ESM 609 Overview -- January 2015
Here is a brief overview about taking a graduate-level course "over the web."
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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. Its 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, we call it, "asynchronous 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 other major assignments. The course will conform to UAF's Spring Semester 2012 calendar that requires me to submit a grade by 16 May 2012.
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 7.0 and Microsoft Word and Excel, 2003 or later. You should receive MS Project with your textbook. 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 Engineering and Science Management. There is a little calculus and some statistics, but both are reviewed in context.
Textbooks: Project Management: A Managerial Approach, 9th Edition, Jack R. Meredith, Samuel J. Mantel, Jr., and Scott M. Shafer. October 2014, ©2014. It is essential that you obtain the ninth edition, as there have been changes since the eighth edition. Order through amazon.com or other on-line book seller. Be sure your copy has a CD bound inside the back cover. Some peculiarities: Some references do not list the third author, Shafer, I have no idea why. Also, the book will probably be a collection of loose leaf pages that you have to put into a binder yourself.
UAF Email Access: We use Blackboard as our electronic course management tool. To access Blackboard you need a UAF e-mail account and a password. New students are issued a UAF e-mail account from UAF Division of Computing and Communications (DCC) when they register, or at least sometime the next day. If you need help, you can contact a Help Desk at by e-mail at helpdesk@uaf.edu, fax at (907)-474-2497, phone in the Fairbanks area at 474-6564 and outside of Fairbanks at 1-800-478-4667. If you leave a message on a phone recording, they are quite good about returning calls, but keep in mind the beginning of the semester is their busiest time.
Registration and Fees:
For returning and on-campus students, the registration and fee payment process can be accessed via: http://www.uaf.edu/reg/schedule/ . There is a slightly different process if you have registered at UAF recently. If you are a non-resident, you still only pay resident tuition for your first three credits.
General Pedagogical Method (How
you will learn):
The course is divided into 13 modules. The general content of these modules is found in the syllabus and outline. The course will draw heavily from the textbook and to a lesser extent from the companion Wiley website. The course has an excellent textbook, and reading and processing the material from the book is required. There are group discussion assignments and group projects.
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. 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 announcements, course documents, discussion boards and other course material. You access Blackboard via http://classes.uaf.edu. Your user name is the myname portion of your UAF email address myname@alaska.edu. Your initial password is your Social Security Number. If you have problems with your password, call or email the Help Desk.. Once you are at the Blackboard course site, you can access any of the course material or communicate with other students.
Email the instructor: If you want to communicate with Dr. Perkins directly with a question about the course, use email sent to raperkins@alaska.edu. Start your subject line with "ESM609," Followed by "Questions," or "HELP," or whatever. The instructor usually answers these emails the next day or ASAP. You will also send homework by email, but these are handled differently and are not graded or answered immediately. Instructions for labeling the subject line of the homework emails are found in each homework assignment.