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Syllabus for EAS-201-OL

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Designed both for professionals working in the field and for students seeking a science elective, The Science of Natural Disasters focuses on developing a scientific understanding of the causes and mechanisms of common natural disasters. The perspective is global and historical while focusing on contemporary events and potential for catastrophe. The emphasis of the course is on earthquakes, volcanic activities, flooding, and severe storms and the consequent secondary disasters they can trigger. The course also addresses some of the social, economic, and political ramifications of these events.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

On successfully completing this course, you should be able to:

CO1   Define basic terminology foundational to the study of natural disasters and apply this vocabulary to specific situations.
CO2   Identify and discuss major geological and meteorological theories and concepts (including specific facts and classifications of phenomena).
CO3   Articulate how and why specific events occur, explaining specific causal factors and where these situations coincide.
CO4   Develop mitigation strategies or evaluate existing mitigation plans.
CO5   Differentiate between natural disasters and human-induced phenomena.
CO6   Interpret real and hypothesized scenarios, some involving multiple variables operating simultaneously.
CO7   Identify specific risks associated with specific geographical locations and resulting from specific phenomena.

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REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

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

Natural Disasters, 7th ed., by Patrick L. Abbott (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009; ISBN-13: 978-0-07-337669-1).

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COURSE STRUCTURE

The Science of Natural Disasters is a 3-credit online course, consisting of six (6) assignment modules.

Module Module Title
1 Introduction; Energy Flows and Plate Tectonics
2 Earthquakes
3 Volcanism and Mass Movements
4 An Introduction to Weather and Climate
5 Floods and Fire
6 Mass Extinctions and Impact of Asteroids

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in eight (8) graded discussion forums (six module discussions and two ongoing, weekly forums), complete six (6) written assignments, and take two (2) online examinations: a proctored midterm and a proctored final exam.

Assignment modules comprise learning objectives, a study assignment, an online discussion, and a written assignment. Each study assignment, in turn, includes a list of topics, a reading assignment, self-check review quizzes, Web resources, lecture notes, and an RSS feed for natural disaster news.

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

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ONLINE PARTICIPATION

The Science of Natural Disasters requires you to participate in eight (8) graded discussion forums (six module discussions and two ongoing, weekly forums). There is also an ungraded but required introduction forum in module 1. All class discussions take place on the class Discussion Board.

The two weekly forums—titled What Is a Natural Disaster? and Disasters Update Forum—enable you to address questions like, What constitutes a natural disaster? and What role does humankind play in creating and exacerbating natural disasters? on an ongoing basis throughout the course.

In the What Is a Disaster? forum, you post weekly updates to your definition of what constitutes a natural disaster based on the week's reading and your growing awareness of the field.

In the Disasters Update Forum, you report on one natural disaster (or potential disaster) in the news each week, providing a link to the story, if possible, and writing a brief summary of what is happening and why you think it is significant. You may report on a natural disaster in progress or update information about the impact, recovery, or mitigation plans of a recent event.

Communication and collaboration among fellow students and with the mentor is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a discussion question and subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation 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. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation, including your use of relevant course information and your awareness of and responses to the postings of your classmates. Remember, these are discussions. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

For additional information on online discussions, see Online Discussions in the Online Student Handbook.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

You are required to complete six (6) written assignments, one for each of the six modules that make up the course. The assignments consist of short essay questions based on the assigned reading.

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site, and read through the written assignment questions before you begin each module. Your answers to the assignment questions should be well developed and convey your understanding of the course materials. Formulate responses in your own words (do not merely copy answers from your reading materials), citing text materials where appropriate and in an appropriate manner.

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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EXAMINATIONS

You are required to take two proctored examinations: a midterm and a final. See the Calendar for the official dates of your midterm and final exam weeks.

For the both of these online examinations you are required to use the College’s Online Proctor Service. Please refer to the "Examinations and Proctors" section of the Online Student Handbook (see the General Information area of the course Web site) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to make your scheduling arrangements for both exams within the first week of the semester.

Online exams are administered in the Tests & Quizzes area of the course Web site.


Midterm Examination
The midterm is a closed-book, proctored exam. It is two hours long and covers all material from modules 1–3 of the course. The exam consists of forty (40) multiple-choice questions and three (3) essay questions.


Final Examination
The final is a closed-book, proctored online exam. It is two hours long and covers all material from modules 4–6 of the course. Like the midterm, the final exam consists of forty (40) multiple-choice questions and three (3) essay questions.


Statement about Cheating
You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:

  • 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.

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Module discussions (6) 12 percent
"What Is a Disaster?" forum 2 percent
"Disasters Update Forum" 3 percent
Written assignments (6) 33 percent
Midterm examination 30 percent
Final examination 20 percent

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, projects, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

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

A = 93–100 C+ = 78–79
= 90–92 C = 73–77
B+ = 88–89 = 70–72
B = 83–87 D = 60–69
= 80–82 F = Below 60

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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 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 and taking module tests, posting group activities, and scheduling and taking your examination. 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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Syllabus Index

This document contains the following main sections:

Course Description

Course Objectives

Required Textbook

Course Structure

Online Participation

Written Assignments

Examinations

Grading and Evaluation

Strategies for Success


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