Course Syllabus

This syllabus is also available in PDF format, which is printable and accessible by a screen reader: Accessible-Syllabus LEARN 50 Spring 2023 CCSF

Download LEARN 50 Fall 2022 CCThe Syllabus contains seven sections. There is a lot of information, but it is important for you to read each section. To read each section click the heading for that section.  After opening each section, you can click on the Syllabus Navigation, Syllabus Navigation Button, on the top right to jump between sections or revisit relevant sections.

  Course Communication

  1. Instructor Contact

    Tanaka Gaines

    • Email: tgaines@ccsf.edu (Only use if Canvas is not working)
    • Virtual Support Hours: See below

    Communication Plan

    • I will respond to your messages within 24 hours from Monday to Friday excluding holidays and flex days or if you are notified otherwise.
    • Your work will be reviewed and I will comment on it within 48 hours of the due date unless you are informed otherwise. Please note that you will receive private comments (in Canvas Grades) on projects, some assignments, and the midterm.
    • Virtual Support Hours (Office Hours): Need additional assistance? Private one-on-one appointments through Zoom. To schedule an appointment:
      1. Click on the calendar icon calendar icon
      2. Select a course such as LERN 50
      3. Select a day and time
    Virtual Support

    Days

    Hours

    Tuesdays

        5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

    Building Community

  2. The heart of this class is the community we will build together. Each week you and your classmates will meet to review the week's content and collaborate in building your understanding of the material. You each bring something unique and valuable to the classroom -- whether your background, your questions, and your experiences with the material. You will have many opportunities this semester to learn from each other, and that will be improved through thoughtful collaborative interactions.
  3. In our structured and unstructured discussions and dialogues, we also will have many opportunities to explore some challenging issues and increase our understanding of different perspectives. Our conversations may not always be easy; we sometimes will make mistakes in our speaking and our listening; sometimes we will need patience or courage or imagination or any number of qualities in combination to engage our texts, our classmates, and our own ideas and experiences. Always we will need respect for others. Thus, an additional aim of our course necessarily will be for us to increase our facility with the sometimes difficult conversations that arise as we deepen our understanding of multiple perspectives – whatever our backgrounds, experiences, or positions {University of Michigan}.
  4. Many problems and questions can be resolved by asking a fellow student. I am always here to help you but I truly believe your experience will be better if you communicate with your fellow students throughout the semester. Let's work together to make this semester great for everyone.

  6. Instructor Announcements

  7. The instructor will post announcements on the “Announcements” page in Canvas throughout the semester. Canvas notifies students according to their preferred Notification Preferences. as soon as the instructor creates an Announcement.

  8. Q&A Discussion

  9. The “Q&A Discussion” is located in Module 1. This discussion is for you to ask for assistance of your classmates.

  Course Description

Integrates study strategies, critical analysis, and communication skills in preparation for lifelong success in academic, professional, and personal development. Includes time management, critical thinking, personal and educational values, written and spoken communication, informational literacy, research skills, equity and social justice, navigation of educational systems, online learning, health, and financial literacy.  COURSE OUTLINE OF RECORD

Advisories

Recommended Preparation, Completion of or concurrent enrollment in: ESL 188 or ENGL 88 or higher

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Explain how to navigate diverse educational systems and learning environments.
  2. Manage their own physical, social, and psychological wellness.
  3. Assess academic strategies and apply them to coursework.
  4. Apply communication, critical analysis, and information literacy skills to college-level research and problem solving.

Time required (units): The CCSF workload requirement for a 3-unit credit lecture class is that students put in nine (9) hours per week.  Online, courses require nine (9) hours at home. Each student will need to put in more or less time, depending on his or her background and study techniques. 

Location and class meeting times: Fully online, asynchronous

  • MIDTERM Last day to submit midterm April 9, 2023 by 11:59 pm
  • FINAL Last day to submit final May 24, 2023 by 11:59 pm (No Exceptions*)

Students will use the Canvas Learning Management system for assignment instructions, submitting assignments,  sharing resources, and viewing grades.  I can help with the course material and with some Canvas issues. But, if you need help uploading an assignment or with the mechanics of Canvas, Canvas help is the number to call.

  • *Canvas has limited access to students after May 24, 2023.

For 24/7 help with Canvas call: 1-844-592-2198.

You can visit my CCSF instructional website outside of Canvas

Required Materials

Textbooks

  • College Success by OpenStax (free PDF or checkout in library, CCSF Ocean Campus)
  • Who Moved My Cheese by Spenser Johnson (free PDF or purchase online or CCSF Bookstore (ISBN 9781101495872) purchase before March 6, 2023

Apps (Software)

Students are required to log-in to their CCSF Microsoft Office account. Students will sign up for their Microsoft Office account the first week  of class.     

Note: You must have access (be able to log in) to your CCSF Email account. How do I log in to my CCSF email account?

Field Trips

No field trips

  Course Logistics

Important Dates

Important Dates
Day Class Begins January 17, 2023
Day Class Ends May 24, 2023

Midterm

Due April 9, 2023

Final

Due May 24, 2023

To PASS the course students are required to take ALL Midterms and Final

For more on Important Dates.

Attendance

  1. Your attendance will be tracked through completion of assignments, projects, discussions, and midterm/final completion.
  2. If you do not log in to Canvas for five consecutive days without contacting Tanaka (via Canvas Inbox or Zoom) and plans to resolve, you will be dropped.
  3. If you do not submit work (Assignments, Projects, Discussions, etc.) to Canvas for five consecutive days without contacting Tanaka (via Canvas Inbox or Zoom) and plans to resolve, you will be dropped.
  4. Since being dropped from class might affect your financial aid or student visa status, if you wanto stay enrolled be sure to keep attending class and contributing.

*NOTE: After the first week of the semester, no shows will be dropped. In online classes, no shows are identified as students who have not yet completed any assignments or logged in (to Canvas).

Dropping the Class

It is your responsibility to officially drop to the course to avoid getting no refund drop before 10% of the course length (refer to Important Dates), a W symbol (after 20%), or a grade (after 60%).

Instructor will drop student if:

  • Student has not log into Canvas for five (5) consecutive days and/or
  • Did not submit assignments to Canvas for five (5) consecutive days
  • Has not informed the instructor by Canvas Inbox or Zoom (about illness, etc.)

Pass‐No Pass (P/NP)

You may take this class P/NP. You must decide before the deadline, February 16, 2023. Please refer to Important Dates, add the option online with MyCCSF or file the P/NP form with Admissions and Records. With a grade of C or better, you will receive a P.

You must file for the P/NP option by date listed above. Once you decide to go for P/NP, you cannot change back to a letter grade. If you are taking this course as part of a certificate program, you can probably still take the class P/NP. Check with a counselor to be sure.

Late Policy

All assignments are due at 11:59 p.m. PST on the due date.

Time management is important in life and business. To create a fair, equitable learning environment for all students below is a late policy for assignments and projects.

      • Electronic submissions will be accepted in case of illness or computer malfunction.
      • For each day late a 10% penalty will be applied.
      • The minimum grade that a late assignment can receive is 60%.
      • Non-submissions and submissions received later than 2 weeks, will receive 0%.
      • When calculating your final grade, six (6) lowest assignments and two (2) discussions will be dropped.
      • Projects, Pop Quizzes, Midterm, and Final will not be dropped please plan accordingly.

Deadlines

Deadlines are not negotiable, regardless of the reason. However, you are ALWAYS welcome to complete assignments ahead of time! To get full points, assignments must be complete and on time. A total of 2 weeks of assignments (6) , discussions (2) are dropped for all students to handle the inevitable list of emergencies or illnesses or forgetfulness that cause the occasional missing of a deadline.

      • 1-3 days late - less feedback and comments than recorded on submissions that were on time.
      • 4+ days late - no comments or feedback.

You may request an extension for an assignment, but you must ask 48 hours (2 days) before the assignment is due. Extension requests on the due date, without an excusable reason, will not be considered.

      • Please provide a health certificate if you were ill for more than 3 days.
      • If you were traveling, or missed assignments due to important appointments, or there were other serious circumstances send a letter and attach forms.
      • Late penalties will apply after the end date of agreed extensions.

If you are ill for more than 14 days, or have other exceptional circumstances, please schedule an appointment in Zoom so we can make arrangements and come up with a plan to successfully pass the course.

Your final grade may be adjusted to take your circumstances into account.

  Grading

Methods of Evaluation

Each week you will complete graded assignments, discussions, and projects. This course is taught by lecture (video).  All of these assignments can be completed after reading the textbook, assignment instructions, and the summaries in the content modules. 

Grading Policy

Visit the “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades. I grade and post comments every Fridays via the online Canvas Gradebook.

 How do I view my grades, teacher comments, and an assignment rubric as a student?

Grades will be assigned as follows:

GRADES

Letter Grade

Percentage

 A

 +90%

 B

 89-80%

 C or P (Pass)

 79-70%

 D or NP (No Pass)

 69-60%

F, NP, or FW

 59%<

Pass/No Pass

Students are required to pass with a (1) 70% (in each category review the Weighted Grades, below)  and (2)  take midterms and final to pass the class.

An “F” grade indicates that a student attended, participated, and completed the course but failed to master the course curriculum. If you fail to drop you will receive a F in the course.

An “FW” grade indicates the student stopped attending a course after the “last day to withdraw” deadline and subsequently did not submit any work or participate in any exams. Please check with your counselor and financial aid advisor for possible implications of the FW grade on residency and financial aid status.

Weighted Grades

What is a weighted grade? A weighted grade is the average of a set of grades, where each set carries a different amount of importance.

 

Weighted Grades

Assignments / Projects*

39%

Discussions**

 40%

Midterm & Final***

21%

Bonus (Increases grade up 2% of overall grade. Example: 68% to 70%.)*

*Students will receive a zero (0) for late bonus assignments.

2%

*PROJECTS:

Grades DO NOT drop please plan accordingly.

ASSIGNMENTS:

Students can miss six (6) Assignments (the lowest score will be dropped).

**DISCUSSIONS:

Students can miss up to two (2) discussions (lowest grade will be dropped). Grade will be reduced for missing three or more discussions.

PLEASE READ:

Missing THREE (3) or more Discussions, will reduce a students grade for example from B to C.

  1. Student are required to reply to TWO (2) peers and “socialize” with ALL classmates,  student will receive a zero grade for replying to one peer or the same peer (unless they met the above requirement).
  2. The video communication discussion counts as a project.
  3. Lastly, students must engage in the discussion with their peers, writing simple sentences is not acceptable (Do's and Don't Discussion Posts) .
  4. Student have the option to reply via video (Studio in Canvas) instead of the written format.

***FINAL/MIDTERM/POP QUIZZES (grade will not drop PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY)

MIDTERM / FINAL

Students are required to take ALL Midterms and Final to pass the course.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  1. it is a requirement (class assignment) to read/watch announcements. Announcements post every week, Mondays at 7:00 am. There will be POP QUIZZES in the announcements.
  2. Read announcements BEFORE Thursday 11:59 pm.

 

  Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

If you need testing accommodations because of a disability, or have emergency medical information to share with me, or need special arrangements, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. Virtual support hours are by appointment through Zoom video-conferencing.

Students with disabilities who need academic accommodations should request them from the Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) located in the Rosenberg Library, Room 323 on the Ocean Campus. Telephone: 415-452-5481 (V) 415-452-5451 (TDD).  More information can be found on the DSPS website.

IMPORTANT PLEASE READ

Please submit DSPS letter to Tanaka via Canvas Inbox. We do not have a record of DSPS students.

  1. DSPS students have ample time to complete coursework.
  2. It is strongly recommended to start the module at the beginning of the week (new modules post Saturdays at 7:00 am for those who want a head start).
  3. it is also recommend for students to meet with Tanaka (via Zoom) on a continual basis throughout the semester for additional support.

  Standards of Conduct

You are encouraged to work with other students -- learning can be greatly improved by collaboration. Collaboration is encouraged for all assignments. But what does that mean? If you are working closely with friends or fellow students, it means each of you working first on your own and bringing your best work together to compare and discuss, and then putting answers down in your assignment that reflect your own thinking and words.

Be absolutely sure that your answers are your own and in your own words. Copying of WORK in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty. Any identical submissions will be given a 0, so be careful and reach out to me right away if you have any questions or concerns. 

Also, remember that the midterm, final, and pop quizzes are individual effort only. Any indication that students have collaborated on a quiz will result in a 0 on that quiz for all parties.

Please avoid any indication of cheating by writing your answers in your own word and submitting your own work. PLAGIARISM = copying other people’s words or drawings without giving them credit. See these links on Plagiarism:

Students who register in CCSF classes are required to abide by the CCSF Student Code of Conduct.

Violation of the code is basis for referral to the Student Conduct Coordinator or dismissal from class or from the College. See the
Office of Student Affairs.

Anti Discrimination Policy INformation. The San Francisco Community College District is committed to creating and maintaining a community free of all forms of unlawful discrimination, including sex-based discrimination (which includes sexual harassment and sexual violence.) The District has adopted detailed Title IX policies and regulations addressing unlawful discrimination, including sex-based discrimination (which includes sexual harassment and sexual violence.) 

  Expectations

You will succeed in this course if you meet the following expectations:

  • Complete the assigned activities. Please let me know as soon as you can concerning difficulties that you may have in getting assignments in on time. 
  • Complete the discussion posts and replies within the given window of time. Our discussions are much more vibrant when we all participate!
  • Complete the weekly quizzes, the final project, and the final exam on time.
  • Think critically about the weekly topics. Is something surprising? Is it new to you? How does it contrast with what you know about XYZ or how does it compare to ABC? 
  • Do your own and your best work. 

Here is what you can expect of me:

  • I will respond to your message within 48 hours during the week, unless I inform you otherwise.
  • I will treat you and your ideas with respect.
  • I will grade your Course Journal and Discussion posts and replies most often within 48 hours. (If you have posted late work, it may take longer.) Grades on the final project and final exam will be done within a week.
  • You will see your grades and comment in the Canvas Gradebook.
  • I will work hard to make this a great class.