Fall 2003 you will be taking one of two sections of CIS100, Introduction to Computer Applications, or one of two sections of CIS120, The Internet,  as a campus-web course.

That means your section will meet in the classroom either Tuesday or Thursday for 100 minutes (rather than a traditional section which meets BOTH Tuesday and Thursday for 100 minutes.)    This means there will be 15 class meeting, rather than 30 or 31, so it is important that you try NOT to miss even one.

So each week 1 ²/₃^rds hours will be in a classroom.  During that time you should

The other 1 ²/₃^rds hours (that you would traditionally be in a classroom) plus  3 to 4 hours of homework time will be spent doing assignment that require the use of the Internet, where you will interact with your fellow students and the professor, such as

Thus, rather than 4 to 4 hours of "homework" (college courses assume 1 to 2 hours of homework per hour of class-time) and 3 ¹/₂ hours of class time,  you now have 1 ²/₃^rds hours of class time and 6 to 7 hours of homework. 

This means that you will need the self-discipline to find 6 to 7 hours when you are not in class to learn and practice the material.

Campus-web and  fully online classes require as much (some say more) effort as face to face classes.  They require much more self discipline. Without fixed times that you have to "be in class" there can be a tendency to put it off the task so much that it just doesn't get done.  Schedule your study time just like coming to class time.  Don't fall behind!

Students are encouraged to get as much help from one another as possible and to offer the same.  You probably are not concerned with pedagogical (the study of teaching) theory, but it says that "you learn the most that which you teach!"

One of my favorite quotes comes from Sam Leveinson,  who said

 "You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself." 

This course will probably be different because all students will share their work with fellow classmates.
Assignments will NOT be a dialog between student and teacher.  Rather they will be the basis for class discussion that will take place on a Bulletin (Message) Board.  To pass this course it is critical to do 3 things:

Allocate 6 to 7 hours a week to take this course - that is over 100 hours between now and end of the course, the 2nd week in December. 

Course grades will be posted using WebCT.  Grades will be based upon each student's

Plan to log on to the Internet course material 4 or more times per week.  Once in class, 3 time outside of class.

Three quizzes will be given and final at the end of the term.  All are open book, open notes, open Internet.  The main purpose of quizzes is for the student to identify, mostly for themselves,  how well they have mastered the material.  These quizzes in total will count 15% of the grade.

Assignments have been constructed so that they will appeal to different learning styles - some will like some and not others.  Permitting each student to select her/his own topic for the term long project lets students work on something that is personally relevant to them.Topics selected could be something useful to the student at work.

Computer Applications and Internet are a highly sought after skills. 

You will work hard in this course.

Now it is your turn.  Please tell me about you.