ANT-151-N1 World Archaeology

Spring 2013

Dear Online Student:

Welcome to World Archaeology (ANT-151)!

Archaeology appeals to many people for many reasons, and I hope that after this course you are even more interested in the field than you are now. I also hope that you enjoy the work you're about to undertake in this introductory, college-level course.

This course will be reading and writing intensive, and like other online courses, it is also something of an independent study in that what you learn in this class is more directly tied to the effort you put into it. There are no hours of easy listening to lectures each week, and you'll need to make up that loss through reading. Online courses require more self-motivation and discipline than most traditional college classes, and, in my opinion, are harder than their on-campus versions. On the other hand, you've chosen this class for a reason, and that might include the flexibility and opportunities that online courses can provide.

I'm excited you want to learn about world archaeology, but I also want to make sure you're coming into this class with the right attitude: willing to work and with the stamina to complete it. Stonehenge, the pyramids at Giza and the ancient cities of southern Iraq are all worth studying. The modern world can learn things from the Inca and Aztecs, the ancient Chinese, and the Indus Valley. I would hope that by the end of the semester you'll agree, and that this course becomes a valued part of your college education.

There are no required on-campus meeting times.

The course itself will consist of weekly readings, written exercises, Web exercises and online bulletin board discussions. The exams and other assignments will be online through Moodle. Full details can be found in the syllabus and the main orientation to this course that can be found on the Moodle home page. As with all online courses, you will need access to a computer, an Internet connection and browser, and some basic computer skills.

Please Note

Moodle will be available to students by the start of the semester.

Instructor: William Griffin, professor of anthropology and archaeology

Office: SSB 1104 C, 636-922-8465

Email for this class will be handled through the Moodle program.

Other contact information is the Social Science Department at 636-992-8398, the Distance Learning Office at 636-922-8470, and David Willmore, Learning Systems Administrator at 636-922-8514.

Course Text and Video

We will be using World Prehistory: A Brief Introduction, by Brian Fagan (8th ed.); along with a collection of articles available online in our course shell. In addition to these two, there will also be extensive readings online (both my own unit write-ups and various websites you'll be sent to). By the end of the first week of class you will need the books.

Other Information

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call. A great resource for all campus services is the website at www.stchas.edu. Here you will find bookstore hours, library hours, online library catalog, student activities and athletics, ACE computer center hours and much, much more.

Please click on the link below and take the quiz to learn how well you are suited for online education.
http://stchas.smartermeasure.com

Again, welcome.  I'm looking forward to this class and for the chance to get to know you a bit through your writings.

Sincerely,

William Griffin