English 1A,
offered through Distance Education, offers the same curriculum as a standard 1A
class, but via a technology that both saves time AND
enhances the learning experience. However,
this class is NOT for everyone. The
dropout rate is very high, so read on to
find out if this class is right for you.
NOTE: Information is only valid for Spring '09 and may change afterward. Information for Summer '09 will be slightly different and not appear until the end of the Spring semester.
Are there any class meetings?
What are the benefits_of_Distance_Education?
Why do so many students drop?
So
should I take this class or not?
What software will
I need?
Can I enroll or get on the
wait list for this class?
How do I get started / make sure I don't get dropped?
Are there additional class
meetings after the first?
What are the books we'll be
reading, and can I log in before the semester starts?
How
can I contact the instructor?
Are there any class meetings ?
There are no class meetings, and there are no tests that must be taken on specific dates, nor is there a final exam. Your last assignments will be completed by the end of the 15th week of class.
What are the benefits
of Distance Education?
1. Students benefit from seeing instructor
feedback for all other students' work in addition to their own.
2. They get increased opportunities to
express their opinions and practice their skills, opportunities not possible in
a live classroom where there is only time for a limited number of people to talk
and answer questions.
3. They can work according to their own pace
and time constraints
4. They have access to the best materials
the Internet offers, instead of relying on a single textbook that may be strong
in some areas and weak in others.
Why
do so many students drop?
However, despite these advantages, 75% of the
students who enroll in this class are likely to fail. Why? I have included this section of the
web page to help you determine if this class is right for you. Below, I
have listed the top five reasons that students fail to complete this course:
1. Students assume they will be able to
blame late work on computer or family problems, which they cannot. Work is never accepted beyond a due
date. If you have personal or technical
complications, you will have to re-take the class.
2. Students do not manage their time to
complete assignments by due dates, believing they will be able to ask for an
extension, which is never allowed.
3. Students do not take the time to read directions,
the work submitted by other students, and the feedback to that work. I
often post responses that say exactly what NOT to do, and they are ignored.
4. Students do not write specifically
enough. They try to write their posts and essays as quickly as possible,
sticking to general and vague observations like "Sometimes parents tell
children to do things, but because of stuff that happens, other things result." I do not give credit
just for writing words, but for hard, time-consuming
thought about specific subjects.
5. Students do not participate seriously in
the discussion boards. Serious participation means you put time and
thought into what you will write, that you try to engage other students by
interacting with their ideas -- not just repeating them. Serious participation
means contributing multiple times to the same discussion, inviting feedback,
giving feedback, criticizing or adding to other students' ideas. A post that takes five minutes to write won't get a passing grade.
What software
will I need?
In addition to an Internet Browser, such as
Internet Explorer or Firefox, you MUST have Microsoft Word or at least have regular access to it.
So should I take this class or not?
Sadly, 25% of the students enrolled never
even participate for more than a week before dropping, wasting slots other
students could have had. This page was created to try to reduce this
problem.
|
Take This Class if... |
Don't Take This Class
If... |
|
You are prepared to devote
30 minutes of thought to every 5 minutes that you actually write. |
You are uncomfortable
working with computers. |
|
You want a class with high
standards that will prepare you for difficult college work in the future. |
You tend to avoid
assignments unless directly supervised. |
|
You work better with
written instructions than oral ones. |
You already struggle with
ESL problems, which are easier to handle in face-to-face communication. |
|
Your schedule prevents you
from regular attendance, but NOT from completing assignments on a weekly
basis. |
You have limited access to
computers, or your schedule prevents you from working on a class for more
than a week at a time. |
|
You are looking for a
challenge and want to benefit from higher technologies AND standards. |
You are looking for “the
easiest way” to take English 1A. |
Above all, please note that though the material
is the same as a traditional 1A course, the fact that ALL your communication is
done via writing effectively makes this class seem more advanced. I do
not recommend it to people who already lack basic skills with either computers
or verbal communication.
Can I enroll or get on the wait list for this class?
Enroll using the College's online registration at MyEcc, and if the class is full, your
name will be placed on a wait list by the computer. If the computer will not even put you on the wait list, you can still let me know that you're interested in taking a space that might become available during the first week of class. To do so, visit the English 1A class page that you're visiting now between January 19 and February 19 and click the "Take Syllabus Quiz" link. You will need to read my syllabus and take a quiz on it. During the quiz, you'll be asked if you're already enrolled, already on the official wait list, or trying to get on the wait list. Make sure you pick the last option because if you claim to be enrolled already when you are not, I will remove you from the list altogether.
At the end of Feb 19, I will drop all students who have not taken this quiz and give their spots to those who have (priority determined by quiz score, followed by date taken). You will be notified by email only if you are added. I will not add anyone previous to Feb 20 (no exceptions).
Please make sure that when contacting me about enrollment issues, you always use the same email address and that you always include your full name and 7-digit ID number in every message. Please do not correspond about enrollment via telephone.
How do I get started / make sure I don't get dropped ?
To indicate that you intend to take the course and avoid being automatically dropped, you must visit the English 1A class page that you're visiting now between Jan 19 and Feb 19 and click the "Take Syllabus Quiz " link. You will need to read my syllabus and take a quiz on it. During the quiz, you'll be asked if you're already enrolled, on the official wait list, or would like to try to add. Make sure you pick the appropriate option.
At the end of Feb 19, I will drop all students who have not visited the website and give their spots to those on the wait list. I will not reinstate anyone who gets dropped this way, so be sure you visit the page.
What are the books we'll be reading, and can I access the class before the semester starts?
You won't be able to access course pages other than this one until the semester starts, but I can tell you the required textbook now: Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum, 10th Edition by Laurence Behrens Leonard J. Rosen. Unfortunately, you won't be able to use earlier editions since they have very different contents. Two other readings, which are optional, are The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, and The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov. Other
readings will be on our class website.
How
can I contact the instructor?
I prefer to be contacted via email at eccenglish1a@gmail.com. However, I do not return messages about adding the class if the questions are already answered on this page. I add people to the class strictly in the order in which they take the syllabus quiz, so sharing the reasons why you need the class won't help your situation. If you have other questions or concerns, I will gladly answer them.
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