Announcements
Week One: "Course Introduction"

Thoughts: Welcome to Environmental Geology!! I hope that you're as excited about the course as I am. On-line learning is new to all of us and we're sure to have some challenges along the way. However, let's have alot of open communication during the next several weeks and discuss what is/is not working so we can make any adjustments.

This should be the first page you come to each time you come to class, so bookmark the URL (address of page). The address won't change, but the contents will. This is where I talk to the class, recap the previous week and give an overview of the upcoming week. The previous week's home page can be read by clicking on "Archived Announcements" at the top of this page. You may need to refer to previous home pages on occasion.

Course Introductions
On January 5, 6, and 7 we will have the opportunity to meet a few hours per day to get to know each other, discuss the organization and content of the course, and test some of the on-line tools.

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Distribution of Handouts, Videos, and Instructions
Weekly folders have been prepared for each student containing handouts, articles, and videos. As the course progresses, other materials may be faxed, mailed, or e-mailed as necessary. Web site addresses will also be provided on a weekly basis via this "Announcements" page to allow for interactive assignments on the Internet.

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Review of Course Syllabus

We will review the syllabus and discuss specific course topics, assignments, exams, and grading criteria.

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On-Line Learning Techniques and Instructions
As a group, we will navigate through the web site using campus computers to verify that all pages are accessible and up and running. Students will be given User ID's and Passwords at this time, and we will walk through instructions that describe how to access the course and its various links. Finally, we will go over contingency plans in the event that our "cyber tools" are not working properly.

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Learning Objectives
Learning objectives for particular course topics will be listed each week. For example, the learning objectives for Week One are as follows:

1.Understand the course requirements, grading criteria, and distance learning instructions.

2. Learn how to access the course home page and use the discussion forum.

3. Become familiar with several of the technical topics contained in the course outline.

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Paper Topic Suggestions
There will be one research paper required for this class. During Week One, we'll discuss the details.

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General Coverage of Course Topics

The course outline can be found in the syllabus. We will cover as many topics as time will permit in Week One.

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Next Week Preview

During Week Two, we will focus on world population, population dynamics, and carrying capacity of the earth. After reading a few handouts and watching a video, we will use the discussion forum to share ideas about population growth, resource use, and environmental impacts.

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About Cafe Nica
Cafe Nica will be our "cyber coffeehouse" where students and faculty (and perhaps other invited guests) can talk about topics or ideas not directly related to the course. For example, I would love to know the best way to cook churrasco and make chimichurri!

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