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:

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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.

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

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