Syllabus
ONLINE ENVIRONMENTAL
GEOLOGY
GEOL 120 online, Section #1784
Spring 2010, MiraCosta College
CONTACT INFORMATION
Instructor: Phil Farquharson
Contact: Contact me through private message function in Etudes NG
Emergency Contact: Email (pfarquharson@miracosta.edu)
Message phone: (760) 757-2121
x7879 (San Elijo Campus office)
Office Hours: 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, San Elijo Campus (Room 503)
Instructor’s Webpage: http://environmental.geology-guy.com/
For help with ETUDES NG look in the Resource Section under Student Help
COURSE CONTENT
This course explores the interaction of humans with the geologic environment. Topics include earth processes that produce geologic hazards (flooding, earthquakes, landslides, volcanoes, coastal hazards); formation, distribution, and exploitation of geologic resources (soils, surface water, groundwater, fossil fuels, and ore deposits); and human effects on the earth environment (global warming, ozone depletion, hazardous waste disposal, landfills, river dams, and land subsidence).
REQUIRED TEXT
Geology and the Environment, Fifth Edition, Bernard Pipkin, D.D. Trent, Richard Hazlett, and Paul Bierman, 2008, Thomson Brooks/Cole. ISBN-13: 978-0-495-19078-3 ISBN-10: 0-495-19078-0
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (“SLO’s”)
Students will be able to:
TEACHING, LEARNING, AND EVALUATION METHODS AND POLICY
This course is taught as an online course and communication takes place via electronic means on the Internet. It is designed for students that are comfortable working in the electronic environment. Students who aren't familiar with the use of email and the Internet will want to develop those skills before enrolling in the course, as those skills will not be taught in this course. It is the responsibility of individual students to drop the class if they quit participating.
Assignment and tests will be evaluated based on quality (use of appropriate scientific vocabulary, for instance) and on the rigor of the analysis. Not all answers are in the text or in the course notes (primary resources). Other resources are described below and include: Power Points, Earth Revealed videos, virtual fieldtrips, and the Internet.
POLICY on DEADLINES and LATE WORK
Nearly every assignment, quiz, and exam will be available for you two full weeks before it is due. This is plenty of time for you to complete the work by each deadline. I will never prompt you about deadlines. The deadline for every piece of work is listed on the Course Schedule.
Please understand the following policies on late work, and please do not request exceptions to these policies.
I do not accept late work except in cases of a documented personal emergency. “Documented” means you need to provide written verification of a legitimate personal emergency, signed and dated by a doctor or emergency medical technician, to get an extension on a deadline.
Problems with your personal computer or internet connection are not accepted excuses for missing a deadline. If you experience computer problems, you must get to another computer to submit your work by the deadline. So this means: plan ahead and submit your work well before each deadline. If you submit work close to a deadline (like sending in your work at 10:55pm for an 11:00pm deadline), you take your chances on running into problems, missing the deadline, and losing credit for your work. ETUDES will not allow you to turn in an assignment, quiz, or exam after the deadline has passed.
I never accept work sent by email. I only accept work submitted through the ETUDES website.
WEEKLY WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
This class has weekly writing assignments. Each assignment is related in some way to the concurrent reading in the textbook. Assignments typically involve visiting geologic internet sites or reading geologic articles. Some of these assignments will ask you to comment on work that other students have written, so that we can have a bit of class discussion—always a challenge in an online course! The Course Schedule lists the weekly writing assignments and their due dates. Assignments will always be due on SUNDAYS by 11:00pm. Each assignment will generally be available for two weeks before the due date, and you can submit the assignment at any time during that period. Weekly assignments are located in the “Assignments” area of ETUDES. See the Course Schedule for the due dates of all writing assignments.
TWO of your WRITING ASSIGNMENTS are 30-POINT REPORTS
Most of your weekly writing assignments are worth 15 points. However, two of the assignments are more substantial, and are worth 30 points each.
1. Report on “An Inconvenient Truth”: The first of these 30-point assignments requires you to report on the award-winning film “An Inconvenient Truth,” featuring former vice-president Al Gore and his campaign to educate people about global warming—probably the most serious environmental issue facing our society. You will need to either buy the DVD or rent it at your local video store to complete this assignment.
2. Research Project: This can take one of two forms:
· Term Paper: You have the option of writing a 30-point term paper. For more information, see the Term Paper Option link in the Classroom.
· Geo-photo Project: This involves photographing and explaining at least ten environmental geology challenges in your surroundings, in scientifically accurate terms, with valid references, and submitting the project to the class web site. For more information, see the Geo-photo Project Option link in the Classroom.
WEEKLY QUIZZES
This class has regular weekly quizzes, based on the textbook chapter reading assignments. Most quizzes are worth 15 points, and consist of about 15 multiple-choice questions. Most weeks of the semester, you will complete one chapter reading assignment from the textbook and take the associated multiple-choice quiz. In some weeks, you may be reading two chapters and taking two quizzes.
The Course Schedule lists the weekly quizzes and their due dates. Quizzes will always be due on SUNDAYS by 11:00pm—the same deadline as the weekly writing assignments. Each quiz will usually be available for two weeks before the due date, and you can submit the quiz at any time during that period. Weekly quizzes are located in the “Tests” area of ETUDES.
FINAL EXAM
The last week of the semester is set aside for you to complete a comprehensive Final Exam. The final is an open-book essay exam (i.e. not multiple-choice, like the weekly quizzes). The exam will consist of about six big essay questions, and the amount of writing will be equal to or greater than that of a typical college term paper. There will not be any additional assignment or quiz due during the week of the exam. The Final is located in the “Tasks, Tests and Surveys” area of ETUDES below the chapter quizzes. (Scroll down below the quizzes to see the link.)
GRADES
Your work in the course comprises 11 writing assignments (including the report on “An Inconvenient Truth” and the Research Project), 16 quizzes, and 1 Final Exam. The Course Schedule lists the point values of each piece of work. (Remember also that you can earn extra credit points for attending additional field trips, as explained under “Writing Assignments” above.)
All the work together comes out to a total of 465 points. The total number of points you earn by the end of the course will be divided by 465 to come up with a percentage. Your grade will be based on this percentage using the scale below. This scale may be adjusted slightly in your favor at the end of the semester, but generally by no more than 1% to 2%.
90-100% (416 points or more) = A
80-89% (370 points or more) = B
68-79% (314 points or more) = C
55-67% (253 points or more) = D
< 55% (< 253 points) = F
NOTE: If you are taking the class
Credit / No Credit, the cut-off for Credit is the same as for a C. If your
goal in the course is simply to get credit or a C, you have the option of
stopping once you reach the minimum number of points for a C.
POLICY on TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
Problems with servers, email, and internet access may happen. If the technical problems happen on the college’s end, I will take care of them as quickly as possible and extend the deadlines accordingly. Mira Costa College has been offering online courses for many years, and so major technical problems with our servers and internet connections are almost unheard of at this point. We run a tight ship, technologically speaking.
If technical problems come up on your end, you need to take care of them, and still get your work in by each deadline. As explained above, personal computer/internet problems are not accepted as excuses for late work. It is your responsibility to make sure that your personal computer and internet access work properly. Plan ahead and budget your time, so that if you have problems you still have time to get to a different computer (at a friend’s house, on campus, etc.) to submit your work by the deadline.
Finally, please don't ask me technical questions about your personal computer / email / internet system. I can already tell you my answer—I don’t know what’s wrong with it! The best I can do is suggest that you check that it’s plugged into the wall. After that, forget it.
MY COMMITMENT TO YOU
Grading & Feedback
Nearly all of your weekly assignments, quizzes, and exams will be due on SUNDAYS by 11:00 pm. I will make every effort to grade your assignments, and provide written comments on your work, within 24 to 48 hours of close of the assignment. Your graded quiz results will be available within 24 hours after the deadline. Occasionally, my other work commitments mean that it might take a few extra days for me to grade your work. The Final Exam (which is essay-based) will certainly take me several days to grade. If you turn your work in early, good for you—congratulations on being so organized! However, my schedule usually will prevent me from grading your work early. I usually will begin to grade your work the day after the deadline whether you turn it in early or not.
NOTE: As you will see, one great advantage of ETUDES is that you will be able to check your grades and progress any time you want. You can do this by clicking on the “Gradebook” area of ETUDES.
Communication & Accessibility
I do not have regularly scheduled online office hours, but I am more-or-less available for you whenever you need to get in touch. I strongly encourage you to contact me about questions or problems you have on the subject matter. I am here to help you learn, so please seek me out for anything you need.
The best way to contact me is through the “Private Messages” option in ETUDES. You can find me there by last name (FARQUHARSON) on the list. I will log on to ETUDES four or five times each week to check for messages from you, grade your work, etc. Depending when you send your message, it may take a day for me to respond. Therefore, make sure you stay enough ahead of the reading, writing assignments and quizzes so that you can contact me with questions well before all deadlines.
It would be best if we do most of our communicating through ETUDES, and you will probably get a faster response from me if you contact me that way than by email. However, you are welcome to contact me by email [pfarquharson@miracosta.edu]. The least effective way to contact me is by phone, and since I am an Associate Faculty member at MiraCosta College, I do not have a campus phone extension.
RESOURCES
READING ASSIGNMENTS
Primary resource!!!! The text for the course is Geology and the Environment, by Pipkin, et al., 5th Ed. (2008). Chapter
reading assignments from the text are listed on the course syllabus. I strongly
urge you not to fall behind on your reading assignments.
POWER POINTS
It is very useful to preview each section using the Power Point lectures. These
can be found in “Modules” in ETUDES-NG and directly follow each chapter of the
text.
EARTH REVEALED VIDEO SERIES
These videos are excellent learning tools and can be watched on your computer
via streaming video. Many of the initial sections of this class have a video
specifically on each subject. I have study questions available for these.
OFFICE HOURS
I will conduct office hours on Wednesdays between 11:00 AM to 12:00 noon
at the San Elijo Campus. The "Private Message" function (under
Discussion and Private Messages in the toolbar at the left) is the best
way of getting a speedy reply from me.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Students with disabilities, whether physical, learning, or psychological, who
believe that they may need accommodations in this class, are encouraged to
contact Disabled Students Programs & Services as soon as possible to ensure
that such accommodations are implemented in a timely manner. Authorization from
DSP&S is required before any accommodation can be made. Their phone number
is 795-6658 and they are located in Building 3000-Student Services, adjacent to
Parking lot 3C.
COURSE SCHEDULE & DEADLINES
The numbers in parentheses ( ) below refer the point values of writing assignments, quizzes, and exams. The work in most weeks comes to 30 points total. Usually you have one writing assignment and one chapter quiz due each week, but there are exceptions. You are responsible for knowing what is due each week, so please pay attention to the course schedule below.
NOTE: Spring Break is the week of March 29 to April 3. However, in order to fit the work of a whole semester into the “late start” schedule, there is still work due that week. Therefore, if you plan to go to Fort Lauderdale (do students still do that?), plan ahead and submit your work for that week early.
Week 1: Work due February 14 (Sunday), by 11:00 pm
· WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Introduction (5)
· QUIZ: Orientation (10)
· QUIZ: Chapter 1 – Humans, Geology & the Environment (10)
Week 2: Work due February 21 (Sunday), by 11:00 pm
· WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Geographic Information Systems in Geology (15)
· QUIZ: Chapter 2 – Getting Around in Geology (15)
Week 3: Work due February 28 (Sunday), by 11:00 pm
· WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Plate Tectonics & Tsunamis (15)
· QUIZ: Chapter 3 – Plate Tectonics (15)
Week 4: Work due March 7 (Sunday), by 11:00 pm
· WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Earthquake Hazards (15)
· QUIZ: Chapter 4 – Earthquakes & Human Activities (15)
Week 5: Work due March 14 (Sunday), by 11:00 pm
· WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Volcanoes & Volcanic Hazards (15)
· QUIZ: Chapter 5 – Volcanoes (15)
Week 6: Work due March 21 (Sunday), by 11:00 pm
· WRITING ASSIGNMENT: The Yellowstone Supervolcano (15)
· QUIZ: Chapter 6 – Soils, Weathering & Erosion (15)
Week 7: Work due March 28 (Sunday), by 11:00 pm
· QUIZ: Chapter 7 – Mass Wasting & Subsidence (15)
· QUIZ: Chapter 8 – Fresh Water Resources (15)
(Two chapter quizzes this week; no writing assignment.)
Week 8: Work due April 4 (Sunday), by 11:00 pm
· WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Scientific Article Summary (15)
· QUIZ: Chapter 9 – Hydrologic Hazards at Earth’s Surface (15)
Week 9: Work due April 11 (Sunday), by 11:00 pm
· WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Response to Article Summary (15)
· QUIZ: Chapter 10 – Coastal Environments & Humans (15)
Week 10: Work due April 18 (Sunday), by 11:00 pm
· WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Hurricanes (15)
· QUIZ: Chapter 11 – Glaciation & Climate Change (10)
· QUIZ: Chapter 12 – Arid Lands & Desertification (10)
Week 11: Work due April 25 (Sunday), by 11:00 pm
· WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Report on “An Inconvenient Truth” (30)
(No other work due.)
Week 12: Work due May 2 (Sunday), by 11:00 pm
· QUIZ: Chapter 13 – Mineral Resources & Society (15)
· QUIZ: Chapter 14 – Energy & the Environment (15)
(Two chapter quizzes this week; no writing assignment.)
Week 13: Work due May 9 (Sunday), by 11:00 pm
· WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Research Project Due (30)
(No other work due.)
Week 14: Work due May 16 (Sunday), by 11:00 pm
· QUIZ: Chapter 15 – Waste Management & Geology (10)
(Nothing else due this week; please use the extra time to work on the Final Exam.)
Week 15: Work due May 28 (FRIDAY), by 11:00 pm
· FINAL EXAM (65)
Note: the Exam is located in 'Tests', below the chapter quizzes.
Work due after the Final Exam: Try not to forget everything you have worked so hard to learn!!
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DATES MAY CHANGE DURING THE COURSE, PLEASE REFER TO ACTUAL DUE DATES IN THE “ASSIGNMENTS, TESTS ANDSURVEYS” SECTION. |