Syllabus for HIS-113-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

American History I provides a broad-based history of the origin and growth of the United States from the arrival of the first European settlers up to and including the period of the Civil War. The story of the United States is about diversified cultures and great public events, many peoples living together in a single land, and a war that is still being fought in many sections of the land.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing American History I, you should be able to:

• Summarize Native American history before the arrival of Columbus and the efforts of the English to establish a colony.



• Identify reasons for the founding of each of the original thirteen colonies.



• Describe disagreements among historians about the origins of slavery.



• Identify causes of the French and Indian War and reasons for the French defeat.



• Explain the aim of the Declaration of Independence, the reasons for its issuance, and its influence throughout the world since 1776.



• Define federalism and explain how the Constitution is designed to make it work.



• Identify Washington, Jefferson, and Adams, and explain the resurgence of nationalism.



• Describe widening differences between the labor systems of the North and the South and the effect of these systems.



• Discuss Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War.



• Distinguish between primary and secondary sources and between general and specialized sources.

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COURSE MATERIALS

Textbook

Alan Brinkley, American History: A Survey, Volume 1: To 1877, 13th ed. (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2009).
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-723855-9

Audio Programs

Sound Studies in American History I, The Annenberg/CPB Project (13 half-hour audio programs).

Audio links to these half-hour programs (playable with RealPlayer) are provided in the Study Assignment items (within units) in Assignment Modules.

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COURSE STRUCTURE

American History I is a 3-credit online course. The course consists of six modules of study. Each module includes reading and listening assignments, written assignments, and an online discussion. Course requirements include five (5) online class discussions; ten (10) written assignments (grouped within six modules); a proctored midterm; and an unproctored, online final.

For the course's assignment modules (reading and listening, online discussions, and written assignments), 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 posting a discussion thread in the Introductions Forum introducing yourself to the class, you are required to participate in five graded online discussions. These class discussions, like the written assignments, are an opportunity to share your insights about and understanding of history.

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.

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

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

American History I has ten (10) separate written assignments. Each of the first four modules includes two written assignments and the last two modules include one written assignment each. Each assignment consists of an essay. You will find these assignments within the Assignment Modules area of the course.

Responses to written assignment questions are expected to be well developed and reasonably detailed. Formulate responses in your own words (do not merely copy answers from your reading or listening 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 examinations: a proctored midterm examination and an online final examination. Consult the course Calendar for the timing of these exams.

Midterm Examination
The midterm is a closed-book, proctored exam. It is two hours long and covers all reading and assignments from Modules 1–3 of the course. It consists of multiple choice questions, an essay and a short essay, and short answer questions

You may take the examination only during the designated midterm exam period, by choosing one of the following two options:

• Online Proctor Option: If you have a webcam with a microphone and a reliable, high-speed Internet connection, you can take the exam online in the convenience of your home. During the first week of the semester, you will select an appointment through the ProctorU scheduling system. Then, on your selected day and time, you will be monitored by a remote proctor who will communicate with you via your video and audio connection. For further information on scheduling and taking an online proctored examination, see Tests & Quizzes > Midterm Examination.
  
  
• Pen-and-Paper Option: You may choose your own proctor or take the exam at Thomas Edison State College during midterm exam week. You should schedule your exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" no later than the end of the first week of the semester (see Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site). For more information on scheduling a pen-and-paper proctored examination, see the Online Student Handbook in General Information.

If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken the midterm exam, you must let your examination proctor know when you plan to take the exam and contact the Office of Test Administration (609-984-1181) two weeks in advance to request that your exam be sent to the proctor.

Final Examination
The final is a closed-book, unproctored, online exam. It is two hours long and covers all material in Modules 4–6 of the course. It consists of multiple choice questions, an essay and a short essay, and short answer questions.

The final exam is taken online in Blackboard. An exam link will be activated and made available to you in the Tests & Quizzes area of the course site at the start of the last week of the semester. You may take the exam at any time during that week, but no later than midnight Saturday (eastern time). If you are on a course extension, you will need to arrange with your mentor a time to reschedule the final exam.

Sample Examination
You will find a sample online examination in the Tests & Quizzes area of this course site. Use this sample exam to familiarize yourself with the online testing setting and format before you take your online exam. Keep in mind the following potential differences between the sample exam and your online exam:

• The content of your exam will match the content of your course; the sample exam has some generic questions on art history, world history, and environmental science.
• Your exam is likely to include only one type or at most several types of questions (such as multiple choice or essays). The sample exam includes all the types that you might encounter in an online assessment at Thomas Edison State College.
• You will be able to enter and take your exam just once—once you have entered the exam you must complete it. The sample exam may be taken as often as you like.
• There will be a penalty for exceeding the time limit in your actual midterm and final exams (see the "Statement about Cheating" below), whereas there is no corresponding penalty with this sample exam.

Statement about Cheating
The final examination in this course is an unproctored exam. 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 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:

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

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

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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. Arrange to take your midterm examination by following the instructions in the Online Student Handbook. Then complete the "Proctor Request Form" and submit it to the Office of Test Administration (OTA). You must make arrangements to take your examination and send in your "Proctor Request Form" to OTA before the end of the first week of the current semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)



4. 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.



5. 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.



6. 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, 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.



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



3. You will find short summaries of all 13 audio programs in the folder Summary of Audio Programs in Course Documents. You may want to skim these summaries before listening to the tapes. They also serve as a good method of review.
   
   

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