GEO-151-OL


	Syllabus for GEO-151-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Physical Geology acquaints you with how earthquakes, active volcanoes, and other geologic formations and processes relate to the theory of plate tectonics. The history of the theory of plate tectonics also illustrates how the scientific process works and how scientists propose hypotheses, gather evidence, discard ideas, and modify them to support existing knowledge. The course stresses that Earth continues to evolve and that its future depends on our actions of today.

[Return to Top]

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Through studying the text Physical Geology: Earth Revealed, viewing the twenty-six half-hour video programs, and working through the telecourse guide, you should be able to:

Explain why the resources of Earth are essential for life.
State various theories for the origin of the solar system.
Explain what geophysicists have learned about the inside of Earth using indirect tools of study.
Describe major sea-floor features such as the mid-oceanic ridge, oceanic trenches, and fracture zones.
Relate the origins of the ideas of continental drift as well as the underlying theory and concepts in the movements of Earth’s plates.
Indicate how major mountain belts and continents have evolved.
Discuss tectonic forces and the nature and consequences of earthquakes.
Discuss evidence that is used to identify the age of Earth and Earth materials, including the fossil record.
Explain the origin and composition of common Earth materials.
Explain how volcanoes are formed and the importance of igneous activity.
Discuss key processes that shape the surface of Earth.
Recognize the critical role of running water, how ground water is distributed, and its importance to life.
Discuss the motivations of geologists and their methods, both old and new, and how scientists think and work.
Describe the relationship and interaction of humans with the changing physical environment.

[Return to Top]

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. All of these materials are available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Telecourse Study Guide

Telecourse Guide for "Earth Revealed: Introductory Geology," 7th ed., by Ruth Y. Lebow (Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt, 2009).

Textbook

Physical Geology: Earth Revealed, 9th ed., by Diane H. Carlson, Charles C. Plummer, and Lisa Hammersley (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011).

Video Programs

The Earth Revealed, INTELECOM Intelligent Telecommunications and The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (26 half-hour video programs).

Note: The video programs are being offered via streaming video technology through this course site. Each video assignment will include the necessary links for accessing the video stream

[Return to Top]

COURSE STRUCTURE

Physical Geology is a 3-credit online course. It consists of 26 telecourse lessons, six written assignments, four graded online class discussions, and two examinations: a proctored midterm exam and a proctored final exam. Study assignments include reading from the telecourse guide and textbook and watching associated video programs.

Every four to five lessons you will complete a written assignment and submit it to your mentor for correction and grading. You will also participate in online discussion activities throughout the course.

As the course is centered around the telecourse guide lessons, we suggest you read "Before You Begin Lesson 1" on page 3 of the telecourse guide to get a sense of how each lesson is presented. You will note the following sequence of learning steps and activities:

Goal
Learning Objectives
Introducing the Lesson
Lesson Assignment (lists the steps to follow)
Key Terms and Concepts
Viewing Guide (gives questions to answer before and after viewing videos)
Putting It All Together
- Activities
- Think About: essay questions that will assist you in understanding the material in the textbook, video program, and telecourse guide
- Self-Test: multiple-choice items (with answers provided at the back of the telecourse guide)

For the course's reading and viewing assignments, class discussions, and written assignments, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.

[Return to Top]

ONLINE PARTICIPATION

In addition to posting an introduction to the class, you are required to participate in four graded online discussions, each focusing on an issue related to physical geology.

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 discussion question 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. 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. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

[Return to Top]

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Physical Geology requires that you complete and submit six (6) written assignments. Each written assignment consists of questions that are built around the relevant reading and viewing assignments. The question may deal with text material, video material, or telecourse guide material. Your answer to each question should be at least one typed page (avoid one-sentence definitions).

Answer each of the assignment questions as completely as possible. When you use material from your reading or viewing, be sure to cite it properly. Do not merely copy answers from your reading and viewing materials. Formulate answers in your own words, citing source materials where you feel it is appropriate (i.e., strengthens your answer).

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site, which is where the written assignments can be found. Read through the written assignment questions before you begin each lesson.

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 submit your assignment file.

[Return to Top]

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 exam covers all the material assigned in Modules 1–3. The midterm examination contains multiple-choice items and short-answer essay items. It is closed-book and is two hours long.

Final Examination
The final exam covers all the material assigned in Modules 4–6. The final examination contains multiple-choice items and short-answer essay items. It is closed-book and is two hours long.

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.

[Return to Top]

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Written Assignments (6)	40 percent
Online Discussions (4)	10 percent
Midterm Examination	30 percent
Final Examination	20 percent

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

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

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

[Return to Top]

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

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

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.

Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook General Information area of the course Web site. 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.

Arrange to take your examinations by following the instructions in this Syllabus and the Online Student Handbook.

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.

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:

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, and scheduling and taking your examinations. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.

To help prepare for the exams, be sure to read and review every telecourse guide lesson and complete and review the assigned readings in the textbook, the assigned viewing, and the written assignments. It is also suggested that you take the Self-Test at the end of each lesson in the telecourse guide. If you don't know an answer to a Self-Test question, try to research it before you look up the answer at the back of the telecourse guide.

Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

[Return to Top]

Syllabus Index

This document contains the following main sections:

Course Description

Course Objectives

Course Materials

Course Structure

Online Participation
Written Assignments

Examinations

Grading and Evaluation

Strategies for Success