Introductory Information

Sections

I am teaching 2 sections of 102q online—QL and QM. However, for the purposes of how I handle my online course, it doesn't matter which section you're in—I treat it as one big class.

Where to Go for Information

This web site is the primary means of communication for the course—coming here is like going to class. You will find announcements on the home page and links to course information, assignments, and necessary resources. This is also where you will write, read, and comment on blog posts.

We will use email as well: for asking questions and submitting some assignments. Also, I will sometimes send email reminders to the class.

Finally, we will use the Comment website for peer response and grading of essays. You will find a link to the Comment site on most pages of this site.

Texts

The texts for the course are

1. Andrea Lunsford’s The Everyday Writer (3rd edition), a handbook that will help you with grammar, punctuation, documentation, and so forth. This text is required and will be used for some of your assignments. This text, if purchased new, is bundled with an access code for Comment.
   
   
2. John Trimble's Writing with Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing. This small book offers practical insights to help you grow as a writer. It is written in a conversational style, and it has the best explanation of audience I have read. It's one of my favorite books on writing. It too is required for some of your assignments.

In addition to these two print resources, we will also use

• the course web site (where you are now), and
• Comment, a web site designed for peer response and grading of student essays. You can learn more about Comment here. If you purchased a used copy of The Everyday Writer, you can purchase a Comment access code separately at Snoozy's or online on the Comment web site.

How the Course Works

1. Your assignments instructions will be posted on this course web site—see the links in the sidebar at right. I also will post reminders and supplementary information as needed on the site. You would be wise to check the site's home page once a day for any announcements.
2. There are no chat or other required meeting times for the course.
3. Blogs will be an integral part of this course, providing a place for group discussion as well as personal reflection and thinking about our assignments.
4. Major assignments will be due on Sundays and Wednesdays at midnight (though you may not have something due every Sunday or Wednesday). Blog posts may be due at other times.
5. Many of your assignments will require you to turn in small pieces along the way—this helps me to know that you are a) keeping up, and b) understanding the assignment.
6. All due dates for a particular assignment will be provided when the assignment is put online.
7. I make each assignment available as we finish the current assignment. This is not an independent study, and you cannot work at your own pace.

Grading

You will receive grades for three types of assignments: essays, mini-projects, and peer response. The relative weight of each type of work is detailed below. You will find specific instructions in the Assignments section.

Assignment Weights

You must earn at least 70% (C–) on the combined average of your essays to pass the course with a C.

Essays (75%)

Essays are graded according to specific criteria that will be provided to you for each assignment. My criteria are based on the English Department's generic standards for essays in 101 and 102, which you can read on the next page.

1. Essay 1 (15%)
   (1000–1250 words)
2. Essay 2 (20%)
   (1500–2000 words)
3. Essay 3 (25%)
   (1500–2000 words)
4. Essay 4 (25%)
   (1500–2000 words)
5. Essay 5 (15%)
   (1000–1250 words)

Mini-Projects (20%)

Mini-projects focus on smaller writing tasks, portions of assignments, or on helping you develop your understanding of what constitutes successful writing.

Response Grade (5%)

This grade is an average of grades given for your participation in peer response to essay drafts.

Scale

Your grades are calculated on a 10-point scale:

• A=90–100
• B=80–89
• C=70–79
• D=60–69
• F=below 60

Note: I do not automatically round up final grades—in other words, a 79.9 is a C, not a B. This policy may seem harsh, but it is based on fairness: where do I draw the line? It may seem reasonable to round up a tenth or even half a point, but what about a whole point? Two? Every semester I get requests from students to round up their grades two, three, or even five points! Therefore, I have concluded that it is best both for me and my students that students receive the grade that they earn.

How I Calculate Grades

I use gradebook software that generates individual grade summaries that will be sent to you periodically via email. These summaries serve two functions: first, to let you monitor your performance, and second, to allow you to double-check that I have accurately recorded your grades.

Your grades are calculated according to the percentage weights specified above, with this exception:

You must earn at least 70% (C–) on the combined average of your essays to pass the course with a C.

If you have a question about your average, please ask.

Academic Misconduct

Academic dishonesty, which includes cheating and plagiarism, is a serious offense and one that I do not take lightly. The University allows faculty to fail students for the course when academic misconduct can be demonstrated. When such a failure occurs, University policy requires that a letter explaining the cause of failure be sent to the Associate Provost’s office and kept on file; the policy also states that two failures for academic misconduct will result in expulsion from the University. If you are found guilty of cheating or plagiarism in this course, you will fail the course (unless, of course, you withdraw from the course before final grades are assigned). You can find more details in both the print and online versions of the undergraduate catalog (see the section on “Academic Conduct”), which includes the following definition:

PLAGIARISM: claiming as your own the ideas, words, data, computer programs, creative compositions, artwork, etc., done by someone else. Examples include improper citation of referenced works, use of commercially available scholarly papers, failure to cite sources, or copying other’s ideas.

Further, the School of Arts and Humanities policy on plagiarism states:

Plagiarism is using the words or thoughts of another person without proper citation; specifically, it is submitting as one’s own work any portion of a book, magazine, journal, handout, original creation, speech, lecture, oral communication, paper or examination written by someone else. Plagiarism is a serious offense. All members of the educational community must carefully avoid plagiarism by fully acknowledging the sources of studies, projects, and ideas which have been produced by another person. Note: unless an assignment specifically states that research is required or allowed, you should not do any research to complete your graded work.

Be Techno-Savvy

As you know, computers and technology don't always work the way they are supposed to. Even geeks have problems from time to time. You don't have to be a computer wiz to handle an online course, but you do need to be a wise user of technology. Being a wise user means that you

• ask questions as soon as a problem arises that you can't fix;
• contact me by phone if you can't access your email or the course web site; and,
• have a backup plan.

For example, I have a Gmail account that I use as a backup for this course when my dot-com access goes down (and it always does at some point in the semester). I encourage you to think now about what you would do if your computer crashed—do you have access to the Internet somewhere else? I know that if I lose my connection at home, I can go to the public library or to campus.

Wise use of technology also means investigating your options regarding the software you use for the course.

• Students can buy Microsoft Office (which includes Word) at the Blazer Bookstore for very cheap (about $10 the last time I checked).
• A web-based email account for this class will allow you to check messages from any location in which you have Internet access, giving you more flexibility.
• Internet Explorer is not the only browser available (though Microsoft would certainly like you to think so!). Many experts recommend using Firefox, a free browser that is faster and more secure than Explorer. Firefox offers many useful features, and I have found it indispensible. It's also guaranteed to display all materials for this course correctly, which cannot be said for any version of Explorer. Obviously, you aren't required to use Firefox, but I would encourage you to download it and try it out. You can learn more about it here.

My goal here is not to scare you but to get you thinking about your options should a problem arise. Also, know that I understand when technology becomes a hindrance rather than a help; if you run into problems, let me know and we can work something out. With this in mind, AOL users, please keep reading...

A Note to AOL Users

If you don't use AOL, skip to the next section. If you do use AOL, however, what follows is essential to your success in this course.

In teaching online for many years, I've found that AOL consistently causes problems. It filters out email messages sent to the entire class because the messages are incorrectly identified as spam. My conversations with AOL technical support have been unhelpful in finding a way to resolve this issue. I strongly encourage you to set up a free email account with Hotmail or Gmail and use it exclusively for this course. The added benefit is that course messages won't get lost in the midst of your other messages. Just send me a message with your new email address.

Note: if you would like a Gmail account, let me know and I can send you an invitation for an account.

Turning in Your Assignments

File Formats

• You must submit final drafts of all documents to me in Microsoft Word format (.doc).
• Comment requires that you upload your file as HTML.
• If all else fails, use the "Save As" option in your software and choose RTF (Rich Text Format) from the list of options. For help in saving a file as RTF, see this helpful page.
• If you do not have Word, you can purchase it for about $10 + tax at the UAB Blazer Bookstore, with a student ID. They offer 2 versions of Microsoft Office (which includes Word), depending on which version of Windows you are using (Mac users can also buy Office for Mac at a discount).

Getting It to Me

You have 2 options for getting your assignments to me:

• sending it as an attachment with your email message. If you need help figuring out how to send an attachment, you may find these instructions helpful.
• pasting it into the body of your email message. This works fine for drafts but isn't the best solution for final versions of essays where formatting is more important.
• Please note that even when you post a draft in Comment, you must still send a copy of your work to me as well.

Getting Help

I want to finish with what I consider to be the most important piece of information—

I'm excited about the semester and look forward to working with you on your writing. I enjoy teaching and I love my job. I have a good time working with my students, and I find it rewarding to see you learn and grow as writers and thinkers.

Just because we don’t meet face-to-face does not mean that you are on your own. It means only that you must take the initiative to ask questions. I am very much available to help you, either via email or by phone:

Email

• Be sure to use the right email address: 102q at danbutcher dot com.
• Provide a useful and specific subject line: question about essay 2 sources is much more helpful than something like help or question.
• Include your name (first and last) in the message body. Don't expect me to remember that you are dolphingirl@waterworld.com or prtyboi@nitelife.org.
• Treat your email communication with me as professional correspondence.

Phone

• office—934-8578—on MWF mornings only
• home—822-5041, between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
• If you get an answering machine at either number—or my wife at home—please leave not only your name and phone number but also which class you are in (“online 102” or something like that). This lets me know what information I need to be prepared with when I contact you.

Or, if you're on campus, don't hesitate to come by my office—207D in the Humanities Building. I have office hours from 8–9 a.m. MWF, and other times are available by appointment.

Please get in touch if you have any questions.