Mark Widdel, Fall 2010

FAQ Handbook

for Online Classes

Course Standards, Expectations and Requirements

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FAQ 1: What does Widdel believe about teaching?

            (Instructor's philosophy)

FAQ 2: Does it matter if I only check into class once a week?

            (The relationship between online interaction and final grades)

FAQ 3: How important are discussion groups?

            (Critical utilization, participation and civility)

FAQ 4: How are grades handled? What’s the deadline for course withdrawal?

            (Calculating grades, incompletes and extra credit. Last date for withdrawing from the class.)

FAQ 5:  Can I skirt the Federal financial aid requirements for loan repayment if I check into the class but never

             participate?

  (What constitutes “never attended” or “the last date of attendance”)

FAQ 6: What should I do if there is a technical problem at the time of assignment access or submission?

              What if I miss the deadline for the submission of a quiz or a drop box item?

           (Steps to take if there are problems with the websites or site functions or deadlines)

FAQ 7: What are some of Widdel's special class standards?

 (Document format, Document names, Pager use, Homework, Etiquette, Civility, Scholastic Dishonesty)

FAQ 8: What’s the pace of an accelerated eight-week course?

            (Course content, homework load and Instructor’s expectations.)

FAQ 9: What if I need special accommodation?

           (Religious and Online)

FAQ 10: I have an email account, why do I have to use the MetNet account?

           (Official class email communications)

FAQ 11: What software do I need to use for this class?

           (Microsoft Office 2007: Word, Excel & PowerPoint is a minimum requirement.)

 

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FAQ 1: What does Widdel believe about teaching?

 

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Welcome!  I’m happy to have you join my class. Hopefully this semester’s experience will exceed your expectations. Are you wondering what to expect? The following statements should give you some insight as to how this class will be managed.

 

Learning occurs from practice; practice usually involves making mistakes. Every week you’ll be involved in applying the textbook information to a variety of real-world situations. Plan to make mistakes as new challenges are presented. Learn how to learn from them and you’ll make great progress.

 

You’re very capable of reading and understanding the textbook material; I don’t have to repeat the information in a PowerPoint slideshow or in outline notes. Time will be spent on clarifying and applying the assigned reading in online discussions and projects that are designed for analysis.

 

It’s worth your time check the website on a regular basis. Our online class sessions feature graded activities exclusively designed for completion during a specified time. If they’re missed, no makeup or substitute activities are made available.

 

Class activities and homework assignments aren’t ‘make work activities’ nor intended as filler. I value your time. Activities are carefully designed to relate to previous information as well as expand upon given topics. The answers aren’t meant to be obvious; they’re meant to make you think.

 

Business classes such as this must mirror professional standards and prepare you for the workplace. My job includes the requirement to teach you new skills as well as enhance existing skills that are needed for a business career. All of my activities and projects target this objective. In addition to your achievement on content-specific assignments, you're evaluated on your ability to meet a deadline, submit a professionally formatted document, write in a professional tone and show initiative in exceeding stated expectations - all factors of a normal work environment.

 

Remember, I’m a good person to include in your list of resume references. What would you like me to be able to say about you? Here are some of the behaviors and skills that I note throughout the semester: meets homework deadlines, is a good proofreader, engages in thoughtful discussion, demonstrates a great sense of humor, has an eye for detail, is a discussion leader, has mastered the material, is a critical thinker, is excellent at problem solving, demonstrates creativity, learns from mistakes, shows initiative, consistently exceeds my expectations, etc.

 

Overall, a score reflects the amount of time you allotted for a given assignment and how good you were at following directions. If you’re too busy or too distracted to spend enough time making sure a particular assignment is done right, don’t complain too loudly if you don’t achieve a high score. Please remember that that late work is accepted because of very special circumstances - it's rarely accepted for credit.

 

The final grade for the class is secondary to the amount of learning that occurred. If at the end of the semester you can say, “I learned a lot in this class,” you’ve achieved the most important goal.

 

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FAQ 2: Does it matter if I only check into class once a week?

 

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Yes. Experience has shown that students who check into class only once per week will rarely pass the class. My online class is dynamic – I don’t offer an off-the-shelf prepackaged experience. Expectations may change throughout the week as I adapt the class to student’s performance. As changes are made to the assignment or my expectations, the information is posted on the class website and/or in the D2L discussions.

 

I expect class members to log into the class site more than once per week to ensure that they keep up-to-date on the relevant changes.  Many of the assignments require an initial posting by a given deadline and then a follow-up response by a new deadline within the same week.

 

My online classes are not intended to be a correspondence class – where people receive the assignment, complete it according to their individual timeline and then submit it for final evaluation. Online classes are an alternative format for teaching and learning, where the on-site classroom experience is replicated whenever possible and further enhanced for virtual delivery.

 

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FAQ 3: How important are discussion groups?

 

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Discussions are the major learning tool for this class. As individuals post their responses and replies to exercise questions, I answer questions and provide additional information in an effort to guide class members to the correct conclusion. Most discussions have a minimum of two phases with separate deadlines. In addition, the discussions should be used as a final reference before the online submission of an exercise.  

 

I tracked students’ frequency of discussion group participation and viewing this past semester. There is a direct correlation between discussion participation and final grades – the more the discussion group was used, the higher the grade.

 

        Participation in Discussion

 

The development of the skill of pertinent discussion is an important job-related quality. You will be given ample opportunity to express opinions, report facts and conclusions, present ideas, explain decisions, debate positions and critique proposals.

 

Every student should expect to respond to questions asked in a discussion thread. In this instructor’s class, a student should be prepared to accept guidance in the structure and delivery of appropriate written responses.

 

       Civility On-line

 

Respect for your peers and instructor should be reflected in every one of your online discussions. A student engaging in impolite, disruptive, sexist, or discriminatory critique will be asked to stop. In severe cases the uncivil behavior will be reported ARCC administration.

 

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FAQ 4: How are grades handled? What’s the deadline for course withdrawal?

 

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Typically, I will assign grades according to the following scale:

 

Of the total points possible:

 

90% and above           = A

80%-89%                    = B

70-79%                        = C

60-69%                        = D

Below 60%                  = F

 

Be careful with assessing your progress because assignments have different point values and are weighted differently. Typically, the assignments that are given in the last half of the course period are weighted heavier to account for the first weeks of learning.

 

Earning an Incomplete

 

An Incomplete will only be granted for individuals who

 

1)  have completed at minimum of 80% of the total outstanding points for the class and

 

2)  have a passing average of 70% or better of the existing point total and

 

3)  can complete the course within a mutually agreeable time line.

 

Extra Credit?

 

Sorry, there are no extra credit assignments provided in any of my classes. If you complete the weekly homework assignments and stay on deadline, you’ll not have the need for any extra credit work.

 

Course Withdrawal

 

    Please be aware that if your personal schedule cannot accommodate the homework and class requirements, you may withdraw from the class. This will result in a grade of “W” being recorded on your transcript. A “W” has no impact on your grade point average.

 

    Deadlines for course withdrawal are posted on the specific class home page (at www.ar.cc.mn.us/widdel) and listed in the “Important Dates” table.

 

           

 

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FAQ 5: Can I skirt the Federal financial aid requirements for repayment if I check into the class but never participate?

 

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    Federal law requires an instructor to report the last date of class attendance for students who fail the class as well as for those that sign up for a class but never attend.

 

    For an online class taught by this instructor, the last date of attendance reported for a failing student will be the last date an assignment or online discussion comment was received or posted at the D2L class site. Personal emails sent to the instructor for something other than assignment completion or online discussion participation will not constitute class attendance.

 

    Students who are enrolled in the course but never submit an assignment nor engage in online discussions will be reported as “never attended.”

 

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FAQ 6: What should I do if there is a technical problem at the time of homework access or submission?

   What if I miss the deadline for the submission of a quiz or a drop box item?

 

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Sometimes technical problems prevent the successful submission of a quiz or the submission of a document into a drop box. If this happens, please email the quiz answers and/or attach the homework assignment to an email to your instructor…

mark.widdel@anokaramsey.edu

 

            If there is an unscheduled technical problem with the D2L website or a link problem at the instructor’s website, please flag the issue in an email to your instructor or call him at his home office – 763.576.0037.

 

            In most situations, a technical problem does not suspend the requirement for meeting a deadline. Please utilize one of the alternative methods of homework assignment should an online feature not function properly.

 

            Missed Deadlines – Good fortune may be with you!

 

            All of my drop boxes and discussion forums remain open after a stated deadline. If you miss an expressed deadline and if I have not downloaded the items from the drop box or graded the discussion postings, then I’ll accept your work as late.

 

            Quizzes do not remain open after the stated deadline. If you miss a quiz deadline and I have not yet released the answers after grading, I will accept your late answers. Just email them to me (check the format requirement in FAQ 7.)  Don’t waste time asking my permission, just send them; if they qualify for grading, I’ll score your answers. If they don’t, I’ll let you know in a reply email.

 

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FAQ 7: What are some of Widdel's special class standards?

 

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Required Document Format and Required Document Names

 

Word processed documents submitted as homework assignments must be saved in Microsoft Word format. For Microsoft Works users, you need to use the Save As function and save your document in MS Word format.

 

The document name for submission in a drop box will be specified in the assignment guidelines. If you do not submit the assignment with the required name or in the required format, points will be docked.

 

Use of the D2L Pager

 

Please do not use the D2L Pager function to contact your instructor. Use email (mark.widdel@anokaramsey.edu), the phone (763.576.0037), Skype (widdelma) or the D2L personal discussion forum (Between Mark and Me).

 

            Homework Must be Professionally Formatted

 

Standard homework assignments completed outside of the classroom must be word processed/typewritten in a professional format reflecting business standards. Format and grammar will be evaluated, as well as specific content.

 

Required Assignment Information for Each Assignment

 

The first page of each assignment printout should contain this information on the top line of the document.

If your name and the course information is missing, points will be deducted.

 

For example,

Your Name, BUS 2240, Case Assignment 01

 

Emailing an Assignment

 

When emailing a word-processed document, attach the document to your email - DO NOT copy the formatted document into the body of the email message.

 

When emailing answers to an exercise, you may key them into the body of the email message but please key them in an easy-to-read format such as this...

1.  a

2.  c

3.  d

4.  b

5.  b

6.  a

Instead of this... 1 a 2 c 3 d 4 b 5 b 6 a

 

Deadlines are Important

 

Just as in life outside the classroom, many deadlines, when missed, cannot be made up. When your instructor communicates a deadline (or modified deadline) on an assignment, acceptance of late work is not guaranteed. All points may be lost.

 

            Academic Dishonesty

 

      Academic dishonesty is defined as cheating, plagiarizing, or aiding and abetting another person in cheating or plagiarism.*

 

Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, examinations or other instruments of evaluation such as application exercises, case problems, presentations or projects. The definition also includes the dependence upon the aid of resources beyond those authorized by the instructor.

 

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgement or the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials.

Any student who commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is subject to discipline which may include a verbal warning, a requirement to redo the assignment, the completion of an additional assignment, having the assignment grade lowered or stricken, having the course grade lowered or course failure.

 

For additional information, refer to the ARCC Student Conduct Code Policy.

           

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FAQ 8: What’s the Pace of an eight-week accelerated course?

 

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    An online eight-week accelerated course contains the same course content as its semester-long counterpart. You should plan to spend twice the amount of time normally spent per week for the completion of assigned work.

 

    Students enrolled in an accelerated course should expect an intensive use of online discussions that require multiple log-ins and numerous posted responses during a week-long period.

 

    Careful attention to assignment and quiz deadlines is even more critical in an accelerated course.

In exit surveys, students have reported that it helped greatly to maintain a personal class calendar for tracking assignment deadlines.

 

 

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FAQ 9: What if I need special accommodation?

 

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Online Accommodation

Anoka Ramsey Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age or disability in the provision of student services. Within the first week of class, students with special needs requiring specialized online accommodation should phone the information desk at 763-433-1100 and ask for support services for students with special needs.

 

Religious Accommodation

Students requiring accommodation for sincerely held religious beliefs and/or for observance of religious events that conflict with class requirements should inform the instructor of the need for these accommodations during the first week of class.

 

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  FAQ 10: I have an email account, why do I have to use the MetNet account?

 

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MetNet Student Email Account

The MetNet email account is the only email client established to work within D2L.  All official email communications originating from Anoka-Ramsey, as well as all emails sent by your instructor to you, will be to your MetNet address.  One of your major student responsibilities is to check that account for college-related communications. The rationale, “I don’t use that account” will not excuse you from the responsibility for accessing the information, notices and clarifications sent to you by your instructors and the College.

 

Activating MetNet Accounts and Forwarding the emails to a different email account

 Instructions for activating the MetNet account are posted at the top of your D2L Course Home Page. (You may view it after you log into D2L.)  If you wish to automatically forward MetNet emails to a different email account, a .pdf with the instructions for doing so are also posted on your D2L Home Page.