Not Exactly a FAQ

Here are some Things You Ought to Know about my classes.

Online Classes in General

First, a true statement:

Online classes are MORE DIFFICULT than on-campus classes.
I'm not making it up.
Ask ANYONE who has taken a class with me.

Next, some questions from LTAD's Self-Assessment for students considering online classes.

  1. Am I self-directed, highly motivated, and self-disciplined?
  2. Can I set a personal schedule and complete assigned work by the required dates?
  3. Are my writing and communication skills BETTER THAN AVERAGE?
  4. Do I try to solve problems and work through difficulties independently?
  5. Can I read and follow detailed instructions on my own?
  6. Am I already comfortable with using the Internet as a means of communication and research?
  7. Do I own or have access to a computer with Internet access?

If you cannot truly answer "yes" to all of the above questions, you will experience greater difficulty with any online class.

Online Classes at Valencia

Every online class at Valencia originates from a specific campus (east, Osceola, etc). DIFFERENT CAMPUSES REQUIRE DIFFERENT TEXTBOOKS. Before you purchase a textbook for an online class, make sure you know what textbook to buy.

Steve's Classes

Now, here are some things you should know about my classes.

  1. First and foremost, you should get used to the idea that communication via email takes time. Here's a worst typical case:
    • You ask a question on Monday,
    • I read that question on Tuesday, and if I don't understand part of the question, I have to ask questions to clarify.
    • You read and answer my message on the Wednesday, and
    • I get back to you on Thursday.
    • If you don't check in until the next day, that's a week's worth of time spent getting your answer.
    So, ASK EARLY. (Obviously, if we're both online more often, the time lag shortens, but if you're a once-a-week student, answers will come REALLY late.)
  2. In my online classes, I prefer to confine all written correspondence to Blackboard. Please use Blackboard Mail instead of Atlas mail.
  3. Assignments are nominally due at midnight, but I don't collect them until 4 AM. If you need a few minutes or an hour after midnight, don't sweat it. It won't be late until I collect them, and I promise not to collect them before 4 AM.
  4. Don't be late. Assignments between 4 hours and 7 days late cost you half of the entire assignment's points. Assignments later than 7 days are worth zero points.
  5. IF an assignment carries some extra credit (XC), that XC will not count on late assignments. For example, some 8-point assignments might actually include 9 or even 10 points, but the MAXIMUM you can score for a late assignment is 4 points.
  6. In most of my classes, you can work one week ahead. I encourage you to do so.
  7. This is not a correspondence course. To get full points, you can't just log in, perform this week's assignment, and log out. Every week, you must work through exercises in the textbook, engage in online discussions, read (as much as you need of) the "beyond the book" readings, and THEN turn in the assignment.
  8. Textbook hasn't arrived yet? It's on reserve in the library. The reference desk keeps copies of most computer class texts for short term use (a couple hours at a time). You will need a valid Valencia photo ID. Call ahead.
  9. All my classes lean heavily on Blackboard (Bb).
    1. Learn to use Bb by starting at
      Valencia Online 101 - The Student Experience.
      (You'll have to log in to view the site.)
      This is part 1 of the class orientation. If you haven't taken the time to learn Bb, do it now.
      Then,
    2. Look for our class at learn.valenciacollege.edu.
  10. It's an axiom in college that you can expect to spend at least twice the class time, each week, outside class, working on that class. For example, in a class that meets for three hours each week, you can expect to work at least six hours outside of class.

    So, for any class, expect to work at least nine hours every week, in class and out, during a long term, such as fall or spring.
  11. During the summer (or a late-start or other flex term), we cover the same material in a shorter time, so weekly work sessions are longer.

    Expect to work twice as long each week during a summer term or a late-start term.
    That's 18 hours PER WEEK or more!
  12. Almost all assignments are due Sunday nights at midnight.
  13. Almost NONE of them can be finished in one sitting, so start early.
  14. I've set Bb so you can only submit an assignment once. If you make updates or corrections after you've submitted the assignment (but before I begin grading), attach the zip to a Bb "Messages" message (a/k/a Bb mail).
  15. Assignments will be available until their "cutoff" dates (exactly one week after their due dates), but I charge a "late fee" of HALF THE BASE VALUE of the assignment, and any possible extra credit.
    If you miss the cutoff date, you forfeit all points for that assignment.
  16. I always round down to the nearest whole number. On assignments, tests, reviews, and the Final, if your score is, say, 7.7, your grade is 7.
  17. In most classes, grades are predicated on 100 points, total. If you get 90 points in the class, you get an A. Period.

    Note that during the term, your percentage grade might be very high. DO NOT BE LULLED by high percentages. At the end of the term, the only number that matters is the number of points you've earned. Once you've earned 90 POINTS, you will have an A in this class.

    Example: if, without the final exam, you've got 87 points, that's 97 percent. That is NOT 97 points, and if you don't take the final, you will get a B.
  18. Most weeks, for classes with a textbook, a chapter "Review" test affords the chance to gain 1 extra point.
    10 tests = 10 points—an entire letter grade—in most classes.
  19. For classes with a textbook, the final exam will look similar to the Reviews, but it will contain more questions, for a possible 10 points.
  20. Exams:
    On-campus Classes only:
    • Take the final in class according to the final exam schedule.
    		Online and Hybrid Classes only:
    • Take the final exam on your own time, as it becomes available.

What's missing? Help me help current and future students.

Steve's Main Page