Instructor / Nanine Gramigna
Credits / 2.0 credits
Term / Summer or Fall 2015
Meetings / Monday evenings online office hour 6-7 PM
This class meets 100% online.
This option is availableonlyto students in the fully online Business or Accounting degrees.
Instructor’s Contact Information
Office Phone / Home 570-347-9942Emergency Contact / In the event of an emergency, contact me at 570-954-0117 cell phone
Office Location / Virtual office
Email Address /
Office Hours / Online office hour Monday evenings 6-7 PM
Syllabus Changes / Instructors reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus as needed, and you are responsible for keeping up with those changes. Please log on regularly to Moodle to get the most current information.
Other Information / I will be checking email on a regular basis. I will get back to you in a 24 hour period.
Course Description & Information
Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, & other restrictions / This option is availableonlyto students in the fully online Business or Accounting degrees.Online Learning Expectations: To be successful academically, online students must be able to navigate & search the internet, use email, attach and upload documents, download & save files, and have access to and use Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint.
Course Description / This course is designed for students to gain proficiency in summarizing, analyzing, mapping, and annotating text. Reading strategies will be employed in order to improve in the areas of comprehension, inference, and critical thinking. Further engagement in the reading act will be facilitated by written analysis and reflection.
Required Readings / Smith, Brenda D. & Morris, L. (2011). Bridging the Gap: College Reading,
11th Edition. New York: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN: 0205852068
Buying Textbooks / Please note that the Keystone College Bookstore has the most complete and up-to-date information about your course textbooks. Be sure you are purchasing the correct edition and receive all the materials you need.
Recommended Readings / none
Special Software/Hardware / Microsoft Office Word and PowerPoint
Other Required Materials / None
Course Goals, Objectives/Outcomes
Learning OutcomesComprehension / To identify the main idea and supporting details of a paragraph or passage. To detect inferential ideas. To note cause and effect relationships. To identify conclusions of the author’s ideas. To analyze, synthesize, and evaluate an author’s ideas.
Vocabulary / To attack new words by the use of contextual clues, structural clues, and the dictionary.
Application of Reading Skills / To read content area textbooks effectively. To identify and underline main ideas in textbooks. To read critically and selectively. To preview textbook chapters effectively.
Analytical Written Responses to Reading / To write well developed essays in response to selected reading passages. To summarize reading passages effectively. To analyze reading passages effectively. To form accurate conclusions. To utilize library resource materials.
Grading
Grading (credit) Criteria / Grades will be determined by reading responses/fulfillment of application assignments (50%); class participation/quizzes (25%), and final project (25%).Assignments / Attached to syllabus
Discussion Board Criteria / You will be required to comment weekly on the discussion board questions and reply to at least two responses from other students. We will use the DB as a means to communicate our thoughts with each other!
Make-Up& Late Work / All work must be turned in on time unless an acceptable excuse is presented before the due date. Late papers and assignments will be penalized a ½ a letter grade for every day late (an A will become an A-, an A- will become a B+, and so on).
Extra Credit / None Given
Class Preparation & Participation / Weekly assignments will be posted by Monday. All work is due the following Monday evening by 11:59 PM. It is expected that you adhere to due dates for all your assignments!
Course Policies
Make-Up Exams / NoneExtra Credit / None
Late Work / See above
Student Conduct/ Netiquette / For Netiquette information, visit this webpage: http://web.keystone.edu/library/syllabus/netiquette.htm
Special Procedures / Taking Exams and Proctoring: http://www.keystone.edu/academics/onlinelearning/studentresources/takingtest.dot
Moodle Support / To access the Keystone College MoodleRooms platform: http://moodlerooms.keystone.edu
For MoodleRooms support
Email:
Phone: 1-855-848-5021
Chat: https://chat.perceptis.com/c/keystone/
For a New Student Orientation to Moodle, visit: http://www.keystone.edu/educationaltechnology/student-training.dot
For tutorials on using specific aspects of Moodle, visit http://www.moodlerooms.com/resources/tutorials/participate/
Technical Support /
You can gettechnical support or assistance by visiting the Technology Support page here: http://www.keystone.edu/technologysupport/index.dot or by contacting the IT Helpdesk at(570) 945-8778or
Plagiarism & Academic Integrity /
Academic misconduct and dishonesty includes any activity that compromises the academic integrity of the College or subverts the educational process. For information on dishonest acts including plagiarism, cheating, and fraud, consult your Student Information Guide or click on the link below. If you have any questions, talk with your instructor.
http://web.keystone.edu/Library/syllabus/integrity.htm
Copyright Notice / The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials, including music and software. Copying, displaying, reproducing, or distributing copyrighted works may infringe the copyright owner’s rights and such infringement is subject to appropriate disciplinary action as well as criminal penalties provided by federal law. Usage of such material is only appropriate when that usage constitutes “fair use” under the Copyright Act. As a Keystone College student, you are required to follow the College’s copyright policy. For more information about the fair use exemption, see the Miller Library’s copyright page: http://web.keystone.edu/library/copyright.html
Email Use / Keystone College states that all official student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s Keystone email address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a Keystone account. This allows the College to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individuals and the security of transmitted information. Keystone College furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with College personnel.
Withdrawal from Class / The College has set deadlines for withdrawing from courses. These dates and times are published in the course catalog and on the Academic Calendar. It is the student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any class. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend once you are enrolled. If you are considering withdrawing from a class, talk with your Advisor and consult the College Catalog.
Academic Grievance Procedures / Procedures for student grievances are found in the College Catalog. Please consult the procedures before taking action.
Please note: The first step in attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments of academic responsibility, is to make a serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor. The College Catalog outlines any subsequent steps.
Incomplete Grades / According to the College Catalog, an Incomplete (“I”) will only be awarded in the case of exceptional circumstances. Mere inability to submit work on time, or missing the final exam, is not valid reasons for an Incomplete.
Students must make arrangements with the instructor prior to the final exam it they wish to receive a grade of incomplete. (Forms are available in the Office of the Registrar.) The deadline for the completion of the coursework is four weeks into the next semester. If the course work is not completed within the specified time frame, the incomplete grade will become an “F.”
ADA Statement / Keystone College does not discriminate in any of its programs on the basis of disability.
While there is not a deadline for the disclosure of a disability by a student, in order to facilitate the documentation and accommodation processes, students are encouraged to voluntarily and confidentially disclose and disability requiring an accommodation prior to the beginning of class. This disclosure should be made to Emily Holmes, College Coordinator of Disability Services. Students who disclose a disability, and who are seeking an accommodation, ultimately will be expected to provide documentation verifying the disability.
MyKC /
For information about classes & advisers, to check midterm and final grades or to register for classes, logon to MyKC.
Tutoring Info / The College does offer tutoring assistance for many courses. For more information or to schedule an appointment, consult the Tutoring webpage here: http://www.keystone.edu/studentlife/studentsuccess/tutoring.dot
Advising & Other Student Support Info /
For information about academic advising, visit the Student Success Center’s Academic Advising page here: http://www.keystone.edu/studentlife/studentsuccess/academicadvising.dot
For a list of Student Support Services, visit the Student Success Center webpage here: http://www.keystone.edu/studentlife/studentsuccess/
Bookstore Info /
Visit the Bookstore at this link: http://www.bkstr.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10117&langId=-1&catalogId=10001
Schedule of Assignments
Module # and date / Modular Learning Objectives / AssignmentsModule #0 Orientation module
Weeks 1-2:
Module #1
Active learning
Weeks 3-4:
Module #2
Vocabulary
Weeks 5-6:
Module #3
Strategic Reading and Study
Week 7:
Weeks 8-9:
Module #4
Main Idea
Weeks 10-11:
Module #5
Patterns of Organization
Week 12:
Module #6
Organizing Textbook Information
Week 13:
Module #7
Inference
Week 14:
Module #8
Critical Thinking
Week 15:
Final Exam / Learn to use the online classroom
Meet the other members of the class.
Learn to be active learners; Identify and take advantage of individual learning styles; improve concentration; and adopt successful college behaviors.
Apply strategies for expanding vocabulary; use context clues to find meaning in new words; use word structure to find meaning in new words; use reference aids to clarify meanings of new words; strengthen memory of new words with rich meaning; recognize transitional words while reading.
Read strategically; use the three stages of reading; preview before reading; use thinking strategies during reading; apply active strategies for recall after reading.
Distinguish topics, main ideas, and supporting details; apply a strategy for finding the main idea; identify stated main ideas; distinguish major and minor details; Identify unstated main ideas; Identify main ideas of longer selections; Write a summary.
Recognize transitional words; recognize patterns of organization; Recognize mixed patterns of organization.
Meet the demands of college study; Organize textbook material for study; Annotate textbooks while reading; Make notes using the Cornell Method; Make notes using outlining; Make notes using mapping.
Define inference; Make reasonable inferences while reading; Recognize connotative language; Identify euphemisms and politically correct language; interpret figurative language; Draw logical conclusions.
Define critical thinking; Recognize barriers to critical thinking; Recognize arguments; Analyze and evaluate arguments; Define inductive and deductive reasoning; Practice thinking critically; Define creative thinking. / Review syllabus and expectations for the course.
Read chapter 1, complete Myers-Briggs type indicator to determine your learning style; tips for different types of learners; Complete weekly activity chart; successful academic behaviors: preview the textbook exercise; campus facts exercise; review the course syllabus; Test on Chapter 1. Reflection paper #1 due.
Read chapter 2, associate meaning by creating mnemonics; using context clues exercises; multiple word meaning exercise; word families, prefix, suffix and root words-complete exercises to determine word meanings. How to use the dictionary, the glossary, and the thesaurus practice exercises. Identifying transitional words exercise. Test on Chapter 2.
Read chapter 3. Stages of reading-practice exercises on pre-reading. Integrating knowledge while reading: exercise to predict, picture, relate, monitor comprehension, correct gaps in comprehension, and annotating. Create recall diagrams. Reflection #2 due;
Midterm Exam
Read chapter 4. Distinguishing between topic, main idea, and supporting details practice exercise. Practice strategies for finding the main idea. Stated and unstated main ideas; major and minor details practice exercises. Interpreting main ideas in longer selections-practice exercises. Summarizing exercises. Chapter 4 Test; Reflection #3 due.
Read chapter 5. Exercise on transitional words. Graphic organizer work-fill in the organizational pattern of text. Exercise to identify paragraph patterns. Recognizing mixed organizational patterns-exercise. Chapter 5 Test
Read chapter 6. Practice taking notes using the Cornell Method. Annotation exercises using journal articles. Practice outlining. Create maps using notes.
Read chapter 7.Reading between the lines exercise. Implied meaning exercises. Connotation in familiar words exercise. Identify figurative language in text. Prior knowledge exercises and drawing conclusion exercises.
Read chapter 9. Exercise on problem solving. Identifying types of barriers and arguments in text-practice exercises. Analyze and evaluate arguments in text. Determine if inductive reasoning or deductive reasoning is used in text exercises. Practice thinking critically by evaluating textual examples.
Final Exam Chapters 4-7, 9
Updated August 2013