Welcome to EDUC 1100!  My goals are to help you get started thinking about your major/career goals and educational path and to equip you with the tools you need in order to succeed.  

COURSE EXPECTATIONS

This course will include the following teaching and learning methods: video lectures, independent reading, individual application exercises/journals, online discussion boards, videos, projects, and a final exam

As a distance learning class, it is easy to procrastinate and put off coursework.  Please be prepared to keep up with weekly assignments and turn them in on time.

Students are expected to login to Blackboard at least 4 out of 7 days per week. All communication takes place via ACC email or through Blackboard.  I will return your emails within 24 hours on the week days, 48 hours on the weekends.

All assignments are submitted through Blackboard under Discussion Board, Journals or Assignments tabs


TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS

Students are required to have regular, reliable access to a computer with a stable broadband Internet connection and be able to save files as .pdf or .docx to submit on Blackboard.

Microsoft Office 365 is available free to ACC students at: http://sites.austincc.edu/newsroom/microsoft-office-365-offered-free-to-acc-students-employees/

Blockboard help: http://irt.austincc.edu/blackboard/StudentSupport.php

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

(1) A mandatory Online Orientation must be completed by Thursday 10pm of the first week of class. It is worth 5 points and should be submitted under the Assignments tab in Blackboard. Failure to complete it in time will result in being dropped from the course

(2) Journal entries (5) are written every week and are worth a total of 30 points towards your final grade. Each journal should be about a page in length depending on the prompt – please refer to the grading rubric on Blackboard for more details. Journals must be submitted on Blackboard by Sunday 10pm each week. 

(3) Participation in the Discussion Board (3) is worth a total of 30 points towards your final grade. Topics will be posted on Monday and initial posts should be submitted by Friday 10pm of the assigned week.Two additional responses to your classmates’ posts should be posted by Sunday 10pm. Late responses will not be accepted for Discussion Board.

(4) Career Exploration activity. As part of your long-term goal setting activities, you will complete FOCUS 2, an online career assessment and research a career of your choice.  This assignment is worth10 points toward your final grade. A 1-point penalty will be assessed for each day it is late.

(5) Major exploration activity – An extension of your major/career exploration will be to meet with a faculty advisor to discuss your short- and long-term goals – to ensure that you’re on the right path and that you stay on track.  You will be matched with a faculty advisor after filling out a referral form, then book and attend an online/virtual appointment to discuss the questions on the assignment and more with your faculty advisor.  This meeting is a valuable resource that can make a big difference in your academic journey. The assignment is worth 10 points toward your final grade. A 1-point penalty will be assessed for each day it is late.

(6) There is a final exam covering material from the online textbook and class documents (lectures, videos, articles, etc.).  It is worth 15 points towards your final grade average.  Students who miss a test must contact the instructor as soon as possible and will have 2 days from the due date to make up the exam – a 3-point penalty will be applied to your final score.

The final average will be assigned a grade based on the following scale:

A= 90-100; B= 80-89; C= 70-79; D= 60-69; F= 59 and below

Incomplete Grade: Students are expected to complete the course within the session time frame. A grade of incomplete will only be given in very special circumstances. If you fail to complete the requirements of the incomplete grade agreement by the due date, you will receive a “F” grade.

Withdrawal: Students are responsible for withdrawing themselves from class if they are unable to complete the semester. Withdrawal may affect financial aid status, veterans’ benefits, international student status, and/or academic standing and students are advised to consult with their instructor and/or a counselor prior to withdrawal. Instructors have the right to withdraw students for excessive absences, failure to progress, and other reasons as appropriate.

Week #1          Transition to College and the Growth Mindset

                         Assignments: Online orientation, Journal #1, DB #1

Week #2          Manage your Time and Memory & Info Processing

                         Assignments: Journal #2, Focus 2 activity

Week #3          Planning for your Career

                         Assignments: Journal #3, DB #2

Week #4        Active Listening and Note-Taking and Test Taking Strategies
                        Assignments: Journal #4, DB #3, Faculty Advising Assignment 

Week #5        Stress Management
                       Assignments: Journal #5, Final Exam

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this class, you will:

1.   Demonstrate your level of knowledge and use of:

a.    A model of effective learning

b.  Past experiences & attitudes in other educational

     settings

c. Personal patterns and habits

d.   Motivational strategies

2.    Demonstrate your abilities and actions in these learning and study strategy areas:

a.  Critical and creative thinking

b.  Reading textbooks actively

c.   Effective note taking

d.  Memory and knowledge acquisition

e.   Research and writing skills

f.    Test preparation and test-taking skills

3.    Demonstrate your application of the following self-regulation skills:

a.  Locating and using resources

b.  Managing time effectively

c.   Managing goals, motivation, concentrate

d.  Exercising executive control over your learning (metacognition)

e.   Monitoring self-esteem and self-talk
 

GENERAL EDUCATION STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

As a Core Curriculum course, students who complete this course will demonstrate competence in:

1.     Personal Responsibility: identify and apply ethical principles and practices to decision-making by connecting choices, actions and consequences

2.     Critical Thinking Skills: gather, analyze, synthesize, evaluate and apply information for the purposes of innovation, inquiry and creative thinking

3.     Social Responsibility: analyze differences and commonalities among people, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.

4.  Communication skills:  develop, interpret and express ideas and information through written, oral and visual communication that is adapted to purpose, structure, audience and medium.

TEXTBOOK

Effective Learning Strategies at Austin Community College, compiled and edited by Heather Syrett and Laura Lucas.

These materials are Open Educational Resources so students do NOT purchase a textbook. The materials are available, free of charge, at https://www.oercommons.org/courseware/8434