GEOSC 10
Geology of the National Parks

How to Succeed in GEOSC 10

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How to Succeed in GEOSC 10

For online courses, the advice most likely to lead you to success is "Engage, Engage, Engage!"

What does this mean? Quite simply, it means being active in the course on a regular basis. It means keeping in sync with what's going on in the course, staying on top of deadlines and assignments, asking for help when necessary, and taking every opportunity to interact with the content and the instructors. It means making GEOSC 10 a regular part of your routine. Do this, and frankly, it will be difficult for you NOT to succeed in this course.

In online courses, the role of both the instructors AND the students tend to shift from the traditional classroom roles. The instructors' role is similar to that of good supervisors, and the students' role is closer to that of a good employee. The instructors define and set overall goals, outcomes, and timelines; make the information, resources, and experiences available to you to meet those goals; and, provide the support, guidance, communication channels, and feedback to help you succeed. The students' primary responsibilities are to stay on task; manage their time and energy in order to get everything done on a weekly basis; ask for guidance when in need of clarification; and to take every opportunity available to improve their chances of success.

So, the very best advice we can offer you is to be engaged in this course for at least nine hours each week, and log on 5-6 days of the week to spread out your study and thinking time. In the final analysis, completing multiple online sessions of quality study time is a tried-and-true recipe for success in GEOSC 10.

Six specific steps to help you succeed in this course

  1. Intentionally schedule your time! Treat this course like a traditional face-to-face course and you should be fine.
    • Schedule a specific time each week to attend/view and take notes on the lecture.
    • Schedule a time to read the instructional materials and take notes on what you read.
    • Schedule a time to review your notes and take the Practice Quiz.
    • Schedule a time to take the RockOn quiz and the StudentsSpeaks survey.
    • Finally, work on your exercises soon after they open. Do not procrastinate.
    • Use a calendar program and set regular reminders for yourself.
  2. Read, Read, Read (and watch/attend lecture)
    • Read the Unit overview. This is a link on the unit Introduction and unit WrapUp pages.
    • Read and take notes on all lesson materials.
    • Read, understand and take notes on all Geomations, Geoclips and Virtual Field Trips.
    • Read all e-mail and class announcements.
    • Read all the instructions that accompany all assignments—they are there to help you succeed!
  3. Take Notes! Again, treat this course just like a traditional face-to-face course.
    • Take notes when you read!
    • Take notes when you watch the lecture!
    • Write down what you don't understand and ask about it in the General Questions and Comments Discussion Forum.
  4. Communicate with the Instructors.
    • Email "ALL TEACHERS" and "ALL TEACHING ASSISTANTS.
    • Again, let me reiterate, email "ALL TEACHERS" and "ALL TEACHING ASSISTANTS" every time you send an email—even if you are replying to a message sent directly to you. This expedites the response time and increases the likelihood of getting a speedy reply.
    • Watch a video on how to "email All Teachers and All Teaching Assistants".
      A how-to video: How to e-mail "All Teachers" and "All Teaching Assistants".
      Click for transcript.

      This is a short video on how to email All Teachers and All Teaching Assistants.

      You’ll start in the Canvas Inbox. Now choose “Compose a new message”. Now select GEOSC 10 from the Course dropdown menu.

      Click on the folder and select “Teachers > All in Teachers”. Click the folder again and select “Teaching Assistants > All in Teaching Assistants”.

      Include a descriptive subject line and type your message. Notice that you can attach documents or create or upload a video to your email as well. Now hit “Send”

      Sending to “All in Teachers” and “All in Teaching Assistants” assures that your message goes to the entire teaching team and that you will get a timely response. Whoever is on duty that day will respond to you as soon as possible. Failure to do so will result in a delayed response that can be as much as a week.

      Follow the above instructions if you want to reply to a message as well. Never just reply to the sender of the email. ALWAYS reply to “All in Teachers” and “All in Teaching Assistants” so that we are able to help you in the best and most efficient way possible.

      We really appreciate your consideration of this matter.

  • Be Familiar with all of the Technical Requirements.
    • Just like other courses that have prerequisites, this course requires you to have certain technical specifications and knowledge. Do NOT bypass the technical requirement tests. Failure to do so may result in poor learning outcomes. Pay specific attention to the browser you are using—this is critical to your success in GEOSC 10!
  • Understand and know how to use Canvas.