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 Class Help Desk The purpose of the Class Help Desk is to help students help themselves to succeed in the class. In the Class Help Desk other students or the instructor will answer questions of interest to the whole class. Understand that if you have questions about the course, other students will also have questions. When you ask questions please specify what you need help with in the message subject. The Class Help Desk is located on Blackboard, in the Town Hall course shell, and can be recognized by the large icon of the instructor's profile. (I use the smaller one next to my "signature".) (At the beginning of each semester there may also be a temporary help desk in each individual regular course shell -- which will close after the first week.)
This is probably self-explanatory, but I will mention it anyway: If you discuss tests (quizzes, drills, etc.) you can give hints, page numbers and similar, but NOT the answers! Another thing that probably is also self-explanatory: Before you ask for help you must read the instructions posted online on the class hub page.
Some of you might say that you don't need any help. That is fine, it is not mandatory to post in the Class Help Desk. But remember that every time you post, the Blackboard counter scores, so helping other students in the Class Help Desk might help your grade. Again, it is not mandatory; just remember that the instructor will not answer class questions sent via e-mail. All class related messages must be sent via the Class Help Desk. (The Blackboard e-mail box will open up after a few weeks, but can only be used for private messages.) Address all concerns you feel is PRIVATE to the Blackboard e-mail box, such as emercencies, grades, and other private matters. However, if you ask about an in progress assignment it may not be possible for the instructor to effectively answer the question without also including the points/scores in the answer. Therefore, if asking for help in the Class Help Desk with a class related question, the instructor will assume that you don't mind doing this in this open forum. (If not DON'T ASK the question.) All class questions must be posted in the Class Help Desk -- WITH AN APPROPRIATE SUBJECT LINE. At the end of the semester there will be a lot of messages in the Class Help Desk. For this reason, all messages without a subject or messages just stating "help" -- which is a useless subject -- will be removed by the instructor in order to reduce crowding. Also, if you think that the instructor is the only one who can help you with a problem, start your message with the -- CLASS SECTION INFORMATION (GY1, GY2, PY1, PY2, V01, V02, V03, V04, V05 -- whatever section you registered for). Other students might help you, but I don't have time to look at all class rosters to find out what class all 185 students are in, so I "cannot"  help unless I know the class you are in. Let's help each other -- after properly reading online instructions, while at the same time we learn to know each other, by discussion problems and other class matter in the Class Help Desk. Before you ask for help you must read the instructions posted online on the class hub page. As per the teaching philosophy of this instructor, educational problems -- e.g., assignment details, grading criteria, deadlines, and how to navigate the class pages, are supposed to be solved by the student, by obtaining information from syllabus, assignment instructions, critical thinking, and learned knowledge. The instructor will not answer questions "every five minutes" from students. Students are responsible, as part of the grade, to the solutions and answers themselves. Using the Class help Desk may be part of, but not limited to, that solution.
Because of the pressure from the state of Texas to perform well on the TAKS test, instead of making classes challenging for students, in high school teachers often lead students through the course helping and answering questions the students should have answered themselves.
Other than the help already available for students to help themselves, on the web pages in front of you on the computer screen, in this class students will not be guided step by step on how to do things or where to find things. At least not be the instructor.
It is part of the class work -- YOUR JOB -- to figure out how to use the web pages for the class so that you can find and do all the assignments and EARN a good grade for the class. The best way to do that is to SPEND TIME navigating the class pages and READ all the class information available (several times until you understand it).
Most students usually access this class via the Blackboard (Content) Home page. That is a good starting point, and there is information to read already on that page.
Another good way to lessen the class burden is to form online STUDY GROUPS. Some classes have made discussion strings in the Class Help Desk into Study Group discussion tools.
This instructor will not enforce required readings. So, if you think you can pass this class without reading anything, then don't read anything. But remember this: YOU ‚ no one else -- EARN the grade in this class. If you get an A you EARNED it, if you get and F you EARNED it.
The Class Help Desk is there for you to use, but it is not to be used as a method to reduce class challenges or to "teach the test". The key terms have already been mentioned, i.e., to help students help themselves. There is no TAKS test to be taken in this class...
Dr. Nilsson
  The course content may vary to meet the needs of a particular class, and the information may be changed due to unforeseen circumstances. The instructor therefore reserves the right to alter (add, delete, or revise) any items of the course, syllabus and course calendar, online or via verbal instructions in class. The student is responsible for taking note of any such changes and acting accordingly. |
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Copyright 2009, Jan A. Nilsson. Web page layout and design © and intellectual property Jan A. Nilsson. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited. Page created 24.I.2009, most likely during the wee hours of the morning on a G3 PowerBook owned by Jan A. Nilsson.
-- Disclaimer: "Dr. Nilsson's CyberOffice", at the time of writing located as a file under the South Texas Community College's (STCC) web server with the general URL http://stcc.cc.tx.us/, is the intellectual property of Dr. Jan A. Nilsson, member of STCC biology faculty. The content of Dr. Nilsson's CyberOffice does not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of the STCC faculty, staff, administration, and Board of Trustees.
Page Design Copyright © 2009, Jan A. Nilsson. Page created 24.I.2009, last updated 24.I.2009, most likely during the wee hours of the morning on a G3 PowerBook owned by Jan A. Nilsson. Web page layout and design © and intellectual property Jan A. Nilsson. Content on Dr. Nilsson's CyberOffice may not be used for commercial purposes. All rights reserved. Except for educational purposes and 'fair use' (see below), reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited. If used for educational purposes and 'fair use', including photographs, source must be given. (Some clip art, texts and backgrounds used on Dr. Nilsson's CyberOffice downloaded for educational purposes and/or 'fair use' from Internet free domain has no source.)  If anyone feels that his or her material cannot be used this way I will immediately remove it if notified.   "This site [may contain] copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner." -- The statement not related to the instructor of this course: To comply with TEACH Act guidelines, STC instructors are asked to include the following statement as a footer in each online class home page: Copyright Notice for Distance Education and Web-Enhanced Classes Course materials may be protected by copyright. United States copyright law, Title 17 USC and South Texas College policy prohibit unauthorized use, duplication, or retransmission of course materials. See http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/pl107-273.html#13301 and STC policy at http://www.southtexascollege.edu/president/policies/pdf/3000/3835.pdf |
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Help Desk
