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Orientation Letter
BIOSCI 100: Introduction to Biology—HYBRID Online
Winter 2010: Section 73109
Instructor: Carrie Carleton
Email:
carrie.carleton@canyons.edu
Website:
www.canyons.edu/users/carletonc
Course URL:
http://bb7.canyons.edu
******
This class meets at the Valencia campus every Tuesday, Wednesday
& Thursday from 9:30am -12:30pm in BYKH 201 for lab during the
Winter session. The lecture portion of this class is presented
online.******
Welcome to the hybrid section of BIOSCI 100, Introduction to
Biology! This course is designed primarily for non-majors and
provides an introduction to major plant and animal groups and
principles of ecology and evolution. I am excited to get started
and I look forward to meeting you at the
mandatory orientation meeting on Tuesday, January 5th,
9:30-10:50pm in BYKH 201.
We will meet for our first lab from 11:00am -12:30pm,
(immediately after our orientation meeting), so please plan your
schedule accordingly.
Please
note that if you do not attend this meeting you will be dropped
from the class.
At our orientation meeting you will receive a complete syllabus
and course schedule as well as a walk-thru of our virtual
classroom. Bring your email address to our orientation so that
we can get started!
Technology
& Course Materials
You will need:
·
email address that you keep for the entire term
·
Access to a computer (at least 56 Kbps), internet connection and
Internet Explorer (5.0, 5.5, 6.0) or Netscape Navigator (4.7)
·
Windows 95, 98, 2000, Me, NT, or XP
·
Word processing program: WORD is preferred
·
Lecture Text—
Phelan, J., What is Life? A
Guide to Biology.
W.H.Freeman, 1st ed. 2010.
·
Laboratory Book:
Nishiyama, G.
Biology 100 Lab Manual
What is different about an online class?
The instruction of this class is delivered in a hybrid online
format. This means that the lecture portion will be presented
online through Blackboard; our virtual classroom. The course
URL is:
bb7.canyons.edu. The lab portion, and all exams, will be
presented “on ground” at COC’s Valencia’s campus. Lab
sessions will be held every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from
9:30am – 12:30pm in room BYKH 201. There are obvious
advantages to an online class—no traffic, work at your
convenience, no nodding off in the back row (at least no one
will know if you are!) and actually more interaction with your
classmates (via our online discussion board) than you might
otherwise have in a classroom setting. So, if you work well
independently and have fairly good computer skills (can send and
receive emails, copy and paste word documents, search the web,
add attachments, etc.) then online learning is a great
adventure. However, it is important to keep in mind that this
online class is not designed to be easier or harder than a
traditional class; just different. You will need to log in
several times a week to keep up with assignments, announcements,
and postings. You will also be required to complete online
quizzes every week. You will be required post, and to respond
to others’ postings, on our discussion board. Student to
student interaction is very important; we will miss you if you
aren’t keeping up.
When deciding to take an online course, please keep in mind that
COC doesn’t offer computer technical support for students, so if
you have any technical difficulties, such as software or
hardware problems on your computer, you will need to either
troubleshoot on your own, or find an outside resource to help
you with your questions. In order to determine whether you are
ready to take an online course, please visit the main distance
learning web site at
http://www.canyons.edu/offices/distance_learning/default.asp,
to take a number of self-assessment surveys designed to help you
determine your readiness.
Don’t hesitate to contact me!
Please know that you are not alone in this online adventure. I
am available via email and will see you every week in lab. I am
also available by appointment to meet at other times.
My e-mail address is:
carrie.carleton@canyons.edu.
I will do my best to respond to your e-mail within 24 hours,
however, please keep in mind that I do not monitor my e-mails
24/7, so there may be times where it takes me longer to reply.
Please do not panic if you don’t hear back from me right away.
I look forward to meeting you and embarking on this exciting
class together! See you Tuesday 1/05, at 9:30am in room BYKH
201, at the orientation meeting!
Sincerely,
Carrie Carleton
Adjunct Biology Instructor
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