For students taking this course as a distance learning course, homework submitted later than 5:00 p.m. on the final date of the class session will will be considered late homework and will not be credited toward class attendance and participation. Distance learning courses are considered to operate over a seven day week period. NOTE: For all students, course assignments and schedule, course objectives, and grading criteria, distributions and weights may change as circumstances dictate and at the discretion of the instructor.

Course homework includes posting answers posed for each of the text discussion questions featured weekly throughout the course. Students are expected to answer these questions and post the answers and the numbered questions as attachments on Canvas email by 5:00 p.m. on the final day of the class week for each session. Weekly homework assignments are principally employed to insure each student keeps up with the week's readings. Homework is graded in terms of whether it is complete or not to include the inclusion of questions followed by answers, the inclusion of APA citations and references as well as evidence of reflective consideration of the assigned readings. Late work will not receive credit - period. Students are expected to be familiar with the APA citation and reference approach and use such citations for all assignments. If students are unfamiliar with this method, they are expected to become familiar with using the method on their own. Work not appropriately cited or referenced will receive no credit.

Homework is due prior to the end of each weekly class session period (see course class schedule page) and must be posted electronically in Word or Rich Text Format via Canvas Email. Content written into or cut and pasted into the memo-field of the Canvas Email drop box will not be graded. All work must be attached as a Word or rich text format document. The instructor will not accept late homework or exams, homework or exams submitted on behalf of another student, or assignments submitted by a student who does not regularly attend or remain in class after having turned in an assignment.

Competency Exam:

Students will also take a competency exam. NOTE: In instances where the exam is a take home exam and is emailed or posted under a session folder or the instructor section of the lesson board, the student must turn in the midterm and final exam by the due dates on the course schedule or the exams will not be graded.

Class participation is very important in this course, and includes regular online attendance and the regular submission of complete and well articulated homework responses. In the final grade, homework, attendance and participation, will be calculated under the overall theme of "Course Effort.". Students must receive permission from the instructor to miss a class. Missing more than 3 classes without instructor permission will result in students being asked to withdraw from the class.

Students participating in class sessions will, on a weekly basis, prepare their homework assignments and  post their responses on via Canvas email.

Typically, students should be prepared to spend 2 - 3 hours of preparation & study for every 1 hour of classroom time.    This formula, which applies to general time commitment for both classroom and distant learners, should yield approximately 6 to 9 hours of course effort weekly. Some week's assignments may entail less time investment, while other class periods may entail more effort.

APA Documentation Method

One of the objectives of this class is that you learn how to use the APA documentation style. You can learn everything you need to know about how to use this method by studying the material at the following sites. Please understand that any of your discussion questions or your student presentation papers that are lacking in complete APA styled documentation will be returned to you and will not be graded until they are in order. Remember, all work that is not completely, thoroughly and appropriately cited and referenced using APA style will receive no credit whatsoever. A suggested reading for assistance with documentation is included for this course. However, the moment I determine that a student does not know how to appropriately cite and reference, that suggested reading (Lipson, Charles (2004) Doing Honest Work in College: How to Prepare Citations, Avoid Plagiarism, and Achieve Real Academic Success (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press)  becomes required. 

APA Documentation Method:

I strongly encourage every student to take the time to complete the following online APA Citation and Reference Tutorial offered by Harvard University. One of the objectives of this class is that you learn how to use the APA documentation style. You can learn everything you need to know about how to use this method by studying the material at the following sites. Please understand that any of your discussion questions or your student presentation papers that are lacking in complete APA styled documentation will be returned to you and will not be graded until they are in order.

APA Citation & Reference Style   A Guide for Writing Research Papers Based on Styles Recommended by The American Psychological Association   Purdue University: Using American Psychological Association (APA) Format (Updated to 5th Edition)   Citation Styles: APA   APA Crib Sheet   Citations in the APA Style (Indiana University) Citing Sources Using APA Manual (6th ed.) from Nova Southeastern University: Covers in-text citations, paraphrasing, direct quotes, citing secondary sources and offers numerous examples for in-text citations and within the Reference list. It is useful in that it refers to page numbers in the APA 6th ed. for more information. APA Exposed: Everything You Wanted to Know about APA Format but Were Afraid to Ask. From Harvard’s Graduate School of Education APA Samples for a Bibliography from the Ithaca College Library APA Guide to Electronic Resources APA Guide, Concordia University Library Frequently Asked Questions Regarding APA Style A Guide for Writing Research Papers Based on Styles Recommended by The American Psychological Association   Purdue University: Using American Psychological Association (APA) Format (Updated to 5th Edition)   Citation Styles: APA   APA Crib Sheet   Citations in the APA Style (Indiana University) APA Legal Citations and Referencing

Attend, participate in class, and submit homework on a regular basis. Students must participate fully during each class session. In every case, students must answer weekly homework and quiz assignments. Attendance will be determined by student submission of work via Canvas email. Failure to appear on line for 3 or more classes will result in a failing grade and withdrawl from the class.

From time to time students may be required to attend one or more  personal conferences with the instructor. Whenever feasible, the consultation should happen in person at FGCU. However, if distance proves to be an obstacle then students may be required to meet at an off-campus location or to schedule and attend a telephone conference with the instructor.