Practices

The Nuts and Bolts and

How Things Work

Required Materials

The following are required for participation in this course:

Computer (desktop, laptop, or tablet with mouse and keyboard)
- You cannot complete this course on a smartphone or on a tablet that does not have a keyboard and mouse.
- If you do not own a personal computing device, computers are available for you to use at the Marmaduke Computing Center on campus and at your local public library.
Mozilla Firefox and/or Google Chrome
Notion account
- Signup for free here: https://www.notion.so/
Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and OneDrive
- With your student @buffs.wtamu.edu email address, you have access to Microsoft Office 365 which gives access to OneDrive, Office Online, as well as the ability to download the latest version of Microsoft Office 2016 for free; visit http://students.wtamu.edu/office.html to access and install.
PDF Reader
Reliable internet connection

Required Technology Skills

Minimum Technology Skills Needed

Working knowledge of your computer hardware and software applications, including:

Getting online
Using an Internet browser
Downloading, saving, opening, and printing material found online
Conducting Internet searches
Opening and viewing videos
Internet searches using common browser (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Edge)

Writing and editing with a word processor
Composing WT email and attaching documents
Working knowledge of WTClass and ability to navigate within course materials

Posting to a discussion forum
Attaching photos, videos, documents to emails and discussion board posts

Submitting to a drop box or assignment
Take online examinations
Learning new computer skills

Computer Access

Securing reliable, up-to-date, working computer equipment is the student’s responsibility. This responsibility includes access to a computer with secure broadband internet connection, data storage and retrieval, and state-of-the-art security.

Training and Troubleshooting

I have prepared an extensive Training and Troubleshooting page inside our WTClass course that can help get you up to speed on WTClass and assist you with many of the common issues that arise in online courses. Ultimately, however, the responsibility for securing working equipment and maintaining that equipment properly is yours.

While I am happy to help you troubleshoot issues when I can, I expect students to be proactive in using the resources I provide to solve problems.

On the very rare occasion that there is a WTAMU server problem that prevents students from completing work, we will all receive official notification from the WT Office of Information Technology.

Securing Equipment

Ideally, you should have your own personal computer equipment for an online course. In the case of emergencies, however, computer stations are available for student use at the Marmadke Center (bottom floor of Cornette Library) and at local public libraries.

Information Storage and Retrieval

With your student @buffs.wtamu.edu email address, you have access to OneDrive and 1TB of online cloud storage. This gives you the ability to upload and save documents to OneDrive that you are then able to access from anywhere you have an internet connection. Please visit http://students.wtamu.edu/office.html to setup your access.

Please: save early, save often, and in multiple formats: e.g. save materials on your hard drive plus some kind of external storage, be it cloud, flash drive, or email to yourself.

Accessibility Statements for Course Technology

At West Texas A&M University (WTAMU), we believe that all students should have equal technology opportunities in the classroom. The following technologies may appear in this WTAMU course:

Blackboard
Softchalk
Turnitin
Microsoft Products
Vimeo
Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Reader
Mozilla Firefox
Google Chrome
YouTube
Respondus
Techsmith Products
Films on Demand

Statements of accessibility, voluntary product accessibility template (VPAT) documents, and/or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are available here: https://wtclass.wtamu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/template/accessibility-statements.html#lms

Required Skills: Succeeding in an Online Course

Online courses demand much more individual responsibility on the part of the student than a face-to-face class. Successful distance learning students are clear on this point from the beginning.

Successful distance learning students recognize that:

Online classes are reading and writing intensive;
Online students are held to the same standards of academic integrity as face-to-face students;
Only detail-oriented, independent, and motivated self-starters excel in this environment.

Those who wish to succeed in the online course environment must:

Be people of integrity;
Take responsibility for themselves and their actions and/or inactions;
Establish and maintain exemplary study habits;
Manage their time and set schedules for themselves;
Refuse to procrastinate;
Complete course requirements in a timely manner;
Have strong reading comprehension skills;
Know when to find answers on their own and when to ask for help;
Connect with peers and professor through appropriate discussion forums, email, etc.;
Have regular access to a computer with a high-speed internet connection, either at home, in the WTAMU HELC, or a local public library.

If you do not possess these qualities, abilities, and tools, you should consider carefully whether distance learning is the right choice for you.

Attendance

Regular attendance is essential in all university courses; flawless attendance is expected. Obviously, attendance is measured differently in an online course than in a face-to-face class.

When do Lessons open and close?

With the exceptions of Lesson 14 and the Final Exam, Weekly Lessons will open on Wednesday mornings at 7:00 a.m. and close on Tuesday of the following week at 11:55 p.m. See Schedule in the toolbar at the top of the page for all specific lesson open/close dates.

"Why do lessons open on Wednesdays and close on Tuesdays?"

<<<<<<<<<< Watch the video on the left for an explanation of how and why lessons run this way.

"How often do I have to logon to WTClass? What about email?"

You are expected to login to the course

every Wednesday for the new lesson assignments and details;
on any date an assignment is due, provided the assignment has not be submitted in advance of the deadline.

You are expected to check WT email

daily during the business week (Monday-Friday);
on weekends as needed.

Failure to login to the course each Wednesday and other times during the week as necessitated by course assignments will affect the final course grade significantly.

"If there are changes or updates to assignments or the schedule, how will you let us know about it?"

I will post changes and updates to Course Announcements on WTClass, and I will have the announcements sent to you WT email.

Submitting Work & Due Dates

This is an entirely web-based course. You may complete all course work from your home as long as you have an internet connection and are able to master the features of WTClass (Blackboard), the university's online learning management system.

This course is NOT self-paced. This course includes FIRM deadlines scheduled throughout the semester that are recorded in CST (US Central Standard Time). Again, although we (students and professor) are not tied down to specific times of day, we will adhere to a schedule that includes many activities, including discussions, assignments, quizzes, etc. IF YOU HAVE ENROLLED IN THIS ONLINE COURSE THINKING THAT YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO ADHERE TO DEADLINES AND SCHEDULES, then this course is not for you.

"The dog ate my homework." Please note that since “Something’s wrong with my flash drive,” “The power went out,” “The internet went down,” “I thought I’d have wifi at my hotel, but I don’t,” and “I don’t know what happened—I saved it but now it’s not there” have become the 21st century versions of “The dog ate my homework,” computer hardware, software, and/or internet malfunction or failure of any kind will not excuse missed, late, or incomplete work.

On the very rare occasion that there is a WTAMU server problem that prevents students from completing work, we will all receive official notification from the WT Office of Information Technology. I will announce any necessary schedule adjustments to the whole class at that point.

Due Dates: Unless otherwise specified, all assignments are due for each lesson by that lesson's closing date/time. Specific lesson opening/closing dates are specified on the Schedule at the top of this page.

"Due Date is not the To Do Date": Please remember that the “due date” is not the “to do” date: getting started early and completing items in advance of the due date ensures that if there are difficulties, we have time to remedy them. If you wait until the last minute, however, you’ve taken away my opportunity to help you.

Late Work Penalty: Late assignments will lose ONE LETTER GRADE (the equivalent of 10 points) per business day, NOT per class day, unless arrangments have been made with me PRIOR to the due date to submit late work. Thus, if an assignment that was due on Monday is submitted on Wednesday, the final grade will lose 20 points for lateness.

Format and Place of Submission: Assignments that are not submitted in the assigned format or in the proper place (specific dropbox, discussion forum, etc.) will not be graded until the work is resubmitted in the correct manner. Late work penalties will accrue.

Each student is responsible for all assignments. If a previously scheduled event coincides with an exam or due date, a written request for an extension or make-up date will be considered. All such requests must be submitted prior to the date in question.

Illness and Family Emergencies: Any requests for extensions based on illness or family emergency must be accompanied by written documentation verified by the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership (JBK 102; 651-2050). All make-ups and extensions are at the instructor’s discretion.

Grading

Rubrics

Rubrics will be used to assess multiple assignments. Students are encouraged to review the grading rubrics prior to beginning the assignment and to ask any questions about grading criteria.

Grade Return Time

Under normal circumstances, grades and feedback will be returned to you within ten (10) business days following your submission.

Grading Scale

Excellent work will earn an A (90-100).

Good work will earn a B (80-89.99).

Average work will earn a C (70-79.99).

Fair work will earn a D (60-69.99).

Poor work will earn an F (0-59.99).

Online Etiquette

"I do not much dislike the matter, but the manner of his speech."

~ William Shakespeare

The items below should be obvious, but regrettably, experience has taught me that not everyone is aware of the appropriate standards of behavior in an online environment.

So, while this material will fall under the category of common knowledge for some of us, to make sure that there are no unnecessary snafus in our online environment, please review the following guidelines for electronic communication.

Guideline #1: Do not send anything that you would not say in person.

Think carefully. If you wouldn’t sit in a chair across from the addressee saying out loud what you have written, don’t send it.

Any message written when you are angry, frustrated, crying, hysterical, exhausted, or suffering from a 102° fever should be saved until the next day and proofread carefully before sending, or, more likely, deleting.Guideline #2: Basic good manners, appropriate tone, punctuation, correct spelling, and capital letters are mandatory.

Any email you send Dr. Hart should:

include a subject line that summarizes the issue
begin with an appropriate greeting
describe the issue at hand clearly and in detail
maintain a courteous tone
close with an appropriate sign-off and your name.

To be perfectly clear, here is a sample email that is a good example of how to communicate effectively via email:

RE: Paper 1 Due Date [subject line that summarizes issue]

Hi Dr. Hart, [appropriate greeting]

I was wondering if I could turn in my paper this week instead of next week? I have a conference in Houston, and I don't know what my email access will be like. [clear description of issue detailed in courteous tone; written in full sentences with correct grammar and punctuation]

Thanks, [appropriate signoff]

Student's Name [student signs the email]

In contrast, messages written in the following ways will receive no response at all--or at least certainly not a response anyone will enjoy:

Combative or disrespectful (e.g. “I am NOT happy with this quiz. I don’t like the way you wrote the test at all. Your tests are totally unfair.”)

Inappropriately informal (e.g. "Hey Monica, What's up? I think my quiz grade is wrong!!")

Melodramatic (e.g. "I'm totally confused!!!!! I don't know what to do at all!!!!! None of this makes sense!!!! PLEASE respond soon!!! I need help ASAP!!!!")

Incoherent or sloppy (e.g. "can you tell me what i'm uspposed to do for this weeki don't understnad the instruction at all billybob from your online class")

Guideline #3: Audience awareness is key.

Please do not demand that I "Advise immediately" or "Respond soon." I will always advise you, and I will always respond as soon as I am able. That's my job. I know that some of you work in places where such language is appropriate, but in an academic environment, it is enough simply to ask your question or make a request without adding additional imperatives such as "Advise ASAP"—which in this context is just rude.

No profanity. Ever.
Capital letters equal shouting; therefore, UNLESS YOU WANT THIS TO SOUND LIKE YOU ARE SCREAMING, turn off the Caps Lock button.
Please always remember to whom and with whom you are corresponding, whether your professor or a classmate. Inasmuch as I imagine you would like to be treated with respect and courtesy, so do we all.

Guideline #4: Do not email the entire class with questions.

If there is a technical problem within the course or if you have a question about an assignment, I’ve given you three ways of finding an answer:

use the information contained in the Course Syllabus and the Weekly Lessons;
use the Questions or Problems boards;
email me directly.

For no reason should a student email every other student in the class asking questions or, worse yet, send out a hysterical message to everyone because s/he is confused or can’t get something to work. An online class demands a sophisticated, mature approach to problem-solving and time management. Frantic mass emails demonstrate neither sophistication nor maturity.

Guideline #5: A professional setting has professional hours.

I will check email during regular business hours only (Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CST). Therefore, if you email me at midnight on Friday, don't expect a response before Monday morning at 9:00 a.m.

Guideline #6: Final word . . .

Less of a guideline, more of an opportunity. If you've read this far, thank you. I'm very grateful for your attention to detail and respect for the work we're going to do together in this course. To show my appreciation, I would be happy to award you extra credit. Just send me an email that follows the guidelines above and includes a picture of the cute animal of your choice, and voila! It shall be yours.

Please, if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

"Where do I go with non-technology questions?"

Your first step should be, of course, to consult the Syllabus , Course Calendar, and Weekly Lesson. Almost 99% of questions can be answered in those documents.

If, however, you have searched diligently, and you cannot find an answer to your question, please use the Questions Board in our WTClass Discussion Forum (see link to Discussion Forum in lefthand toolbar in WTClass). This board gives you a place to ask questions about assignments, due dates, locating materials, etc.

Please use this board rather than emailing me with general course questions. That way, everyone gets to see your question and my answer, for if you are wondering, I’d be willing to bet so are other people!

If your question concerns your grade or a personal matter, of course, email is better. But for general course questions, please use the board.

"What if I have a technical problem: opening a file / accessing a lesson / etc.?"

First of all, remain calm. Most problems I can fix--and will fix--very quickly. If you encounter technical problems with part of a lesson, your first stop should be our Training and Troubleshooting page in WTClass (see link in the lefthand toolbar in WTClass). Most all questions can be answered there, and most of them have video instruction to walk you through solving the problem!

If you encounter a problem you can't fix using the resources I've provided for you, please let me know via the Problems Board in our WTClass Discussion Forum. That way, everyone will know that the problem as been reported to me, and everyone can see whether or not I've indicated that I'm working on it. If everyone in class emails me to tell me about a broken link, I'm going to spend lots of time answering lots of emails when I could be fixing the link.

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