How to do this course...

By conscious intent, this online course is arranged in a simpler way than many online courses. But sometimes this confuses students. To do the course, you just go through the workbook. No D2L. You can see a simple picture of how this works, all you have to do is CLICK HERE.

My course design intent is to free you from having to navigate an online menu to learn. This web site is here just to give you term-specific information like an extended syllabus. Once you start you won't need to refer to this web site. You use just the workbook, it's fully multimedia enabled! The pages in the workbook directly link to video and downloads on the web.

Questions? Check the FAQ ("Frequently Asked Questions") page.

Here is how you get started, just follow these steps.
  1. Visit link "B" and download the first chapter of the course workbook. This will come to you as a .pdf file. Save this on your computer or iPad. Link "B" on this web site shows you the best way to read the workbook on a laptop; on an iPad or tablet computer you use whatever free .pdf reader app you choose. If you are using the print edition of this workbook, so much the better!
  2. Start reading the workbook at page 1. YOU NEED TO READ IT! The workbook isn't just the learning materials for the course, it IS the course, and it is not optional. You can't do this course without the workbook! It's the only book required, and it's pretty inexpensive! Almost every page provides a box with a QR code and URL in it. These are live hyperlinks! Click it, touch it, scan it with a cell phone, or enter the short URL manually to view web resources for the workbook page.
  3. Before, during, or after reading a workbook page, view the web resources for that page. The web resources usually include a short "page lecture" by me!
  4. When you get to page 28, you have completed all of the learning for Unit 1. This should be about a week's worth of effort. 
  5. Do the exercise for Unit 1. Pages 28-33 show you the questions and statements for the repeatable online exercises for Unit 1. Page 33 gives you links for the online exercise and also some help on how to create your free exercise account and to access the exercises. Get into Exercise 1 and do question 1 only. Submit the exercise for grading ("Submit all and finish") after doing just question 1. If you didn't score a perfect "10" on question 1, go back and review the first part of Unit 1 (pages 1-7 or so). Repeat the exercise until you "perfect" it. Then go on to questions 2, 3, and 4. Do each separately as you did question 1, reviewing as needed. If you get stumped on a question, let me know and I will help you. Think of the exercise questions as instantly graded homework that you can do in pieces and repeat. Keep notes of your responses! When you have perfected your responses to each question separately, use your notes to do the whole exercise one last time, scoring a perfect "10" on each question. Your highest exercise session score is the one I use in your course grade calculation (see the course grade calculation at link "E"). BTW, most students do each question several times, and access the exercise 30 to 50 times before perfecting it. See if you can do better!
  6. Read page 34 about the hands-on projects. Then read pages 35, 36, and 37 which document the three projects required for Unit 1. You can work on these in parallel with your work on the exercise. Each of these project pages includes a web link that provides information, a download, or a tutorial you need to complete the project. Pages 38-45 document two additional optional extra credit projects; you can do either one if you wish.
  7. Pages 46-48 document a short written homework assignment I call a "unit summary form." This is provided with space between the questions so you can use printed copies of these pages to form notes for your answers. You actually download the USF as a word-processable document using the link on page 46 and enter your responses using your word processor. You submit the completed document attached to an e-mail. Use any word processor you wish. 
That's it--that's how you complete the three types of work (exercise, projects, and USF) for each unit 1, 2, and 3. You should find that you can complete a unit in two or three weeks. I suggest three weeks for Unit 1 only because students sometimes enroll late in the course or arrive late to start a term.

Unit 4 is different and consists only of "capstone" projects, no exercise and no USF.

Unit 5 consists entirely of reflective work and has no exercise, projects, or USF.

Questions? Check the FAQ ("Frequently Asked Questions") page.