History of Science Online - Course Info - Time tips - Semester Schedule - Weekly Assignments - Timeline - Projects - Course Info: HSCI 3013 - section 995 - Fall 2007

Time Management tips ...the most important page you will read to prepare for this course!

1. EVERYBODY is busy... One of the biggest challenges facing students today is time management. Most students do not just go to school -- they also have a job (or more than one job), and they often have family obligations, too. This can become really stressful, especially if you have taken on too many commitments. This online class can be very helpful because you have some flexibility to schedule your class participation based on the days and times that you have available. On the other hand, you will find that this online class is very demanding: there are seven assignments each week, and you will have at least eight to ten hours of work per week, every week. It is not like a traditional class where you coast each week by just passively sitting through three hours of classes, then plunge into around-the-clock study sessions before paper due-dates, midterms and finals. The work for this class is smooth and steady, and you'll need to establish a rhythm you can maintain all semester long.
   
   
2. DEADLINES are for real! As indicated on the Weekly Assignments, this course is not self-paced. Rather, each assignment has a very specific deadline. To do well in this class, you must be aware of the deadlines for each assignment. With the exception of the Web Project, which is often graded manually by the instructor, all of the assignments are set up in Desire2Learn, and Desire2Learn automatically removes the assignment when the deadline has passed. So, when a deadline says "11:59 p.m.," that is the actual deadline. An assignment might be available in Desire2Learn for up to an hour or so after the deadline, but you cannot count on that. To receive credit for an assignment, you must complete the assignment by the specified deadline. Extensions are granted for medical emergencies only. Unreliable computers and interrupted internet connections are not valid excuses (see computer requirements).
   
   
3. Manage deadlines by WORKING AHEAD. You can do the work for this class up to two weeks in advance. That is a great way to keep from having to worry about the deadlines! I strongly encourage all of you to work at least a couple of days ahead, and you might even want to get on a schedule of working an entire week in advance -- because life is full of surprises! Just because an assignment is due on Tuesday, does not mean you have to do that work on Tuesday -- you can do it on Monday, or over the weekend, or two weeks in advance if you want.
   
   
4. Oklahoma time. These deadlines are Central Standard Time (Oklahoma time). So, if you are not living in Oklahoma, you will have to make sure that you allow for the time difference. (For example, the Czech Republic is seven hours ahead of Oklahoma -- that means an assignment due at midnight in Oklahoma is due at 7 a.m. the next day in Brno. And Los Angeles is two hours behind Oklahoma, so an assignment due at midnight in Oklahoma is due at 10 p.m. that night in Los Angeles.)
   
   
5. Although not self-paced, this course is self-scheduled. As far as due dates are concerned, the week starts on Tuesday and ends on Monday of the following week. But this does not mean that your actual schedule should be the same as the due dates! There are some students who need to do all their work during the week because of their weekend commitments (work and/or family), but there are also students who will be doing all of their work for the class over the weekend. None of the most time-consuming assignments must be completed on weekends. You can work over the weekend if you want, but students who can't are not at a disadvantage.
   
   
6. Sample Schedules
   • Take a good look at the due dates for weekly assignments and compare them with the sample schedules below. As indicated above, it is important to establish a rhythm and keep with it all semester long. Decide upon the schedule that will work best for you and commit to stick to it throughout the semester.
     
     Tip: The two most time-demanding assignments each week are the Readings 1 and Web Project assignments, so it would be wise to factor this into your schedule by beginning them on the same day as earlier assignments, and completing them at least one day before they are actually due.

     Here's a way to save time every week: After completing the Starting Assumptions, but before starting the readings, take a quick glance at (and print a copy of) the Interpretation questions for the week, so that as you go through the readings you will be able to make a special note of points you want to make in your Interpretation essay. This way you'll spend less time looking back over the readings when you come to your Interpretation essay.
     

   • To spread the work out evenly through the week: By working at least one day ahead, you can spread the assignments evenly throughout the week:
     

     	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
     One a day:	Starting Assumptions (30 min)	Readings 1 (2 hrs)	Readings 2 (60-90 min)	Interpretation (1 hr)	Reflection (30 min)	Internet Assignment (30-60 min)	Web Project (1.5 - 2 hrs)

     
     
   • To work only on weekdays: This is a little more compressed than the previous schedule. By working at least one day ahead, you can spread the assignments across five days and finish them in a single work-week, keeping your weekends entirely free.
     

     	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
     Weekdays only: (working 1 or more days ahead)		Starting Assumptions Readings 1	Readings 2	Interpretation	Reflection Internet Assignment	Web Project

     
     
     
   • To work mainly on weekends: This schedule, far more compressed than either of the two above, still can be done if your weekends are always completely available and if you're really committed to work ahead! Take another look at the due dates for weekly assignments and compare them with the sample schedule given below. The Interpretation Essay is the climax of each week, so if you want to work only on weekends you will need to work ahead at least as far as the next week's Interpretation Essay. Then the following weekend you can complete the Reflection Essay, the Web Project, and the Internet assignment. In other words, on any weekend complete the Reflection essay, the Web Project, and the Internet assignment for the previous week (perhaps on Saturday), while also working ahead to do the Starting Assumptions, Readings 1 and 2, and the Interpretation Essay for the subsequent week (perhaps on Sunday).
     

     	Sunday	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Saturday
     Weekends only:	Starting Assumptions, Readings 1 and 2, & Interpretation (40 pts, 4.5+ hrs)						Reflection, Internet Assignment, Web Project (20 pts, 3 hrs)

     
     
     
   • To work on two days per week only: This may be the most popular schedule. As the sample schedule below suggests, you can work on just two weekdays each week by doing the first three assignments on the first day, and the last four assignments on the second day. Do this no later than every Tuesday and Thursday as shown, or better yet, work one day ahead and do them on Mondays and Wednesdays!
     

     	Sunday	Monday (or Tuesday)	Wednesday (or Thursday)	Friday	Saturday
     Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs only:		Starting Assumptions, Readings 1 and 2 (30 pts, 3-4 hrs)	Interpretation, Internet Assignment, Reflection, & Web Project (30 pts, 4 hrs)

     
     
     
7. Finish the course early. Yes, you can finish this course"early" and many students choose this option. Think about it this way: you can do the work up to two weeks in advance, so that means you can finish your work for Week 15 during Week 13 (take a look at the semester schedule to see how that works). Plus, to get an A you only need 90 percent of the total points possible. After you get your 90%, you are free to go! (But of course, who would want to skip the last unit on Newton?) So suppose you have 90% heading into the final week: if you have heavy-duty finals in your other classes, working ahead may pay off a lot. (See Grading.)

	HSCI 3013. History of Science to 17th century Kerry Magruder, 2004-08 Report typos or broken links Many thanks to Mythology and Folklore and other online courses developed by Laura Gibbs.	Search course websites:
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