Biomedical Ethics 

EXPECTATIONS (this is in part based on the work of William Pelz, SUNY-Herkimer CC)

This is a college course, so you will be busy! You have about 15 weeks to complete many chapters and submit the written assignments or "papers". (Only 7 weeks in the Summer session!!!) I suggest that you print out the Course Schedule, which is the next document in this section, and hang it by your computer. I will be opening each module on the first day it is assigned. This is a 24/ 7 course: available 24 hours a day - seven days a week. Assignments frequently have a due date that falls on a Monday. (in Summer they come every 3 or 4 days !!!)  Pace your on-line and off-line activity with this in mind.

If you don't keep up, you can't catch up!

I expect the same commitment to time and quality as I do in the classroom. The big difference is that Internet study is student-centered rather than teacher centered. This means that you are responsible for your own learning and success. If you are highly motivated, logon and participate at least 6 times in each module, and produce a high quality paper - you will be successful. However, if you logon sporadically, participate minimally, or submit poor work - you will not. Online higher education is aimed at independent learners. If you require the structure of a classroom, this method will not suit you.

We will complete the entire text! If you do not read the text in advance of the discussions, your lack of knowledge will be obvious to me and to the other students. It is not uncommon in these courses for students to provide strong, public criticism of other students who "waste their time" with ill-informed posts.

I expect the successful student will spend an average of about 9-12 hours per week on this course. Although that may seem like a lot - remember this: A traditional classroom-based course requires 45 hours of "seat time" plus 2-3 hours outside of class for each hour in class.

-this is in part based on the work of William Pelz, SUNY-Herkimer CC

Temporal Requirements for a 3 hour course for 15 weeks

In the Classroom

Seat time : 45 hours

Home time: 135 hours

TOTAL Time: 180 hours

Temporal Requirements for a 3 hour ONLINE course for 15 weeks

Online

Seat Time: 0 hours

Online: 7 hrs x 14 weeks = 98 hours

Reading: 6 hrs x 14 weeks = 84 hours

TOTAL Time: 182 hours

 

Now of course there is no way that you can be or will be monitored to insure that you are keeping apace of the course. You are able to skip a day or two. However, should you fail to complete your written assignments on time and fall behind you will be placing yourself in a very unfavorable situation. You will loose points on the assignment, you will be barred from earning points for a discussion and you will fall behind on the material. The course WILL MOVE ON.

So, PLEASE set up a schedule for doing your work:

a time each day or, at the very least, every other day to log on the computer to participate in class

time for doing your reading in the textbooks a time for writing your papers.


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