TWC 453/553 Information & Technology in American History
Multimedia Writing and Technical Communication
Fall 2007

Course Guidelines and Policies

• TWC453/553 is an online course. We will not meet in-person in a classroom.
  
  • Course documents, schedule information, assignments, readings, and other course information will be posted or linked from Blackboard.
  • The Discussion Forum in Blackboard will be used for class discussions.
    
    
• TWC453/553 is a 3-credit course; it is expected that you will dedicate an equivalent amount of time as you would an in-person 3-credit course. However, unlike an in-person course, you are completely responsible for planning and scheduling your time so that coursework is understood and exercises/assignments are completed on time. If you have never taken an online course, you may want to take the Online Learning Readiness Quiz to see if it's right for you.
  
  
• Some of the work we will do this semester will ask that you participate in discussions using the Discussion Board in Blackboard. You should think of these as the equivalent of in-class discussion and participation except it is taking place online.
  
  In the online environment, we lose visual cues indicating how others’ are responding to our words—there is no eye contact, facial or body expressions to guide us. Consider what you are writing and how someone may react to it before you post it. We will be learning about and discussing topics which many of you will have knowledge and strong opinions about and which may be controversial or provoke strong reactions. Each of you bring unique knowledge and experience of and perspectives to the class and discussions. Contribute, challenge, and be challenged in return. But at all times, you should be polite, thoughtful, and show respect for one another. This is non-negotiable --flaming will not be tolerated and will be considered grounds for a 0 for the week's work. Please read “Core Rules of Netiquette.”
  
  
• The schedule for each week will be posted as an announcement in Blackboard. Schedule information will be posted prior to the beginning of the week and will include readings and activities/assignments. A table on the "Schedule" page gives a snapshot of the course with readings and activities/assignments due each week.
  
  
• All activities and assignments are to be completed and submitted by the posted due date. Late assignments will not be accepted for any reason other than documented family or medical emergency.
  
  
• Access to a computer with Internet access and an email account are required for this course. As a student in this course, you are responsible for ensuring that you have access to a working computer with Internet access and email.
  • Be sure to use your ASU email for this course . I use the Blackboard email links to send grades and other course information; if you do not set mail forwarding, you will not receive course email.
  • Online classes are dependent on the proper and efficient running of technology. Network problems occur and can interfere with coursework. We will deal with these on a case-by-case basis if and when they happen. ASU maintains a systems outage page listing current network problems. Keep in mind that Blackboard is shut down for maintenance every Friday at 9:00pm.
    
    
• Email Protocol:
  • When sending email for this class, use TWC453 or TWC553 in the subject line along with the topic. For example: "TWC453: confused about reading" is a message from a student indicating confusion about a reading assignment.
  • I use the subject line to filter email. If the course number does not appear in the subject line, you may not receive a prompt reply.
  • I typically respond to email within 24 hours (including weekends). If you have not heard back from me within that time period, please resend your message or give me a call.
    
    
• Communication is key. Don't wait for a small problem to become a crisis. If you have questions, concerns, or other issues come up, contact me immediately.
  • Email: bdangelo@asu.edu
  • Phone: 480-727-1160
  • Office: Sutton Hall, Rm 301P
  • Yahoo IM ID: barb_dangelo
    
    
• You are expected to do your own work for all assignments. Read ASU’s policy on Academic Integrity. If you have questions about your writing or when/how to document sources, contact me or consult with the ASU Polytechnic Writing Center.

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Page last modified: 14 August 2007