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REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS

You will need the following textbook to do the work of the course. The text is available from the College's textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Title: Networking Basics

Authors: Patrick Ciccarelli, Frank Miller, Jerry FitzGerald, Alan Dennis

ISBN: 9780470111291

Pub. Date: August 2007 by John Wiley & Sons

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Network Technologies is a three-credit, online course, consisting of five (5) assignment modules. You are required to participate in five (5) graded class discussions, complete four (4) written assignments, complete one (1) final project and take five quizzes.

Each assignment module includes learning objectives, a study assignment, a discussion activity, a quiz, and a written assignment.

For the course's five assignment modules, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. See also the course Calendar.

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ONLINE PARTICIPATION

In addition to an ungraded "Introductions" forum in module 1, Network Technologies requires you to participate in five (5) graded online discussion forums.

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question and subsequent comments on classmates' responses.

You will be evaluated both on the quality of your responses (i.e., your understanding of readings and concepts as demonstrated by well-articulated, critical thinking) and quantity of your participation (i.e., the number of times you participate meaningfully in the assigned forums). Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

Meaningful participation in online discussions is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement.

Deadlines for posting responses to the discussion questions are given in the course Calendar.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

The four written assignments consist of specific topics contained within the chapters from the textbook.

Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the

>>View/Complete Assignment

link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and attach your assignment file. Click to turn in the assignment.

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QUIZZES

There will be five graded quizzes for this course. The quizzes should be taken after you complete the reading assignments and online discussion for each module. There will be twenty-five (25) multiple choice questions on each of the quizzes, each worth 4 point. Each quiz will cover a particular module.

To access quiz links, go to the Quizzes area of the course Web site. Consult the course Calendar for test deadlines.

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FINAL PROJECT

There will be a final project due in place of a proctored midterm examination and an online final examination. Consult the course Calendar for when the final project must be submitted.

• Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find the answer.
• Copying and pasting or in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your online test. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.
• Plagiarizing answers.
• Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take the exam.
• Copying any part of the exam to share with other students.
• Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at the exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

Please also note that the exam is time-limited. That means you only have the allotted time in which to complete the exam. If you exceed the time limit on the exam, you will be penalized by having two points deducted for every minute that you exceed the time limit. This may also result in your failing the course.

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, quizzes, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, and quizzes are based on the following numerical grades:

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.
   
   
2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams and arrange for proctors, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.
   
   
3. Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.
   
   
4. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, taking your quizzes, and submitting your final project. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.
   
   
2. Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

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