COL-299-N1 Sophomore Portfolio Assessment

Summer 2013

Dear Online Sophomore Portfolio Assessment (COL 299) Student,

Welcome!

This course focuses on assembling a Portfolio comprised of three essays, a research paper and a reflection paper for the SCC General Education Assessment program. Please carefully review the information in this letter and the information you will find on the Moodle home page for this course. 

To successfully complete and pass this Pass/Fail course, you will need to do the following:

Log onto Moodle by the first day of class, June 4 (Note, I will hold two voluntary orientation sessions on June 3.), find this course and the course Syllabus. Read it and follow the instructions therein.  In summary, you will need to:

Attend three (3) events which you will choose from those posted on the College’s Capstone Web site (Not all will be useful to you in this truncated version of this course - it ends at 4 p.m. June 28!).

Write three essays referred to as Journal Entries – one for each event you attend (Generally 1½-2 pp. - depending on the event you choose, typed, double spaced and 12 pt. New Time Romans font, only);

Write a research paper (5-7 pp. typed, double spaced, 12 pt. New Times Roman font, only) Projects are not acceptable for this section of this course (see the Capstone Web site for more information); and,

Write a reflection essay (1½-2 pp. typed, double spaced, 12 pt. New Times Roman font, only).

For the successful completion of these assignments by the date due, (among other criteria – see the syllabus), you will earn points that will determine your final grade, pass or fail.

Please Note:

The purpose of this course is for you to demonstrate, on your own, the skills and knowledge you have acquired while taking courses at SCC including your ability to manage information and engage in higher order thinking. The portfolio you develop will be read and evaluated and offered as evidence of the success of your learning experiences at SCC to interested parties (including the North Central Accrediting Association – through whose accreditation courses taken at SCC transfer to other colleges).

This is not a self-paced course. This class follows a schedule stated in the syllabus. You will need to log on at least once per day during the session which begins June4 and ends at noon on June 29 and keep up with class assignments in between. You will be required to post the assignments on Turnitin.

This course may have an added level of difficulty than an on-campus course because it is offered online and you will not receive reminders and prodding to complete your work and because it is only four (4) weeks long.  If you are not sure this course is one at which you can succeed, I recommend you see the short quiz under Online/Distance Learning button of the SCC Web page: “Is Online Right for Me?”

If you have problems with the login, passwords, or technology for the course, contact the Technical Support staff (see phone number to the right).

I am offering two voluntary orientation sessions for this course.  Either at 9 a.m.-9:50 a.m. or at 1-1:50 p.m.  Both are on June 3 in SSB 1408. Those who attend a voluntary orientation session will receive credit for the Ropes quiz (five pts. out of 100) that those who do not attend the voluntary orientation session are required to take.  Voluntary Orientation attendees will also receive a bonus of five points.

Professor D. Van Mierlo
SSB 1104 I
Phone: 636-922-8253
Campus email: dvanmierlo@stchas.edu