Here is a brief overview about taking a graduate-level course "over the web."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Workload. This course will taught completely by Internet based technology, using web-based pedagogy. That means the student learns by interacting with the computer rather than listening to an instructor lecture. There is substantial electronic interaction with the instructor and other students. On the average, students find that instruction via web-based pedagogy is more time demanding (more work) than traditional instruction, but that they learn more. It's greatest advantage is that students can be located far from the college campus and learn at convenient times.
Timing. Some web-based instruction is billed as "asynchronous" meaning that the students can do what they want, when they want. Other web-based instruction is "synchronous," meaning that there are on-line class meetings and discussions and students must be logged on at definite times. This course will be somewhere in between,"semester based, with deadlines." You will have weekly assignments and tasks that must be done, but you have leeway to do them at convenient times throughout the week. You will also write a technical paper and submit other major assignments. The course will conform to UAF's Spring 01 calendar that requires me to submit a grade by 16 May.
Equipment Required. Most modern computers (Pentium 1 and later) can handle the course material. Modems are sometimes a problem. Some home computers have slow connections. Most of the files will not be large, but we will jump from file to file and if you have a slow connection you may get frustrated. But if you have a slow connection, you are probably accustomed to that. Some of my lessons use multiple frames, so a 19-inch or larger monitor is nice, but if you have a 17-inch you should be able to get to the same place by scrolling.
Programs required. You will need Internet Explorer 5.0 and Microsoft Word and Excel, 97 or later. I will send you an executable risk analysis program or two. I will be sure these works on a PC. If you are a Mac person, you may need a special program to enable your Mac to run PC programs.
Prerequisites: The course is intended for graduate students in environmental engineering and students in natural science that are studying some aspect of environmental science. It is organized such that a working environmental professional with an engineering or science background should be able to succeed. Mathematics through calculus will be helpful and we use chemical names and expressions frequently. I will assume you have not used either recently. We will also use biological terms. I will assume the students have not had college biology, but have some general biological knowledge, perhaps from high school biology, a long time ago.
Textbooks: There are no required texts. You should have a college chemistry textbook nearby. The book, Multimedia Environmental Models, by Donald Mackay, is a recommended text. (CRC Lewis Publishers, 1991, ISBN 0-87371-242-0) We will parallel the first four chapters quite closely, and Mackay has several handy tables and examples. That information is also found in many chemistry books and conveniently tabulated in many environmental chemistry texts, so the Mackay book is handy, but not necessary. It is not in the UAF bookstore; you can order it from CRC over the web.
Access: We use Blackboard as our electronic course management tool. To access Blackboard you need an Aurora email account and a password. You get your Aurora email account from UAF Division of Computing and Communications (DCC). Pull down the form from http://www.uaf.edu/DCC/computing/aurora.html under "Individual," fill it out and fax to DCC. They will then telephone you with your account name, usually fsxyz@uaf.edu, where xyz are your initials. You then connect to aurora, change your password if you like, and then you can instruct Aurora to send your email to your regular email address. You will need your aurora account, fsxyz, for entry onto Blackboard. After you have your Aurora account, here is how to forward you email to you home email. Forwarding Instructions . You may call the DCC help desk at 907 474 6564; if you have to leave a message, they are quite good at returning calls.
Registration and
Fees: You can register by phone starting January 8, but
first you must fax an "Intent to Register Form - Non-degree
Student" to the registrar. See: http://www.uaf.edu/reg/schedule/process_nondegree.html#new_nondegree_students
click new and returning non-degree students then click "Intent
to Register Form." About three days after the Registrar gets
the fax, your account will be activated and you can register by
phone.
First you want the course data,
EQE F693 Risk Assessment 3.0 CR
25975 FE1 MW 05:20P-06:50P NSCI 204 Perkins, R 01/18-05/10
Instructions for telephone registration are found
http://www.uaf.edu/reg/schedule/details.html#details_phone_process
Your tuition is found at http://www.uaf.edu/reg/schedule/expenses.html#fee_schedule
. Out-of-state students pay the same as in-state for the first
three credits. So if this is the only UAF course you are taking,
your tuition will be $516, whether or not you are an Alaska resident.
In addition, there is $15 "technology
fee" that you must pay. You will not automatically get a
bill, so soon after you register by telephone, you need
to pay by phone using a credit card or mail it in. Either way,
there may some confusion about fees. If this is the only course
you are taking, and if you are not residing at UAF, you do not
have to pay any fees, except the technology
fee. Call Linda at 907 474 6195 to pay. There should not be any
fees other than the technology fee. The procedure is that
after everyone is registered, I will send a memo to the Registrar
and get all the fees waived, except the
technology fee. That will be a few weeks after you have
paid your tuition. So while you are trying to pay you tuition
by phone, the clerk may insist that you have to pay some other
fees besides tuition and technology fee.
Be nice to them, they are very stressed at fee payment time. Just
ask them to take your money for the tuition and
technology fee and, if they insist, to send you a bill
for the other fees or ask them to
call me at 474-7694. By the time you get a bill for fees, I will
have sent you a copy of the waiver letter, just put a copy of
the waiver letter in with bill and send it back to the business
office and peace and contentment will reign in the valley once
more. (updated my grievous error regarding
the technology fee on 18 January)
General Pedagogical
Method (How you will learn):
The course is divided into 14 modules. The general content of
these modules is found in the syllabus.
There are five broad areas of risk assessment:
Most learning modules will have material on two or three of those areas located in sub-modules. Each module will start with a statement of the learning goals of that module. The sub-modules will be arranged so that you may choose which to do first. That will give you some flexibility in scheduling your time. Many learning goals are reached via a brief introduction followed by referral to other informational web sites. After you have reviewed that site and return to the sub-module there are questions or other tasks for you to quiz yourself. At the ends of most sub-modules are links to assignments for you to submit.
Discussion Groups: An important part of your learning experience will be communicating with other students via Blackboard. You will be assigned to a discussion group. The group will be tasked with discussing certain topics. From time to time you will be asked to read and comment on the submissions of other students.
Blackboard: Blackboard is our electronic course management tool. There you will find the syllabus, modules address, dropbox, discussion boards and other material. You access blackboard via http://courses.uaf.edu then Spring 2001 then EQE then EQE 693. When you are prompted for your userid, use your Aurora account fsxyz. Your initial password is also fsxyz. If you have problems with your password, call the Aurora Helpdesk 907 474 6564. Once you are at the course site you can access any of the course material or communicate with other students.
Email the instructor: All the assignments will be submitted via Blackboard's "digital dropbox" feature in the Communications Folder. If you want to communicate with Dr. Perkins directly with a question about the course, use email, ffrap@uaf.edu. Start your subject line with "EQE 693."