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In
a Nutshell:
This course is not conducted on either Blackboard/Vista or MetroConnect, so you need to bookmark this website and return here each time you access the class, regardless of what you may have done in any previous semester or for any previous class. Likewise, the course also is not patterned after any other course or any other instructor. This course has its own requirements and policies, which you should familiarize yourself with on this website. Don't just expect things to be a particular way because you may have had it that way in another class. This is not that class, it is this class. And while this course website is not optimized for mobile access, you may be able to access some of it from your phone at these addresses: Astronomy 1040 Google Mobilized or Astronomy 1040 Skweezed. User ID and Password You must obtain a unique User ID and password for this class in the first week of class. This is not the same as any other user ID and password you may have. These are for class only. Fortunately, getting them is easy. The User ID consists of a combination of your name and student ID, and you will define the numerical password during the process. The only other thing you need to know is your class number in the format we use.
User ID and Password Studying: You need to. I can't tell you how to study, since the appropriate method varies from student to student, but I can tell you that you can't just float through this semester hoping that it will work out without effort. Apparently, some students in the past have thought that they could skip classes and then all they had to do was simply skim through the book on the night before at test. I assure you that it doesn't work that way... unless you want an F. Study groups are encouraged. Here are some general suggestions: study styles. Grades: For most students, how well you do in this class will be proportional to how much you study and how effectively you study. Frankly, this is not "rocket science." Anyone who puts out a reasonable effort stands the chance for a good grade. Your total semester percentage must be equal to or exceed 90 percent for an A. I should count only 91 percent and greater, but I count it at 90 percent. Entitlement: Presuming you are properly enrolled in the class, you are entitled to participate in the class, and are on an equal footing with all other students as far as grades go. The grades are not "curved," and your grade depends only on your performance, and not on the performance or grades or any other student or the class as a whole. That is all your tuition covers. Just because you have paid tuition and bought the textbook, you are not entitled to any particular grade. If you do not participate, or do not participate sufficiently, you will fail. If you participate and give it a good effort, you have a good chance for an A. You are not a "consumer" and I am not a "provider" in the commercial sense. I am here to present a course to you that you have qualified for based on your past experience and performance. Period. Prerequisites: If you are currently properly in enrolled in this class, then you have the necessary prerequisites for this class. Unstated prerequisites include a reasonable proficiency in basic math and the other typical high school subjects. Assessments: There are 12 required quizzes (counting 45% of your semester grade, with 3 drops), and also are 6 required activities (homework, counting 45% of your semester grade, with 1 drop). Quizzes: Quizzes will have between 20-40 questions, most of which will be multiple choice, although a small percentage likely will be very short answer or fill-in-the-blank questions. Generally speaking each quiz emphasizes the material assigned and/or covered since the most recent quiz, but may also include questions related to earlier material and/or anticipatory questions over material not yet covered. However, any questions over material that has not been assigned and/or covered will be factored out and will not count in the students grade. A percentage of questions on quizzes will be diagnostic in nature and will not be counted in the quiz score. For online students, quizzes are given exclusively online. For lecture class students, quizzes are given exclusively in class. Online students should not attempt to access quizzes until the scheduled time. Attempts at early access can start the timer and cause you to forfeit your chance to take the quiz. Activities: There are 6 scheduled activities (counting 45% of your semester grade, with 1 drop). Some of these will require limited outdoor observation. The remainder may not require any outdoor observation per se. Since outdoor observations are weather dependent, you need to start them as soon as possible. No special equipment is needed, other than common items such as rulers and other ordinary materials. Unlike quizzes, which are graded solely on one specific "correct" answer, activities are more subjective. They are graded not only on how reasonable your results are, but on how well you follow directions and how well you present your findings. (Note that since the activities count 45 percent of your total grade, you simply cannot afford to ignore them.) Final: There will be a comprehensive final, counting 10% of your semester grade. Assessments drops: The 3 lowest quiz scores for each student, including zero scores for missed quizzes, will be automatically factored out of the semester grade and will not count. That is, the quiz portion of each student's semester grade will be figured on the top 9 of the 12 quizzes. Similarly, the 1 lowest activity grade, including zero scores for missed activities, will be factored out and will not count. The activity portion of each student's semester grade will be figured on the top 5 of the 6 activity assignments. The Final will not be dropped. Drops are made automatically for the semester grade and cannot be specified by the student. Diagnostic Tests: For the purposes of a National Science Foundation supported study one or more diagnostic tests may be given which are required, but not factored into the semester grade. Similarly, certain questions in the normal quizzes also will be factored out and will not count in the student's final semester grade. Checking specific assignments: Grades are not automatically posted to the gradebook. It can take several days or longer, especially at the beginning of the semester and especially for activities. However, for online students only, quizzes are automatically graded and you should see your score on the confirmation page that comes up as soon as you submit your test. Later, after the test period closes, you can access your results and the quiz key by logging back onto the quiz just as you did when you took it, except select "Key" rather than "Begin" when you log on. If you failed to take the test, you will not have direct access to the key. However, you may request a copy from me. The results and quiz key are not available until at least the day after the test period closes. Activities are not graded automatically, so they will take longer to post. Activities submitted in lecture class will be returned to students after grading. Grades and comments for activities submitted online will be accessible, after I grade them, by the same procedure mentioned above for online quizzes. That is, choose "Key" instead of "Begin." On the next page that comes up (after you hit "Key"), ignore any grade you see at the top. Instead, scroll down to near the bottom of the page, where you will see your real grade and my comments in bold green type. Make-ups, Take-overs and Extra Credit: Simply put, there are none. I don't do them. If a special circumstance presents itself, I may decide to offer something for it -- such as replacement credit for a missed activity -- but not extra credit and maybe not at all. Please do not ask me to bend the rules. If you do ask, I reserve the right not only to refuse, but to deduct points from your total semester grade. Can I be any more clear than that? Deadlines and Time Limits: Deadlines and time limits are strict. Very strict. For items submitted online, there is NO leeway. If you are even one second late, your submission will be refused and you will receive a zero. The upside is that you will be given more than sufficient time for all assessments. The downside is that you have to be aware and keep track of time. This should not be much of a problem, but if you have had problems in the past, you need to deal with them now. I do not make exceptions (except sometimes with the "extenuating circumstances" mentioned below). Unless announced otherwise:
Unless announced otherwise:
Remedies & Adjustments: Other than the fact that I automatically drop a certain number of quizzes and/or activities (the lowest scores), no further remedies are offered for missed assessments other than under the "extenuating circumstances" provisions discussed below and in the syllabus. I understand that everyone has unexpected events come up and that you may not be able to finish the course. Metro allows you to drop the course without my signature for a certain time period, and then for an extended time period with my signature and approval. Consult the official Metro schedule for dates. This is called an "NC" or "No Credit". After that, it a student who has been participating in a course and who is currently passing the course experiences a major setback unrelated to the class -- a personal emergency -- in the last few weeks of a semester, there may be the possibility for filing for an "incomplete" (I) grade to be completed in a future semester. Please be aware that I am very strict on granting "incomplete" grades and that few are ever granted and even fewer are ever completed. Special Consideration: I consider all students on an equal footing. I do not know what your circumstances are and frankly they are none of my business. With that in mind, I will treat all students the same. If you have have a situation that is considered a disability or otherwise requires special consideration by Metro policy or State or Federal Law, you must provide me with proper written documentation of this circumstance or condition prior to the first assessment in this course. Proper documentation must be submitted before any special consideration can be provided, and no special consideration will be made retroactive. If you do not provide me with such written documentation, I am under no obligation to provide any additional or special consideration to you. You should provide any documentation at the beginning of the course, or by the next class period if recently diagnosed. "Extenuating Circumstances": The one lowest quiz score and the one lowest activity score will be automatically dropped and will not factor into a student's semester grade. Thus if a student has an illness or a personal emergency that causes that student to miss a quiz or activity, those will be covered and will not factor into the student's final semester grade. The first quiz and the first missed activity are covered exclusively by this policy and will not be given any additional consideration, for any reason whatsoever including ADA status. However, if after missing one quiz and/or one activity, the student misses an additional quiz and/or activity, upon the presentation of proper documentation of a bona fide "extenuating circumstance," an alternate assessment may be offered. This depends on the specific circumstances. Additional missed assessments past the second one in each category may not be covered by the "extenuating circumstances" policy, depending on the specific circumstances. The "extenuating circumstances" are defined more completely in the online syllabus. Help: Study groups are often helpful, but the biggest help is simply asking questions when you have them. In my opinion, failure to ask questions is the leading cause of failure in this course (with the possible exception of failing to do the activities). Your textbook has many useful study aids, especially if you have a new text and the password to open the textbook-specific website (not our class website, which is not password protected anyway). I am not a personal tutor, nor a study group coordinator, but I am almost always available to answer questions, so if you don't understand something, make the effort to ask the question. Policies: There is a special file on policies, which I will not delve into further here. Please refer to it directly or ask. Suffice it to say that I have strict policies on deadlines and very strict policies on academic dishonesty of any kind. Questions: Please use the class message forum when it reopens after August 10. |
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