Q. Where do I start to find out about your course?
A. Here is an outline (follow all hyperlinks):
Preview Syllabus (aka: Course Description)
Complete or Full Syllabus
Schedule and Assignments
Course Guidance (applies to all courses generally)
Phil's Postings (Course specific information)
Week 1 Assignments (for DE and some classroom courses)
Greetings and Welcome Messages (for DE courses)
Q. What do I do if I get lost in the hyperlinks?
A. First, keep the link pages (Phil's Place, Course Link Page and Phil's Posting index for each course) open in a separate page. When you want to jump to one of the pages listed from a link page, open a new window (hold down the mouse button when you highlight the link to reveal this option).
Visit the Site Overview Page and select a link from there.
Also, you may skip to the bottom of the page for a link to a higher level. Alternatively go back to Site Re-start, Phil's Place, the Course Link Page and Phil's Posting index for each course.
Q. Why do you include so much detail in your syllabus/guidance?
A. Information and communication are at the heart of the learning process. I offer you the opportunity to learn as much as you choose.
Exploration takes time, but I find no better way to help others really learn the material we are sharing.
Q. Am I expected to read all of this?
A. Yes, whatever is linked to and pertains to the Complete Syllabus for your course you are expected to not only read, but also understand and accomplish.
There is typically little time for lecture in my courses; I prefer to focus on student interaction. I emphasize discovery and collaborative learning strategies and techniques. I ask students to explore issues independently first, raise issues and questions themselves, then share their ideas with each other in small groups. There, I ask them to search out answers and explore those answers with their classmates. Of course I will respond to specific questions during this process. But I prefer to reserve my comments until AFTER student exploration is done. Then I respond to points and questions raised by students and share the answers with everyone.
Our student body is filled with men and women who have a wealth of experience. I prefer to let my students tap into that experience, link the course work to their lives, explore the connections, and seek confirmation and advice from others -- including me -- once that process is rather well developed.
I pattern my Distance Education courses after my classroom ones. I form small groups of students from around the globe. Group composition changes every 2-3 weeks so you get a chance to work with all your classmates at some time during the course. I mix students from Europe, Middle East, South America, and the Far East in the same groups. At times, groups are single sex (interesting results from that), at times, the groups are geographically arranged, but normally students are placed in groups so that I get people with a mixture of views and backgrounds working together.
1. Why Small Groups?
Q. Why do you force us to work in small groups?
A. In most cases, sharing ideas openly in small groups enhances learning.
Q. Will I be graded on my individual performance?
A. Except where I specifically tell you that you will get a group grade, you are graded individually. Even group grades can be modified to allow for the occasional student who, for a variety of reasons, may not contribute sufficiently to the group effort. See my guidance on group work for details.
2. Recorder absence from discussion.
Q. What does the small group do if the recorder is absent from the discussion?
A. If after two days of the assignment period the recorder does not contact all group members, the next person on the list should assume responsibility for documenting on the discussion and submitting findings to the instructor and class.
3. Recorder does not lead discussion.
Q. What do I do if the recorder does not ask me any questions?
A. Each student is individually responsible for studying assignments, coming to a personal conclusion about any issues and questions present and making those views known to other members of the group.
4. Changing group membership
Q. Why are students frequently reassigned to new groups?
A. Learning is about exploration. You need to share you ideas and test them out on everyone in the class. Additionally, some groups do not work as well together as others.
If you are an independent learner, I think you will find the DE format quite attractive. I have been teaching via DE (list serve discussion groups, email, and WebTycho) with UM in Europe for nearly 4 years now. The method has much to commend it. But it is more work than a classroom course, for in DE as UM delivers it, interaction is the key and as we know from studies of the marketplace, a market reduces the number of 1-to-1 or point to point interactions. DE tends to return us to the 1-to-1 model. Initiating and responding to many more contacts added to the requirement to type in all narrative responses, eats into the 24 hours available to each of us each day. (Working in small groups does reduce the number of potential interactions each of us is exposed to each week.)
Q. Where can I find a list of books from which to select a supplemental book for review?
A. See my list of books on this web site for a start. It is frankly better for you to explore books related to the main focus of the specific course you are taking. I have included a list of web sites for you to explore as well.
Q. Is any topic or title acceptable?
A. Focus on the main themes of the course and select a book that explores one of those themes. Always check with the instructor to avoid choosing a book that has already by chosen by another student and confirm acceptability.
Q. Do you have a special use for brackets in feedback email?
A. Yes. I use triple brackets [[[ ... ]]] in feedback email messages so students can quickly search out my comments by using the "find" function; so ... please DO NOT yourself use triple brackets [[[ ... ]]] in email assignments and messages you send to me. This should help you more quickly spot my comments on your work.
Q. How will I spot feedback comments in MS Office 97-98 files?
A. I prefer to use the "Comment" function is MS Office 97-98. In fact, that single function would have been enough to convince me to purchase and use Uncle Bill's product even if I had never used MS Word or Office before. When you get a feedback message from me with your MS Office 97-98 file as an attachment, just move your cursor over the highlighted passages in the attachment to view my comments in context. Then if you want, you may add comments of your own in response and email it back to me.
| Phil Richardson; prichard@faculty.ed.umuc.edu |
Revised
30 October 2000
|