Month: May 2020

Students Who Are New To Online Math

If you have taken an online math course before, you may not necessarily need to read this part.  Most students are very accustomed to having an instructor immediately present when they are learning math.  When something doesn’t make sense, they can instantly raise their hand or interject and ask questions that help clarify for them.  In an online course, asking questions during the learning process is quite different.  I post links to notes, videos and suggested solutions, while students are also able to e-mail to ask for assistance if something still does not make sense to them.  Depending on the day of the week and time of day, I usually send responses in anywhere from 10 minutes to 24 hours.  Students enrolling in an online class should also be honest with themselves upfront about how they will feel, reading uploaded documents to understand how the course works and searching through online menus to locate assignments and parts of the course.  Reading the syllabus and FAQ documents I post will give you an idea of how to start the course, the weekly expectations, how to submit assignments, when things are due, etc.

 

Things To Know About My Online Courses

1. Course material is organized inside D2L (LSC-Online).  MyMathLab is not required or used for my online courses.  Resources to help you understand the material are uploaded in the form of YouTube content, PDF documents, and homework solutions.  Specific problems and topics may only have one or two of these types of resources prepared.
2. Exams and homework are done in paper/pencil format.  For homework, you will complete homework using paper/pencil, and then you will upload it to a dropbox in D2L as a scanned PDF file. I will provide you information on how to use your cell phone to do this. No scanner needed.  For exams, these are proctored online through D2L. You will need access to a webcam for this. No webcam on your computer? No problem! I will provide you information on how to use your cell phone as a webcam for exams.
3. For some courses, calculators may be prohibited on some exams. This information will be explicitly stated well in advance so that you can prepare appropriately. In courses where we do use a calculator, I recommend either a TI-83, TI-84, or TI-nspire CX. All other models must be approved with me in advance of any exams.
4. Courses are not self-paced.  Each week, you have particular assignments and topics for focus.  Weekly participation in a discussion board requires that you log in at least twice each week.
5. Each week I will provide an estimate of how long the material may take to complete. This is a very rough estimate and you may take more or less time than what is stated. In general, you should be prepared to spend at least double the contact hours of the course in order to achieve your best possible outcome. For example, in a 16 week Fall/Spring semester, any math course that begins with 13## would require a minimum of 6 hours per week (48 contact hours x 2 divided by 16 weeks). In the same semester, any math course that begins with 24## would require a minimum of 10 hours per week (80 contact hours x 2 divided by 16 weeks). It is imperative that you plan your time accordingly.
6. We will have a weekly live meeting where I will answer homework questions and work additional examples on the current material. The days and times for these will be announced at the beginning of the semester. The sessions will be recorded and posted in D2L in case you have to miss one here or there. Attendance is highly encouraged at these sessions.
7. Exams are generally open over a period of approximately three calendar days (usually Friday through Sunday unless there is a holiday).  Based on your schedule, you decide when in the three days is best for you to take your exam.
8. Deadlines for discussion board, homework, and exams are not extended.  If you think that procrastinating in an online course may be a large concern for you, please understand that deadlines for these courses are not negotiable.
9. Most importantly, you are not alone in an online course. I am only an email away and would love to help you grow in your mathematical understanding and ability. No content question or concern is unwelcome and I will always do my best to respond as quickly and thoroughly as I am able.

 

If you have any questions or concerns before signing up for one of my courses, please reach out to me at shelby.l.bercu@lonestar.edu. I look forward to working with you soon!