A) Welcome!! Geology & Oceanography are fantastic subjects and you should enjoy learning the material - as long as you have the time to work on the class each week.

B) You will need to login to the online course materials in Blackboard at least once a week, and complete course work each week (a quiz or an exam or such) in order to maintain your seat in class (to prevent yourself from being dropped for inactivity).  If something unexpected happens that prevents you from logging in one week, contact the instructor via email immediately, explaining the situation.

C)  To get started, login to Blackboard and complete the Required Check-In Survey Quiz before the timeout deadline.  Completing this survey quiz lets the instructor know that you want to be in the class, and that you know how to access the materials online in Blackboard.

To find the quiz:
1) Login to Blackboard
2) Click on the link for this Geology 1 course
3) Click on 'Module Exams' in the left-side menu (it's a purple button)
4) Open the folder titled 'Required Check-In Survey'
5) Click on the link 'Required Check-In Survey'

***If you do not have experience with Blackboard, you can check out the LPC online information and/or visit the LPC Computer Center (Building 800) and have one of the LPC computer support personnel get you introduced and started into using the LPC webpages that will get you to Blackboard and online support information.

LPC Computer Center info/hours/links/phone-numbers:
http://www.laspositascollege.edu/computercenter/index.php

Blackboard login page
http://clpccd.blackboard.com/

Blackboard login info/assistance
http://www.laspositascollege.edu/onlinelearning/blackboard_login.php

LPC Zonemail email login page:
http://stumail.clpccd.edu

If you need info about logging into your LPC Zonemail email
http://www.laspositascollege.edu/ZoneInfo/index.php

Through the start of the semester, you will be receive emails regarding course information - however, this does not mean that you are added into the course.  To add into the course, you need to receive an add number and then register with the add number in LPC's Class Web (read below for more info).

If you want to add into the course

A. Continue to watch LPC's Class-Web DAILY to see if you become eligible for a spot that might open up before the first day of the semester. 

B. If you are too far down the waitlist, and you are still on the waitlist on the first day of the semester
then send the instructor an email request
FROM your LPC Zonemail email account (see below for links)
(add numbers will not be sent out to personal 'outside' email accounts)

• For on-campus lecture sections: attend the class meeting and see the instructor either during office hours and/or send the instructor an email from your campus Zonemail account
• For online sections: send the instructor an email from your campus Zonemail account
• For adding into the lab sections, attend the first class meeting and send the instructor an email from your campus Zonemail account

• LPC Zonemail email login page:
  http://stumail.clpccd.edu  (bookmark this page)
   
• If you need info about logging into your LPC Zonemail email
  http://www.laspositascollege.edu/ZoneInfo/index.php
   
• If you need assistance logging in:
  http://www.laspositascollege.edu/computercenter/index.php

How emails will work between you and the instructor

==> Use your LPC Zonemail email account when sending emails to the instructor <==

A) When the instructor broadcasts general info emails to the entire course, the instructor accesses a campus-generated course email list that includes all of the students' LPC Zonemail email addresses AND the email addresses that students have in Class-Web (that means that if you have your LPC Zonemail emails forwarded to your personal email account, you may see all of the class emails showing up twice).

B) When you send emails to the instructor you need to login to your LPC Zonemail email account and send your email from there - please do not send emails to the instructor from your personal (outside of Zonemail) email accounts.  Anyone can create an 'outside' email account, however, LPC Zonemail email accounts are only available to registered students.

C) I recommend that during the semester, you log directly into your LPC Zonemail email account every day and check for emails from your instructors, and the campus, regarding important course and/or campus information and bulletins (I do not recommend simply trusting email forwarding to personal email accounts).

D) You do not need to go through 'The Zone' to login to your LPC Zonemail email account (see below)
(You can also go directly to the Blackboard login page, without going through 'The Zone' if you do not wish to - scroll down for link if you are interested).

LPC Zonemail email login page:
http://stumail.clpccd.edu  (bookmark this page)

If you need info about logging into your LPC Zonemail email
http://www.laspositascollege.edu/ZoneInfo/index.php

If you need assistance logging in:
http://www.laspositascollege.edu/computercenter/index.php

Blackboard login page (without going through 'The Zone')
http://clpccd.blackboard.com/

You do not need to start anything for your Geology course before the first day of the term; however, you may start as early as you wish if the materials are available before the first day of the term.

Of note: Although the instructor typically sends out preparatory broadcast emails in the days before the first day of the term, the instructor may not be able to reply to individual student emails until the first day of the term (the official start of the semester).  In addition, the LPC Computer staff may not be available for regular hours until first day of the term.  As a result, you are welcome to read and work with the online materials before the first day of the term if you wish.  If you encounter problems, or if you have questions, however, you may likely have to wait until the first day of the term before you will be able to contact LPC staff (e.g., computer support or your instructors).

The Geology lecture (and online sections) and labs are separate courses, and this allows students great flexibility with scheduling options.  However, you must register for them separately (in other words, enrolling in the lecture (or online section) does not automatically put you in a lab section).

The lab sections typically fill very quickly, however, if you are interested in one of them, get onto the lab waitlist (if you haven't already).  Then show up early (not late) to the first lab session of the semester, and see if there is room for you to add (I expect that there will be, but I can’t guarantee it).  Do not show up late to the first lab session meeting if you want to add. Folks who are already registered in the class need to also arrive early, and not late, to make sure that there seats are not given away.  And even if you don’t make it onto the waitlist, come to the first lab session meeting to see if there is room for you to add in.

All of the geology lab sections meet in Rm 1828 (the second floor of the Science Building)
-----

Because the lecture and lab are separate courses, you can take the lecture and lab during the same semester, or you may choose to take the lecture first and the lab the next semester. In other words, you do not have to take the lecture and lab, at the same time, during the same semester (you can not, however, take the lab first and the lecture later).

The best choices are to either 1) take them the same semester, or 2) take the lab the semester right after the lecture – it has been my experience that when students wait longer than that, they have forgotten too much of the material.  If you choose to take the lab the semester following the lecture, make sure that you register the first day that you are eligible, as the lab seats fill up fast.

If you already have a seat in one of the lab sessions for this term, I recommend that you keep it (and don’t count on being able to get it next term), as each year, the state has had less money to fund the schools with, which has caused progressively more cutbacks in offerings, making it harder and harder for everyone to get seats in classes.  So if you are already registered for a seat in a lab session, I strongly recommend that you keep it so that you don’t have to worry about getting one next semester.

Reminder: because the lecture and lab are separate courses, however, you must enroll in the lab separately (in other words, enrolling in a lecture (or DE) section does not automatically register you for a lab section).

If you are unsure if you need to take the geology lab class, please speak with a college counselor and/or come to Professor Hanna’s on-campus office hours once the semester has started (every student’s situation is different).

• The course textbook is listed on the first page of the course syllabus
• You also need access to a computer with access to the internet
  and that can run the campus online course software: Blackboard
• Oceanography homework study questions and extra credit quizzes and projects are incorporated into the Blackboard course materials
• Online Companion Website - this website is for the 7th edition of the book - however, it is currently free, and contains much of the same content, so many students may find this website a useful study and informational tool.

For Geology 1, the course textbook comes with a CD-ROM if you get the textbook through the LPC Bookstore.

In the past, this textbook & CD-ROM package has not been available anywhere except through the LPC Bookstore.  If you purchase the textbook from some other source, it will most likely not have the correct CD-ROM included.

A) The course textbook is
listed on the first page of the course syllabus

B) For Geology 1, there is a CD-ROM called Geode, and is typically unavailable for purchase except through special packages such as offered through the LPC Bookstore.  In the past, many students have found the best success learning the material by STARTING each new topic/chapter with the GeodeCD chapter (chapter numbers match the textbook chapter numbers).  The Geode CD covers the basic chapter content, with a large emphasis on visual images/graphics, and a minimum of verbiage (unlike typical science textbooks).  As a result, you can use the GeodeCD as a way to preview each chapter, in a relatively interesting and visual way, covering most of the basic overall concepts.  After that, you can use the textbook for additional details, examples and information.

Info on the Geode CD-ROM (and whether you feel that you will need it) can be found here:
http://lpc1.clpccd.cc.ca.us/lpc/hanna/handouts/Fall2010/geode.pdf

C) The Physical Geology  1 Study Guide by RL Hanna is available only through the LPC Bookstore.  This study guide contains abbreviated outlines of most course topics, along with text banks of exam questions for student practice before taking the course exams.  Most of the exam questions are included in this text bank (excepting the questions with photos).  Students are strongly encouraged to work through the questions a couple of weeks before the exams, and then send queries to the instructor for hints and assistance with questions or problems well in advance of the exam timeout deadlines.
An image of what the study guide looks like can be found here:
http://lpc1.clpccd.cc.ca.us/lpc/hanna/BlackboardAnnouncements/LightGreenSpringCoverStudyGuidethumb.jpg

 

The course textbook is the one listed on the front page of the course syllabus.  When course assignments or exam references are made to chapter or page numbers, these will refer to the textbook listed on the front page of the course syllabus.

What this means is that if you have a different textbook, or a different edition of the textbook, then your page and/or chapter numbers will not match with those posted in assignments, the syllabus or emails sent out by your instructor.

If you send me a geology-content question, I may reply by directing you to specific chapters and/or pages in the textbook.  If you do not have the course textbook listed on the front page of the syllabus, then you will not be able to find the correct information to answer your question.

If you choose to use something other than the official course textbook, that is your risk; in other words, if you choose to use a different textbook, or a different edition of the textbook,  you may never use that as an excuse for not being able to successfully complete a quiz or exam, or course assignment or the course itself.

Some students are able to use other textbooks, or other editions of the textbook, to get the information that they need for the course.  For other students, however, they need the course textbook as listed on the front page of the course syllabus.  Every student is different, and there is no way for me to determine which students will not succeed unless they have the official course text.

Over the years, it has been my experience that most students find the course much easier if they have the official course textbook to work with throughout the term.

Ultimately, you must make your own decision. If you choose to use something other than the official course textbook, that is your risk; in other words, if you choose to use a different textbook, or a different edition of the textbook,  you may never use that as an excuse for not being able to successfully complete a quiz or exam, or course assignment or the course itself.

Monday Target Dates are when you should have the Module Exams completed by.

Thursday Timeout Deadlines - are the end of the emergency extension time.  There are no additional extensions.

MONDAYS are when you should have your quizzes and exams completed by – or before.  Your required Module Exams should all be completed by Monday of each week = TARGET DATES = MONDAYS.  Click on Exam/Quiz Calendar in the left-side menu for this course in Blackboard for specific dates.

MON-THUR – emergency extension time, not to be used for procrastination time, but to only be used when you truly have an emergency.  You do not need to submit a special request to access the exam during this time, the exam will be available to everyone during this time.

THURSDAYS = Timeout Deadlines – the end of the emergency extension time, and when the quiz or exam will timeout.  There are no extensions beyond the Thursday Timeout Deadline, as the exams are available for unlimited attempts for weeks before the timeout deadlines.

Do not procrastinate, as the timeout deadlines are not negotiable and will not be extended.  Give yourself plenty of time to get things completed before the deadlines, and also allow time to deal with computer problems or other emergencies.  Plan to complete your exams at least a few days before the timeout deadlines, and then if you need the last few days before the timeout deadline to work around an unexpected emergency, then you will still have time to complete the exams before the timeout deadlines.

Timeout deadlines for Module Exams can be found on the front page of the course syllabus

For each quiz or exam, your last attempt is what counts, so make sure that you successfully complete and submit your last attempt.  Do not try to abort your last attempt.  Once you have reopened an exam or quiz, then any previous scores do not count, and you must finish and complete the quiz or exam that you have just opened.

IF YOUR GRADEBOOK SHOWS A SYMBOL instead of a score - JUST CLICK ON THE SYMBOL.  This will bring up a list of your attempts on that quiz or exam.  What counts is your last attempt.  If your last attempt shows a numerical score, then you get those points in your term total.  If your last attempt does not show a numerical score, then you do not have any points for that quiz or exam, and you need to retake the quiz, and complete it, before you can get any points.

IF YOUR GRADEBOOK SHOWS A SYMBOL instead of a score for your last attempt on a quiz or exam, YOU ARE NOT LOCKED OUT OF RETAKING the quiz or exam.  Do not wait for the instructor to make the symbol go away, because that isn't going to happen.  Just go and retake the quiz or exam, then go back to your gradebook, click on the symbol showing for that quiz or exam, this will bring up your list of attempts, and you can double-check that your last attempt now shows a numerical score.

The above info is an artifact of the unlimited attempts option.  Most students find the symbols in the gradebook annoying, but feedback at the end of previous terms has been overwhelming in stating that the unlimited attempts option was worth having to deal with clicking on symbols in the gradebook.  At the end of this semester, you can send me your feedback about this exam option.

=>By the end of the term, you need to have
at least 900 points to get an A
at least 800 points to get a B
at least 700 points to get a C
at least 600 points to get a D
less than 600 points is an F

And a reminder that grades are not rounded up.
For example, a term total of 799.99 is a C (not a B).

To maintain 'active' status in this course, you need to
1) login to this course in Blackboard every week and complete a Blackboard online Quiz, Module Exam, Extra Credit Quiz and/or post work on a Discussion Board activity in this course every week.
2) complete all weekly quizzes and Module exams before their timeout dates

Every week, you should be actively working with the materials for this course in Blackboard.  A log is kept of when you last logged into and worked with the materials in this course.  If you do not login at a minimum of once a week throughout the semester, you can be dropped from the course for not demonstrating that you are actively working on the course.  If you encounter some sort of unexpected problem that temporarily prohibits you from logging in one week, then immediately send the instructor an email explanation from your LPC Zonemail email account (outside, personal email accounts are not appropriate for this).

**If you decide that you want to drop this course (or any other course), never assume that the instructor will take care of it for you.  If you decide that you want to drop a course, login to Class-Web and take care of dropping the course appropriately.

You may be dropped from this course you have 2 weeks of inactivity on Blackboard and/or you do not complete 2 consecutive Module exams.  Note that this is a 'may', and that you can not assume that the instructor will drop you just because you had 2 weeks of inactivity and/or did not complete the 2 Module exams.  Again, if you want to make sure that you are dropped from a course, then you need to make sure that you login to Class-Web and drop yourself before the drop deadlines.

REMINDER: To prevent being dropped from any of your classes, you must demonstrate continued weekly activity in each of your courses.  However, if you do want to drop any of your courses, do not assume that your instructor is going to take care of it for you.  You need to watch the college academic calendar and drop yourself before any deadlines (such as the W-date deadline)

Continued Weekly Activity for this course means that every week, you need to login to Blackboard and complete coursework such as a quiz or an exam or a discussion board activity.  If you do not do this every week, then you are in danger of being dropped from the course, so if you are having computer problems, you need to contact the instructor immediately to explain the problems and when they will be resolved.

LPC Academic Calendar
http://www.laspositascollege.edu/students/calendar.php

Any student who appears on the instructor's final roster at the end of the term must be assigned a letter grade (A, B, C, D or F) based on the total points the student has accumulated out of the total points possible for the entire term.  Instructors are not allowed to drop students after the W-date.  If you are planning on dropping the course, do no assume that the instructor is going to take care of it for you.  Ultimately, it is your responsibility to drop any courses that you have decided not to complete.

To study and learn each topic/chapter:

Step 1: Go through the chapter on the Geode CD
(this is visual, interactive and summarizes much of the basic overall concepts in a less-wordy fashion than the textbook)

Step 2: Go through the chapter in the textbook - LOOKING at & studying all of the photos and/or diagrams.  You do not have to try and read the chapters like a novel.  Instead, go through the photos and diagrams and read the photo/figure captions and anything else in the surrounding text that you need to read in order to understand the geology in each photo or diagram. 

For geologic features that you do not fully understand or feel comfortable enough with from the photo(s) in the text, run internet image searches for photos of similar geologic features so that you will be able to recognize the geologic features on the exams - regardless of which photo from which textbook or website might be used on the exam. 

Your exams are going to have many photos (and/or diagrams) of geologic features and/or processes.  You are not expected to have the exact version of the textbook or website where the photos came from.  You are not expected to match the photo to an identical photo in the text or a website. 

**What you should be able to do is to recognize and identify the type of geologic feature in the photo, which (most of the time) should be similar to the photos and/or diagrams in your textbook.***

STEP 3: Answer the exam practice questions in the Green Study Guide for the chapter/topic that you are studying.

STEP 4: Take each Module exam at least a week before the timeout deadline - that way you will have time to go back and study some more and retake the exam if you need to.

To study and learn each topic/chapter:

Step 1: Go through the chapter in the textbook - LOOKING at & studying all of the photos and/or diagrams.  You do not have to try and read the chapters like a novel.  Instead, go through the photos and diagrams and read the photo/figure captions and anything else in the surrounding text that you need to read in order to understand the geology in each photo or diagram. 

Step 2: For geologic features that you do not fully understand or feel comfortable enough with from the photo(s) in the text, run internet image searches for photos of similar geologic features so that you will be able to recognize the geologic features on the exams - regardless of which photo from which textbook or website might be used on the exam. 

Your exams are going to have many photos (and/or diagrams) of geologic features and/or processes.  You are not expected to have the exact version of the textbook or website where the photos came from.  You are not expected to match the photo to an identical photo in the text or a website. 

**What you should be able to do is to recognize and identify the type of geologic feature in the photo, which (most of the time) should be similar to the photos and/or diagrams in your textbook.***

STEP 3: Answer the exam practice questions in the Homework folders in Blackboard for the chapter/topic that you are studying.

STEP 4: Take each Module exam at least a week before the timeout deadline - that way you will have time to go back and study some more and retake the exam if you need to.