INFO 203-01,-15,-16,-17,-18
Online Learning: Tools and Strategies for Success (1 unit)
Spring 2016 Greensheet

Enrolled students should receive course invitations via email and within Canvas on January 7, the same day the course site will become available. Preparatory information will be sent via MySJSU on or before January 5.

Note: INFO 203 Must be completed within first 4 weeks of the semester. If 203 is not completed within the first 4 weeks of the semester, a hold will be placed; you will be placed on administrative probation, and you will be unable to register for any more classes in the iSchool.

Course Description

This course introduces students to a variety of successful strategies in the use of new and emerging technologies found in today's online environment. It covers learning management tools, web conferencing, social software, university resources, and other topics that have been identified as being critical for new students.

Course Requirements

Course Calendar
The class is taught in a totally online environment and will involve synchronous and asynchronous activity. The course site will become available on January 7. Students who wish to begin working on the course may do so starting on that date. We strongly advise an early start and completion for this class. Students who are unable to begin early may start the course when all other courses officially begin (January 28).

Important deadlines for the class:

• February 5:  
• Assignments for modules 1, 2, and 3 are due
• Sign-ups for teamwork groups (module 5) must be completed
• February 11:
• Sign-ups for Collaborate training (module 4) must be completed
• Assignment for module 6 is due
• February 25: All work must be successfully completed

Course Assignment Details
This one unit course consists of nine modules. Since this is a one unit CR/NC course, assignments consist of showing competency in various learning platforms and engaging in discussion related to readings and questions raised by the instructor. Details follow:

• Learning Management System (supports CLO #2)
  Students will work within the Canvas learning management system and demonstrate competency by:
  • setting up personal information
  • accessing the class roster
  • using e-mail
  • working with discussion areas to post messages and replies
  • accessing and editing the calendar
  • submitting an assignment
  • retrieving a graded assignment and comments
  • uploading work to their personal ePortfolio area
    
    
• Social Networking Platforms and Principles (supports CLO #1)
  Students will learn principles of social networking and demonstrate competency by:
  
  • setting up a blog (use of a pseudonym/alias is acceptable)
  • identifying the link to the blog, to a specific post and to the RSS feed for the blog
  • setting up an account on a collaborative social networking site
    
    
• Technology Tools and Literacy (supports CLO #1)
  Students will demonstrate and verify basic technology requirements. 
  
  
• Web Conferencing: Blackboard Collaborate (supports CLO #3)
  Students will work within the Collaborate web conferencing system and demonstrate competency by:
  • connecting to Collaborate
  • participating in a synchronous session including audio
  • using breakout rooms for small group discussion
  • using the whiteboard for collaborative interaction
  • using Blackboard IM to communicate
    
    
• Personal Skills (supports CLO #4)
  Students will:
  • contribute to a collaborative online document
  • apply teamwork skills by collaborating with fellow students to develop a list of ground rules for group work
    
    
• E-mail Discussion Lists (supports CLO #1)
  Students will compare using e-mail and RSS for receipt of information.
  
  
• King Library Resources (supports CLO #4)
  Students will demonstrate their understanding of online library resources by:
  • creating a PIN for their library account
  • successfully completing the LOTSS tutorial (3 modules)
  • successfully completing the library's "Plagiarism--Graduate Level" tutorial
    
    
• APA Style (supports CLO #4)
  Students will retrieve a scholarly article on a specified topic and properly format the appropriate reference citation in APA style.
  
  
• MySJSU (supports CLO #4)
  Students will successfully complete an online quiz to demonstrate their understanding of the follow processes:
  
  • finding help for MySJSU
  • checking grades
  • checking finances
  • working with messaging
  • identifying their academic advisor

Earning Credit:
This one unit CR/NC course is required for all incoming students. In order to obtain a CR:

• all activities listed in the course content that require a demonstration of competency must be successfully completed.
• all reading and discussion items must be completed at the "B" level or better.
• all assignments and activities must be completed by February 25.

Readings

In addition to the required textbook (see "Textbooks" section further down this page), online readings include:

• LOTSS: Library Online Tutorial for the School of Information Students. Retrieved from http://tutorials.sjlibrary.org/guides/tutorial/lotss-module-1
  
  
• Plagiarism -- Graduate Level. Retrieved from http://library.sjsu.edu/video/plagiarism-graduate-level
  
  
• Canvas Student Tutorials. Retrieved from http://ischoolapps.sjsu.edu/canvas/student/
   
• Student Guide to Blackboard Collaborate. Retrieved from http://ischool.sjsu.edu/current-students/technology-support/blackboard-collaborate/blackboard-collaborate-web-conferencing
  
• Additional material will be posted on the course Canvas site.

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Course Workload Expectations

Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of forty-five hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, clinical practica. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus.

Instructional time may include but is not limited to:
Working on posted modules or lessons prepared by the instructor; discussion forum interactions with the instructor and/or other students; making presentations and getting feedback from the instructor; attending office hours or other synchronous sessions with the instructor.

Student time outside of class:
In any seven-day period, a student is expected to be academically engaged through submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam or an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction; building websites, blogs, databases, social media presentations; attending a study group;contributing to an academic online discussion; writing papers; reading articles; conducting research; engaging in small group work.

Course Prerequisites

INFO 203 has no prequisite requirements.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Employ appropriate social networking software for collaboration with colleagues.
2. Utilize a learning management system to organize coursework.
3. Use the tools of web conferencing software to work synchronously with colleagues.
4. Implement a variety of strategies to ensure success while taking coursework via an online environment.

Core Competencies (Program Learning Outcomes)

INFO 203 supports the following core competencies:

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Textbooks

Required Textbooks:

• American Psychological Association (2009). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) American Psychological Association. Available through Amazon: 1433805618.

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Grading

This is a Credit/No Credit course. Incompletes are considered on a case-by-case basis, and are given for family or work emergency situations.

University Policies

General Expectations, Rights and Responsibilities of the Student

As members of the academic community, students accept both the rights and responsibilities incumbent upon all members of the institution. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with SJSU's policies and practices pertaining to the procedures to follow if and when questions or concerns about a class arises. See University Policy S90-5 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S90-5.pdf. More detailed information on a variety of related topics is available in the SJSU catalog at http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/catalog/departments/LIS.html. In general, it is recommended that students begin by seeking clarification or discussing concerns with their instructor. If such conversation is not possible, or if it does not serve to address the issue, it is recommended that the student contact the Department Chair as a next step.

Dropping and Adding

Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop, grade forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester's Catalog Policies section at http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html. Add/drop deadlines can be found on the current academic year calendars document on the Academic Calendars webpage at http://www.sjsu.edu/provost/services/academic_calendars/. The Late Drop Policy is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/policy/. Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes.

Information about the latest changes and news is available at the Advising Hub at http://www.sjsu.edu/advising/.

Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material

University Policy S12-7, http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-7.pdf, requires students to obtain instructor's permission to record the course and the following items to be included in the syllabus:

• "Common courtesy and professional behavior dictate that you notify someone when you are recording him/her. You must obtain the instructor's permission to make audio or video recordings in this class. Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private, study purposes only. The recordings are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not been given any rights to reproduce or distribute the material."
  • It is suggested that the syllabus include the instructor's process for granting permission, whether in writing or orally and whether for the whole semester or on a class by class basis.
  • In classes where active participation of students or guests may be on the recording, permission of those students or guests should be obtained as well.
• "Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and cannot be shared publicly without his/her approval. You may not publicly share or upload instructor generated material for this course such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework solutions without instructor consent."

Academic integrity

Your commitment, as a student, to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University. The University Academic Integrity Policy F15-7 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/F15-7.pdf requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The Student Conduct and Ethical Development website is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct/.

Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 at http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/directives/PD_1997-03.pdf requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the Accessible Education Center (AEC) at http://www.sjsu.edu/aec to establish a record of their disability.

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