- Ability to access the Internet/World Wide Web site of our course.

1. You'll start by sending me an e-mail message addressed to:

   statcatmd@aol.com

   containing the following information:

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

   http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~mid/edr725/class

3. These course materials are organized as follows:

   Five modules:

   Each of which contains from one to four topics:

   And each of these topics ends with one or more of the following types of specific assignments:

   - Individual assignments;

   - Group assignments; and/or

   - Web-based assignments.

    

   *** I also provide all EDR 725 Qualitative students with access to my EDR 610 Introduction to Research materials as well! You are welcome to download as much of my EDR 610 Intro to Research curriculum as you wish, for your review or records, from the following Website/URL:

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

   ***In addition, you may wish to download and study some of the online course materials for EDR 720 Research Design. These provide guidance on how to develop a defensible doctoral research proposal. Here is the URL for these EDR 720 course materials:

   http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~mid/edr720/class

4. You'll navigate to our Web site/URL, print out and study the topics contained in each module, and complete each type of assignment by the due dates listed in this syllabus.
   
   
5. IMPORTANT: Please post INDIVIDUAL assignments and your final paper (doctoral proposal) IN THE VIRTUAL CONFERENCE CENTER (VCC) FOLDER WITH YOUR NAME.
   
   
6. In other words, PLEASE DISREGARD the TEXT SUBMISSION BOX at the end of INDIVIDUAL VCC ASSIGNMENTS and please INSTEAD post your completed individual assignment in your designated VCC folder;
   
   File attachments will NOT be accepted or reviewed under ANY circumstances.
   
   
7. Please post GROUP assignments in the VCC folder labeled by that particular group assignment.
   
   
   
8. If you need extra help with any computer/Internet based activities, there are plenty of help and extra practice resources available!
   
   
   1. Our home page for the course (our preceding URL) has a "Help" button and other links to special resources and assistance; and
      
      
      
   2. The NAUOnline Web page contains similar resources, including a button/link that will let you ‘road test a course online’ and practice your Internet navigational skills. The NAUOnline URL is:

      http://www.nau.edu/nauonline

   3. Important contact telephone numbers for the Academic Computing Services Help Desk in case you should need technical assistance are as follows:
      
      For locally based (Flagstaff area) students: 523-9294
      Toll-free number for long-distance students: 1-888-520-7215
      
      You are also expected to check our Virtual Conference Center (VCC) at least every other day, and ideally every day, particularly the following areas:

      (a) VCC "Announcements and Updates" folder;

      (b) VCC "Questions and Answers" folder;

      (c) VCC "Newsletters" folder.

      Please post any questions related to our course curriculum, syllabus, how we do things, etc. in our VCC "Questions and Answers" folder! You might check this folder first, as well as "Announcements and Updates," to see whether your question has already been answered.

      Please use direct e-mail to the instructor only for highly confidential and/or personal urgent communications! Instead, please post unanswered questions in the VCC "Questions and Answers" folder. I will check our VCC at least once every day and endeavor to respond to all questions within 24 business hours. This will help reduce e-mail 'traffic flow' in general, thereby helping to ensure my timely return of detailed feedback on your e-mailed assignments.

      
      
      

   *** I am also online every day, including weekends! I also check for voice-mail messages several times daily! Thus, if you ever have a question regarding the assignments, please e-mail or call me and chances are, I'll be right back in touch with you within the day!
   
   
   

9. You are strongly encouraged to contact me anytime
   (e-mail, by phone, in person, etc.)
   with any questions or concerns you might have!
   I believe that every problem is solvable
   (or at least improvable) if we:
   a) communicate openly and honestly about it; and
   b) put our heads together to brainstorm possible solutions.
   
   But I need you to tell me what's working,
   what's not working, and
   how we can make things better for you!
   
   

   Due Dates for Assignments (all assignments are due on or before 5:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on the dates shown in this section):

   ***Week of Monday, 8/26/02 (first official day of instruction): please familiarize yourself with our Web site, navigate to the URL, begin to download and print out our course materials, use the "Help" and other resource buttons provided on our Web page to gain practice in any specific task(s) with which you may be unfamiliar, etc. In addition, you should send me your initial e-mail message with required startup information (name, contact address(es), telephone number(s), FAX number if you have one), during this first week.