[Return to Top]

COURSE STRUCTURE

Statics is a three-credit, online course, consisting of six (6) assignment modules. You are required to complete eight (8) written assignments, take two review quizzes, and take a midterm examination and a final examination.

Assignment modules include learning objectives, study assignments, an "Introductions" online discussion, and your written assignments.

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

[Return to Top]

ONLINE PARTICIPATION

You are required to participate in an ungraded "Introductions" discussion with the class during the first week of the semester. This is done to help you and your mentor get to know your classmates. You may discuss any of the topics listed in the discussion or anything about yourself that you would like to share with the class.

Participation in this asynchronous online discussion involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a topic and at least two 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. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

[Return to Top]

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

You are required to submit eight (8) written assignments to your mentor for grading. They are problems that appear in your textbook. As you do your reading in preparation for each written assignment, preview the assignment questions so that you know what to expect.

Most of the written assignments involve mathematical calculations; all necessary steps must be included in your solution sheets. Click Solution Sample to view the steps and a sample solution sheet.

Unreadable, sloppy papers will not be graded and will cause you to receive a zero for the assignment. In addition, if you provide only answers, your assignment will not be graded and you will receive a zero for that assignment. However, bonus points will be awarded for completed assignments of high quality, including correct solution steps and answers and neat appearance.

You may discuss written assignment problems with your classmates; however, you must submit your own solutions after such discussions. Duplicated work will result in zeros for both parties, no matter who is the original and who is the duplicator.

Include your name at the top of each page, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled. Be sure to number the pages of your assignment and clearly identify the number of each problem. Be sure that you submit your assignments on or before the due date. Delayed work will not be accepted.

Assignments must be prepared electronically with a word processor, preferably using whatever equation editor comes with your word processing software. However, if your word processor is not compatible with your mentor's word processor, you will need to save your document as a rich-text file (.rtf), using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program. Check with your mentor first to determine file compatibility. (Important: Use the equation editor to insert equations into your word-processed document, not to create the document itself.)

Windows users are encouraged to upgrade their word processor's equation editor to the latest Windows version of MathType. Click this link to learn how to get this upgrade: MathType Upgrade.

Once you have installed MathType, please click this link to find instructions about how to use MathType to prepare formulas on your word processor: Formula Preparation Steps.

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

>>View/Complete Assignment

The midterm review quiz covers the material assigned in Module 1 through Module 4.1 (Chapters 1-5). The final review quiz is cumulative and covers all material in the course (Chapters 1-9). The midterm review quiz consists of two (2) problems and the final review quiz has one (1) problem. They will focus on the major objectives of the modules.

The quizzes are open-book. You are also allowed to use any calculators and to refer to study notes and completed written assignments.

Both of the quizzes are taken in two stages. A link for each stage will be activated and made available to you in the Tests & Quizzes area of the course Web site. See Tests & Quizzes > Midterm Review Quiz Stage I and Tests & Quizzes > Midterm Review Quiz Stage II at the start of midterm exam preparation week. See Tests & Quizzes > Final Review Quiz Stage I and Tests & Quizzes > Final Review Quiz Stage II at the start of final exam preparation week. You may take the quiz at any time during that week, but no later than midnight Saturday (eastern time). Remember to pace yourself; take the Stage I part of the quiz early enough in the week to allow yourself enough time to complete Stage II of the quiz by the deadline.

If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken either quiz, you will need to arrange with your mentor a time to reschedule the quizzes.

• Stage I is taken online in Blackboard. This part is timed; you have two (2) hours to complete it. You can enter and take this part of the quiz only once, so do not exit until you have completed it.
  
  Please Note: It is important that you remember to copy or print each question and answer as you are taking the timed portion of the quiz, as you will use this as reference when you are completing Stage II.
  
  During Stage I, you are required to work out a detailed outline of solution principles, theory, strategy, and procedures, etc., for each question, excluding figures and formulas. This detailed solution outline represents 40 percent of the total grade points for the quiz and will be used as the foundation for grading your Stage II submission.



• Stage II of the quiz must be prepared electronically with a word processor. This stage is not timed, but you must complete it and submit it by Saturday of exam preparation week.
  
  In this part, you will take the detailed outline that you submitted during Stage I, and complete the full solution. You must follow the solution steps. Click Solution Sample to view the steps and a sample solution sheet. If needed, review the information on preparing formulas and diagrams stated earlier in this Syllabus area of the course.
  
  Your Stage II solution must be consistent with the Stage I statements submitted during the online, timed test; in other words, you are not allowed to change the solution principles, theory, strategy, and procedures, etc., that you presented in Stage I. The only items that you need to add are the equations and drawings.
  
  The work you do in Stage II represents 60 percent of the total grade points for the quiz. The grade you receive will be the summation of the grades earned in the two stages.
  
  Important reminder: If your Stage II solution is not consistent with the Stage I presentation, no grade will be given to the Stage II work.

Statement about Cheating
The quizzes in this course are unproctored. That means you will not be supervised while taking the test. 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 in any other disallowed sources or using the Internet 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 quiz, the quiz will be declared invalid, and you run the risk of being given a failing grade in this course.

Please also note that Stage I of the quiz is time-limited. That means you only have the allotted time in which to complete it. 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.

[Return to Top]

EXAMINATIONS

Statics requires you to take two examinations: a midterm and a final. Consult the course Calendar for the scheduling of these exams.