Dedicated Study Time

How long will it take me to complete activities each week?

You'll want to devote approximately 10-15 hours each week to completing each lesson & activity.

• The course will run for 18 weeks.

• The course is made available a week before the start date.

• Each module is made available as soon as you complete key assignments from the previous module.

• Paper drafts are:

  • Prewriting: the day before class

  • First draft/Sandbox: the day before Peer Review

  • Peer Review: on Coffee Shop days/class days

  • Professor Review: Sign up on Sunday, but be completed before the following Saturday

  • Final drafts: due on Saturdays at midnight

• All other assignments and assessments will have attached due dates and times.

Get the most out of your reading content. I recommend using SQRRR (or SQ3R) as described by SGS:

• Before you read, Survey the chapter:

  • the title, headings, and subheadings

  • captions under pictures, charts, graphs or maps

  • review questions or teacher-made study guides

  • introductory and concluding paragraphs

  • summary

• Question while you are surveying:

  • Turn the title, headings, and/or subheadings into questions

  • Read questions at the end of the chapters or after each subheading

  • Ask yourself, "What did my instructor say about this chapter or subject
    when it was assigned?"

  • Ask yourself, "What do I already know about this subject?"

  • Think about how you want to synthesize or respond to the reading for your Critical Response.

• When you begin to Read:

  • Look for answers to the questions you first raised

  • Answer questions at the beginning or end of chapters or study guides

  • Reread captions under pictures, graphs, etc.

  • Note all the underlined, italicized, bold printed words or phrases

  • Study graphic aids

  • Reduce your speed for difficult passages

  • Stop and reread parts which are not clear

  • Read only a section at a time and recite after each section

• Recite or Respond after you've read a section:

  • Orally ask yourself questions about what you have just read, or summarize, in your own words, what you read

  • Take notes from the text but write the information in your own words

  • Underline or highlight important points you've just read

  • Reciting: The more senses you use the more likely you are to remember what you read

  • Respond to the reading with your choice from the Critical Response Menu.

• Review: an ongoing process

  • You know you will be expected to interact with the content, so review the information right before live or synchronous class sessions.

  • Make connections across unit readings (secs. 1-5)

Note:

• If you are stumped by content, post a question and as much of the answer as you can on the critical response discussion board for your group to get help.

• When you encounter a word you don’t know, look it up in the glossary at the back of the book.

Resource:

SGS. "The SQ3R Reading Method." Study Guides and Strategies, 1996-2019. Accessed 8 August 2020. https://www.studygs.net/texred2.htm (site no longer available).

This is a 3 unit course. If you were to take it face-to-face you would spend 3 hours each week in class and be expected to spend another 6 outside of class. You would also have to spend time commuting to campus. This often adds up to more than 9 hours per week for a 3 unit course.

You should expect to spend the same amount of time working for an online course as a face-to-face course. In an online course lectures are delivered via videos. These are often shorter than in-class lectures, but not always.

You will also need to schedule time for the following:

1. Complete assigned reading.

2. Creating critical responses.

3. Commenting other's critical response submissions.

4. Watch lecture videos or show up for live/synchronous sessions

5. Complete study outlines that go with each lecture.

6. Complete smaller independent assignments and participation activities designed to build skills.

7. Collaborate with team members

8. Post on discussion boards; one post is due each week by Wednesday.

9. Reply to discussion boards.

10. Study

11. Complete assignments, quizzes, and/or tests

12. Research for and the prewriting, writing, revising, peer review, professor conferences, and editing of essays and papers

Your study and work habits outside of class are an extension of your time in class. The “Carnegie Units” or workload for this course is approximately 9 hours per week during 16 week classes (for live classes, that is three hours in class and sixe hours outside of class), and 18 hours per week during 8 week classes.

What does this mean?

For Live Classes

This means that for every 3 hours of our time spent together during meetings, you should expect to spend at least 6 more hours on homework, reading, writing, and revising. Furthermore, even if a specific assignment is not due for the week, you are still expected to spend this amount of time on activities that will increase your understanding of the subject, such as re-reading texts, writing notes, reviewing course materials, working on upcoming assignments, researching, and pursuing independent reading.

For Online Classes

For 16 week classes, you should expect to spend at least 9 hours per week on assignments and class activities (this time includes the synchronous session), including: reading, writing, and revising. For 8 week classes, you should spend 18 hours per week on assignments and class activities (this time still includes synchronous sessions). Furthermore, even if a specific assignment is not due for the week, you are still expected to spend this amount of time on activities that will increase your understanding of the subject, such as re-reading texts, writing notes, reviewing course materials, working on upcoming assignments, researching, and pursuing independent reading.

While these are face-to-face classes, with an ongoing pandemic, success requires little more grit than a more typical face-to-face class, making the requirements for success more closely aligned to online expectations. Here are a few qualities that aid in success:

• Goal-directedness (knowing where to go and how to get there).

• Motivation (having a strong will to achieve identified goals).

• Self-control (avoiding distractions and focusing on the task at hand).

• Positive mind-set (embracing challenge and viewing failure as a learning opportunity).

Students need to be self-starters. Rate yourself on traits such as:

• I am good at setting goals and deadlines.

• I finish projects I start.

• I can keep myself on track.

• I learn best by figuring things out myself.

Students also need to be comfortable with technology. Rate yourself on traits such as:

• I am pretty good at using the computer.

• I am comfortable with installing software and changing settings on my computer.

• I am connected to the internet with a fairly fast, reliable DSL or cable modem.

Tips for Online Test Taking

• Log on early - avoid waiting until the last minute!

• Be sure to read all instructions carefully

• Use a desktop with a hardwired (LAN) connection if possible.

• Contact me immediately if you experience any problems. Avoid waiting until the due date. It could affect your grade!