WELCOME TO LEARNING IN CYBERSPACE ! 

 What is learning in Cyberspace?
 Do I need an Online Handbook?
 How do I register for the online courses?
 Where can I find the line and course numbers?
 What is the cost?
 Where can I find course and network support?
 Who is the Instructor?
 When does the course begin and end ?
 When will I take my exams?
 What is the honor system?
 How will my final grade be determined?
 Are provisions made for students with special conditions?
 How can I communicate with my instructor?
 How do I begin?
 What are the standards for the assignments?
 Do I need textbooks?
 How can I obtain extra credit?



 Courses in Cyberspace is a Website, hosted by Robert Brehm, M.A.,  who offers online higher education courses.



 
 Do I need any online  handbook?


 No, the courses are complete in themselves with the exception of required textbooks, computer, standardized tests, and laboratory materials that may be helpful.  The instructor offers classroom instruction, if desired, in using the Internet online courses and provides computer network support at no extra charge.

 
 
Frequently requested online course information.


 


Where can I find course and network support... ?


 Email rbrehm@msn.com.  For immediate assistance call cell phone 206-930-4197
 
 
 

 When does the course begin and end ?
 
See the time line dates of the courses. You must complete the course by the dates indicated in order to receive full credit. The virtual class room much as a real classroom meets on the scheduled days. However, with the virtual class room you may change the schedule dates to meet your needs if you receive instructor permission before you begin the course. If you need more time, you should make a special request. It has been my experience that students who do their work daily can easily finish within the quarter they registered and are most likely to succeed.
 
 You may have a tendency in Distant Learning courses to procrastinate as the freedom to finish may be used as an avoidance in completing the work. It may seem great not to go to class but it requires self-discipline and self motivation to finish Distant Learning classes. Ask your instructor for assistance when you feel the need as he will support you in completing the work successfully.

When will I take my exams?


You may email ,or call your instructor, to receive your user name, password, and the hyperlink to the Website for the administration of the standardized testing. If you are taking this course in the real classroom setting, then you will take the test in the real classroom setting and you do not need any user name or password.

If there is a special project, it may also be completed on your own time line. The textbooks and additional tapes can be purchased at the Green River College book store.

Am I bound by the honor system when completing my work?


Yes. It is assumed that you will do your own work. You may work with others but your work should represent your own work. Any attempt to present work, either assignments or on exams, that is not honestly performed will not be acceptable and will be regarded as a serious offense. Please type your signature on all of the work that you submit. If proof of academic misconduct is established, you may receive a failing grade in the course. Please note that any work downloaded from the Internet, or electronically produced from any Webs site is subject to copyright laws.


How will my final course grade be determined?


Your grade is obtained on a grading system by achieving points. See the abbreviated assignment sheet. Your total accumulated points equates to your grade point average, i.e., 300 points is equal to a 3.00 grade, 400 points is equivalent to a 4.00 etc.
You are advised to keep a copy of your work, even though your instructor will keep an electronically controlled database. You can look at the abbreviated assignments for any given lesson and see the accumulated assignments points that are listed in the far right column..


You can determine your grade at any given time by noting the accumulated points and by comparing your total points with the percent necessary to obtain a particular letter grade. Take the following example:.


If you have completed 5 lessons and the total accumulated points is 30 points, then to obtain your letter grade, multiply the percent times 30 and you will have your approximate letter grade equivalent.. For example, if you multiply .95 times 30, then you would have 27 points which would be equal to an A+ grade. If you multiply .79 times 30 you would have 23 points which would be equal to a B. If you multiply .69 times 30 you would have 20 points which would be approximately equal to a C. etc. If you had a total of 20-23 points you would have the equivalent to a C letter grade.


Are special provisions made for students with disabilities?


Yes, you may receive special assistance, as needed and reasonable accommodations will be made to increase your success. Call or email your instructor for details.  Cell phone 206-930-4197 for immediate assistance.


How can I communicate with my instructor?


You may communicate with your instructor through the telephone, in person, or by email. If you have Internet Explorer and Microsoft Instant Messenger, it is easy to arrange  a live chat.  If you have any difficulties, call your instructor and he will assist you.


Whether or not you actually meet your instructor he will review your material and send you a personal response regarding each lesson you submit for grading. You may also call cell phone for immediate assistance 206-930-4197 at any time if you have questions.
If you are in the physical vicinity you may visit your instructor when he is on campus. If you are off campus, out of town, or out of the state, you may even arrange a live audio/ video chat with your instructor. If you have questions, or difficulty, call or email your instructor.


How Do I begin?

Please note that the outline does not specify specific pages to read from the text and you are encouraged to read all chapters in the required texts. Since students may tend to read only specific pages, if the page numbers were listed, no  specific page numbers are listed to read from those texts. You will note, however, that in the footnotes that can be  found by reading the bottom of the assignment page, you may find some page number references.  You  are also encouraged to search the Internet for additional information. In some cases hyperlinks  are provided but note that if the hyperlink is not available, then search for additional hyperlinks. Feel free to ask your instructor if you cannot find any necessary information.


Since this is an online course, you need a computer and /or computer access capability. Although some lessons may be accepted, up to 10% or 40 points by facsimile, you must use email via the Internet for most assignments in order to receive credit. You begin by looking at the individual assignments and sending the individual lessons to the instructor. You may choose to go by the dates or email your instructor your revised timeline.  If you have registered for the course to take in a real classroom setting, then attend classroom according to the due date schedule. In this situation you would hand your work to your instructor in the real classroom setting.

At any rate, do not email  more than one assignment per day. Please remember to list the lesson number in the subject of the email header so it is easy for your instructor to indicate to you what lessons you have completed if you did not keep the email that confirmed that your work was completed successfully. Please remember to type your real name on all of your work as that is how you are listed in the records for the course. If you email any assignment before the due date, your instructor will not likely grade your work before the due date.


As soon as you have completed all of the lessons, you will have completed the course. Your instructor will grade your individual assignments, as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours from when they are sent, and he will send you the results of each individual assignment.


Standards regarding lesson assignments:


In order to assure that you have answered all of the parts of the questions correctly so that you may receive full credit, copy the lesson questions, the lesson number, and provide your real name and the course you are enrolled in, as well as the email address. The due date is the last day an assignment receives full credit. Thereafter, the assignment is worth one point less per day. For example a five point assignment would be worth 0 points if it were late more than five days from the due date. Send, the copied questions along with your answered questions, [via email] so that you and the instructor can be sure you answered all of the points in the questions. You may copy your work on a word process program and then copy and  paste the material directly into the email composition window.

 

In general do not use attachment files, at it takes too long to open and close them, which limits the time your instructor has to read and comment on your work. You may use attachment files if the argument is too lengthy to copy and paste in the regular email composition frame, or if you are sending graphs, or other pictorial drawing.


Hints: To receive full credit for your assignments send email in complete standard English sentences, provide operational definitions of words, illustrate by example, cite sources used in your answers, and provide reasoning when giving your own opinion and support it with your own experience and examples. Do not copy articles without permission and please summarize in your own words and indicate what you have learned from them.


Indicate the assumptions that you are making, if you intend the opinion to represent anyone, or anything, other than yourself, or your own experience. Indicate any supporting data that you have in making your assumptions and what experimentation would be necessary in order to strengthen the argument or your claim. If you present information as fact, please indicate the source and the method used to establish the fact. If you are using a theoretical hypothesis, please state it and the method used for the examination or proof of it. If you are stating an apriori assumption, or affirming a commonly held "belief system", please limit your discussion to your own experience and indicate how you apply it successfully to yourself. Please include an opposing argument to your affirmed "belief system" and indicate with your reasoning as to how it is not as applicable to you as is your own belief system.

 
If for some reason, you do not receive full credit for the assignment, you may opt to do the assignment over before you progress to the next assignment. If you progress to the next assignment before doing the lesson over, you lose the option to do the previous work over and must accept the original work as completed. Pay particular attention to your instructor comments so that you may receive full credit for the assignment. You may opt to substitute any assignment, with prior instructor permission, for credit. Please keep a file of your lessons and accumulated daily points, in order to corroborate them with your instructor. Your instructor keeps a database and an electronic file of your material submitted to him and you may wish to compare your points with his at any time.
Please note that the instructor reserves the right to change any assignment, number of points, or modify the course at anytime. Most changes will be modifications that will make the course more enjoyable and more user friendly for you.


If you have questions, please call cell phone 206-930-4197. If you wish to email your instructor, then you may use the following email:
rbrehm@msn.com 


Do I need textbooks?


Most students ask, "Do I need a textbook?". If you are a typical student that has always used textbooks with assignments directly referenced in a text book, then you will feel more comfortable using a text. Ask your instructor if in doubt and if there are special circumstances that might exempt you from this requirement.

The course is intended to utilize the Internet Search engines for information and most information you need is found in the lessons themselves. 


How can I obtain extra credit?


Please see the individual courses that specify what and how the extra credit points can be earned. You should not do the extra credit points instead of completing the regular points as the extra credit are optional for those students who wish to earn extra points.