Rachel Schulze 

Associate Faculty, Visual Arts Department

rschulze@collin.edu

Telephone: 972-768-1201

 

ARTS 1301 Blended Course over Blackboard

Orientation Message:

Online classes differ from course to course.  For my Art Appreciation (ARTS 1301) course assignments and tests have scheduled due dates, and students can work at their own pace within the perimeters of the due dates.  There are no required in-person class dates.  This course does not meet as a class at any time.

The class is taught over Blackboard, and you will need to set up a Blackboard account if you do not have one already.  You can log into Cougarweb to set up an account.   After you set up your Blackboard account the course should appear in your list of classes on the first day of class.  

All of our course discussions, assignments, and tests will be conducted over the Blackboard course site. You should be proficient in using the internet and have access to Microsoft Word or Microsoft Works. All assignments in Word/Works will have to be uploaded to the course site for grading, and you should already be familiar with uploading and downloading attachments. 

The current textbook for this course is Living with Art, 9th edition, by Mark Getlein (McGraw-Hill.)  The course also uses the companion web site Connect Art for online quizzes. These online quizzes can be accessed through Collin Blackboard.

The course is "blended" because students must take three unit tests at a campus testing center.  The tests are spread out over the semester term and are available at the testing centers during a three or four-day window, including a weekend and at least one weekday evening.  Students must also complete an assignment at a major art museum in downtown Dallas.  The museum visit assignment varies each semester. Students must visit the assigned museum in person.  This visit to the museum can be done on your own time within the perimeters of the due date posted on the course Calendar. 

I have taught in both the classroom and online, and the course content is the same.  If you want to do well in an online course plan on spending just as much time on course content as if you were sitting in a classroom.  If you were in the classroom for three hours a week then plan on working on your own for at least three hours a week at home.  Three hours a week at the least!  There would still be extra time for studying for unit tests just as if you were in a traditional classroom setting.

If this will be your first online course I suggest that you visit the Online Student Support Center for tips on succeeding in an online environment.  The website for the Online Support Center is: http://online.collin.edu.  They offer online orientations titled "Are you READI?" and "What's Next?" that cover such topics as "How to Access Your Course", "Technology Requirements", etc.  They will also meet with you face-to-face, if needed, and you can bring in your laptop for orientation assistance.  


Technical Support
If you have any technical problems, please call 972-881-5870, or 972-377-1777. This support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, online support is available through the Online Support Center.

 

Syllabus ARTS1301.3BX1 Fall 2012

Access Blackboard via Cougarweb - Course Available First Day of Each Semester

Visual Arts Department Website