1. Your name;
2. Your mailing address(es);
3. Your contact telephone number(s);
4. Your FAX number if you have one -- not required -- the phone and FAX numbers are just in case I should ever need to reach you quickly and another way (an answer to a question, a sudden change in schedule, etc.

2. In addition, you will be required to take the self-test "Is Distance Learning for Me?" It is intended to give you an idea of what distance learning is all about and to e-mail me your individual responses by the date shown in the syllabus.

You will need to write down your solutions and send them to me via e-mail (for example: 1a, 2c, 3b, and so forth). Clicking "Submit" on the Website will not send me your solutions. You should write down your individual answers (a, b, c, etc.) for each question before clicking "Submit"on the above "Distance Learning" Website so that you can send your answers to me as an e-mail message separately.

You should use this opportunity to think carefully about your own learning style and whether or not Web courses are a good fit for your own individual learning style and preferences!!!

Please contact me as soon as possible if you find that you would be more comfortable in another classroom format for EDR 610 (i.e., traditional face-to-face live classroom; IITV).

We routinely offer EDR 610 in a variety of formats and with a variety of starting dates each semester. I am confident that your academic adviser and I can successfully place you in another section of EDR 610 to better fit your individual comfort zone, learning style and preferences if need be!

3. Finally, you will be required to post a brief message of self-introduction in our Virtual Conference Center (VCC) by the due date indicated. This serves as a test of your computing skills and ability to navigate the VCC, which will be our primary meeting and communication place.

IMPORTANT: Students who do NOT contact me during the first official week of class (week of Monday, 8/26/02) will be externally administratively withdrawn (involuntarily dropped) from the class for "non-attendance." This is a university-wide policy explained in detail in the NAU Graduate Catalog. This policy applies regardless of particular format of class (i.e., traditional group face-to-face; IITV; Web-based).

Here is how our course will work:

--Students will be assigned to groups. Each group will have its own workspace (folder) in the VCC.

--Shortly after your assignment to a group, you and your fellow group members will be required to develop a Group Code of Conduct. This will include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following group decisions:

(1) How will the group members communicate: e-mail, posting in group VCC folder, other?

(2) How often will individual group members be expected to log in and check for messages and updates from the group: every other day; every day; other?

(3) How will group roles and responsibilities be divided up: will there be a group leader? will there be one group member designated to post the group's final agreed-upon assignment solutions in the VCC? or will these responsibilities be rotated? if so, how? How will you handle individual members' needs for absence offline (illness, travel, other contingencies)? This relates to Point (4), below:

(4) IMPORTANT: how will potential intra-group conflict be resolved? problems in communication, differences of opinion, other area(s) of conflict? You MUST have an agreed-upon plan in place for identifying and attempting to resolve such intra-group issues. Think of me as "a higher court of appeals" in that regard! I will always be ready, willing and available to step in and help with any conflict resolution but ONLY as a FOLLOW-UP step to your FIRST working within your group as stated in your contract to attempt to resolve any such problems!

***Each group will be required to post its final agreed-upon Group Contract in the designated VCC folder by the date shown below in the syllabus.***

--All assignments including the final case study (except for each student's initial VCC "Ice Breaker" posting and Discussion Topic posts, which are explained below) will be done by groups rather than individually. Groups will communicate via e-mail or by posting in their assigned VCC workspace. One person from each group will be expected to post the group's final solution no earlier than one day prior to the listed due date, below.

All group assignments MUST be posted EXACTLY on the due date specified (ONE final posting per group by the designated group poster, as per your group's Contract).

The only exceptions are the 3 individual startup activities

(introductory e-mail message to instructor,

results of Distance Learning Self-Test, and

introductory VCC ice-breaker posting)

which may be done anytime from 8/26/02 through 8/30/02.

For all listed due dates, 5:00 p.m., Mountain Standard Time (MST) is the assumed deadline.

You may post 'early' assignments NO MORE THAN ONE DAY PRIOR TO THE STATED DUE DATE.

Early (more than one day prior to stated due date) postings will be assessed a three-point penalty.

This reinforces the fact that you must remain continually and actively engaged in our course throughout its duration.

If this is not possible, please contact me immediately so that your academic adviser and I can locate an alternative section of EDR 610 in which you may enroll.

 

***Please do NOT use the VCC text boxes for the assignments. Instead, the designated member of your group (as per your group contract, above) will be expected to post your group's assignment solution in the VCC folder with with you group number and assignment number. Example: a VCC folder named "Group 3 Module 1 Assignment 1" for group 3 to post its solution to its first selected Module 1 assignment.

 

--It is VITAL, IMPORTANT and IMPERATIVE that EACH student logs in and checks the following areas at least every other day (and ideally daily) for the ENTIRE DURATION of the course (8/26/02 through 12/13/02):

a. VCC "Announcements and Updates" folder;

b. VCC "Questions and Answers" folder;

c. VCC "Newsletters" folder;

d. e-mail for any updates from his/her group members.

***IMPORTANT: I can monitor who is checking each VCC folder and how often***

--Students are expected to use the VCC rather than e-mail to communicate with their instructor:

a. If you have a question about anything at all (the course materials, the syllabus how we do things, etc.) , please post it in the VCC "Questions and Answers" folder. You might check this folder first to see if your question has already been answered. I will check the VCC daily and endeavor to respond to all posted questions within 24 business hours;

b. You should also get in the habit of checking the VCC "Announcements" folder as well as the "Questions and Answers" folder for last-minutes updates, changes and other important information;

c. Students may use e-mail to communicate with their group members regarding assignments and other group responsibilities. Alternatively, you are welcome to communicate with your group teammates by posting messages in your group's VCC folder;

d. You may only e-mail your instructor in case of highly confidential, emergency or personal communications. In all other cases, you will be referred to the VCC and one of the above areas in reply to your e-mail message.

***The VCC is our headquarters, our classroom, and our primary communication meeting place! Please get in the habit of checking the VCC at least every other day and of posting your messages in the appropriate VCC location! Doing so will greatly expedite our communications as well as reduce stress and confusion for you!!!***

--Our course materials are located on the following Web site (URL):

http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~mid/edr610

--These course materials are organized as follows: