The best way to contact your instructor is to use the Blackboard Discussion Board. E-mails directly to your instructor should be sent only to communicate issues you do not wish others to read or that you think need personal attention. Be certain that your name is easily found in every e-mail you send -- either in the subject line, the salutation, or the closing. In addition, every e-mail must include in the subject line the course name [ASTR108] and a brief description of the topic. Messages with blank subject lines will be discarded as spam.

Except for weekends and holidays, you can expect me to respond to questions posted in the Blackboard Discussion Board area within 18 hours.

C. Netiquette
It is a requirement for this course that you use appropriate professional etiquette when you e-mail me or your fellow students. Unclear or unprofessional messages will simply be ignored. This concept of "netiquette" is explained further at the following websites:
Top 10 Netiquette Guidelines
Core Rules of Netiquette

D. Time Magnagement, Assignments & Due Dates
Plan to start the course promptly and complete each assignment well before its deadline. I highly recommend these streaming videos about time management and how to study in college. This course is divided into learning modules organized by subject matter. There is a required test corresponding to each learning module. The module test is not available to a student until s/he successfully completes a series of assigned online activities and/or self-guided tutorials and passes the pre-test quiz.

Visit the Blackboard online classroom at least every other day to read announcements, check the assignment schedule, take tests, and read/post discussion board messages. Students are responsible for keeping up with and adhering to the due dates and other instructions posted there in the course calendar and announcements areas of the Blackboard online classroom.

1. All assignments required for our course are provided as weekly assignment checklists within your Blackboard account. Click "Assignments" in the lefthand Blackboard menu  to view them. Within every assignment folder is a list of all the topics and tasks for this portion of the learning module, including due date and possible points for each task. In case of a discrepancy, the information on Blackboard will be taken as the authoritative due date or point value.
   
2. The assignments for each portion of a learning module includes tasks that must be completed though the MasteringAstronomy website. The grades for these tasks will be kept on MasteringAstronomy. In case of a discrepancy, the information on Blackboard will be taken as the authoritative record of the awarded score.
   
3. Each learning module test will be taken online via Blackboard. After completing the assigned readings, reviewing the appropriate topics, and successfully submitting each of the assigned MasteringPhysics tasks, click "Module Tests" in the lefthand Blackboard menu.
   
4. Unless otherwise indicated, written assignments will be graded and returned within three weekdays of their submission to Blackboard.

E. Blackboard Policies for this online course
At the WKU Blackboard website, https://ecourses.wku.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp, you will find logon instructions about how to gain entry into the online course for which you have registered. In the online classroom, click the Tools button to find a manual explaining the various functionalities of Blackboard. Please look it over and consult it when you have questions about how to use the various Blackboard elements.

Once you successfully enter our online ASTR 108 coursepage on Blackboard, you can click on the various icons there to read announcements, pick up assignments, take tests, view grades, use the discussion board, use email, and consult other materials placed there.

1. Announcements
   You are responsible for reading all announcements posted in the Blackboard announcements area. Check announcements each time you login being sure to read all announcements posted since the last time you logged in. Announcements are automatically shown to you on entry to the Blackboard online classroom. Some are permanent and always show. Others only show for a limited time after being posted. To see previously posted, nonpermanent announcements, select one of the tabs (last seven days, last month, etc) and use the scroll bar on the right of the screen.


2. Pre-Test Quizzes and Required Tests
   There are four tests during the semester that count toward your overall grade. However, each student will be allowed to take a given test only after scoring a satisfactory grade on a Pre-Test Quiz. Blackboard has been programmed to release each test only after you score over 70% on the respective Pre-Test Quiz. Your scores on the Pre-Test Quizzes do not count toward your overall grade; they serve only as gatekeepers to monitor your preparation for the tests. These quizzes are designed to challenge you to prepare at a high level for the material covered in each learning module. A student who understands why her/his answers are correct on the Pre-Test Quiz should score well on the corresponding test.
   
   Each Pre-Test quiz is only viewable during the days it is available to be taken; you cannot take a Pre-Test Quiz outside the pre-assigned time period. The appropriate Pre-Test Quiz will be accessible from the Quizzes & Tests link in the Blackboard menu from 6:00 a.m. on Thursday through 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. During the announced weeks, every member of our class, from the fastest to the slowest, is working on the same material.
   
   Each student who scores over 75% on the Pre-Test Quiz will be immediately eligible to attempt the corresponding test. If your score on a given Pre-Test Quiz is not over 75% then Blackboard has been programmed to assign additional work to help you master the material in that learning module. These assignments do not count toward your overall grade. The intention is that the guided study time will prepare you to pass the Pre-Test Quiz when you re-take it. Students who fail to pass the Pre-Test Quiz on the second attempt will be required to conference with the instructor before moving forward to the next section of the course.
   
   Each of the tests must be taken online in Blackboard and must be completed during its window of availability. The tests are to be closed-book -- no student shall use any outside resource, including, but not limited to, textbook, notes, or the Internet.
   
   The second test of the semester must be taken at a proctered testing site. You must register with the DELO Testing Center to reserve a time and place to take each test. This should be done as soon as possible, to ensure that a mutually acceptable time and /or location can be arranged. The proctors and/or instructor will clear any locked tests. But don't expect the instructor to be able to unlock it in time for you to retake a test if you get locked-out late on the last day of its availability. It is strongly suggested that you take the test early in the week to avoid this potential pitfall.
   
   No make-up tests are given for unless the student [1] notifies the instructor prior to missing the quiz or [2] provides acceptable documentation indicating an exceptional circumstance caused the quiz to be missed without prior notification. Since the test is available for several days, it is rare that a student will be allowed to take a missed test.


3. Final Examination
   The final exam must be taken at a proctored testing center during 'Finals Week', from Monday through Friday during the last week of the semester. Register with the DELO Testing Center to reserve a time and place to take the exam.
   The proctors and/or instructor will do their best to clear a locked exam. But if you get locked-out late in the last hour of the last day of Finals Week, don't expect to be able to unlock the exam in time for you to retake the entire exam. It is strongly suggested that you take the exam early in the week to avoid this potential pitfall.


4. Pre-test and other Quizzes
   Because these scores are not part of your course grade, books, notes and the Internet may be used when taking the quizzes. However, pay attention to how much you rely on those references. For example, if you have to look up material to accurately respond to every question on the Pre-Quiz for a given module then it is not likely you will do well on the test for that module.
   


5. Discussion Board
   Participation in online discussions is required and graded. The discussion board conferences are asynchronous and have definite start and finish dates indicated in the instructions for each conference. The purpose of the discussions is to stimulate study and discussion of the weekly reading assignments.
   Discussion board exchanges are time sensitive and, if missed, may not be made up. However, there are more conference points available than can be used if you earned them all. Missing a conference or two or a quiz or two will not prevent you from earning the necessary points so long as you perform well on the discussions in which you do participate.
   The following Discussion Board participation rules and guidelines apply to all posts:
   ---- Students must make at least two types of contributions to each posted discussion board topic.
   ---- Each new Thread Topics must respond to the discussion board assignment. No credit can be earned in a conference for reply postings unless a new thread is started.
   ---- Replies (or secondary postings) respond to the new threads other students.
   ---- Late postings to conferences will NOT be graded.
   ---- If you participate in more than the required number of conferences then the posts with the lowest grades will be ignored.

F. MasteringAstronomy

G. Course Requirements and Grades

1. Policy Submission of Graded Work:
   No work will be accepted for a grade beyond the due date. Online Activities, tutorials, and quizzes, must be submitted via MasteringAstronomy. Discussion board contributions must be submitted to our Blackbaord ASTR 108 course site. Homework submitted via email will not be graded.
   


2. Policy on Collaboration

   All work turned in for a grade must be your own. No credit will be given for work that is not demonstrably your own.

3. Extra Credit:
   Every weekend during the semester, you can earn a point of extra credit by posting to that section of the Discussion Board the link to a reputable report of a current news event relating to the astronomical topics covered in this semester's class. In addition to the url for the news source, the posting must include your name, the date of the news item, and which chapter in the book the news item most closely relates. Absolutely no other extra credit opport ities will be available.


4. Assignment Values

   Your grade will be based on your performance on the course requirements. Points are earned based on the values for each course requirement stated above.

   REQUIRED GRADED ASSIGNMENTS		MAXIMUM POINTS
   Required Online Activities & Self-Guided Tutorials All assignments must be completed through an account on MasteringAstronomy. The assignments are time-sensitive and have firm participation deadlines.	90 @ 2 pts ea	180
   Discussion Board Conferences (12 required) You have 14 chances to participate in 12 conferences. If you participate in more than 12, then the highest twelve grades will be used. Conferences are time-sensitive and have firm due dates. There are no make-ups for missed assignments.	12 @ 10 pts ea	120
   Module Tests (4 required) Tests are time-sensitive and must be taken during the period they are offered. There are no make-ups for missed tests.	4 @ 125 pts ea	500
   Final Exam Every student must arrange to take the online Final Exam at an approved proctered testing center.	200 pts	200
   MAXIMUM TOTAL POINTS FOR THIS COURSE =		1000.

5. The following grade scale will be used to determine your semester grade.

   Grade	Points
   A	900-1000
   B	800-899
   C	700-799
   D	600-699
   F	0-599

   
   

   VI. Students with Disabilities

   Students with disabilities who require accomodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Service, (270) 745-5004 V/TDD. Please do not request accomodations directly from the professor without a letter from the office of Student Disability Services.