Generic
"Online" Summer Course Syllabus
Generic
"Online" Summer Course Syllabus
Instructor: Jim Mihal
E-Mail: natsci225@gmail.com
Contact Hours: Email me anytime, I will try to respond within 24 hours.
See Blackboard for times you can call, text, or Video using Meet, Zoom, or Skype.
Phone: (262) 751-6465 (my cell)
Prerequisites: None
Credits: 3
Due Dates:
Please see the "Daily Schedule" link in the announcement page of Blackboard for
exact dates
Daily Schedule - See announcement page in Blackboard
Required Materials: All of the reading material is online and free. You can reach this material by clicking the Study Guide links below.
Format: Online reading, discussion board, homework assignments and evaluations. All class related material is offered through Blackboard.
Attendance: I will be taking attendance each week of the summer session. MATC has a new attendance policy. It states:
"Enrollment Services will administratively withdraw for non-attendance students
who fail to attend (participate in)
class during the first two weeks of (this) course". Since this is an online class and assignment
due dates follow a “floating schedule”, here is how I will interpret and
implement this policy:
Important: Please read the "Welcome Message" for class procedures. This message can be found in the announcements page in blackboard. There you will find a short survey (worth 5 points) which requests information I need to get you set up in this class. This message also gives details about tests, assignments and discussion topics and information on due dates. There are some things you will need to do immediately. They are:
I will take attendance each week. MATC administration will drop you if you are marked absent during the first two weeks of the class. Please read the attendance policy listed above and make sure you understand it.
I hope you enjoy this course in astronomy. You will not be required to do any complex mathematics in this course. However, we will present many ideas and concepts in this class and this is the material I will stress on the evaluations. The course can be broken down into these main topics:
The History of Astronomy
Models of the Universe
Coordinate Systems and
Calendars
Orbital Motion and Eclipses
Tools used by Astronomers
and Laws of Physics
Our Solar System
Stellar Astronomy
Galactic Astronomy
Evolution of the Universe
This class is administered through a program called Blackboard. You will find links to all class related materials (including this syllabus) by visiting the MATC web site and logging on to Blackboard. You will want to verify your access to blackboard soon after this introduction.
There will be 5 tests worth 100 points each. All 100 point tests are taken online through blackboard. I will drop your lowest test score .... meaning only the highest 4 test scores will count. I'm offering you a chance to prepare for each test with a practice quiz (worth no points). The final exam is comprehensive and is worth 300 points. Your instructor or a third party service (known as SmarterProctoring) will proctor (oversee) your final exam. Details given about 2 weeks before it is offered. Students missing the final exam (or not following the ID check procedures) will receive a zero. No make-up is given for missing the final exam except in extreme and documented circumstances (and at the instructor’s discretion). Make every possible effort to contact your instructor PRIOR to the end of the exam period if an emergency prevents you from taking the final exam.
You are required to watch four videos from the NOVA mini-series ORIGINS. Each video assignment is worth 25 points for a total of 100 points for the entire series. Details regarding this assignment can be found in the icon labeled Assignments in blackboard. In addition, all students are required to earn 100 points which may be earned by learning the basic functions of a planetarium program (virtual sky program). I cover the workings of a free program called Stellarium but if you already use another program that is fine. Details regarding this assignment can be found in the icon labeled Assignments in blackboard. All students are required to earn 100 points by researching topics found in the discussion board. Please see the "daily schedule" found in the welcome message in Blackboard for completion times.
Grades are determined as follows:
| Point Value | Location in Blackboard |
Due Dates |
|
| 5 Unit Tests (each worth 100 points) | 400 total (lowest dropped) | Quizzes & Tests
|
Look in the "daily schedule" (each test is only open for a limited time) |
| Comprehensive Proctored Final Exam | 300 | ||
| Required Video Assignments (NOVA - Origins) | 100 | Assignments | Due before the last day of class (please don't wait that long) |
| Virtual Sky program (Stellarium software) | 100 | Assignments | Very helpful if learned in Unit 1. Due before the final exam period. (please don't wait that long) |
| Discussion Board | 100 | Discussion Board | You are required to answer one question in each of the 5 topics listed. There are strict due dates for each topic. See the discussion board and daily schedule. |
| Extra Credit | 40 | Assignments | Due before the last day of class (please don't wait that long) |
There are 1000 possible points you can earn in this class. Your grade is based on a percentage basis of that total.
| Percent | Points | Grade |
| 92.5 -100% | 925 - 1000 | A |
| 90 - 92.4% | 900 - 924 | A- |
| 87.5 - 89.9% | 875 - 899 | B+ |
| 82.5 - 87.4% | 825 - 874 | B |
| 80 - 82.4% | 800 - 824 | B- |
| 77.5 - 79.9% | 775 - 799 | C+ |
| 72.5 - 77.4% | 725 - 774 | C |
| 70 - 72.4% | 700 - 724 | C- |
| 67.5 - 69.9% | 675 - 699 | D+ |
| 62.5 - 67.4% | 625 - 674 | D |
| 60 - 62.4% | 600 - 624 | D- |
| 0 - 59.9% | 0 - 599 | U |
Any summer class requires extraordinary time management! The entire course is condensed into 7 frantic weeks, so you have no time, whatsoever, to put things off. This translates to about 8-9 days to cover each of the five units in the class. You should plan on being prepared to take each unit test on the following dates:
Unit 1 June
21, 2022
Unit 2 June 29
Unit 3 July 8
Unit 4 July 17
Unit 5 July 26
Final Exam: July 28- 30
The exact dates each activity is open can be found in the "daily schedule" in Blackboard.
You may complete the required NOVA - Origins assignments anytime before the last day of the class as well as the required Stellarium planetarium software (but please do not wait that long to get them in). However, discussion questions closely follow the lecture material ... therefore, each discussion question has a range of dates that you should submit your answer in. Please pay close attention to the discussion due dates because once I post the answers, I cannot accept any late work. It is a good idea to submit your work to the discussion board well ahead of the due date. If your response in incorrect, needs alterations, and/or corrections, you can resubmit work as long as the answers have not been posted.
Important Additional Information
Please look over the syllabus addendum and course outcomes folder listed in Blackboard. There you will find much more information related to such things as: the skills you will obtain by taking this course (course outcomes and competencies) , ADA statements, student code of conduct, grade appeal processes, procedures for dropping the class, how and where to get help, and much more.
I hope you enjoy this class...Good Luck!
Some GREAT general links:
Worldwide Telescope (free download here)
The Nine Planets (a great overview of the solar system)
Sky and Telescope web page (news, sky maps, etc.)
Get the latest space news at
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space
http://www.space.com/news/
http://www.spacedaily.com/
http://news.discovery.com/space
http://www.universetoday.com/
https://www.technology.org/category/space/
Test 1 The sky and coordinate systems, Ancient History of Astronomy
Test 2 Modern History of Astronomy, planetary motion and models, gravity
Test 3 Orbital properties of the moon, Laws of Physics, Tools of
Astronomers, Probes
Test 4 The Solar System
Test 5 Stars, Galaxies and the Evolution of the Universe