and viewpoints. It is my hope that these differences will enhance the class and create an atmosphere where students and instructor alike will be more encouraged to think and learn. Therefore, be assured that your grade will not be adversely affected by any beliefs or ideas expressed in class or assignments. Rather, we are all expected to respect the views of others when expressed in classroom discussions. Demonstration of disrespect toward other students or the instructor will not be tolerated.
General Policies Privacy In compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, I will not give out information concerning your grades, academic progress, attendance, address, phone, or email address to anyone (including parents) unless you give your written permission. In addition, I will not give grade information over the telephone or by email.
General Policies Scholastic Honesty “Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, classroom presentations, and homework.”(Student Handbook, 2006) Any form of scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to, cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work, will not be tolerated and will result in a grade of "F", and may result in disciplinary action by the college.
What is plagiarism? One of the best parts of being in college is sharing ideas in the books we read, the discussions in which we engage, and lectures we hear. We use them in our own writing, too. To be fair and honest, we give credit where credit is due. Plagiarism is presenting ideas in words or images without giving acknowledgement to s/he who created them. How Can You Avoid Plagiarism? Give credit whenever you use another person’s • Ideas, theories, opinions; • Images, drawings, graphs; • Statistics; • Quotations of actual words; • Paraphrased words.
General Policies Withdrawal Students or instructors may initiate withdrawals any time during the semester before the official withdrawal deadline. Withdrawal forms are available from the Admissions offices. When the instructor withdraws a student, ACC will send written notice to the student's address on record, as contained in the student's permanent file. Monday, November 27th Fall 2006 - Last day to withdraw/reinstate students (16-, 12-, and 8 week) Friday Augusts 25th Fall 2006 - Last day to request 100% refund for 16- and 1st 8-Week sessions
General Policies Incompletes A grade of incomplete may be granted if you have made substantial progress and have extenuating circumstances arise (for example: illness, family crisis). An incomplete will not be granted if you have not made substantial progress and/or simply fail to come to class. It is up to you to withdraw if you cannot keep up with the course
General PoliciesAttendance/Participation You may be wondering “How do I attend an online course?” Even though theses courses are in the virtual world, they still require your time and attention. These are not self-paced, individual instruction courses! You must have an active presence in the course room and submit your input to discussion boards in a timely and engaging fashion. You will find that much of your learning comes from classmates. And they will learn from you!
General Policies Grading Grades are earned on a percentage basis, as follows: > 89% = A 80 – 89% = B 70 – 79% = C 60 – 69% = D (a "D" is not a transferable grade) < 60% = F You will earn an "F" for any form of scholastic dishonesty or if you fail to withdraw from class but stop attending.
General Policies Exams Exams will be completed online and you will have a window of opportunity in which to complete each. It is imperative that you use a reliable internet connection to take exams. If connection is lost for any reason, your exam will not be graded and you will be required to make special arrangements to complete an alternate examination. This is unavoidable because the primary testing method is electronic. Use of the ACC network connection, or other high speed connection, will eliminate 90% of the problems students encounter. A missed exam results in a score of 0. There will be no retests except in the event of a documented emergency.
Drop Box - What’s that? Blackboard’s Digital Drop Box feature is designed to facilitate file exchange between students and instructors within the Blackboard system. The drop box feature is used as a method to submit homework assignments and papers for grading and/or revision. All of the work you do will submitted through the Dropbox. I will not accept assignments via email or snail mail.
Courseroom etiquette Even though we are “meeting” in a virtual classroom, it is still a classroom. Following a few simple guidelines will enhance each person’s experience and make the course a productive and pleasant one for us all. • Avoid strong language • DO NOT write using all caps – THAT’S YELLING! • Stay on topic • Read each discussion first, write second. • Review yours twice, and post once. • Emoticons communicate nonverbals. • Use the right place to post your message. • Keep attachments as small as possible. • Try to answer your own questions first.Then ask a classmate. If you still don’t know, email the instructor.
Critical thinking The best thing you can take from this experience is an enhanced ability to think critically! “Critical thinking consists of a mental process of analyzing or evaluating information, particularly statements or propositions that people have offered as true. It forms a process of reflecting upon the meaning of statements, examining the offered evidence and reasoning, and forming judgments about the facts “ (Wikipedia, 2006)
LearningStyles Everyone has a style of learning styles that works best for him/her. By understanding your own style, you can find ways to enhance your learning and improve your academic performance and retention of information. The link below will take you to a site where you can take a free Learning Styles Test either online or on paper. I encourage everyone to find out her/his learning style! For the free Learning Styles Test click
Contact me • Office hours • Tuesday 4-6 pm RGC, Rm 010 • By appointment • Email • Please use: profmcn@ibwell.com • Phone • 512.223.2016 Monday or Friday • 512.302.1590 all other times
What’s next? That should get us started! Don’t forget to login to Blackboard and do some good looking around. Follow the syllabus and outline to stay on track. Make sure your contact information is there, so I can get a hold of you. If you have any questions that neither you or your classmates can answer from the material available, email is the best way to catch me. Please use the email provided on the “Contact me” screen, so you don’t get lost in the spam. If you need to call me (yes, sometimes I want to talk with a real live human too!) know that I am often unable to use the phone and will return your call as quickly as possible. Give me one business day to do so. So we’re off! See in the courseroom!
