HIS 120 (World History To 1000 CE): Approaching The Course -- DLU1 Version
HIS 120 is being delivered in the Winter semester in both a face-to-face and a digital asynchronous format. This particular instruction page is designed specifically for the DLU1 students, since I will be talking to the CVS1 students regularly within the classroom itself. CVS1 students may still much of the information below to be helpful.
The DLU1 sections will not meet regularly as a group via videoconferencing, though we will have some optional Kaltura workshop sessions and I will also make time available for one-on-one student-instructor videoconferences. You will be expected to spend an average of 4+ hours a week on the course. Although I anticipate that the work rhythms of even the most dedicated student will vary somewhat throughout the semester due to extraneous factors, you will need to be focused and on-task from the beginning of the course.
The Mister Dan site, my public access web-site, will be the basic resource for the course. ( https://www.misterdann.com/contentsworldhistory.htm )
The Syllabus Page ( https://www.misterdann.com/worldhistorysyllabusonline.htm ) is probably the most important section on the World History To 1000 CE homepage. Note that there are two separates syllabuses for the face-to-face and the online courses. Make sure that you are using the appropriate syllabus down in the bottom-right corner of the course Homepage, since there are minor differences between the two outlines. The other particularly important section of the website is the Assignments page, which provides instructions for the different assignments in the course.
Before the start of each week, DLU1 digital students should read the "Orientation For The Week" on the Syllabus Page. It will outline your responsibilities for the coming week, including instructions and links for required Reading, Listening, and Viewing. I will often also include some Optional Extras. These will be interesting supplementary materials connected to the topics under consideration for that particular week. You are encouraged to access these materials, as well as related supplementary materials that you find, but I appreciate that the degree to which you have time to do this will vary throughout the semester. Focus upon those Optional Extras that most interest you. If you are drawn into the study of some Optional Extras, it's certainly appropriate to substitute study on those for some of the other weekly responsibilities.
We will use the NIC HIS 120 Brightspace site as the place for Discussion Forum Contributions and for Assignment Submissions. You will be able to reach the Brightspace site through logging on at https://mycourses.nic.bc.ca/ .
The Discussion Forums are meant to facilitate the sharing of ideas and to engage you with your classmates. The forums will be divided into your reflections upon the course documentaries (History Playhouse) and your discussion upon other course materials. These contributions together will be one important component of the course evaluation (19%). Try your best to keep current with the Discussion Forums as we move throughout the semester. I will leave Discussion Forums up for two weeks after we have moved on to new topics but then will close old Forums as we proceed. Evaluation will be based not just upon the number of contributions but rather more on the level of their thoughtfulness, with added appreciation for genuine engagement with fellow students. You are not expected to contribute to every Discussion Forum.
The most substantial assignment in HIS 120 will be the on-going World History To 1000 CE Journal. This will consist of a series of short entries offering your commentary upon the core curriculum. The regular starting place for the Journal should be the weekly Reading, Viewing, and Listening Assignments that are listed on the Syllabus Page. Although you certainly are not expected to write about all of these resources, you should demonstrate sustained engagement with this core curriculum. A further description of the Journal is provided on the Assignments Page. ( https://www.misterdann.com/worldhassignments.htm )
It is expected that you work regularly on the Journal throughout the semester, writing in it on a weekly basis. You will need to hand in your Journal four times. The First Half Journal will be formally evaluated at the mid-point of the semester (30% of the course grade). The Second-Half Journal will then be evaluated at the term's end (also 30% of the course grade). You also will be required to submit your In-Progress Journal at the quarter-mark and three-quarter mark of the semester for an ungraded check-in.
The other assignment will be your written responses (approximately 500 words apiece) to Naked Olympics and After The Prophet, two of the three book-length readings. These responses will be graded separately as "seminar notes" (2 x 10% = 20%).
I have decided not to have any exams in this edition of HIS 120, though I will be expecting you to demonstrate consistent engagement with the course curriculum through your Journal entries and your Discussion Forum Contributions. I hope that you enjoy the course and I look forward to working with you.