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Distance Learning
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McMahan
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Hello and Welcome !!
I’m Dr .Michael McMahan , your instructor for
online Philosophy 101,
section 73594
(begins February
8th ) .
Please be sure to read this letter thoroughly as well as
the course syllabus and materials once you start the
course. I recommend printing this page and keeping it
for reference. If you are wondering about the importance
and value of a course in philosophy, you might find this
link helpful-
http://www.canyons.edu/departments/PHILOSOPHY/WhyPhil.html
I have been teaching online course for 10 years now
and truly enjoy the experience of being able to
introduce students to philosophy and teach in this
format . This class will use the Blackboard platform for
writing assignments, discussion, and assessments. The
only "on ground" meeting is for the Final Exam, see
below for more detail . Instructions for logging in to
and using Blackboard are located on the COC Distance
Learning web site. Once you have done this go to
http://bb.canyons.edu
to log into the course once it is available.
The online class will be available beginning Monday,
February 8th but certain parts of the course
will be available for preview beginning February 3rd
. You should purchase the required texts ahead of time
and be prepared to move quickly into the course. In
order to remain in the class you should have logged-in
no later than Thursday, February 12th and
completed the orientation assignment by Monday, February
15th , 11:30 pm. All written work for the
class is completed online. There are no on campus
meetings except for the Final exam, Monday
May 24th , 6 pm, room Bonelli 213, Valencia
campus. Out-of-the-area students may contact me
regarding possible arrangements to have the exam
proctored.
Students on waitlist or wanting to add
Typically this class fills to capacity and there
isn’t room for adds, once the waitlist is full. If that
happens, I will not be able to take additional students.
Please consider taking the class during the Summer
Intersession. If you are on the official waiting list,
COC recently switched to an automated wait-list system
which means that you might automatically be added to the
course if there are available spaces. If the waitlist is
full, you will not be able to be added .Adds from the
waitlist are not possible unless there are students who
are no-shows.
How does the class "work" ? Am I the right student
for an
online class ?
This course is advertised as 100% online, which
means that all work will be done online and there are no
classroom meetings for lectures. However, you will be
required to take the scheduled final exam in the
scheduled classroom or , if you are out of the area, at
an alternate proctoring center. Information
regarding this will be provided once you log in to
Blackboard on the first day. It is important for you to
understand that although the course is offered online,
it has the same requirements and expectations as a
regular class. Online classes are neither harder nor
easier than traditional classes, but of course they
provide flexibility for you to complete your work
outside of the scheduled classroom hours. This means you
have to be strong self-learner . Successful learning in
an online course requires good time management skills
and a consistently high level of self-motivation.
Although I make every effort to make you aware of
deadlines and to provide helpful feedback, your progress
and successful education will be in your own hands
To be successful you will need to keep up with the
reading for the course, and there are regular
discussions, assessments and also short writing
assignments due on a regular basis .
Most students have the computer skills and
technological abilities to succeed in this class but if
you are concerned, If you are unsure of your skill level
and whether or not you are ready for online learning,
please visit (COC Distance Learning Web Site ) to take a
self-assessment designed to help you determine your
readiness. |
Required
Reading and Technology
The reading is required and necessary. You will not be
successful in the course without the required texts I
strongly recommend purchasing the textbook prior to the
beginning of class, as course work will begin
immediately.
The
two
required texts
are Biffle’s Landscape of Wisdom – A Guided
Tour of Western Philosophy (ISBN : 1-55934-724-4 )
and Jostein Gaarder’s, Sophie’s World (Any edition
will be okay) They are available at the COC
bookstore or sometimes online. Purchase your texts
before you begin the class otherwise you will have
difficulty with the initial assignments . You will be
expected to complete an orientation assignment shortly
after your first log-in.
Given that this is an online course, you MUST have
access to a computer with reliable internet
access and a valid e-mail address that you check
regularly. It has been reported that AOL and
some versions of Internet explorer will sometimes not
work properly with Blackboard. |
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If you have specific
questions about this course, please contact me by e-mail
at michael.mcmahan@canyons.edu. If you have general
questions about distance learning programs at College of
the Canyons and use of Blackboard , you can visit the
COC Distance
Learning Web Site
. If you are having technical problems logging into
Blackboard or submitting assignments, contact
bbsupport@canyons.edu |
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| updated: 01/1210 BM |
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