Welcome toHuman Behavior and the

Social EnvironmentJackie Gaston, MA

A Balancing Act…

I know you have a lot of responsibilities to juggle.

Balancing a job, education, and family can sometimes feel overwhelming.

Help is on the Way…

Whether you are new to the online learning environment, or a seasoned veteran, I am sure you will find some

helpful information in this presentation that will assist you in making this semester a successful

one.

The First Question Most Students Ask is, “How Can I Pass This Class?”

This is nothing to lose sleep over.

Following are some simple hints you can follow to increase your chances

for success.

First Things First…

You must have a clear understanding of what online learning involves.

Online Learning Is…

• An opportunity to obtain a degree on a flexible schedule.

• A setting where you can meet and work with students from all over the

world.

• As challenging as a traditional college course.

Online Learning Is Not…

• A way to easily earn a degree…quite the contrary. It takes motivation and

self-discipline.

• Self-learning. I am available to you through email, AIM, and will provide

feedback through the Discussion Board and projects.

Helpful Hints

On the following slides, you will learn some helpful hints to make it easier to move through your first course in

in human services.

Hint 1: Print Out the Syllabus

When a project is due? When are my instructor’s office hours? All this information (and a lot more!) is

contained in the course syllabus.

Hint 1: Print Out the Syllabus It is a long document, but please print it out

and highlight essentials like the

point values of major assignments, my

office hours and how papers will be graded.

Hint 2: Familiarize Yourself With the Course Layout

Understanding the course layout will make your term run much more smoothly.

Even if you are already familiar with the eCollege format, it doesn’t hurt to review!

Hint 2: Familiarize Yourself With the Course Layout

Under the Course Home section, you will find important

announcements and general course information. There’s even a

course checklist. Make sure you read each section.

Hint 2: Familiarize Yourself With the Course Layout

Our course consists of weekly readings and activities that can be easily located on the left hand of

the screen. Each topic is a link to that specific reading or

assignment. Make sure you read each area within the Unit. Some

will require Discussion Board posts and responses.

Hint 2: Familiarize Yourself With the Course Layout

Along the top of the window, you will find some very useful tools. Your screen will be a bit

different (you will not have administrative links) but you will have Gradebook, Email, Chat, Doc

Sharing, Dropbox, and Webliography.

Hint 2: Familiarize Yourself With the Course Layout

You can keep track of your course progress by clicking on the Gradebook link. Grades will be updated on a weekly basis to reflect your grade

to date.

Hint 2: Familiarize Yourself With the Course Layout

You can email your instructor and classmates through the email link. You can choose to send

an email to everyone or individuals.

Hint 2: Familiarize Yourself With the Course Layout

This is a really cool function! I will place important supplemental information that you can retrieve through the Doc Sharing

link. This saves on filling email boxes with large files.

Hint 2: Familiarize Yourself With the Course Layout

The Dropbox will be used for project submissions. You can put your projects in the

inbox and retrieve them in the same area.

Hint 2: Familiarize Yourself With the Course Layout

The Webliography link may contain links to resources outside of the classroom environment. I will advise you of any links posted in this area.

We have to be very careful to avoid any copyright infringement by using web information

without permission of the author.

Hint 3: Make Sure You Understand the Weight of the Discussion Board Grade…

Note that your Discussion Board grade is worth of the entire

course grade.36%

What this means…

This means that if you fail the Discussion Board portion of the

course, but get 100% on EVERY other assignment, you would still only earn

a maximum of for the course.

64%

The Bottom Line…

The bottom line is…you must make the Discussion Board activities a high

priority.

READ, READ, READ

In order to do well on the Discussion Board activities, you must read the

assigned information in the classroom FIRST.

Read the Post: “What is a High Quality DB Post?”

• 75-100 words

• Refers to the assigned reading

• Uses good grammar and punctuation

Hint 4: Read Your Instructor’s Emails

Sometimes they can get a bit long, but it’s all stuff you need to know! So,

please be sure to read all of your emails, top to

bottom, so you don’t miss out on important points, key areas to concentrate

on for the week and additional instruction.

Hint 5: Read the Project Grading Tables (Rubrics)

Read the rubric for each project BEFORE you begin the project.

You will then have a clear understanding of what should be

included in your project.

Hint 6: Read Your Instructor’s Comments

I spend a great deal of time reading through your assignments and

making comments. You are urged to do the same, take your time and read

through everything written to you. These comments are one-on-one

conversations with you about your work.

Hint 7: Communicate with me!

Some students feel uncomfortable contacting me if they are falling

behind. I cannot help you if I don’t know you need help. I certainly understand that things happen.

Please contact me so we can discuss the options.

Hint 8: Organize Your Time

With a little organization, you will do just fine.

Set Aside a Certain Time…

Plan to check the Discussion Board at the same time each day – during

morning coffee, while the kids are napping, or each evening before

going to bed.

Discussion Board Netiquette…

Let’s keep the Discussion Board neat and easy to read. PLEASE DO NOT SCREAM BY USING ALL CAPS.

Hint 9: Attend Seminars

Seminar provides a valuable opportunity to take advantage of my

experiences. Questions are answered and you have the opportunity to have

course material clarified on an immediate

feedback basis.

Hint 9: Attend Seminars

I spend a lot of time preparing for seminar. Please refrain from

conducting side-conversations during seminar because it prevents others

from learning the material.

Hint 9: Attend Seminars

You are encouraged to schedule and participate in informal chats on AIM. You can invite everyone on your AIM

list to participate. If you would like me to join in, just send an invite!

Hint 10: Visit Your Instructor!

Please visit with me on AIM during office hours or anytime

you see me online.

You are not a bother when you ask for assistance. That’s what I am here

for!

Hint 10: Visit me!

I teach many different course and have a few different roles here at Kaplan, so please identify yourself the first

time you chat on AIM. By giving me this information upfront, I can easily

assist on a timely basis.

Now…..let’s talk about Human Behavior and Systems Theory…

When I state your name, please three systems in your life that you believe shape your behavior.

We are finished for tonight…

It’s going to be an awesome term!

Have fun…you are only 10 short weeks away from success.