Welcome to the Davenport University Online!  Today you are beginning a course which will prepare you to use (and abuse???) one of the most innovative approaches to education you'll come into contact with any time soon!

Let me tell you what you've gotten yourself into here.  The procedures you will learn, and the processes of class delivery and learning you will be working through are time-tested and pedagogically sound.  Assessment process over many years have indicated that there is no significant difference between taking a class in the online environment and taking it the classroom.  What you WILL notice is that there IS A SIGNIFICANT difference in the convenience of online classes. You can attend class and do your work at your convenience during the day or night.  While you still have a pretty rigid structure in which to operate, you will find this convenience will be very important to you as you continue your learning process.

Something else here:

You will also discover that this method of communication will make your experience at Davenport University Online both unique and challenging.  You see, you are entering a learning forum where you will not only "take" but also "give" to your classmates.  You are entering a learning domain where the sharing of mutual experiences and group activities will be a significant contributor to your final learning outcomes.  You will discover this means of education to be much more thorough and comprehensive than things you may already be familiar with...or the traditional classroom setting.  For one thing, you MUST participate.  That's not something you always do in a physical classroom.  For another, the instructor becomes a guide and facilitator rather than the sole source of power in the group.

Additionally, I like to think you will develop and fine-tune your written communication skills--skills that are absolutely vital to your advancement in today's competitive work environment.  Certainly, this process will instill confidence in your own ability to write and/or compose quickly.

Okay...let's get started.  This week we will learn to effectively navigate the software and gain an understanding of how online classes work.  A large part of your success with DUO will depend on this.  Even though each instructor conducts his/her course differently than another, the same concepts will apply to achieving success online regardless of the course or instructor.

I expect that you will be exposed to almost everything you need to work freely in your first class in the online environment.  I will be online every day.  You should ask questions as you have them.  It's always better to ask them in the discussion board since you're probably not the only person who has that same question on his/her mind.  REMEMBER:  You must practice.  Once you become proficient in this course layout, you will be amazed at how quickly you can get around.

Now what?  Well...we normally want to take it slowly, but we only have a short time to do this, so let's start with the basics of the online learning environment.

I'm always concerned that we're going too slow...or too fast!  Some of you may share my concern.  Wow--what can you do?  Some of you have years of computer experience and others couldn't even spell "computer" until a few weeks ago, huh?  SO...we'll proceed at a deliberate and steady pace.  I expect you to spend about 30 minutes per day during this first week. Explore on your own.  Play on your own.  Send each other messages.  The more you practice, the faster you will become an expert.  While all this may seem like playing, believe me, you will find it a useful experience as your online courses continue.

Let's talk for just a minute about the actual process of attending class. You do that by logging on to the Internet then accessing your class from the DUO's login page from Blackboard.  The is the means by which you will be "communicating" with your classmates and instructor...the primary means of talking and exchanging information with them as well.  While  you are allowed to use the FAX and the phone, I highly encourage you to do  your work in this online environment...so that everything you do is shared by your classmates.  That's a part of the learning process.

How does this work?  The student body and the instructor will not connect to the classroom at the same time.  You will interact with your classmates and instructors through the use of messages (or notes) in the forums located under the Discussion Board link from the main page.  You will not have to be at the same place at the same time as everyone else because all notes will be available to you when you log on.

Discussions and questions in the online environment are not necessarily between your instructor and you personally - they are between you and the entire classs.  Therefore, when a question is asked, all class members are expected to respond.  In most classes this will be a requirement.  Your instructor is a FACILITATOR of the information you are required  to learn in each class.   He/she will get things started, keep the discussion on-track, give you weekly assignments, tests, etc.  However, the real learning process takes place in your discussions with classmates.

Therefore, any person in the class who wants to respond to a question in the discussion board is encouraged and expected to do so.

Attendance is also an important issue to discuss here.  As the course syllabus indicates, there is a special online attendance policy which states that you must be "in class" at least five out of seven days during each week.  Courses are broken into segments, usually called seminars or weeks.  All seminars/weeks begin on Monday and end on Sunday.

Okay, let's talk about the course software layout.  You can send a private note to one person or respond to your entire class, depending on your needs and preferences.  You can get involved in live chat, take an exam or quiz online, access your gradebook, or even link to DUO's student union.  Within the next few days you will feel totally competent to navigate the course with ease and comfort.  You will find it very user friendly with easy-to- understand links for its many functions.  After you prepare and upload a few notes, you will begin to feel expert with the system.  We will cover the course layout in greater detail in another note.

Now that I’ve whetted your appetite as to what an online class is, keep reading as we begin to explore the specifics of the software and learn more about online learning.

Remember, ask questions on ANY TOPIC you do not fully understand from your readings and/or exercises.  By the time the week is over, all questions will be answered.  Just post your notes in the discussion board.

As you read messages you will probably be puzzled by the abbreviations or acronyms you'll see.  The following lists some of the more frequently used acronyms.

FB                 Files Busy
Sysop          System Operator; people who manage the forum
BRB             Be right back
BTW             By the way
CP                Copy protection
FUBAR        "Fouled" up beyond all recognition
FWIW            For what it's worth
FYI                 For your information
gr&d              Grinning, running, and ducking
IAE                 In any event
IMO                In my opinion
IMHO             In my humble opinion
IOW               In other words
OIC                Oh, I see
OTOH            On the other hand
PITA               Pain in the ...
ROTFL           Rolling on the floor, laughing
RSN               Real soon now
RTFM            Read the [fine] manual (or message)
SNAFU         Situation normal, all "fixed" up
TIA                 Thanks in advance
WYSIWYG    What you see is what you get
 

Occasionally you'll see little cryptic codes in messages.  There are called 'emoticons', and are used to express the emotions of normal voice
communication -- for example, to indicate that the "snide" comment you just read was really a joke.  The following list has been compiled from ten years of reading messages on bulletin boards and CompuServe forums.

     emoticon (noun).  A figure created with the symbols on the keyboard. Read with the head tilted to the left (the : represents the the eyes and
the - the nose.  Used to convey the spirit in which a line of text is typed.

Emoticon     Meaning
--------            -------
:-i                 Semi-Smiley
:-t                 User is cross
:-                  User is male
:-?                User is smoking a pipe
:-=)              Older user with mustache ['calendarly advantaged' - please]
:-\                 Undecided user
:-p                User is sticking their tongue out (at you!)
:-D               User talks too much
:-#                User's lips are sealed.
:-s                User after a BIZARRE comment
:-o                User is surprised
:-{                 User has a large mustache
:-|                 No expression face, 'that comment doesn't phase me'
:-&               User is tongue-tied
:-(                Sad
:->               Hey hey
:-7               User after a wry statement
:-@             User face screaming
:-)                Humor (or smiley)
:-c               Bummed out Smiley
:-x               "my lips are sealed" Smiley
:-e               Disappointed Smiley
:-<               Real sad Smiley
:-I                Hmm
:-O              Uh oh
::-)               User wears glasses
:<|               User attends an Ivy League school
:>               Midget Smiley
;-)              Winking Smiley
(-:              User is left-handed
(:-)             Smiley big-face
(:-(             unSmiley frowning
,-}              Wry and winking
<:I              Dunce
>-              Female
>:-<           Mad
#-)             User partied all night
|-O             Birth
|-)              Hee hee
|-D             Ho ho
|-)              User is asleep (boredom)
|-P             Yuk
8-|             Suspense
P-)            User is getting fresh
[:-)             User is listening to Walkman radio
[:|]             User is a robot

Also
<g>             Grin
<<g>>        Big grin

Have fun with these and use them regularly.  You will be understood much easier by your fellow classmates and instructors.

Okay, now, let's make sure we're all talking about the same thing.  There are a number of common terms you should both understand and be familiar with (as relates to Blackboard).  We'll talk about things like:

ONLINE:  This term refers to connecting your computer to the Internet then accessing the Learning Network login page.  The smartest thing for you to do is after you get to the login page, mark it as a favorite or bookmark it in your browser (depending on the browser you use) so that all you'll have to do is click on the link to get here again.

COURSE MAIN PAGE:  The course main page is the page where you will find links to the syllabus, learning plan, assignments, etc  You'll also see any current announcements on this page.

FORUMS:  Forums are where groups of folks come together.  Same concept as a meeting.  For our purposes, we will come together in the forums.  You'll access these by clicking on the Discussion Board link from the left-hand side of the main window.

GRADEBOOK:  The gradebook is your personal gradebook for this course.  As assignments are submitted and graded, I will update your gradebook adding your scores for your assignments.  You can refer to it throughout the course to see how you're doing.  The gradebook will list individual assignment entries with the scores and all the way over to the right of the gradebook a total score will appear.

ASSIGNMENTS:  Fortunately for everyone here, you'll always know where to find your assignments because Blackboard gives you a separate link for assignments on the left hand side of the screen.  When a new week begins, simply click on the Assignments link and then the week link and the page will load containing your assignments for the week.

TESTS:  Another great Blackboard feature is the ability to take online exams, tests, quizzes, etc.  These tests can be accessed from the Tests link on the left hand side of the main window.  Your instructor may be generous in some of your online classes and allow you additional opportunites to take exams.  Remember though, that your first score from the first exam you take will be the score recorded by the server in your gradebook.  It will be up to your instructor to change your score in the gradebook if you take an exam a second, third time, etc. and will receive credit for that score instead.

CHAT ROOM:  Blackboard offers chat rooms for each online class so that students can participate in real-time chat with fellow classmates or the instructor.  Some instructors use the chat room for office hours so that you can get instant feedback from your instructor.  The only drawback to this feature, like any other chat room, is that at least two people have to be logged into the course at the same time.  This can be difficult to coordinate when everyone has different schedules and take online courses because of their busy lives.

HELP:  When all else fails, there's always the help menu to help you when you can't figure something out about the software (since this software is easy to use, I doubt you'll need it! :-))

The following article is kind of long but speaks well of how other students feel about the online learning environment.  Remember that this article was written in 1997.  Online education has grown and changed tremendously since that time.

Online Class at O.C. College Offers Lesson About Future
Education: Saddleback's oceanography via Internet is regarded as a preview of tomorrow's 'virtual university.'

Los Angeles Times (LT) - MONDAY March 17, 1997
By: RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD; TIMES STAFF WRITER
Edition: Orange County Edition   Page: 1  Pt. A
Word C ount: 1,551

TEXT:
    His classroom is his living room.

    He can drink beer during lectures.

    And best of all, when he's tired of the day's lesson--which he endures whenever he wants--he simply clicks his computer mouse and goes surfing. Web surfing, that is.

    For Dave Sanders and the 16 other students taking Saddleback College's "Introduction to Oceanography" on the World Wide Web, homework assignments, lectures, quizzes and other course materials exist in a cyber-classroom accessible at their fingertips, 24 hours per day, with a few taps on the computer keyboard.

    The computer may crash; the Internet server may go down. They still must contend with ocean chemistry and deep-water biology and the other mysteries of oceanography bedeviling the nearly 200 other students taking the course the old-fashioned way on campus.

    But, as Sanders put it, "I can drink beer at 2 a.m. in my underwear and slap in any CD I want while I take this class. You can't beat that."

    With the tide heavy toward developing "virtual classrooms" and "virtual universities"--by the end of the year a consortium of Western governors plans to launch a university entirely in cyberspace and California officials are contemplating the same--Saddleback's class offers lessons for the future.

    "It's trite to say we are on the cutting edge," says Joe Valencic, who along with fellow professor Anthony Huntley created and teaches the class, one of the few regular, for-credit online courses in the state. "But we really are."

    Experts agree, though some aren't ready to declare chalk obsolete.

    "Online education is one of the most important tools higher education will have in the next decade to help solve its problems," said David McArthur, an analyst at RAND Corp, referring to a predicted enrollment surge at California institutions in the next few years. "Schools will need to be able to educate many more people than they now can, and less expensively."

    "Right now, most online courses aren't that good," he added. "But they are improving quickly, and they'll be needed badly."

    Already, more than 1,000 courses nationwide--nobody is really sure how many--are offered online, ranging from correspondence courses that simply have moved from the mailbox to the Net to a smattering of full-fledged master's degree programs presented by accredited institutions.

    And more are on the way, says Carol Twigg of Educom, a Washington, D.C.-based consortium of 600 leading universities and high-tech companies seeking ways to integrate computers into instruction. "It's hard to imagine a college or university not thinking about putting a course online or doing so already," Twigg said.

The Western Assn. of Colleges and Schools, the region's main accrediting commission, has left it up to individual campuses to decide if computerized versions of their regular courses will be offered for credit, a spokesman said.

    The commission has not accredited any online undergraduate degree programs, although some individual courses are accredited, and only four graduate degree programs. All four are master's programs related to computing and business, including one at Cal State Dominguez Hills in quality assurance, that have met demand from corporations and professionals to squeeze in learning while they work.

    In higher education's rush to the Web, debate has emerged as to whether this form of learning matches the quality of the lecture hall. Last year,
the nation's largest faculty association issued a stern cautionary note about replacing face-to-face instruction with computers.

    But Huntley and Valencic maintain that the online class is as good as the one on campus, and hope their course shows the way for others.

    Their class is taught almost entirely over the Web--save for a one-hour weekly lab session that involves hands-on practice with microscopes, test tubes and other tools.

    Students tap into the class Web site--accessible only by password for security reasons--where they find homework assignments, lectures and other course materials.

    They answer student queries by e-mail--and an occasional "cyber forum" where everybody signs on for an exchange of comments and questions--and offer quizzes with an automatic grading system that spits out results instantaneously.

    To ensure that Web students have indeed completed and understand the work, they take the same final, on campus, as those in the on-campus classroom section.

    Seven students completed the class last year, and the grade spread was typical of the lecture class, Huntley said.

    This semester, the students' work so far has matched the quality of their lecture room peers, Valencic said.

    Cal State Northridge professor Jerald Schutte recently found that students randomly assigned to take his extension course on social statistics by computer performed 20% better on exams and other course work than their peers in the classroom. He attributed the results in part to the cyber-students' forming online peer groups that enhanced their studying.

    Those who teach online also say the use of e-mail sharpens students' writing skills and allows for more thoughtful responses to problems.

    Kathleen Lant, who teaches a regular, for-credit American literature course over the Web at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, recalled one student from Vietnam who wrote a lengthy, eloquent missive comparing his country's mind-set after the Vietnam War to that of America at the close of the Civil War.

    "In a classroom discussion where things go so fast I had never heard that before. I was so moved.

    "Some things happen better online."

    Students in Saddleback's class by and large say it educates them as well as the classroom version, while honing their computing and research skills. "I am in wonder and awe that I am able to participate in such a class," said Sanders, who juggles his studies with part-time work at a bookstore. "I've been working on computers since I was 11 and was wondering when, if ever, I would be able to use the computer for something more practical than just typing papers or balancing my checkbook."

    Carol Roth, 41, a Laguna Niguel office worker, took the course in part to hone her computer skills, and the course hasn't disappointed in that regard. The recent online midterm examination included 10 bonus questions meant solely to challenge students' Net research proficiency.

    But she does miss "face-to-face contact with the professors."

    "I attended an orientation with both instructors and realized that if I had the luxury of time, I would prefer to attend the lecture class. Both instructors seemed knowledgeable and interesting."

    For all their enthusiasm and advocacy for the class, the professors know well its shortcomings.

    Like others who offer online classes, they spend more than twice as much time writing out lectures and other course work for the Net class as the regular one. Hardly a day seems to go by without some technical glitch or a student having trouble sending or receiving work.

    Roth said she has figured out ways around the snags. "I've been able to get the information by the weekend, which is when I do the homework and read the lectures. I've started checking early in the week and printing everything so I have it in case the (school's computer) server is down on the weekend."

    Perhaps the biggest drawback, the instructors say in remarks echoed by experts: The lack of face-to-face contact and dialogue with the students, sometimes the most effective way of discerning whether their pupils really understand the lesson at hand.

    "Good teachers are frustrated thespians," says Huntley. "I tell students, 'It's my three-hour monologue,' and I get to do and say what I want. With the Internet class I don't get that same feeling."

    Richard McCullough, dean of Saddleback's mathematics, science and engineering department, said he has approved the cyber-course for next semester because its requirements equal those of the lecture class, even if the work and materials differ.  He said universities across the country, and some abroad, have inquired about the course, a reaction that "turned out to be bigger than I envisioned."

    But he, too, has reservations about such online learning, which he sees as an alternative to classroom instruction, not a replacement.

    "The depersonalizing of education is one of the major obstacles," he said. "You certainly are going to miss the interaction of students even though there are (electronic) 'chat rooms' and e-mail."

    That sentiment has been echoed by the American Federation of Teachers, the nation's largest faculty union, whose Task Force on Technology in Higher Education last year concluded that "a college education must include regular and frequent opportunities, formal and informal, for students to talk with faculty and one another about the content of their classes, their educational and career goals, and their research."

    Such concerns may be addressed down the road, as technology improvements expand the use and practicality of real-time video and audio over the Internet, which requires powerful PCs and clearer telecommunication lines.

    A report last month by the California Postsecondary Education Commission recognized computerized distance learning as a possible way to help meet the enrollment increases forthcoming at the state's public universities, without building expensive new campuses.

    It noted that the Cal State and University of California systems, both of which offer extension courses over the Internet, are studying ways to expand the technology so that regular classes might be offered, too.

    Sanders, for one, says he's ready to sign on.

    "It' always more entertaining to hear them talk about this stuff but that's the trade-off for the convenience."
 

                     Copyright (c) 1997, Times Mirror Company

The absence of face-to-face communications is a drawback of online learning, but consider this.  Online learning forces everyone to participate;
this environment allows everyone to learn from each other.  Because participation is mandatory, those who are normally shy in an onground
class will be free of their inhibitions and can actively participate.  This is a big advantage.  We all know people who are shy within class but have
terrific ideas and thoughts outside of class.  Online learning allows them to become involved and everyone learns together.

This is a compilation of different points that were found while wandering around computer networks.

Points for Effective Computer Mediated Communication.

These points apply for personal Email, mail to a group of people, mail sent
to a distribution list, or items posted in a class.

(1)  Read carefully what you receive to make sure that you understand the
       message.

(2)  Read carefully what you send, to make sure that your message will not
       be misunderstood.

(3)  If you are using humor or sarcasm, make sure to clearly label it as
      such.  Humor on this list should be indicated by an emoticon.  For
      example: 8) ;-) :-)

(4)  Remember that the absence of cues associated with face-to-face
       communication provides for an environment where it's easy to
       misunderstand what is being said.

(5)  Know your audience. Make sure that the person or list of people you
      are sending your message to are the appropriate one(s) with whom to
      communicate.

(6)  Be tolerant of newcomers.  None of us were born knowing all.

(7)  Do not abuse new users of computer networks for their lack of
      knowledge. Be patient as they first learn to crawl, then walk.

(8)  Avoid cluttering your messages with excessive emphasis (such as stars,
      arrows and the like). It may make the message hard to follow.

(9)  If you are responding to a message, either include the relevant part
      of the original message in your message, or make sure you
      unambiguously refer to the original's contents. It's very possible
      that people will read your reply to the message before they read the
      original. (A convention is to precede each line of the original
      message you include with the ">" character.)  Do not quote more than
      necessary to make your point clear.  Please do not quote the entire
      message.  Please learn or teach yourself what happens on your
      particular system when you "Reply".  Does it send a msg to the
      originator of the message or when does it get sent?

(10) Always include a descriptive subject line in your message.  Make sure
        your Subject: line is an effective one.  Use your Subject: line to get
        attention and make sure it describes the main point of your message.
       The word "Help" is a terrible Subject: line, if your message is read,
       others will see that you need help when reading the message.  If you
       are responding to another message, your subject line should be the
       same, with "RE:" at the beginning.

(11) Keep messages to only one subject. Second subjects within a single
        message are often missed.

(12) Be specific, especially when asking questions.

(13) Always, always put your name in the text of your message, and also
        your best Email address for a reply. The end of the message is a good
        place for your name and Email address.

(14) If your messages can be typed in UPPER and lower case, please use the
       two appropriately instead of all UPPERCASE characters.  This gives the
       appearance of shouting, as well as being less readable.

(15) Remember that not all readers have English as their native language,
        so make allowance for possible misunderstandings and unintended
        discourtesies.

(16) When you ask a question, please end it with a "?", and press the
        return key.  That should be the end of that line.  If you do, your
       question will be so much easier to answer and see.  Yes, only one
       question per line.  There is no limit to lines with questions.  We are
       all here to help each other!

Let's talk a little about online manners.  I'm not going to get into this much in detail...your instructors will help you more in your coming class or
classes.  However, there are a few things I should share, just to be on fair ground.

First of all...we should always be respectful of the other person.  They have as much right to their opinion as you have to yours.  In this
environment...everyone gets to talk.  You should do your classmates the courtesy of listening.  The one advantage to online is that everyone is equal when it comes time to transmit messages.  The LOUDEST ones don't win...because everyone can do it!  By being "respectful", I ask you to treat your classmates and everyone else (you're already invited to public forums where many students talk) with the same respect and courtesy as you want them to show you. The "golden rule" always seems to work in these situations.

Don't "flame" others.  Meaning?  Don't get mad at someone's response or comment and fire off some demeaning or "out-of-line" comment to them. Don't ever tell someone they're stupid...or dumb...or anything worse!  You wouldn't want people doing that to you, would you?

Remember that there are NO VISUAL CUES in this medium.  Humor is difficult and sarcasm is almost impossible.  BE VERY CAREFUL with both.  Consider that a "questionable comment or joke" may be acceptable to you, but totally offensive to another member of the group.  Also remember to be NON-SEXIST in your language (that's good practice for you at work), and never ever put anyone down because of race, religion, color, sex, or national origin...you might want to add sexual preference and age to that list since most folks take offense to comments in those areas as well.

A WORD ABOUT CAPITAL LETTERS!  Generally speaking, multiple font writing is easier to read.  There are about a million "armchair experts" out there that will tell you that ALL CAPS IS YELLING!  Well, I don't think much of them or that concept...but, even if you discount that, we know from scientific experience that a line of all capital letters is much more difficult to read than one with caps and non-caps mixed together.  So, as a general rule, you should probably avoid ALL CAPS as a normal mode of writing.  YOU WILL DISCOVER, however that there are times when ALL CAPS are good.  For one thing...they help you to emphasize thoughts or words or sections of your document.  They also help your instructor to help you in terms of time.

Another thing to remember about online.  IF YOU DON'T send a comment, no one will know you were here!  It's just that simple.  You won't get credit for attendance, and you won't get credit for participation.  It's not like an on-ground classroom where the teacher takes the roll.  We know you are here when we see you in the classroom (sending messages).  You MUST remember this...it will help you avoid some difficulties in the future when the teacher requires you to participate a certain number of times during the week.

One last thing while we're talking here.  THIS IS A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT in which you are an active participant.  In this environment, the faculty member becomes (much more than in a classroom) a facilitator.  The other students learn as much from you as you do from them.  This is important. You will notice that we're always asking you to give us examples or to talk about your workplace.  We do that because all the other members of the class need that exposure...and it helps them to see how their organization is different from yours.  It takes a little while to get used to it, but it is really a neat experience once it all comes together.

I thought I'd give you a few tips on how to read.  Or at least how to read your textbook.  I know, I know, you are all college students and you know how to read.  Believe it or not, I didn't learn this method of reading until I started my MBA program.  I could have saved myself a lot of grief if I had known this earlier.

You should do what is known as Pro-active Reading.  The following is an excerpt from the book "Peak Learning" by Ronald Gross.

"From our experiences in school, most of us have retained a passive posture toward books.  We feel faintly guilty if we don't start on page one and read through to the end.  If we decide to quit before finishing, we feel we haven't really read the book.  Most important of all, we let the author's priorities and choices of what to emphasize take command of our attention - we hand over control of the learning experience to the author.

The computer is teaching us a better way to read books, quite different from the way most of us were taught in school.  That way is "active", "self-directed", and "creative".  When we sit down at a computer, *we* are in charge.  We access the information and procedures we want, choosing from a variety of menus or commands to accomplish our task.  We go directly to what we want.  We can look over a whole program or database before getting involved, to get a feel for its contents and procedures.  We skip around from one part to another.  We call up various areas of interest to see what they're like.

When we adapt this style to using books, they take on a different character.  Instead of being conduits of data going one way - from author to reader - they become interactive resources for self-directed learning.

Of course, I don't mean to apply this to War and Peace.  Reading a novel for pleasure *is* an entertaining experience presented by the author for our enjoyment - even if we often learn quite a bit from it anyway!  But for the majority of books most of us use to gain information and understanding, this method of proactive reading is more appropriate than reading straight through from page one to the end.  Instead of tamely following the author's interests in presenting his or her information, we can browse for the exact tidbits of information *we* need to learn for *our* goals".

So what is Ronald Gross saying?  Read for the concepts.  Don't try to read every word.  Skim.  Read in the margins.  Read the captions, the italics, the bold, the definitions.  Then, if there is something you want to go back and digest a bit more, you can do that later.
 

                HAPPY READING..........

=======================================

EXPERIMENT SHOWS STUDENTS DO BETTER ONLINE
A sociology professor at California State University at Northridge
conducted his own experiment to test online learning, randomly dividing his
statistics class in half, and teaching one half by lecture and the other
half by Web assignments, online discussion groups and e-mail.  The students
who'd been banned from the physical classroom scored an average of 20%
higher than those who'd attended in-person.  "The motivation for doing this
was to provide some hard, experimental evidence that didn't seem to exist
anywhere," says the prof, who plans to expand his research to determine
whether the online students performed better because they spent more time
collaborating with their classmates, or because of the online format of the
class.  (Chronicle of Higher Education 21 Feb 97)

=======================================
 

DRUCKER SAYS "UNIVERSITIES WON'T SURVIVE"
Renowned management consultant and author Peter Drucker says:  "Thirty
years from now the big university campuses will be relics.  Universities
won't survive.  It's as large a change as when we first got the printed
book.  Do you realize that the cost of higher education has risen as fast
as the cost of health care? ...  Such totally uncontrollable expenditures,
without any visible improvement in either the content or the quality of
education, means that the system is rapidly becoming untenable.  Higher
education is in deep crisis...  Already we are beginning to deliver more
lectures and classes off campus via satellite or two-way video at a
fraction of the cost.  The college won't survive as a residential
institution. "  (Forbes 10 Mar 97)

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SCHOOLS OFFER WEBMASTER DEGREES
Universities are heeding the call from companies for more qualified techies
capable of designing and managing a corporate Web site, and are now
beginning to formalize such training with degree programs geared toward
producing "Webmasters."  Rather than stressing computer science skills, the
programs tend to lean toward either library science (with a special
emphasis on technology) or graphic media design.  Included in the degree
programs are courses in such disciplines as organizational psychology,
library science, graphic design, and business.  For example, Indiana
University offers a master's degree in information science, building on the
library science program for which it has long been known, and John Brown
University is about to offer a bachelor-of-science degree in digital media.
Other programs can be found outside the U.S. in Australia and Canada.
(Chronicle of Higher Education 14 Mar 97)

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DOES NET IMPROVE LEARNING IN PRIMARY GRADES?  STUDY SAYS NO.
A survey of 6,000 U.S. teachers, computer coordinators and school
librarians found that 86.6% believe that Internet usage by students in
grades 3-12 does not help students improve their classroom performance
(although 76% value the Net as a research tool).  The study was conducted
by the Market Data Retrieval organization.  (USA Today 11 Mar 97)

Now...let's talk just a bit about expectations, about the concept of Online education (something new to all of you), and about what you can expect in an Online course.  I speak now as an experienced Online student.  I did this for several classes while working toward my MBA...and I've seen lots of students in that time and have had many different experiences.  Please don't  hesitate to ask any questions which may come up as you read this note.

    1.  In each of your remaining classes, most (or all) of your work will be completed online.  This means that this method of interaction becomes even more critical.  In many cases you won't even see your faculty member. All your interaction will be done on the computer and in writing.  Of course, the telephone is still an option, but for the most part, you will be dealing with your classmates and your instructor in this medium.

    2.  Each Online course is compact--and your first one might tend to drive you NUTS!  If you're prepared...it will go better!  Lemme splain! You are expected to login to the system at LEAST four out of the seven days during the week...and I highly encourage you to be in your forums daily...during the 8 weeks of the course.   Class weeks begin on Mondays and end on Sundays.  You must keep up with your classmates...and you must meet your deadlines and dates for assignments.  Usually, in the online environment, these deadlines are a part of the grading process.  Since ALL of your discussions are conducted on the computer--you must also participate in those discussions to get anything out of the class.  Most Online instructors also grade participation and  effort--since both are so very important in this setting.  Remember, the Online class presses on no matter what else is going on.  The Online instructor has no way to know what sort of requirements are due in the on-ground course and so s/he doesn't attempt to modify the schedule to compensate for the on-ground course.   And finally, you will have more reading to do than you can imagine right now.   For example, my Human Resource Management class had over 1500 notes in six weeks in the main classroom alone.  There were two other forums that had at least another 300 notes.

    3.  Do NOT print all your messages. There is no need for you to print every message.  However, course syllabi, lectures, and other important class information you may want to print.

    4.  Learn to scan read things that aren't important.  Everything you read in your meetings isn't of the same level of importance.  You should cultivate the ability to scan material that is less important, and slow down to fully comprehend things that are of great importance.  Start this process by becoming fully aware of all the reading materials you're going to be required to go through in the course.  Then set yourself some priorities.  Chapter 5 is VERY important.  You're not very interested in chapter 12--so, unless the faculty member stresses something in chapter 12--scan it.  If necessary, you can return to chapter 12 for a more in-depth reading later in the course if it becomes necessary--or if a discussion comes up which relates to that material.  This is a learning process--and learning this technique can save your sanity.  BUT, it takes a while to become good at this.  Meanwhile, make a conscious effort to remember that you DON'T NEED TO HIGHLIGHT everything for the test!

    5.  Much of the learning you do in the Online environment comes from your fellow students.  This is perhaps one of the toughest lessons many students have to learn.   Remember, the faculty member is a facilitator in this setting...a sort of "traffic cop!" S/he guides, sets the pace and tone,
re-directs when necessary, and provides input and feedback to the student.  Many of your online instructors will intentionally try to stay out of discussions  (when they're going good).  Let me try to explain why. First (and I think most important) is that it's really tough to BREAK the habits of a lifetime with students.  When the TEACHER speaks, everyone listens and responds--usually!  So, every time the instructor sends a message, everyone sort of feels this obligation to stop whatever they're doing and respond to the teacher.  This can be detrimental to a good learning environment in the Online setting.  Second, I think many times we tend to forget that, even though the teacher has more academic credentials, the teacher often doesn't have the same sort of expertise (or the broad background) of some of the students in a particular field.  In the old "pedagogical" (Whee!  Don't you love big words!) approach to learning, the TEACHER was the center of learning--a sort of "power" base approach, if you will allow me to stretch that concept.  In the Online environment, the true learning comes when students begin to TEACH EACH OTHER!  It's really a great experience when this happens.  You'll see it time and time again. So, when you believe the teacher should be
teaching more--stop to think about what learning is going on.  Perhaps the teacher is teaching more by keeping quiet than by talking.  This is a hard thing to judge.  It's even harder to learn.

    6.  What's a typical week like in the Online class?  Well, most faculty members start their week with a note about expectations for the week, and a lecture which introduces the concepts to be discussed during the week.  The teacher sometimes sends  follow-up lectures, chapter outlines, etc. or sometimes stirs additional discussion by asking additional questions.  Remember, we have 8 DISTINCT weeks--each will usually have a very different subject matter content.  Most instructors will also either assign two or three general discussion questions at the end of a lecture, or will assign specific discussion questions to each student.  The intent here is to get the conversations flowing in the classroom.  Each week will also usually have some sort of written assignment--either a report, a case study, or some sort of exercise to reinforce the concepts of the week.  The week usually ends with a requirement for the student to summarize what learning has occurred during the week.  Because of the learning styles of many students...most DUO learning models also requires some sort of TEAM ACTIVITY in each course.  This might be a group project or simply take the form of a team report.

Okay, I've talked enough.  I hope you find Blackboard to be a user-friendly adjunct to your learning process.  Remember, ask any questions you have in the discussion board (there are others who probably have the same question).
 

The online learning environment is more than a glorified e-mail system.  You will be sending and receiving mail on a daily basis, yes, but something else is going to happen along the way.  Keep reading:

1.  First, students tend to listen to information presented during a course and subsequently recite that information back on examinations, e.g., "name the four factors which effect...".  Such behavior is inappropriate in an online format.

2.  In this format we feel students should "do" the analyzing--not depend on the faculty member to present analyzed data for consumption.  When students analyze, combine their own professional experiences with exhaustive reading, interviewing, team discussions, etc., they become better suited to the task of "synthesizing" course materials into "new and more useful information."  When such information is presented to the class  members--each of whom has also been busily analyzing, etc., -- the best situation for learning occurs.

3.  Each student should come away from their "learning experience" with different facts and opinions.  We're not talking about the theory here, but the implementation of a leadership style based on learned theory and concepts from previous courses and exposure to the material.

4.  The question of whether a student can memorize is not a consideration within the Online College--nor should it ever be in this style of education. Tests which dictate memorization (or tend towards influencing members of the class to do so) will be avoided in favor of questions requiring the exercise of judgment, critical thinking, and opinion (based on learned or synthesized information).  This style of testing has been designed to improve your critical thinking abilities and skills.  That means your tests will be open ended questions, discussion-type and problem solving questions, open book tests requiring a demonstration of synthesis or understanding of concepts, or cases...all of which may be an individual or group effort...all of which are designed to accomplish the learning goal without memorization.

WRITING IN YOUR PROGRAM: At the Learning Network, we believe graduates should be able to effectively communicate.  IN EVERY CLASS, you will demonstrate this through your daily communications, but in some classes, you may also be required to produce a significant piece of writing!  This could take the form of a term paper, a project, a report, or some other form of writing--all of which are designed to improve your final skill outcome of being an effective communicator in writing.  In an effort to help you accomplish all your work, each instructor has carefully
tailored the written requirement of the course to be "practitioner" oriented.

FEEDBACK AND GRADING POLICIES: Well, this is an interesting area...the actual grades and point spread for the courses are set out clearly in the course syllabus...so I won't waste your time with that here.  However, I do want to share the policy of the Learning Network with regard to feedback and grading.  I ALSO WANT YOU TO CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THAT EVERY FACULTY MEMBER WHO TEACHES
FOR THE LEARNING NETWORK HAS AGREED TO THESE STANDARDS.  If you believe you are not receiving appropriate feedback or grades in a timely manner--you MUST:

1.  First, talk to your instructor.  That should settle it.
2.  If talking to your instructor doesn't work, contact the Learning Network.  We are totally committed to these standards and we want to know if we're failing you in this area.

     REMEMBER:  The first question they're going to ask you when you call is: "Did you talk to your instructor?"
 

GENERAL FEEDBACK RULES AT DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY ONLINE (Online Courses):

All Online Faculty will be present in your classroom every day of the course.  With few exceptions, you should see messages from your faculty in the public meeting of your course daily.  Of course, there may be times when circumstances might require a faculty member to miss one day here or there, but usually, they will be available for you every day.

You will be given an opportunity to evaluate your instructor and the course--every term--every class.  Your participation in the evaluation process helps us to screen out instructors who are not complying with the DUO approach...to help identify weak areas in our delivery process...and provides each instructor with immediate feedback on your opinion of how they facilitated your course.  Don't disregard these evaluations when they come...they're important.  These evaluations are done toward the end of each class.  We keep the entire process confidential and instructors do not receive summaries of your evaluations until your grades are processed.