Getting Started

Course Materials: CD-ROMs

Archaeology in the News

Class Discussions

Assessments and Grading

Module Overview

Studing and Preparing for the Final

Students often ask for help in how to better prepare for the quizzes and final. There is no 'silver bullet' when it comes to studying. What works for one student, may not for the next. Take some time to consider your learning style and assess how you can improve your study habits. (Some excellent helps are available through USU's Online Learning Center, link below.)

One thing that applies to every student is time. Give yourself plenty of time to read, watch, and listen to all the course materials. This is not something you can do in one day and expect to be successful.

The very best way to prepare for the final is to prepare well for each Module quiz. Take notes on the study guide as you read the course material and watch the films. Some students even take notes on the quiz after taking it, to remember the subjects that were on the quiz and what they did not know. There is not an individual study guide for the final. We DO NOT release quiz questions and answers.

A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, discussing research on study stategies begins with this advice:

The scene: A rigorous intro-level survey course in biology, history, or economics. You’re the instructor, and students are crowding the lectern, pleading for study advice for the midterm. If you’re like may professors, you’ll tell them something like this: Read Carefully. Write down unfamiliar terms and look up their meanings., Make an outline. Reread each chapter. That’s not terrible advice. But some scientists would say that you’ve left out the most important step Put the book aside and hide your notes. Then recall everything you can. Write it down, or, if you’re uninhibited, say it out loud. Two psychology journals have recently published papers showing that this strategy works, the latest findings from a decades-old body of research. When students study on their own, “active recall” – recitation, for instance, or flashcards and other self-quizzing – is the most effective way to inscribe something in long-term memory.

Read the full article (pdf format): Close the Book. Recall. Write it Down.

Make-Up Policy

This class is designed to cater to the needs of our students, who often have families, who work, who lead complex lives. Our students experience medical emergencies, the death of a loved one, go on honeymoons and so on.

We have built in enormous flexibility to accommodate these various issues that might arise, including:

A. Detailed syllabus with 100% of course requirements on Day One so students can plan and work ahead.
B. Quizzes open all day for a full week, giving you time to fit a quiz in your schedule.
C.Two lowest quiz scores are dropped, so if you must miss a quiz you'll be okay.
D. Plenty of opportunities to earn points in the discussions, so you can miss several without detriment to your grade.
E. Students can take Quests up to three times to improve score, which helps balance out scores of the more difficult module quizzes. Also, you have nearly 2/3rds of the semester in which to complete the Quests.
F. The major writing assignment, Archaeology in the News, can be completed at any time up until 3/4th of the way through the semester.
G. Fall and Spring semesters have extra credit available through the Extra Credit Module (More information on this is given in on the Assessments page and in the Orientation.)

Therefore, we do not offer make-up or extra credit opportunities. Each semester we have as many as 100 students. With 8 quizzes, 4 quests and many discussions and writing assignments to grade, you can imagine our resources would be quickly overwhelmed if even half the class needed make-ups or rescheduled quizzes at one point or another.

Helpful Links and Resources

http://libguides.usu.edu/blackboard: Library Resources--A short guide to finding and using resources via the library (also linked from the home page of Blackboard Vista) **The Guide to Research is especially helpful with the Archaeology in the News Assignment.**

http://www.usu.edu/arc/online_learning_center/ : The Online Learning Center provides access to effective and useful information developed by other university learning centers and educational organizations. **Study skills, learning style assessments, note taking tips, coping with test anxiety, and so much more!**

http://writingcenter.usu.edu/ and http://uintahbasin.usu.edu/htm/students/writing-center/ : online and face-to-face help with writing.

"At the USU Writing Center, our main goal is to help students become independent writers for life. We strive to:

* Teach students to implement writing concepts discussed in class
* Cultivate the skills students need to create effective documents
* Increase the confidence of student writers
* Create an open environment where students can find answers to their writing questions"