For some of you this will be a new and challenging experience, while for others navigating online and learning history will be old and familiar territory. Many of you may fall somewhere in between. No matter what your experience with technology and U.S. history is, at some point you will probably get a bit confused with some part of the course. This page is designed to give you some reference points to help ease possible confusion. However, it won't answer all questions. Before you get to that final frustration point, take advantage of the opportunity to send email to me. I try to respond fairly promptly, particularly to student questions, and using email to ask questions can save valuable time and relieve unnecessary stress. My email address is at the bottom of this page.
Most of you are eager to get started, but before you begin reading texts and writing papers, which there is a lot of in this course, you should take time to read the Syllabus. The Syllabus is where the other important details are; namely how your grade is determined, how much work you need to do, what books you need to purchase and what the course schedule is. You should look over this before you begin working, but you will probably also want to keep referring to it throughout the semester to stay up on due dates and your grade progress. Once again, if you are confused by any of the details, don't hesitate to use that email!
The Assignment link takes you to the page where you will find your assignments. Many of the assignments feature primary sources that will hopefully give you a feel for doing what a historian does; interpreting items and actions from the past. Most assignments will also feature mini-lectures. The lectures are designed to summarize many of the points I would make in a lecture on any particular topic. Hopefully they will be easy enough to follow, and just like you would in a traditional class, feel free to send questions if you get to a point that doesn't seem to make sense or that you would like to know more about. Within the lectures are links, that you are not required to read, but that can provide extra information for students who are anxious to learn more about a particular topic. Make sure to also do the text readings at the end of each lecture. I'm always looking for ways to enhance the mini-lectures and assignments, so if you have any suggestions, I welcome you to send them to me.
The Discussion Board will take you to our forum for posting messages and joining live chat sessions. You will need to get a username and password if you don't have one from an earlier Citrus course. The procedure shouldn't be too difficult, but if you have problems, send an email to either myself or the web office and we will try to get you going. I've been advised that AOL users may have problems accessing the discussion board and chat. The remedy is apparently to turn off your AOL browser and use a Netscape or Microsoft browser instead.
Again, let us know if you need any help. Finally, make sure to checkout the Announcements link every week or so. Whew! Had enough of reading this stuff? Then let's get started with the course.