Assignment
Summary
There are
assignments and activities associated with each course lesson. Traditional
assessment tools, (quizzes, exams, research papers, participation) and
alternative assessment measures (projects, activities, group & team
projects) are integrated into the course assignments. The assignments
are designed to facilitate student learning and to provide evaluation
data. Assessment rubrics will be used to evaluate participation, mid-term
exam, group projects, and the final research paper so students know
the standards for assigning grades.
Links
to assignments for individual lessons:
Assignments
- Lesson One
Assignments - Lesson Two
Assignments - Lesson Three
Assignments - Lesson Four
Assignments - Lesson Five
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Grading
Criteria:
100 points
total
- Participation,
30 points
- Activities/Assignments,
15 points
- Mid-term
Exam, 15 points
- Final
Research Paper, 20 points
- Group
Project, 20 points
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Assignment
Descriptions
Participation
Participation
is a major element of this course and will be weighted most heavily
in determining students' grades for this course. A series of weekly
discussions focusing on distance education will be a very important
component of this course. Discussion questions for each lesson will
be posted each Sunday evening by 10:00 pm. The discussion questions
will be available for 7 days. The forum will be locked for postings
after 7 days. Students are also required to participate in two scheduled
Web cam chat sessions with the instructor.
Participation
Standard:
Students
will be expected to respond to each discussion question. Students will
be expected to support their responses with relevant online and/or print
sources. Student teams will be responsible for creating and facilitating
the discussion board for one series of discussion questions and/or posting
questions for guest speakers.
Participation
Assessment Rubric:
Criteria |
Points
|
Participation
in required weekly discussions (per expectations outlined above) |
8
|
Overall
quality of contributions
Responses are clear and concise and supported by reading, class
discussions, and your own experience or outside resources. Responds
thoughtfully and intelligently to postings of other students. |
8
|
Team
facilitation of discussion board
Questions are thoughtful and relate directly to the topic. Facilitators
respond in timely fashion and make concerted effort to stimulate
class discussion. |
6
|
Participation
in guest speaker discussions |
6
|
Participation
in "real time" chat session with instructor |
2
|
Mid-term
Participation Evaluation:
Students
will receive a mid-term class participation evaluation. The evaluation
is designed to give students tangible feedback on their participation
up to that point in the course. This will give students the opportunity
to improve their participation grade if they are not meeting the instructor's
expectations.
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Weekly
self-assessment quizzes
To help
you determine if you understand the reading, there will be an online
quiz associated with each lesson. The most important aspects of the
reading will be tested. Each student will be required to take each quiz
at least once to receive all 5 points.
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Activities/Assignments
Assignments
and activities will be required for each lesson. Some assignments and
activities will require small group collaboration. Students will be
required to participate in outside online seminars that focus on distance
education and online learning.
Mid-term
Exam
The mid-term will be an essay exam. Students will have a chose to complete
four of the six essay questions to answer.
Mid-term
Assessment Rubric:
Criteria |
Points
|
Responses
are well developed with examples and cover relevant concepts |
5
|
Responses
demonstrate depth of knowledge on the question |
5
|
Responses
clearly and appropriately respond to topic |
5
|
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Research
Paper
The research paper should review, analyze and evaluate a particular
topic in distance education. Students can choose from one of the topics
covered in class or another area of interest related to distance education.
The instructor must approve the precise topic for the paper.
Final
Research Paper Rubric:
Criteria |
Points
|
Important
information covered in logical progression |
5
|
Demonstrates
depth of knowledge on the topic |
4
|
Uses
varied research sources (books, magazines, journals, online sources,
class material) |
2
|
Well
developed central thesis with introduction, body, and conclusion |
4
|
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Group
Project
Group
Project rubric:
Criteria |
Points
|
Written
presentation:
- accurate
and includes relevant information
- contains
appropriate and specific details on the topic
- clearly
and coherently organized
|
10
|
PowerPoint
presentation:
- Graphical
elements uses appropriately
- Background
& text work together
- Covers
main topics
|
5
|
Peer
Evaluation (see peer evaluation rubric) |
5
|
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Peer
Evaluation Rubric: Students should apply the following assessment
criteria to assign peer evaluation points when evaluating team or group
members
Criteria |
Points
|
Contributes
ideas to the group/team |
1
|
Meets
deadlines |
1
|
Willingness
to contribute |
1
|
Contributes
with written and research materials for the group project |
2
|
How
to Submit and Name Assignments:
All assignments
should be sent to the instructor as an email attachment. The subject
of your email should bear the assignment name and your last name. All
assignments must be sent in as Microsoft Word, Word Perfect, html, or
rtf formats. Make sure your name and assignment name is also included
in the text of the document you are sending.
If you
are unable to email your assignment by the due date and time due to
technical problems, you may fax a copy to 303/933-4932. However, an
electronic copy will still be required as soon as it is available.
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