This syllabus is for the course as taught at Western Montana College of the University of Montana.

Costs and Registration

Cost for one semester credit is $80, to be paid to Western's Division of Outreach. Fill out the attached Registration Form and send it and your check to:

Western Montana College of the University of Montana,
Division of Outreach,
710 S. Atlantic Street,
Dillon, MT 59725

For further information, or to register by phone:
(406) 683-7537
or e-mail Outreach Director Vickie Lansing(v_lansing@wmc.edu)
Or click here for the WMC registration form.

Introduction

This course was created as component of the Reach for the Sky project, funded by the Annenberg/CPB Math and Science project and the US WEST Foundation.

Objectives

The student will:

- Master the format and organizational logistics for creating, beginning, conducting, and finishing the teaching of an online course.

- Participate in ongoing discussions with the other members of this course regarding online mentorship and instruction.

- Develop an understanding of the key issues and barriers relevant to online instruction.

- Develop an appreciation of the considerations of adapting learners to a new communications medium.

- Develop an understanding of the multimedia support options for online instruction.

Credit

One semester credit at the 491 undergraduate level, suitable for recertification in many schools.

Texts

No printed texts will be used. Selected online readings will be included as a part of the lessons.

Prerequisites

Students should have completed the 'Learning Basic Internet Skills' and 'Classroom Collaboration on the Internet' courses.

Required Equipment and Software

1. 486 or higher PC running the Windows operating system or a Macintosh running the System 7.1 operating system or higher.

2. 20MB's of hard drive space and at least 8 megabytes of RAM (16MB recommended).

3. Netscape and a PPP/SLIP or direct Internet connection.

4. For dialup access a 28.8 or higher speed modem is strongly recommended.

Grading

Completion of each lesson's tasks will be worth 20 points for a total of 240 points. "Attendance" will be worth 5 points per lesson. At least one email message per lesson, but in some instances more, will count as "attendance". Grading will follow the traditional 90% or greater equals an A, 80% or greater equals a B, etc. The course favors a mastery learning approach. Ongoing individualized assistance will be available through online messaging and/or voice phone conferencing.

Technical Support

Your local provider should be able to provide most of the technical support that you require.