CULTURAL DIVERSITY ONLINE

COURSE ORIENTATION

Welcome to COMM 1000 Online! The following “course orientation” is designed to help students gain a better understanding the dynamics for this course.

COURSE PREREQUISITES:

Basic Computer Knowledge:

Cultural Diversity Online is a COMPUTER intensive course. All course material (with the exception of the textbook content) will be delivered through WebCT. This means that students are required to have basic-advanced knowledge of computers, computer applications, and trouble-shooting.

Do you know how to download a file from the Internet?

Do you know how to attach a file to an e-mail?

Do you know how to determine the size of a file?

Do you know how to use MS Word?

Do you know how to use MS Power Point?

Do you know how to access MyDC?

Do you know how to upload files to MyDC?

You are expected to be familiar with how to use a computer and WebCT to be successful in this (or any other) online course. Although this may sound rude, it is not my “job” to teach you how to use WebCT or any of the course-required computer-related programs/hardware. I am not qualified to be an instructor of technology. My “job” is to teach you as much as I can about communication (and even more importantly how to improve your communication effectiveness) in the short time we have together this semester. If you contact me regarding a WebCT or computer-related question, I will just direct you to our VERY capable helpdesk staff!!

If you are having a problem with your computer or WebCT, please contact the WebCT helpdesk. Although I consider myself technologically advanced…I’m not very good at answering technology-related questions or solving technology-related problems (remember my degree is in communication!) The helpdesk is designed to walk you through even the most basic problem. You can reach the helpdesk at (229) 317-6923 or 1-800-861-8318. They are available Monday - Friday (8am - 8pm). Please make sure you take these hours into consideration when you are planning to work on course material. I believe it is “Murphy’s Law” that you are more likely to have a technology problem if you wait until the night before something is due to start working on it. Keep in mind, if you are working on an assignment at 3am and you have problems, you are going to have to wait until the helpdesk opens at 8am for assistance!!!

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

WebCT VISTA:

This course will be using WebCT VISTA instead of WebCT CE. The University System of Georgia has required that all state colleges and universities convert their online curriculum to WebCT Vista starting spring semester, 2007. I decided to try to avoid the chaos of the conversion in December and started teaching using vista during fall, 2006. This is good news for you because I have already worked MANY of the “bugs” out of my vista courses. To access our course you can use the following link:

https://darton.view.usg.edu

Or you can go to Darton’s homepage. Hold your mouse over (don’t click) the WebCT tab across the top and a dropdown menu will appear. WebCT Vista is the 2^nd option.

JAVA:

WebCT Vista cannot operate properly without the latest version of Java. To identify whether or not your computer (or the computer you are using to access this course) has Java, look for the small “steaming coffee cup” icon in the tool bar located at the bottom right corner of your computer screen. If you do not have Java, or you just want to download the latest version, you can go to www.java.com. This download is free.

Mozilla Firefox:

It is suggested that students (and instructors) use Mozilla Firefox as their browser when using WebCT Vista.

Although WebCT Vista CAN operate using Internet Explorer, many of the features of vista cause Internet Explorer to have errors.

MyDC:

You will be required to access various information AND upload files through MyDC throughout the semester (There is also a link to access WebCT Vista within the “my courses” section of MyDC). You can access MyDC through Darton’s homepage, or by clicking the following link: https://portal.darton.edu/cp/home/displaylogin.

Please be aware that you must access your MyDC account every 90 day or the account will become “inactive”. To reactivate your account, please contact the Information Technology Helpdesk at (229) 317-6704.

Audacity:

You will be required to use Audacity to record TWO (2) of the speeches for this course. Audacity is a FREE voice-recording program.

DOWNLOADING AUDACITY

1) Download Audacity to your computer by following the link in the Audacity tutorial (on the course homepage in WebCT)

2) Click on the LAME.dll link within the “Audacity Download” folder.

3) When you click on the link it will ask whether or not you want to “open” or “save to disk”. Select “save to disk”

4) You just need to put this Lame.dll file in your Audacity program file.

a. Select “My Computer”

b. Select “C:”

c. Select “Program Files”

d. Select “Audacity” folder

e. Put the Lame.dll file anywhere in that Audacity folder

5) If your computer is like mine, it automatically saves my download to my desktop. If this is the case, just cut and paste the file into the Audacity program folder.

SAVING YOUR FILES USING AUDACITY

1) Once you have recorded your speech you will need to save it.

2) DO NOT SELECT THE “SAVE AS” OPTION

3) To save your file you will need to “export” it as either a .wav or MP3 file.

4) I prefer MP3 files because they are more compact (smaller file size).

5) Once you have saved your file make sure that the file name says “.mp3” or “.wav”. For example: AmysSelfIntro.mp3 or AmysSelfIntro.wav

6) If your file name ends in .aup you have saved your file as a project. I CAN NOT OPEN ANY FILE THAT ENDS IN .AUP.

ANSWERS TO IMPORTANT COURSE QUESTIONS:

What is an online Cultural Diversity course?

How much time will I need to dedicate to this course on a weekly basis?

What will be the “mechanics” of this online Cultural Diversity course?

What materials are required?

How will I learn the course material?

What types of assignments can I expect?

When are assignments due, and how will I turn them in?

Will it be easy to communicate with my instructor for this course?

Will it be easy to communicate with my classmates in this course?

What if I have course related problems?

How do I get a copy of the syllabus and course schedule?

WHAT IS AN ONLINE CULTURAL DIVERSITY COURSE?

Cultural Diversity online is designed to meet the schedule demands of our busy Darton students. The entire course content will be delivered through WebCT Vista and the course textbook (Hall, Among Cultures). The students will not meet with the course instructor in a classroom, however there will be required weekly “meetings” online. You can think of WebCT as your virtual classroom. Please be aware that you (as a student) will be required to spend just as much time reviewing course material as you would in a traditional classroom course.

WEEKLY TIME REQUIREMENTS – Minimum of 7 total hours

Lecture Material - COMM 1000 is a 2-credit course. This means that a student taking COMM 1000 in the traditional classroom format would spend 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes) per week in class (two 50-minute sessions) for 16 weeks. This calculates to roughly 27 hours of classroom commitment per semester. Courses designed for the A & B terms, such as this one, spend that same 27 total hours in class, but cram the information into a short 8-week period of time (220 minutes or 3.7 hours a week in class). During this traditional classroom time, cultural diversity instructors provide lecture material, supplemental course materials, and answer questions. Therefore, as an online student you should plan to dedicate a minimum of 3.5 hours a week specifically to reading the textbook chapters and reviewing the online lectures.

Assignments – Although about 50% of a student’s time in a traditional class is spent sitting in class listening to the instructor, the other 50% is spent outside the classroom completing assignments. This is true for an online student too. In addition to the 3.5 hours of weekly time you should dedicate to reviewing the course content material, you should also plan to spend 3.5 more hours working on course assignments.

That being said, this online cultural diversity course offers students GREAT flexibility. Students enrolled in this course can review the material during whatever times work best with THEIR schedule. My only requirement is that you “check-in” at least every 24 hours. This means that I will need you to log-in to WebCT on a regular basis to check for e-mails and updates. I am a VERY interactive instructor and will often send out suggestions, answer questions, and address concerns through e-mail and other postings. This is important information and it is your responsibility to check our WebCT course often enough to stay up-to-date!

WHAT WILL BE THE MECHANICS OF THIS COURSE?

Online Cultural Diversity courses have unique mechanics!

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Textbook: Among Cultures: The Challenge of Communication, 2^nd edition
Bradford Hall, ©2005, ISBN 0534642489

Computer Microphone: Audacity is a voice recording program that you will be required to use to create an MP3 or Wav file of your self-introduction and narrative speeches. You will also be required to complete a voice-over PowerPoint presentation for your Some laptop computers have a built-in microphone. You can purchase a mic in the computer/electronics section of most stores (Walmart, Circuit City, Target, etc.) These mics are usually under $10. Helpful hint: This type of product seems to be much cheaper when purchased online rather than in-store (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3626445).

** Students may also record audio speeches in the Darton College Foreign Language Lab (located on the 2^nd floor of the Library). If you decide to use the Lab to record, you must sign-in when you arrive and tell the lab attendant that you are in my course (COMM1000, instructor Trombley). It will be your responsibility to make yourself familiar with how to use Audacity BEFORE heading to the lab. Detailed instructions for using the program will be included with each audio speech assignment (located in the “Assignments” section of WebCT). The Language Lab attendants/monitors are NOT familiar with how to use Audacity, therefore they will not be able to help you if you have problems recording. I would suggest printing off a copy of the assignment directions to take with you to the lab in case you need additional information.

METHODS OF LEARNING

Course material in online courses is delivered to students through WebCT using a combination of the textbook, instructor lectures (power points), supplemental materials, and assignments. The course content has been broken up into various “Learning Modules”. Students should follow the course schedule to determine which textbook chapter(s), leaning module(s), and assignments should be completed each week of the course.

TYPES OF ASSIGNMENTS

This is a brief overview of each of the assignments (speeches, exams & quizzes, and reports) required for this course. Specific details for each assignment are located in the “Assignments” section of WebCT.

Speeches – There will be THREE (3) required individual speeches and ONE (1) group presentation in this course. The delivery format required for each speech is indicated in parentheses next to the speech number. For the speeches that you have to video record, you must have a minimum number of FIVE (5) audience members for the speech, and you must pan through the audience and then focus on the speaker prior to the start of the speech.

Speech #1: Speech of Introduction (AUDACITY)

You will introduce yourself to the class from a cultural perspective. This is the easiest topic (YOURSELF) for you to discuss, so it should be easy for you to prepare. You will speak for 2-3 minutes. You will be required to type out this speech in paragraph form and submit it with a digital photograph of yourself. I will be creating a class “yearbook” during the first couple weeks of class. This yearbook will allow you to view the pictures of your classmates and listen to their self-introduction speeches.

Speech #2: Narrative Speech Assignment (AUDACITY)

For the Narrative Speech Assignment, I want you to select a story (for example, a fable, a myth, a true story, a fairy tale, a legend) that comes out of a culture other than your own and that can help your audience understand some aspect of the culture from which the narrative comes.

Speech #3: Informative Speech Group Project (VOICE-OVER POWER POINT)

The class will be divided into groups to complete this speech. As a group, you will research a new culture. Most cultures are extremely complex and dynamic, so after completing your initial research, you will need to choose a specific cultural dynamic within the culture to focus on. Such a dynamic could include rituals (e.g., weddings or funerals), meal traditions, and/or nonverbal artifacts (e.g. clothing styles). The group will create a Power Point presentation and then voice record supplemental information for each slide using the program’s voice-over/narration function. All members of the group will be required to have a speaking role in the presentation.

Speech #4: Cultural Interview Speech (VOICE-OVER POWER POINT)

You will find a member of a culture different than your own. You can either interview someone (Darton has a lot of wonderful international students) OR join a cultural group (e.g. Yahoo Groups). You will be required to ask them a minimum of 20 questions. You can ask about almost anything, such as how they spend their free time, traditions, their education system, etc. Please remember to use simple English in your communication if you are actually communicating with someone who speaks English as a second language. Once you have completed your communication, review your notes/e-mails and pick the most interest facts that you learned about regarding the new culture. You will create a 4-6 minute informative speech (using the voice-over/narration function of PowerPoint) regarding what you learned from this cultural experience.

Exams & Quizzes

Exams:

There will be TWO (2) required online exams for this course (a midterm and a final). Both exams will consist of true/false, short answer, multiple choice, and essay questions. I want to see that you can remember the concepts and theories that you have learned and can apply them. Both exams will be comprehensive and will include lecture material, reading assignments, information included in other handouts, and concepts included in classroom activities. Each exam will be taken through WebCT and will be open-note and open book, but will have a specific time-limit.

Quizzes:

There will be 8 online quizzes posted to WebCT. The quiz due dates are posted on the course schedule and should be completed at some point during the week that each is due. For example, you have the entire first full week of classes to complete Quiz #1. Each quiz is worth 5 points each.

Reports

Cultural Interview Summary

Due to the fact that 4-6 minutes is a very brief amount of time, you will not get a chance to share ALL of the wonderful details you learned about the new culture in your Cultural Interview Speech. With this in mind you will need to create a comprehensive report of your experience. This report should be 2-3 (typed, double-spaced) pages, and include an overview of the interviewee/pen pal, a summary of what you discussed, and your reactions to this experience. You should also include the “transcripts” from your interview or print out all of your e-mail correspondences.

Journal Entries

You will be asked to complete several journal entries throughout the semester. The questions will ask you to think critically about the concepts we have discussed in class and concepts covered in the book. Some journal entries will only test your knowledge of the material and other entries will ask you to apply the knowledge you have gained. Completing journal entries will give you the opportunity to ask me questions, improve your writing skills, and for you to communicate with me privately. I will be the only one to read your journals.

ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION

Due Dates:

Although this course is designed to add some “fun” to your busy Darton schedule, it is also a very intensive course. A quiz, speech, journal and/or other assignment will be due EVERY week. All due dates are posted in the course schedule (located on the course homepage in WebCT). Keeping up with assignment due dates is critical to your success in this course. Once a quiz closes, you will not have the opportunity to make it up. If you miss one of the other assignment deadlines you will be allowed to submit the assignment up to ONE week after the due date for 50% of the points. If you submit the assignment later than ONE week after the due date, the assignment will not count toward your final grade. Please let me know if you have any questions about any of the assignment due dates!

Submission Procedures:

Most assignment files (see below for description) will be uploaded to MyDC (if they are less than 10MB) or sent through www.yousendit.com (if they are less than 100MB) for submission. Each of your assignments document NAMES should include your name and the assignment name (for example: amytrombleyselfintroduction.doc, amytrombleyintroductionrecording.mp3, amytrombleyculturalnarrative.doc, amytrombleyculturalnarrative.mp3, etc.) The following types of assignments must be submitted through MyDC (file size less than 10MB) or www.yousendit.com (file size less than 100MB):

Speech Scripts – You will be required to submit a written version of each of your speeches. These speech scripts should be typed in Word.

Reports – As with your speech scripts, you will type all required reports in Word.

Power Point – For the group project

Voice Recordings (MP3 or WAV) – The speeches (self-introduction and narrative) that require you to use AUDACITY will allow you to save a voice recording in either MP3 or WAV file format.

Video Recordings – The cultural interview speech will need to be recorded in one of the previously discussed acceptable video formats (see “video recording device” under “required materials”).

To submit a digitally recorded speech (using digital video camera, web-cam, etc.) simply upload the file to MyDC. MyDC has a maximum file size limit of 10MB. If your digital file is larger than 10MB but less than 100MB, you can send the file through www.yousendit.com. If the file is larger than 100MB you have several options. 1) You can try to “compress” to make it smaller 2) You can burn the file to a CD and sent it to me through regular mail 3) You can take your file to the distance learning helpdesk at Darton College (J118) and ask them to help you send the file to me.

To submit a tape-recorded speech (CD, VHS, VHS-C), you will need to mail the tape directly to me. Please send all tapes to:

Amy Trombley, 9856 Wild Ginger Drive, McKinney, TX 75070

**NOTE: ALL TAPES MUST BE SENT (AND POST-MARKED) TWO DAY PRIOR TO THE DUE DATE. This means that speeches due on SUNDAY must be post-marked on FRIDAY to receive full credit.

Exams & Quizzes – All exam and quizzes will be completed in WebCT.

WILL IT BE EASY TO COMMUNICATE WITH MY INSTRUCTOR?

YES!! You can communicate with me in MANY ways and I will hold regular online “office hours”. I love communicating with students (remember I majored in communication, so I must enjoy it, at least a little).

Here are your options:

WebCT E-mail: I will monitor my WebCT e-mail multiple times a day (I’m a bit of an e-mail junky).

Darton E-mail: I will monitor my Darton e-mail account multiple times a day (again, e-mail junky).

MySpace: I have a MySpace page (www.myspace.com/amytrombley). Although MySpace tends to be a bit controversial, I think it’s a great way to interact with my students and for them to get to know a little more about me. Throughout the semester I am pretty much your “virtual instructor”, and I believe MySpace allows you (as my students) to get to know me as a person like you do your classroom instructors. I strictly monitor everything on MySpace. I only accept friend requests from people that I know, and I also reserve the right to “block” any pages that I feel have questionable content. My only goal with MySpace is to be able to interact with my past and present students (and my own friends). I do not require you to have MySpace, use MySpace, or even like MySpace. I only offer it as ONE possible tool for the course.

WebCT Chat: WebCT has a “chat” function that works just like AOL instant messenger or MSN instant messenger. Anytime you are logged into WebCT, you can view which of your classmates is online (this includes me), and then send them an invitation to “chat”. To access this feature, look across the top of your screen for the tool bar (this is the bar that has the e-mail, discussion, etc.) Click the “more tools” option. Then select the “Who’s online” option. This will bring up a list of everyone that is currently online. Then you just put a check in the box next to the person you want to talk to and hit the “Send Chat Invitation” button at the bottom. If you just have a quick question and I’m online, you can send me a chat instead of sending an e-mail and get an instant answer!

WILL IT BE EASY TO COMMUNICATE WITH MY CLASSMATES?

YES!! You will have many opportunities to communicate with your classmates. The discussion forum feature in WebCT is a GREAT way to get-to-know each other, ask each other class-related questions, or just chit-chat. You can also use the WebCT “Chat” option discussed in the “Will it be Easy to Communicate With My Instructor” section. I also encourage those of you who actually attend traditional classes at Darton to get in contact with each other. You might want to form video recording groups.

WHAT IF I HAVE COURSE-RELATED QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS?

CONTACT ME!!! If you EVER have a question, comment, or concern, PLEASE don’t hesitate to contact me. Although I am working on developing my psychic abilities, I haven’t made much progress. This means that unless you TELL me, I won’t know. If you don’t ask me a question, I can’t answer it. If you don’t tell me about a problem, I can’t help you try to fix it. If you don’t tell me how much you love this class, I can’t do my happy dance.

WHAT IF I HAVE TECHNOLOGY-RELATED PROBLEMS?

As stated in the “Course Prerequisites” section, you are expected to be familiar with how to use a computer and WebCT to be successful in this (or any other) online course. Although this may sound rude, it is not my “job” to teach you how to use WebCT or any of the course-required computer-related programs/hardware. My “job” is to teach you as much as I can about communication (and even more importantly how to improve your communication effectiveness) in the short time we have together this semester. If you contact me regarding a WebCT or computer-related question, I will just direct you to our VERY capable helpdesk staff!!

HOW DO I GET A COPY OF THE SYLLABUS AND COURSE SCHEDULE?

Very easily. The course syllabus and course schedule are always available on WebCT. I would suggest printing both of these documents and keeping them in a safe place. If you lose either of these printed tools (or they get eaten by your dog, cat, rabbit, guinea pig, horse, little brother/sister, child, etc.) you can get another copy ANYTIME on WebCT. Both the syllabus and the course schedule will be listed on the homepage.

If there is ANYTHING that I have not covered in this orientation that you would like me to cover…please refer to the “What if I have course related problems” section.

NOW THAT YOU HAVE READ THE COURSE ORIENTATION, PLEASE TAKE THE COURSE ORIENTATION QUIZ. ALSO, PLEASE REVIEW THE SYLLABUS AND COURSE SCHEDULE.

Current Students

Exams & Quizzes

Reports