General Geology
100 Syllabus Summer 2010
Prerequisites Advisory: This
being an online course, it is advisable that you are computer literate, with a
good working knowledge of the World Wide Web, e-mail, and word-processing. A high speed Internet connection is most
advantageous.
Course Description: Pursuit
of understanding the physical characteristics of the earth as a whole and its
past, present and future evolutionary processes. Unifying concepts such as
plate tectonics, uniformatarianism, and geologic time will be studies. Additionally, the causes of natural geologic
hazards and their effects on people, society, and the environment will be also
be explored.
student learning outcomes: Upon completion
of this course, students should be able to:
1. Diagram the Earth’s interior layers, and compare and contrast the major features of those layers.
2. Explain the theory of plate tectonics and relate it to the major features of the Earth’s surface.
3. Compare and contrast igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks and relate them to one another using the rock cycle.
4. Relate major rock deformation features to the geologic processes that cause them.
5. Compare and contrast the geologic processes that modify the earth's surface (i.e. weathering, mass wasting, stream, glacier, desert and shoreline systems).
Class
Enrollment Notes: It is the
student’s responsibility to add, drop, or withdraw from classes before the
deadlines stated in the class schedule.
Petitions to add, drop, or withdraw after the deadline will not be
approved without written proof of circumstances beyond the student’s control,
which made her/him unable to meet the deadline. Lack of money to pay fees is
not considered an extenuating circumstance.
Students anticipating difficultly in paying fees before the deadline
should check with the Financial Aid Office about sources of funds or other
alternatives for which they may be eligible.
If you decide to withdraw from this course, you are reminded to do so
before the posted withdraw date). If you
fail to withdraw by that date and you stop participating, a final grade must be
assigned to you.
Instructor’s
Online Course Policies
A. Independent direction, discipline and motivation of the student are critical to both learning course content and academic success in this online course. It will be up to you, the student, for staying up with assignments, quizzes, and exams. Make sure and consult the instructor and/or fellow classmates about anything in this course that you find difficult and/or confusing. There are no make-up exams or accepted late work, unless the student provides proof of some compelling reason for the make-up. It is the student’s responsibility to contact me personally to forewarn me of any problem in completing the regular-scheduled exams or other coursework by their due dates. Business, pleasure, or being generally ill, is not a compelling reason. Being deadly sick, or having a death in the family is good reason.
B. Teaching, Learning and Evaluation Methods and Policy: This course is taught as an on-line course. That is, the communication between the instructor and the students, as well as among students, takes place via electronic means on the Internet. Note: while the communication will occur by electronic means, the most important sources of information for the student, besides the course website, are the textbook and its associated tutorial CD, streaming instructional videos, and the instructor’s complimentary website.
C. Assignments, either for discussion on the bulletin board, or for completion and return to the instructor, will be posted on the World Wide Web. Student contributions will be evaluated on both the quality (intelligent use of scientific terminology learned from using the textbook and other sources) and quantity (frequency and length) of comments. Reports from students, which are submitted directly to the instructor, will be evaluated based on quality (use of appropriate scientific vocabulary, for instance) and on rigor of the analysis. Testing will occur via the Internet, and tests will use a variety of formats (true-false, multiple choice, matching, short answer, and essay).
D. Timelines, Deadlines, etc.: Assignments and quizzes will be
available each week and will appear with a due date. Availability of each activity prior to its
due date is as follows: 10 days for assignments, and 3 days for quizzes and
exams. Student assignments will not be accepted or submitted following the due
date. Note that because it sometimes
happens that computer networks are down or unavailable, it is preferable to get
assignments done a day or two earlier, so as to avoid trying to post an
assignment on the very last minute of the due date, only to find that ones
Internet Service Provider is down, for example.
Statement
of Retention: Students,
please discuss your plans to withdraw from class with your instructor. You might have options that may allow you to
continue in class.
Online Netiquette and Student Code
of Conduct:
·
Students are expected to respect and obey
standards of student conduct while interacting online in this course. As your
instructor, I have the following expectations of your communicative behavior
while online:
·
Promote a positive learning environment by exhibiting
mutual respect and consideration of the feelings, ideas, and contributions of
others, as reflected in your written dialog.
·
Demonstrate a genuine desire to learn, interact,
and improve.
· This class will be conducted in accordance with the college code of student conduct and basic standards of academic honesty. Cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Violations of standards of academic honesty will be reported to the school dean for appropriate action. A detailed explanation of my plagiarism policy is found on the menu page for this course on the instructor’s website. It is well worth your time to read my detailed policy if you have any concerns regarding plagiarism or cheating.
Grading/Evaluation
Assessment Activities - Logistics and Vital information: Assessment of student learning outcomes for this class includes four research writing assignments, ten quizzes, two exams, and four fieldtrips in this class. Each assessment activity has a specific submittal due date. Make sure to keep a very close, repeat, VERY CLOSE track of the class schedule of activities, so that you stay on track with your coursework, and get all your fully completed work turned in on time. I suggest printing out the class schedule and taping it somewhere around your work area that you can view it regularly. Note: It is your responsibility to know when these assessment activities are due. I do not accept late work. It is in your best interest to attempt to turn in completed work ahead of time in order to avoid worry, anxiety, frustration, and the possibility (a very one real one) that either your computer, the server, acts of God, or other unforeseen forces, may prevent you from getting your work turned in during the last few moments before the deadline -- save yourself that grief by staying a day ahead of all the deadlines. The coursework due dates are regularly scheduled each week to make them easier to remember:
1) Quizzes are due on Wednesdays and Sundays;
2) Midterm Exam and Final Exams are due on a Sunday
3) Research writing assignments are due on either a Sunday or Wednesday
The two research writing assignments will definitely take the lion’s share of your study time in this class, as an online science class should. Therefore, it is important that you understand how I would like those assignments completed and submitted. I give VERY DETAILED instructions on what and how to complete both assignments.
The
Two Geology Research Assignments are:
1) Plate Tectonics, Minerals, Rocks, Volcanism and Geologic Time
– Due Sunday, July 11 @ 11:55 pm
2) Crustal-Shaping Processes and Resultant Landform Systems
– Due Wednesday, July 28 @ 11:55 pm
The general format of how you should organize and submit your writing assignments for the benefit of both, you writing it and me grading it, is as follows: Your response to each of the six topics of the assignment should be broken into the number of topics listed in the assignment. Additionally for each topic, break up your written response to each topic into the number of each separate subtopic questions listed in the topic. Therefore, your written response should look like an OUTLINE or laundry list in format – NOT a huge essay. I prefer that you submit your assignment (as an attached file) as a Word.doc using Microsoft Word (name.doc) – I cannot open a WordPerfect file, for example. An example of what the assignment format should look like will be posted on the Internet, and in the assignment center.
Extra Credit: There are several extra credit assignments available upon request, including virtual fieldtrips. The last day to submit extra credit work is Sunday, July 25. If you are interested in doing extra credit work, then contact the instructor for more information.
Web REsources for this course:
There are several major sources of geological information at your disposal for successfully completing this course – they are 1) your textbook, 2) the CD-ROM that accompanies your textbook, 3) Earth Revealed Video Lessons available online, and 4) the instructor’s lecture notes and PowerPoint lectures found at his personal website. First and foremost course resource is your textbook and its accompanying CD-ROM. Carefully read and study all assigned textbook reading, and view the complimentary CD-ROM modules prior to completing the associated quizzes, exams, and assignments. Note that the textbook has a complimentary textbook support site, which has additional resources and activities to help master the curriculum.
http://wps.prenhall.com/esm_tarbuck_earth_8/19/5071/1298207.cw/index.html
2) Earth Revealed Geology Video Series: http://www.learner.org/resources/series78.html
Secondly, Annenberg Media Company has available an excellent geology video instructional series (a total of twenty six 30 minute videos) on their website that is totally free for streaming video viewing (requires a simple initial registration by the student and a high-speed connection). Their website link to this valuable learning tool is found at:
3)
Instructor’s Personal Student Website:
http://www.terrasonics.com Thirdly,
the professor’s online lecture notes
and PowerPoint presentations provide
a wealth of additional, useful information – carefully read and study the
lecture notes and view the complimentary PowerPoint presentations prior to
completing the associated quizzes, exams, and assignments. The lecture notes and presentations can be
directly accessed from the instructor’s personal website, which includes an
even wider variety of other web-based resources that may be of personal
interest.
Click on the Mesa Online link
to access all information pertaining directly to this course. Browse down the
left-hand side menu for pertinent coursework information and resources.