Welcome Letter
Welcome to WMNST 001.
This course uses a variety of media to enhance your learning experience, so please read over these points to ensure that you are prepared to begin this virtual endeavor:
- WMNST 001 does not meet face-to-face. This is a completely online course, and requires all communication to be electronic.
- It will be your responsibility to check your email and the class weblog at least once a day. You will likely need to check email more than once a day, particularly when working on group projects.
- You will not be taught to use the technology in the class, but I will provide some guidance for you as you learn to use the course website.
- Online classes require much more individual work than face-to-face classes. This class will make up for the absent face-to-face time with reading and responding on the course website. Expect to read and write at least a couple of hours a week more than you would in the equivalent face-to-face version of this class.
- Successful students in online classes are typically self-motivated and eager to ask questions as they come up. They are good at working and accomplishing tasks on their own. They are comfortable reading and digesting textual information without the auditory feedback that regular classes provide. If you need one-on-one, face-to-face contact with an instructor, this may not be the class for you.
- You are responsible for access to a computer and the Internet. You should also make sure that your Web browser (for example, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera, or Netscape) is up-to-date and functions properly. You will also need to have access to your email, through Penn State's ANGEL system or another that allows you to send and receive attachments reliably and conveys a professional ethos.
- You must have a functioning email address at the start of class.
- You must sign up for a new account and complete registration on the course website.
If at any time you have questions about the course, please let me know.