Last modified: January 2010

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Adult learning and Assessment is one of the core courses in the M.Ed. degree in Adult & Career Education or the Vocational Education program. The on-line section of this course differs slightly from a classroom-based section in that there are no on-campus class meetings and all course activities are done via the Internet. However, the prerequisites for the course (RSCH 7100), the major objectives, and course grading policies are the same. Additionally, whereas a classroom-based course requires a minimum level of class attendance and participation, the web-based course requires participation via technology (during the Spring, 2010, semester there will be a one-hour weekly audio chat to be held on Wednesday evenings at 5:30pm) This can sometimes provide challenges that are not faced by students in on-campus courses and requires a level of personal discipline (and patience) beyond that to which you may have become accustomed as a graduate student.

The course materials consist of a set of articles and additional materials, many of which are available on the web. The web materials can be accessed by selecting "Educational Psychology Interactive" above and then linking to "Dr. Huitt's materials" under PSYC 7040. Links to the course syllabus and course objectives are available. You will also see a link to Blazeview; that is where you will be able to access Power Point presentations with an audio narrative for some of the topics and where we will discuss questions on course objectives via a bulletin board. In addition to the bulletin board we will participate in one-hour weekly audio chat sessions using Horizon Wimba (accessed through Blazeview).

The minimum requirements for participation in the course are:

1. Be admitted to graduate studies at VSU. The link is http://www.valdosta.edu/gradschool/
2. Completion of RSCH 7100: Educational Research (or its equivalent)
3. A computer and access to the Internet (preferably a high-speed connection, although a high speed modem is often acceptable.)
4. An ability to access the internet, download files, use e-mail (including the use of sending attachments), and other basic computer/internet skills
5. A browser supported by VSU.
6. The plug-ins necessary to run Power Point presentations (PowerPoint 97 Viewer is available for those who don't have Power Point)
7. The plug-in necessary to run Real One Player presentations.
8. The software download necessary to run Yahoo Messenger.
9. The self-discipline necessary to operate in graduate-level course without a lot of supervision.

• Take a quiz on your readiness to take an online course developed by the University System of Georgia.

First Steps:

1. After you have registered for the course, contact Dr. Huitt at whuitt@valdosta.edu, giving him your email address so that you can be added to the course list.
2. Read the syllabus.
3. Download the PowerPoint 97 Viewer (if you don’t have Microsoft Power Point on your computer), Real One Player, and Yahoo Messenger, if not already done so.
4. Look over the course objectives.
5. Look over "The Core Rules of Netiquette" by Virginia Shea.
6. Logon to Blazeview (the link is on the left hand side of the page when you select PSYC 7040 on the Educational Psychology Interactive homepage). Your ID is the first part of your VSU email address (e.g., "whuitt" taken from whuitt@valdosta.edu) and your password is your birthdate in mmddyy format (or your Banner Pin if you have changed it). Your first activity is to make a posting introducing yourself so that I know you have logged-on properly. If you do not know your password or if you want to change your password go to http://www.valdosta.edu/webct/password.shtml. (Note: this may not work properly the first two days of the semester because it has to be set up by the technology folks.)

If you don't know your VSU account name, follow these steps:

1. Go to the  VSU Home Page and click on the Registration and Advising (Banner) entry. 
2. Log into Banner just as you did to register for classes using your Social Security Number and Birthdate [mmddyy format] (or Banner Pin if you have changed it). 
3.Follow the menu entries (Personal Information, Email Address) to access your VSU username and a temporary password. 
4.Click on the "change your password" on that form and select a secure password you won't forget. 

Time Involvement:

A normal 3-hour graduate course meets for 3 hours per week (6 hours during the summer semester) with an expectation of 2 to 3 hours of additional work per hour of class time. The total time involvement for the fall or spring semester is likely to be between 9 and 12 hours per week, including a weekly audio chat; the summer semester web-based course is therefore likely to be 18 to 24 hours per week, including two weekly audio chats. 

Successful Study Habits:

The course consists of a series of modules that address specific course objectives. There are several steps that students have found helpful as they learn to master the course material:

1. Read the objective and determine the specific content or skill to be learned. Go to WebCT and read the questions you will need to answer in the bulletin board. Note:  You will need an ID (your VSU email account name) and password (your birthdate in ddmmyy format). You will be assigned a VSU account by computer technology if you don't already have one.
2. If you think you already know know something about the objective make a few notes from your own knowledge. For example, one of the terms you need to be able to define is "education." Take one minute (but no more) to make a few notes about your definition of education.
3. Write down a few key words about information that you might need to learn.
4. View the Power Point presentation for the objective (if available, a link will be provided on the materials list; a presentation with audio is available via WebCT for most of the objectives.) Actively compare what you are reading to your initial notes and questions. 
5. Read the web-based materials for the objective. Again, actively compare what you are reading to your initial notes and questions.
6. Read the text pages and any additional required material. Again, actively compare what you are reading to your initial notes and questions.
7. Answer questions posted on the WebCT bulletin board and read and respond to other students' postings.
8. Prepare an outline for the objective making sure to cover all the points in the objective and the help statement.
9. Talk or chat with the instructor about the week's readings. You should be prepared with specific questions you want answered.
10. Review this material prior to your taking an exam.

Does this sound like a form of SQ4R? If you are familiar with this study method, you should recognize the steps. Prior to this course, some students have formed the habit of simply reading the required materials and then repeating back what they have memorized. The exams and the optional paper that you will do in this class, however, will be graded, in large part, on your ability to analyze and evaluate information and give examples and applications in an educational setting. In some cases, especially on the 3^rd or 4^th exam, you may also be required to synthesize information and provide original solutions to problems faced by educators. Sample exam questions and answers, as well as sample papers, are provided that exemplify the requirements for this course.

I am looking forward to working with you this semester. It is important to get off to a good start; procrastination can be an ulcer-producing activity in an online course. As soon as I get your email address I will provide additional instructions on what to do next.

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