Course Syllabus

This is an example of what an online/hybrid course syllabus might look like. Your instructor might also send the syllabus to you as a PDF file as well.

Course Information

Course Communication

Announcements

Announcements will be posted in CANVAS on a regular basis. They will appear on your CANVAS dashboard when you log in and/or will be sent to you directly through your preferred method of notification from CANVAS. Please make certain to check them regularly, as they will contain any important information about upcoming projects or class concerns.

Email

In this course we will use the CONVERSATIONS feature on the help corner (located in the upper right hand navigation links) to send email for private messages. You can either check your messages in the CANVAS system or set your notifications to your preferred method of contact. Please check your messages regularly. When submitting messages, please do the following:

• Put a subject in the subject box that describes the email content with your name, week and message subject. For example: YOURNAMEWK2ASSIGNMENT.
• Send email only to CONVERSATIONS and not my personal email account.
• Do not send messages asking general information about the class, please post those in the Question Forum.
• Do not submit your assignments by message.
• Make certain to check your messages frequently.

Questions

In online courses it is normal to have many questions about things that relate to the course, such as clarification about assignments, course materials, or assessments. Please post these in the Question Forum which you can access by clicking the DISCUSSIONS button in the course navigation links. This is an open forum, and you are encouraged to give answers and help each other. For each clear and comprehensive answer you give, you can receive 1 extra credit point for the course (up to 5 points maximum).

Discussion Forums

Discussion Forums are a way for you to engage with each other about the course content. Each lesson module will have a question that links to a forum. You can also access each forum by clicking on the DISCUSSIONS button in the course navigation links. In order to get full credit for each discussion, you will need to post a thoughtful, well-written response to the question and respond to two of your classmates’ answers.

Virtual Office Hours

Twice a week I will be available for virtual office hours – one morning and one evening session using CANVAS CHAT. Click CHAT in the course navigation links.

Turnaround/Feedback

During the week (M-F) I will check Conversations and monitor the discussion board several times a day. If you have a concern and send me a message, you can expect a response within two days.

Netiquette

When posting on the discussion boards and chat rooms it is important to understand how to interact with one another online, netiquette. You can read more about the rules of netiquette at http://www.albion.com/netiquette/index.html.

Course Participation Policy

Participation is essential to your success in this class. In distance education courses you are required to participate just as if you were in a face-to-face course. This means that in order to get full credit for participation, you will have to complete your discussion assignments, lesson assignments and quizzes on a timely basis. Consistent failure to participate in class will result in being dropped from the course.

Course Assignments

Important Dates

The due dates for your assignments can be found in the CALENDAR in the global navigation links at the top of your screen. Please review these. In addition, I will post reminders prior to the due dates in the Announcements.

Weekly Assignments

Each week you will need to complete the following:

• Read the weekly lesson. This will be available every Monday at noon PST until the following Monday at noon PST.
• Post in the weekly Discussion Forum by Thursday at noon PST.
• Respond to two other students’ posts in the Discussion Forum by the following Monday at noon PST.
• Complete the lesson assignments in each course lesson by the following Monday at noon PST.
• Take the weekly self-assessment by the following Monday at noon PST.

Special Projects/Assessments

In addition to your weekly assignments, there will be 2 projects/papers for this course:

• Project 1: X, Y, Z Analysis. For this project you will look for online materials about X, Y & Z.  You will then create a short 2-page typed analysis of your research using what you have learned in the course.
• Project 2: Original Plan. For this project you will use what you have learned in this course to create your own original plan incorporating X, Y & Z into your design.

Additional information about each project can be found under the ASSIGNMENTS button in the course navigation links. You will need to turn each project in using Turnitin. For these assignments, you will simply upload your assignment into the CANVAS system and click on the check box with the pledge that this is your original work before you submit your project.

Grading Criteria

Points Possible

Assignment	Points
Participation (Discussion & Chat)	30 points
Hands On Assignments	10 points
Weekly Quizzes	10 points
Project 1	25 points
Project 2	25 points
Total:	100 points

 

Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Percentage
A	90-100%
B	80-89 %
C	70-79 %
D	60-69%
F	59% and below

 

Rubrics

In order to understand what is expected of you for each assignment, please check out the rubric -- a table that details the requirements of each assignment and the benchmarks for success -- attached to each Assignment for the grading criteria.

Extra Credit

You can earn up to 5 extra credit points for each relevant and well-thought response to questions in the Question Forum.

Grades

You can view your grades using the GRADES button in the course navigation links. Please check your grades regularly to make certain that I have received all your assignments. If you have a question about a grade, email me through CONVERSATIONS. Please do not post your personal concerns in a discussion forum.

Other Course Policies

Late work

Late work will not be accepted. Assignments will not be available after the deadline. If you have an extenuating circumstance, please contact me by private message before the assignment is due to make alternate arrangements.

Drop

All distance education courses currently follow the Pasadena Area Community College District Policy for Attendance, Class Drops and Auditing courses. In order to avoid getting an F for the course, it is your responsibility to officially withdraw from the class prior to the deadline.

If you do not complete the course Check-In Activity by the first Wednesday (11:59 PM PST) after this class begins, you will be dropped from class for non-attendance

Students who do not participate in class, that is, who consistently do not complete assignments, quizzes, respond to forums or turn in other work will be dropped from the class for non-participation.

Academic Honesty/Student Conduct

As a student at PCC, you are expected to follow the College’s guidelines for Academic Honesty/Student Conduct found in the Pasadena Area Community College District Policy for Student Conduct and Academic Honesty No. 4520. This means that you should not:

• Cheat.
• Plagiarize, that is, use another person’s words or ideas as your own without proper documentation.
• Collaborate with others unless specifically requested in an assignment or discussion.
• Let another student log in to your CANVAS account.

Failure to follow this policy will result in disciplinary action which can affect your academic standing in the College.

Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability and believe you may need an accommodation such as materials in an alternate format, access to assistive technology, test accommodations, preferential seating, note taking assistance, sign language interpreting, per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, please contact Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSP&S) as soon as possible.  Students with documented disabilities can register with the DSP&S office located in D209, (626) 585-7127, www.pasadena.edu/dsps .

Additional Resources

Tech Support

If you need technical assistance at any time during the orientation or to report a problem you can contact PCC’s 24/7 Technical Support Center. Just click on the question mark icon on the global (red) navigation menu. at http://online.pasadena.edu/canvas-support.

You can get in-person help on-campus at the Learning Assistance Center in the D Building. Tutors at the center are trained to help students with CANVAS and its tools.

It is also helpful if you let me know what kinds of technical difficulties you encounter so I can continue to improve the course. 

Additional Student Resources

There are many services on campus to help you achieve success in your courses. Check out this Student Services Link for information on library services, computer lab hours, research help, and online tutoring.            

Distance Education Website

The PCC Distance Education Department has resources to help you with your online learning experience. Check out their website at online.pasadena.edu.

Course Schedule