Welcome to Oceanography

GEOL 2070

 

Hi, my name is Melissa Connely and I will be your instructor for this course.  This packet is an introduction to the class and contains important material that you will need throughout the semester.  Be sure and keep this information and use it as a reference guide.  There or a series of orientation meetings scheduled at the beginning of the semester.  The dates will be listed on the distance ed home page on the Casper College web site (look near the bottom of the page).  Please try and attend one of these meetings if you have not attended one before.  If you have any questions, please call me at 268-2017 or email at mconnely@caspercollege.edu.

 

ARE YOU READY?          If so, here were go. 

 

I.                   Introduction

a.      Geology 2070 was designed to be a telecourse where instruction is presented through a series of videos aired on the local PBS station.  However an alternative "in class" approach is also being offered.  Therefore, this class has evolved into a hybrid of a distance ed course and a night class.  If you are registered  in Section T1, then you listed as a distance ed student.  If you are in section 01, then you are listed as a traditional student and will meet weekly in the classroom.  All students will meet online using Webct through the Casper College homepage. 

b.     To meet online, you must have access to a computer.  If you do not own a computer that is linked to the internet, you can use the computers in the computer labs at Casper College.  You will need at least a Pentium computer (PC or MAC); the more up-to-date models are recommended.  You will also need to be online.  We suggest Netscape or Windows Explorer.  If you are using AOL, we recommend that you download Netscape and use it while working with webct.  For some reason, AOL and webct do not like to communicate well with each other. 

c.     My computer is a Compaq with a Pentium 4 processor.  I use Windows Xp for most of my office software.  Sometimes, I have problems reading texts that are sent to me in another format (like “works”).  However, since there is very little work that is done outside of the webct homepage, I do not foresee this to be a big problem, but it is worth mentioning.  

d.     Geology 2070 is also a lab based course.  As a lab based course, you are required to attend or participate in a lab.  Furthermore, you must pass the lab portion of the lab to pass the class.   You will be given a list of lab projects that you can do at home.  See the webct class homepage for more details.

e.      Finally, one more major note about a distance ed class.  Since many of you are not in a traditional class room setting, giving exams can be difficult.  For your final exam, we require that you make arrangements with a proctor.  A proctor is someone who administers an exam.  I will give your proctor a password, which you will need before you can take the final exam.   A proctor can be your boss, clergyman, school principal, etc.  A proctor cannot be related to you.  You will need to find a proctor and give their information to me as soon as possible.  I will need their name, phone number and email address.  I will be the proctor for those of you who are in Casper and can attend the night class during finals week in December. 

II.                Getting Started with Webct.

a.      Although you have registered with Casper College, you must also register with webct.  First, you must create a webct account.  If you have a webct account, then skip to step c. 

b.     Go to the Casper College webpage http://www.caspercollege.edu.  Click the little webct icon on the far right of the screen.  It will take you to a webct tutorial.  Follow the instructions on the tutorial, which will take you to a webct login page.  Click, create mywebct.  Fill in the requested information and continue.  Make sure you write down your login name and password.  If you lose this and cannot remember what it was, it will take time to get you back on track and you will get behind in class.  Note: do not use your ss# as a log in name as this is the name we all see.  A nickname works best.

c.     Once you have completed creating your “mywebct” account.  Then you must add the class.  Click the add course button on your “mywebct” homepage.  In the center column, click the appropriate year and term.  Find the class and click it.  It will open a registration page.  It will ask you to enter a user name and password.  Ignore that part and go down to the button titled “register”.  This will add the class to your mywebct homepage.

d.     Return to mywebct and see the course listed there. 

III.             Now let’s look at the class. 

a.      Click the class on your mywebct homepage.  This is the link that will take you to the class. 

b.     You will see a welcome page.  This is the class homepage.  I will often post important messages here.  You will also see several icons on the front.  The first Icon is the syllabus.  Click this link and view the syllabus document.

c.     The next icon is the calendar.  It may have several lime green lines around it.  Any time there is a new posting on the calendar, email or discussion page, these green lines will show up.  They will disappear as soon as you open that link.  Open the calendar. 

d.     When you open the calendar, you will see a basic table on the main page and a second window may open up showing you the newest postings.  Once you close the second window, it will not come back.  The calendar will list the events of the class.  When the quizzes should start.  When the exams will start and when they are due.  It will also list the lab dates.  Browse through the calendar.  When you see something that is posted, you can click the date and more detailed information will appear.  You may also add information to your calendar and use it for other important dates you want to remember.  Now, go to the top of the page and click the word Home.  This will take you back to the homepage.

e.      The next icon is the discussion board.  This is where we will communicate with each other.  You will be asked to participate in the class by submitting at least one comment on the discussion page each week.  You can post your own topic or respond to someone else’s. 

f.       The next icon is the quizzes.  Click this link.  Here you will see all of the quizzes and exams that you will need to take over the semester.  You will notice when the quiz or exam will be available, how much time you have to take the quiz or exam and how many points it is worth.  To take a quiz, you just need to click on the quiz you want and it will open up.  Some of the quizzes or exams may be conditional, which means they will not open up until you have completed the previous quiz.  You can come back to this page to see your score on a previous quiz or to look at the quiz to study for the exams.  To view a previous quiz, click the word completed and then the quiz number you wish to see. 

g.     Now, look at the blue bar on the left.  This is the navigation bar.  Click the homepage link.  This will take you back to your homepage.

h.     Now that you are back to the homepage, click the icon “grades”.  This will take you to your grades.  All the records that are graded will be here.  Some of the quizzes and exams will not show up until they become available.  You can keep track of your grades and your progress in the class. 

i.        Return to the homepage and hit the mail icon or click the mail link on the navigation bar.  This is your personal email page where you can send private email messages to me or to another classmate.  It will not send mail to anyone outside of the webct class.  Hit the “compose a message” icon.  Send a message to me.  You will need to browse through the “Send to” list to find my name.  You will also need to enter a subject.  You can also send attachments, etc. 

j.        Ok, there is one more icon.  This is the Lab icon.  You will find the assignments by clicking the Lab icon.  In the homework, you will see a set of projects, when they are due and when you can begin.  When you click each assignment, the instruction page will appear.  You may have to download the assignment and work on your own computer or outside of webct.  When you are finished, you will need to upload your answers so that I can read them and grade them. 

k.     Now you have seen most of the class, go back through the class links and become familiar with all of the parts. 

IV.            Now it is time for your first quiz.  Go back to the quiz page and take the “Introduction Quiz.”  Take the quiz online as soon as possible.  It is worth 50 points. 

V.               It is possible that over the course of the semester, a problem will present itself.  If it does, relax, sit back and don’t panic.  There hasn’t been a problem yet that couldn’t be fixed.  Please contact me and we will work things out. 

 

Here is a link to your syllabus.  Good luck and see you in class.   

Syllabi - This link will take you to the syllabus listed on the Casper College homepage.