Course Corequisites: NONE
This is an on-line version of the Ventura College course:
PHSC V01 Concepts in Physical Science
It has the same pre-requisites and fulfills the same transfer credits as the campus-based course, but the on-line version is organized in a totally different way to allow students more flexibility. It uses the Blackboard Learning System - anyone unfamiliar with this should email the instructor to get additional help and guidance prior to the start of the course.
Orientation: A short orientation will be held on the first day of the semester- see below for time.
Laboratories:
This is a laboratory science course. You will complete laboratory exercises both at home and at Ventura College.
So while there are no regularly scheduled class lectures you will be required to attend Ventura College for 1/2-day only laboratory sessions on five Saturdays throughout the semester. This arrangement makes sure that we satisfy the articulation and transfer requirements of a lab.course to Cal. State and other institutions.
Home experiments: At the orientation you will be given an outline of the labs. at VC and the Home Experiments (HE's) To complete the HE's you will be required to furnish a few simple 'everyday' household items. Later in the semester, any non-standard items will be provided for you on a loan basis. These items MUST be returned to VC before the end of the semester for you to receive your course grade!
Home-based laboratory exercises must be submitted periodically to your lab. instructor (at the Sat. lab. sessions) according to the schedule that will be posted in the Calendar. These simple experiments have been designed to be carried out without instructor supervision but you will have access to help via email throughout the semester.
Full details and information about how to carry out the experiments are contained in a folder on the course website HomePage.
* Grades for these Home Experiments will count 10% toward your overall course grade.
VC Laboratories: You will also be required to participate in the five 1/2-day lab sessions at Ventura College. During these sessions you will also have an opportunity to review and discuss with the instructor, the course material studied at home.
A manual for these experiments must be purchased (a few $) from the VC bookstore.
* Grades for these lab. activities will count 20% toward of your course grade.
Course Organization
The course uses Blackboard for its organization and management. Within the website you will be able to exchange emails with the instructor and participate in class discussions with both the instructor and other students. The website contains a Calendar of events for the semester and other information that will help and guide you though the course material.
Login Procedure
a. URL: http://vcccd.blackboard.com
b. Username: Same as your WebSTAR ID 900 #
c. Password: Same as you use for WebSTAR
d. Click on the course title and this will take you to the course.
Text Book
Most, if not all, published texts are unsuitable for distance learning! So a text has been designed and produced specifically for this online course. To assist in your learning from a text, we have made extensive use of color in both the written text and the (very many) diagrams. Such an approach would be prohibitively expensive in a printed book. So to minimize costs to the student the book is available only on CD and should be purchased online from the publisher (see below).
Since no refund for this purchase is available from the publisher, before ordering make sure that this is the course you wish to take!
Details for purchase:
Go to www.lulu.com/content/1404271
Title: Concepts in Physical Science Author: C. Terry
The cost is $37.50 plus shipping. Credit card or PayPal are OK.
NOTE: It will take up to a week to get this in the mail and allowance has been made in the course schedule for this. . But do not delay in ordering - at the very latest, you will need the CD in your possession before the start of the second week of the semester (August 25).
You can screen-read and/or print chapters as you progress through the course. The only other expense involved is the purchase of the lab. experiment manual for a few $ from the VC bookstore.
Homework and Other Assignments:
Each chapter in the text (CD) has a set of homework questions. Course credit will be given for completed end-of-chapter questions. Answers to homework questions should be submitted at the last lab. session at VC for you to receive credit.
* Homework will count for 10% of your overall course grade.
Tests and Examinations:
On-line Exams: Six online exams, each consisting of up to 20 multiple choice questions will be given at regular intervals. A strict time limit will be imposed for each exam which will count for 10% of your course grade.
* Online exams will count for 60% of your overall course grade
Overall Course Grades:
> 85% A ; 75-85% B ; 65-75% C ; 55-65% D ; < 55% F
Some Important Dates
Orientation: Monday August 18, 6:00-7:00 pm Sci 118
Saturday Labs at Ventura College Sci 114 8:00 am to 1:00 pm - September 13, October 4, October 25, November 15, December 6.
You MUST be able to attend on ALL of these dates - there are no make-up labs.
On-Line Exams:
These will be open for an 8- hour time period 12 noon to 8 pm - you MUST be able to login during this time period on the following dates
September 14, October 5, October 26, November 16, November 30, December 7.
An Important Note:
There will be no alternative labs or exams. So you must be available on the dates above throughout the semester.
For any other information contact the instructor, Dr. C. Terry at cterry@vcccd.net