Course Syllabus

Spring Semester -  2023

German 1A (Elementary German) CRN: 34188, Section No. 931 

Course Website (Google Sites)

Course Description

For more information:  Course Outline of Record.  German 1A will cover Einführung - Kapitel 3 in Deutsch: Na Klar! 8th edition.  

Advisories

ENGL 93 or 94; or ESL 160 or 82 or placement in ENGL 96 or ESL 170 or any City College or university foreign language course.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, a student will be able to:

  1. Communicate in German at a novice level with accurate grammatical structure and vocabulary, and intelligible pronunciation and intonation.
  2. Interpret the main ideas of a written text or internet resource in German at a novice level.
  3. Compose short written communications incorporating the principles of present tense syntax at a novice level.
  4. Articulate knowledge and understanding of the cultures of German-speaking countries at a novice level.

Class Meetings

There will be no in-person class meetings.  Students may access the course online at any time through Canvas.

Instructor Contact

Instructor: Leslie A. Pahl, Ph.D.

Preferred Method of Contact:  Please use the Canvas inbox.  

The official response time to the Canvas message will be within 12 hours from time of posting (Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) or 24 hours if posted on a weekend.  However, since Canvas inbox communications are monitored daily, you may see an even more timely response.  

Course Web Site - Canvas

Students use the CCSF Canvas Learning Management system as their starting point for ALL assignments.  Click on the following link for a helpful video to orient you in your CANVAS course.  CANVAS course orientation.   Students  access the Deutsch: Na Klar! ebook, workbook and lab manual exercises and LearnSmart quizzes by clicking on each assignment link in the CANVAS course modules.  

Textbook/Workbook and Lab Manual

Materials:  Deutsch: Na Klar! 8th edition. Robert DiDonato/ Monica D. Clyde

NOTE: Purchase the digital access to Connect through CCSF’s online Bookstore: Follett Access.  180-day access to the course will cost $71.40.  This is less than direct purchase from McGraw Hill.  Log into the Opt-in Portal using this link.  (Note: you cannot “opt-in” unless you are enrolled in the course.  Wait-listed students cannot opt-in.) 

  1. You will receive a Connect access code. $71.40 will be charged to your student account once the last day to drop for a refund passes.
  2. Click here for a “how-to” guide to access Connect materials with the All-Access code.  Begin in Canvas and click on “McGraw Hill Connect” in the left hand navigation bar.    
  3. Do not purchase a used printed textbook in lieu of Connect digital access.   However, students who prefer to also have a printed copy of the textbook to consult could look on Amazon or Half-Price Books for a used copy of the 8th edition.     

Required Software

Apart from an internet/wifi connection, you will need the following software for this course:

Technical Support

The instructor does not provide technical support.  However, there are multiple support resources offered through the CCSF Online Education Department and through McGraw Hill's Connect Student Success site.  Consult the Canvas module "Technology Help Resources: Canvas and Connect” for links to these resources.  It is the second module in your Canvas course directly after the "Let's get started" module.   

Important Dates (Spring Semester 2023)

Spring Semester Instruction begins:  January 30 (Monday)

Last Day to Drop with 100% refund: February 8  (Wednesday)

Last Day to Add:  February 16 (Thursday)

Last Day to Drop without a “W” notation:  February 16 (Thursday)

Last Day to Opt for Pass/No Pass: April 27 (Thursday) 

Last Day to Drop with a “W” notation: April 27 (Thursday)

Final Exam Dates:  May 18 - May 24 (Exam will be available from May 18 at 6:00 a.m. (Thursday) to May 24 at 11:59 p.m. (Wednesday))  

Last day to submit Connect and Canvas assignments (except quizzes): May 26 at 11:59 p.m. (Friday) 

Dropping the Class: Student or Instructor-initiated

  1. Students who do not log in to the course and have not completed the introductory module “Let’s get started” by Sunday, February 5 will be DROPPED from the course by the instructor due to non-participation.  Contact the instructor if you are having difficulty with getting into the course flow, are ill or have a work or family emergency.  
  2. If you stop participating for 2 weeks in a row without communicating with me with an explanation and a plan to catch up, I will have to drop you from the course.  We call such students "ghost students".  Don't let that happen to you!  It's scary!  See the "Important Dates" above for information regarding dropping for a refund, without a "W" or with a "W" notation.   

Pass‐No Pass (P/NP)

You may take this class on a P/NP basis and decide before the deadline to opt in.  Add the option online in your CCSF student account (myRAM).  With a grade of C- or better, you will receive a "P."

 

Once you decide to take the course P/NP, you cannot change back to a letter grade. If you are taking this course as part of a certificate program or for transfer, you can probably still take the class P/NP, but keep in mind that the P/NP grade does not contribute to GPA.  Contact a CCSF counselor if you have questions. 

 

Instructor Messages/Announcements

Instructor will contact students with important messages through the Canvas Inbox.   Read these messages! They contain important information relevant to the course. Seriously!  Occasionally, announcement will be posted on the Canvas home page.  

 

Progress in a foreign language involves the development of a skill, and therefore, is dependent upon regular practice. In this fully online course, you are expected to “attend” class regularly by logging in to the course via Canvas 2-3 times a week (if not more!), completing assignments and taking quizzes and tests within the parameters of time permitted for completion.  This is not a self-paced course.  Efficient time management and attention to the Canvas calendar due dates are critical to success.  The Canvas course is available 24/7, so you are able to create your own work schedule within the time parameters for each module.  Non-participation in the course will result in being withdrawn from the course by the last day to drop with a “W” (see Calendar or Syllabus for this date).  

 

Otherwise, it is the student’s responsibility to drop the class before the withdrawal deadlines as posted above. No-shows (never logging in to Canvas or logging in for a few minutes) will be dropped by the instructor by Census day, about 3 weeks after the start of instruction.   

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Connect assignments for Kapitel 3 will be accepted up to 5/26, but, for best results on the final, you are encouraged to complete the material before the final, as  Kapitel 3 will be included in the final.  You MAY complete and submit Kapitel 3 discussions AND other unattempted or incomplete assignments from Connect and Canvas discussions (especially important for the points involved and your final grade) by FRIDAY, MAY 26 at 11:59 p.m.  Any incomplete quizzes (i.e. T/F quizzes), chapter tests or the final in Canvas CANNOT be submitted past May 24 at 11:59 p.m. (the official CCSF end of the semester).    

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS: Requirement categories are: "view", "submit" or "score at least __".   Connect assignments are labeled as "view" because this is the only option available in Canvas (Connect is an outside app).  Once you click on these assignments Canvas will “read” these as completed in terms of the module requirements sequence and will no longer appear on the Canvas “to do” list. But they are only actually complete once you access and complete the assignment in Connect, then click the “submit” button to send back to Canvas.  Don’t let Connect assignments languish in the “in progress” category! 

Questions relating to Connect assignments?  While in the Connect course and at the question site, click on “ask instructor” and send a message.  The instructor will receive a snapshot of the question along with your message.  

Be sure to keep track of what you have started but not completed.  You will be able to view completed assignments in your Connect account under Menu > Results.  Assignments that were started but not submitted will be labeled “continue.”   

NOTE:  Connect assignments with a small "flag" icon indicate that there are some questions that must be graded manually by the instructor.  Other questions are auto-graded.  Please be patient and know that Frau Pahl will grade your assignments and respond to any messages you send in Connect in a timely fashion! 

DUE DATES:  Connect assignments have May 26 as the due date.  This is so that the instructor can accept late work.  It does not mean that a student can simply wait the entire semester to submit Connect assignments!   Keep track of the assignments in the Canvas course, and note especially the dates and times for access to the chapter tests and the final.      

  

 

Methods of Evaluation

Final grades will be based on homework (online lab manual and workbook) (25%), chapter tests (E-2) (25%), T/F content and grammar quizzes (15%),  discussion posts, oral production recordings, or other such assignments (15%), and the final exam (20%) (the final will be comprehensive but will also include material from Kapitel 3). 

   

Visit the “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades.  NOTE:  For the best assessment of your grade at any given point during the semester, select the option of “calculate based only on graded assignments”.   

Grades will be assigned as follows:

 

Grade scale

A

100-90%

B

89-80%

C

79-70%

D

69-60%

F or FW

59% >

Plus/minus grades:  City College does not permit giving plus or minus grades.  However, for purposes of gauging how you are doing and whether you are in danger of falling into a lower grade (i.e. C- to D+) or are improving your grade (i.e. B+ to A- or A), you can figure a 2 point interval either way.   Example: In a 100 point test, an A- would be calculated at 90-91, B+ at 88-89, and so on. If taking the Pass/No Pass option, you would need at least a C- (which grade will include the final exam) to pass the class.  Students who do NOT take the final automatically receive an "F".   

An “F” grade indicates that a student attended, participated and completed the course but failed to master the course curriculum with a passing grade.

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 financial aid status.

 

Standards of Conduct

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.   

Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment.  Click here to view the Student Code of Conduct: 

 

Encourage Academic Integrity and Prevent Plagiarism

 

Special Accommodations

If you need testing accommodations because of a certifiable disability, or have emergency medical information to share with me, please contact me as soon as possible via the Canvas Inbox. Please read the Course Policies page for more information on this subject.  Students seeking disability-related accommodations on tests are required to register with Disabled Students Programs and Services located in the Rosenberg Library.  You may also call (415) 452-5481 with questions. Please see the DSPS website for more information.