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Course Content/Attendance

EveryDay Science is a core science course that can be taken to fulfill one of the general education science requirements at Rivier University. The course is well suited for this purpose because it will provide practice in writing, logical thinking and mathematical reasoning as well as help students to better understand science and learn some science content. The course is completely online and there will not be any face-to-face meetings. This online course is asynchronous and will not require attendance at chat sessions, nor will it require postings on any kind of discussion board. The course content and homework problems are accessed through our EveryDay Science website. You are not required to buy a textbook for the course, but some limited outside research may be needed from time to time. The prerequisites for the course are Rivier admissions requirements, good research skills, and the ability to work independently. Rivier does have some math admissions requirements. Here is a short review of what is expected from your previous experience.

Student Expectations

This format puts a lot of responsibility on the student. As one student put it, this is an "online access class" and not "online live". Students must have self-motivation and be comfortable asking questions in this environment. Consider the following quote from a former student: "Online courses require a lot of responsibility. Since there is no teacher taking attendance, it is tough for the student in the sense that sometimes the student might forget to go online and do the assignment. It is also difficult for the student to ask the professor questions if there is no professor; yeah, one could email the teacher, but might forget to look for the response because of another class that the student might actually have to go to. For a person such as myself, that has little computer experience, and is used to GOING TO CLASS, having the professor there to answer any questions, it is quite difficult to maintain focus on a class that takes place over the internet."

Here is a quote from Gerald Thompson:

"I have learned that Web-based training offers many advantages to face-to-face instruction. A student is not confined to a single classroom hour to ask a question. The student can take the time to think about a question before asking it, can do so in private and the instructor is free to give all the time needed to address the question without disruption or slowing down the class to do so."

"Students control the times and the pace of learning and determine the best method suited to their learning style, as well as their ability to concentrate on course material. A classroom with its set time and duration forces students to learn at a pace not their own and to be ready to learn at times of the day when performance may have been affected by other commitments or duties."

"The disadvantages are also very clear.The student will often work harder and longer online than in a classroom. Students are not handed the material they must do something to obtain it, this means downloading information, reading the material (instead of having it read to them in the form of lecture). Students who work outside of a classroom must tell someone they have problems because the instructor will not know there is a problem unless the learner speaks up. Instructors in a classroom can see students who appear to be in trouble even before the student is aware of it...this is not true when teaching at a distance. Students at a distance must learn how to ask for, seek help, and not wait for help to come as they have learned to do in a face-to-face classroom."

From an article in E-Learning Magazine by Gerald Thompson.

Homework/Time Commitment

The homework is divided into three categories. Each webpage will have a short homework associated with it. Sometimes it is just a short answer question from the reading, other times it is a short multiple choice set of questions from the reading. Each major section will have a section review homework. In addition there will be three short papers required for the course.

A 15 week, three credit course usually requires three hours in class per week, plus 2-3 hours outside of class for every hour in class, for a total of 9-12 hours per week. The 9-12 hours per week rule is also appropriate for this three credit on-line course when taught during a regular semester. Since it is now offered in only seven weeks, the time may be approximately doubled. This, of course, will vary dramatically from student to student depending on the background of each student, but it is an important consideration, especially if it has been some time since you studied basic math or science.

Topics

An overall focus of the course will be to investigate how we model the world around us. The topics will be divided into three general categories; Science and Math, Theories in Science, and Science in the Real World. Real World examples will be used throughout the course with an emphasis on basic scientific principles.

Computer

You will need a computer that has access to the internet with a resolution of at least 1024x768. You must also have an up-to-date version of a common web browser. To use all of the features of the website you should accept cookies from StudentWorldTeacher.net and rivier.edu.

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