Essential Content for Hybrid Courses

1. Getting Started Instructions

Every hybrid course should have a Getting Started statement. Here is an example of one:

This course is designed around topics that may be presented through presentations by guest experts, online discussions, readings, group interactions, and assignments. The key to getting started is to visit the web site that is part of this course.

All the information on this site is organized into categories and folders. If you have any problems or want additional information about how to navigate the site, click on the online manual. You will find it under the Tools button on the navigation bar.

The best way to get started using this site is to review all the material in all the folders under the Course Information or Syllabus button on the navigation bar. Next, click on the Assignments button for a list of what is covered and due each week of the course. From the Assignments site, you will know when you need to go to the other parts of this course web. From time to time you will click on the Course Documents, Communications, and External Links buttons when indicated on the Assignments site.

I look forward to working together and welcome any comments or concerns you may have with this course site, the course content, or the classroom. Remember you can always email me at name@nvcc.edu

2. Netiquette Statement

Every hybrid course should have a netiquette statement. Netiquette describes what you should or should not do if you want to get along with other Internet learners. Consult The Net: User Guidelines and Netiquetteby Arlene H. Rinaldi:

The following is an example of a netiquette statement that can be used for any College course:

• As a member of the academic community, conduct yourself in person, in print, and online in a responsible way and in the spirit of courteous educational inquiry.

• Be courteous, even when you disagree, and always provide clear, logical support for your views.

• Clear communication of meaning depends entirely on your word choice and visuals, so choose your words and visuals carefully to communicate effectively with your audience.

• Avoid typing in all capitals because it is difficult to read and is considered the electronic version of "shouting."

• Abide by the policies of the College and the laws of the state and the country for electronic communication. The College policies are listed in the NVCC Student Handbook.

3. Attendance Policy in an Online Course

Every hybrid course should have an attendance statement. Here is an example of an attendance statement.

Attendance is a crucial part of a hybrid course. In a hybrid course, however, attendance has new meaning. Attendance means to participate fully in the interactive components of the course. Participation is a necessity for success in this web-based course. I invite you to join the other course members and me in participating in the course activities, projects, and assignments on a continuous basis. Participation in this course will be based on your contributions to required discussion forums, online chats, peer review of participant papers, and web site development.

4. Plagiarism Statement

Every hybrid course should have a plagiarism statement. Here is a sample plagiarism statement:

According to the NVCC Student Handbook, “plagiarism is the act of appropriating passages from the work of another individual, either word for word or in substance, and representing them as one’s own work. This includes any submission of written work other than one’s own.” In short, plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another person without giving that person credit. Credit should be given through accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or endnotes; a simple listing of books and articles is not sufficient. Not only direct quotations need to be credited but also paraphrases and summaries of opinions or factual information formerly unknown to the writers or which the writers did not discover themselves need to be cited.

Information and graphics accessed electronically through the Internet must also be cited, giving credit to the sources. This material includes e-mail (don't cite or forward someone else's e-mail without permission); newsgroup material; and information from Web sites, including graphics. Even if you give credit, you must get permission from the original source to put any graphic that you did not create on your web page.

Good academic work must be based on honesty. Plagiarism is dishonest and cannot be tolerated in an academic setting. The consequences of plagiarizing are detailed in the NVCC Student Handbook. In short, when such misconduct is established as having occurred, the student faces possible disciplinary actions ranging from admonition to dismal, along with any grade penalty the instructor might impose.