Contribute Course Description

About you and your institutionInstructor's name:

Instructor's e-mail address:

Institution:

Department Name

Type of institution:

About the CourseCourse Title
It is helpful if the title you enter will be meaningful to faculty at other institutions. For example, "GEO 240" is much less informative than "Earth's Resources."

Course URL (if not restricted access):
Please include the full URL, beginning with http://

Grade level:
(Check all that apply)
Middle School
High School
Introductory undergraduate
Upper level undergraduate
Graduate

What is the format of this course?

Course Summary
Please provide a brief, 2-3 sentence description of your course. This summary will appear at the top of the web page for your course and and is used by readers to decide if they are interested in learning more about your course. The summary should capture the essence of both the content and pedagogy of the course as well as convey how it addresses sustainability and inspires action.

An example response:
This is an interdisciplinary, field-based course that revolves around an environmental assessment of the drinking water supply for our campus and community. Students perform a series of field labs addressing streamflow, water chemistry, geology and land use. Material in lectures compliments and supports the lab activities, and student work is assessed through a series of lab reports and a capstone poster session.

Please tell us how many students are in your class.

Course Context
Please briefly describe the context of this course, including the nature of the student body and the role of this course in the curriculum and your school.

An example response:
This is an introductory course with no pre-requisites. It serves as a required course for students in the environmental studies and environmental science programs. It also satisfies the college-wide science requirement. Typically, about 60% of the students are non-science majors, and 40% of the students are science majors or minors. This course is very demanding for a 100-level course, yet is popular with students and always fills beyond capacity.

Course Content
Please briefly describe the content covered in this course, including items such as large concepts introduced, field experiences undertaken, and skills developed.

An example response:
This course integrates topics within hydrology, geology, water chemistry, and land use as students study the watershed surrounding our campus. The course includes 6 field labs that model how scientists gather field data. Students measure streamflow, collect water, soil and rock samples, and make observations during field experiences. Students learn how to analyze and interpret their data by performing basic calculations, creating graphs and maps, and comparing their results to those measured by students in previous classes.

Design of the CourseThe course goals are used to explicitly describe what students should be able to do after they've completed your course. Your goals may range from content knowledge they should master, to skills in which they should be proficient, or changes in attitude you wish to foster. Course goals are most useful if they are concrete, have measurable outcomes, and provide clear direction for the course. It is helpful to phrase your goals as Students will be able to ... or I want students to be able to...

Example responses:
Students will be able to read topographic maps, create overlays of various features using Google Earth, and perform basic measurements to analyze water quality. Students will integrate different types of data (topographic maps, geologic maps, historical maps of land use, and data they collect in the field) to understand how different elements of a watershed contribute to water quality and quantity that is available for public use.
Students should be able to formulate new research questions in Pan-African topics. Students will identify major themes that have shaped the historical experiences of the African diaspora. Students should be able to critically evaluate a variety of sources and acquire an awareness of the issues involved in interpreting different sources in the study of Pan-African issues

Please list the goals for your course:

Course Features
What are the main features of your course that help your students achieve the learning goals? (For example, the course format or a critical assignment). If course materials are directly available you could provide links to them here. Or describe them and upload below.

An example response:
The capstone project for this course is a poster session about the town's water supply. Teams of students create posters on different aspects of the watershed and write recommendations for the city to manage the watershed. The city council is invited to the poster session and it is open to the members of the community. An important element of this course is that students learn to relate their scientific findings to policy makers and community members.

Course Philosophy
Why did you choose to design your course in this way? How does the design help students achieve the goals of the course? How is the design of the course particularly appropriate for your teaching style, your setting, or your students?

An example response:
This course was designed following a campus-wide initiative to foster interdisciplinary teaching. The course is team taught by members of the chemistry, geography and geology departments and is designed to give students practical skills to perform a scientific assessment while also relating the science to a relevant and personal societal need. The field-based format for the course works well, as many of the features students study are located within a 5-mile drive from campus. That said, the field-based nature of the course has required a financial and logistical commitment from all of the departments involved. Ultimately this has been a very positive development for the faculty who participate in the course.

Assessment
How do you assess the degree to which students have reached the goals for this course?

An example response:
Assessment takes place in four ways. The lab portion of the course is punctuated by three lab reports - one for each unit of the field work - and then a final lab report that integrates all the elements of the previous work. Most labs also have weekly assignments such as a map, graph or data to turn in. The lecture portion of the course is assessed via three exams, which are largely comprised of short essay questions. The capstone poster session is assessed via each group's poster and their presentation of their posters. While students work in groups throughout the lab portion of the course, the poster session is the only assignment that they turn in as a team. All other work is assessed individually. The lab reports are the focus of the course and a lot of emphasis is placed on helping students (especially non-science majors) write a solid lab report. We provide extensive help in getting students over the hump with their writing.

References and ResourcesIf you use a textbook, please provide the book title and author(s).

Please describe other key reading resources that are integral to this course.

Upload Files

Syllabus: Click here, then browse to your file.

All uploaded files are public unless you are in a private workspace

Title: A descriptive, human readable title.

e.g. 'Student Handout for Sauerkraut Assignment'

Select the file: Make sure it has an appropriate suffix (e.g. .doc) or specify the type in the Optional Fields below

Description: A very brief description of the file.

Show Optional Fields

File Type:

The system will attempt to determine the correct file type based on the name of the file you've selected. Choosing the correct file type here will override that.

File Name:

e.g. 'student_handout'
This will be the name of the downloaded file. By default the system will generate this based on the title you specified and the type of file. If you specify a name here it will over-ride the automatically generated name. This is generally only useful when uploading file of a type not recognized by the system (not in the list of file types above). In that situation choose File Type: Unknown Binary and include the appropriate suffix in the file name here. e.g. myfile.m3z Avoid spaces or special characters in the file names.

Authorship/Reuse

Either:
I am the author (copyright holder) of the contents of this file and people are allowed to reuse it for non-commercial purposes as long as they give me attribution as described by this creative commons license.
Or

Choose a different authorship/reuse options

Who is the original creator/copyright holder of the information in this file?

Provenance/Acknowledgements

A short description of where the material came from. Include names and institutions of authors and contributors as well as acknowledgment of any work from which this was derived.

Reuse License

The creator/copyright holder must have agreed to allow distribution of this file through this site.
If you are the creator we strongly encourage you to select the CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike option.

If none of the above licenses apply describe the conditions under which this material appears on this site as well as any information about reuse beyond this site.

More Information about reuse and choosing a license

Distributing information on the web generally requires the permission of the copyright holder--usually the original creator. Providing the information we request here will help visitors to this site understand the ways in which they may (legally) use what they find.

If you created this file (and haven't signed away your copyright) then we'd encourage you to select the CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike option. You'll retain the copyright to your file and can do as you please with it in the future. Through this choice you are also explicitly allowing others to reuse that file as long as they give you attribution, and don't use it for commercial purposes.

If the file (or content within it) was created by others you'll need their permission. If it predates 1923 or was created by a U.S federal employee (as part of their job) it is likely in the public domain (and we can all do as we choose with it). The original author may also have explicitly stated how it may be reused (e.g. through a creative commons license). You can describe the licensing/reuse situation in the box above.

Without permission you should not upload the file. There are several options in this case:

You can contact the original author to get permission.
You can provide a link to (or a description of how to get) the original material rather than uploading it here.
You can find a substitute that isn't encumbered by copyright.
You can create a substitute yourself. Remember, ideas can't be copyrighted, only particular expressions of those ideas. Of course you'll want to give credit the original author.

The Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center has more good information about copyright as it applies to academic settings.

Additional materials: Select 1st File

All uploaded files are public unless you are in a private workspace

Title: A descriptive, human readable title.

e.g. 'Student Handout for Sauerkraut Assignment'

Select the file: Make sure it has an appropriate suffix (e.g. .doc) or specify the type in the Optional Fields below

Description: A very brief description of the file.

Show Optional Fields

File Type:

The system will attempt to determine the correct file type based on the name of the file you've selected. Choosing the correct file type here will override that.

File Name:

e.g. 'student_handout'
This will be the name of the downloaded file. By default the system will generate this based on the title you specified and the type of file. If you specify a name here it will over-ride the automatically generated name. This is generally only useful when uploading file of a type not recognized by the system (not in the list of file types above). In that situation choose File Type: Unknown Binary and include the appropriate suffix in the file name here. e.g. myfile.m3z Avoid spaces or special characters in the file names.

Authorship/Reuse

Either:
I am the author (copyright holder) of the contents of this file and people are allowed to reuse it for non-commercial purposes as long as they give me attribution as described by this creative commons license.
Or

Choose a different authorship/reuse options

Who is the original creator/copyright holder of the information in this file?

Provenance/Acknowledgements

A short description of where the material came from. Include names and institutions of authors and contributors as well as acknowledgment of any work from which this was derived.

Reuse License

The creator/copyright holder must have agreed to allow distribution of this file through this site.
If you are the creator we strongly encourage you to select the CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike option.

If none of the above licenses apply describe the conditions under which this material appears on this site as well as any information about reuse beyond this site.

More Information about reuse and choosing a license

Distributing information on the web generally requires the permission of the copyright holder--usually the original creator. Providing the information we request here will help visitors to this site understand the ways in which they may (legally) use what they find.

If you created this file (and haven't signed away your copyright) then we'd encourage you to select the CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike option. You'll retain the copyright to your file and can do as you please with it in the future. Through this choice you are also explicitly allowing others to reuse that file as long as they give you attribution, and don't use it for commercial purposes.

If the file (or content within it) was created by others you'll need their permission. If it predates 1923 or was created by a U.S federal employee (as part of their job) it is likely in the public domain (and we can all do as we choose with it). The original author may also have explicitly stated how it may be reused (e.g. through a creative commons license). You can describe the licensing/reuse situation in the box above.

Without permission you should not upload the file. There are several options in this case:

You can contact the original author to get permission.
You can provide a link to (or a description of how to get) the original material rather than uploading it here.
You can find a substitute that isn't encumbered by copyright.
You can create a substitute yourself. Remember, ideas can't be copyrighted, only particular expressions of those ideas. Of course you'll want to give credit the original author.

The Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center has more good information about copyright as it applies to academic settings.

Additional materials: Select 2nd File

All uploaded files are public unless you are in a private workspace

Title: A descriptive, human readable title.

e.g. 'Student Handout for Sauerkraut Assignment'

Select the file: Make sure it has an appropriate suffix (e.g. .doc) or specify the type in the Optional Fields below

Description: A very brief description of the file.

Show Optional Fields

File Type:

The system will attempt to determine the correct file type based on the name of the file you've selected. Choosing the correct file type here will override that.

File Name:

e.g. 'student_handout'
This will be the name of the downloaded file. By default the system will generate this based on the title you specified and the type of file. If you specify a name here it will over-ride the automatically generated name. This is generally only useful when uploading file of a type not recognized by the system (not in the list of file types above). In that situation choose File Type: Unknown Binary and include the appropriate suffix in the file name here. e.g. myfile.m3z Avoid spaces or special characters in the file names.

Authorship/Reuse

Either:
I am the author (copyright holder) of the contents of this file and people are allowed to reuse it for non-commercial purposes as long as they give me attribution as described by this creative commons license.
Or

Choose a different authorship/reuse options

Who is the original creator/copyright holder of the information in this file?

Provenance/Acknowledgements

A short description of where the material came from. Include names and institutions of authors and contributors as well as acknowledgment of any work from which this was derived.

Reuse License

The creator/copyright holder must have agreed to allow distribution of this file through this site.
If you are the creator we strongly encourage you to select the CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike option.

If none of the above licenses apply describe the conditions under which this material appears on this site as well as any information about reuse beyond this site.

More Information about reuse and choosing a license

Distributing information on the web generally requires the permission of the copyright holder--usually the original creator. Providing the information we request here will help visitors to this site understand the ways in which they may (legally) use what they find.

If you created this file (and haven't signed away your copyright) then we'd encourage you to select the CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike option. You'll retain the copyright to your file and can do as you please with it in the future. Through this choice you are also explicitly allowing others to reuse that file as long as they give you attribution, and don't use it for commercial purposes.

If the file (or content within it) was created by others you'll need their permission. If it predates 1923 or was created by a U.S federal employee (as part of their job) it is likely in the public domain (and we can all do as we choose with it). The original author may also have explicitly stated how it may be reused (e.g. through a creative commons license). You can describe the licensing/reuse situation in the box above.

Without permission you should not upload the file. There are several options in this case:

You can contact the original author to get permission.
You can provide a link to (or a description of how to get) the original material rather than uploading it here.
You can find a substitute that isn't encumbered by copyright.
You can create a substitute yourself. Remember, ideas can't be copyrighted, only particular expressions of those ideas. Of course you'll want to give credit the original author.

The Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center has more good information about copyright as it applies to academic settings.

Additional materials: Select 3rd File

All uploaded files are public unless you are in a private workspace

Title: A descriptive, human readable title.

e.g. 'Student Handout for Sauerkraut Assignment'

Select the file: Make sure it has an appropriate suffix (e.g. .doc) or specify the type in the Optional Fields below

Description: A very brief description of the file.

Show Optional Fields

File Type:

The system will attempt to determine the correct file type based on the name of the file you've selected. Choosing the correct file type here will override that.

File Name:

e.g. 'student_handout'
This will be the name of the downloaded file. By default the system will generate this based on the title you specified and the type of file. If you specify a name here it will over-ride the automatically generated name. This is generally only useful when uploading file of a type not recognized by the system (not in the list of file types above). In that situation choose File Type: Unknown Binary and include the appropriate suffix in the file name here. e.g. myfile.m3z Avoid spaces or special characters in the file names.

Authorship/Reuse

Either:
I am the author (copyright holder) of the contents of this file and people are allowed to reuse it for non-commercial purposes as long as they give me attribution as described by this creative commons license.
Or

Choose a different authorship/reuse options

Who is the original creator/copyright holder of the information in this file?

Provenance/Acknowledgements

A short description of where the material came from. Include names and institutions of authors and contributors as well as acknowledgment of any work from which this was derived.

Reuse License

The creator/copyright holder must have agreed to allow distribution of this file through this site.
If you are the creator we strongly encourage you to select the CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike option.

If none of the above licenses apply describe the conditions under which this material appears on this site as well as any information about reuse beyond this site.

More Information about reuse and choosing a license

Distributing information on the web generally requires the permission of the copyright holder--usually the original creator. Providing the information we request here will help visitors to this site understand the ways in which they may (legally) use what they find.

If you created this file (and haven't signed away your copyright) then we'd encourage you to select the CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike option. You'll retain the copyright to your file and can do as you please with it in the future. Through this choice you are also explicitly allowing others to reuse that file as long as they give you attribution, and don't use it for commercial purposes.

If the file (or content within it) was created by others you'll need their permission. If it predates 1923 or was created by a U.S federal employee (as part of their job) it is likely in the public domain (and we can all do as we choose with it). The original author may also have explicitly stated how it may be reused (e.g. through a creative commons license). You can describe the licensing/reuse situation in the box above.

Without permission you should not upload the file. There are several options in this case:

You can contact the original author to get permission.
You can provide a link to (or a description of how to get) the original material rather than uploading it here.
You can find a substitute that isn't encumbered by copyright.
You can create a substitute yourself. Remember, ideas can't be copyrighted, only particular expressions of those ideas. Of course you'll want to give credit the original author.

The Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center has more good information about copyright as it applies to academic settings.

Contribute a Course Description