Introduction

Spanish 1225 is a continuation of beginning Spanish (SPAN 1115) and will allow you to build upon the knowledge of the language that you have already gained, augmenting your vocabulary, grammar, and ability to understand and converse in Spanish.

This is a fully-online section and, as such, allows you to get as much as you want from the course. This course is designed to maximize your language learning potential. In order to be successful (which means learning to use Spanish meaningfully in practical situations), however, you will need to do everything you can to stay motivated and practice.

Motivation and exposure are the two essential elements required for learning a language.

The more time you spend exposed to the language (both passively and actively), the more language you will acquire. In the best-case scenario, you will allow yourself to become like a child and absorb as much as possible not only through the course materials, but also via language encounters that your instructor will suggest.

This course provides you an incredible opportunity to learn Spanish, but you must realize, from the beginning, that it will require a great deal of TIME, DEDICATION, and PERSONAL DISCIPLINE on your part.

Each week you will need to:

1) master vocabulary,

2) complete grammar exercises,

3) write and submit compositions in the online Discussion Board,

4) post oral messages or reports, and read news and cultural information in Spanish.

You will be asked to communicate in Spanish regularly with your classmates as well as with your instructor. In short, you will be required to show your language progress each week in the various skill areas. There will also be written assessments administered for each chapter, as well as a cumulative Final Exam.

Getting Started

First and foremost, you will need to complete your online orientation through http://ou.blackboard.com, then go to the 'Calendar' section of www.piensenlo.com to read up on announcements and assignments for the week.

Syllabus

Please read the following Syllabus in order to stay well informed as to general
class, department, and college policies concerning online Spanish courses.

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Spanish 1225 on-line course

Texts for this course:

· Required texts and materials –

o The text for this course is Mosaicos: Spanish as a World Language, 3rd Edition by Prentice Hall.

o A computer microphone and speakers (or a headset with microphone) will also be required to complete the oral exercises.

o All students in Online courses must complete an orientation by the end of the first week of classes. The Online Learning Guide can ONLY be purchased at the OU Bookstore, stadium location. This guide includes a CD-ROM with all software plug-ins that you will need to complete this course.

· Recommended texts –

o I would also recommend that you buy a good dictionary, which is also a great reference tool for the conjugation of verb tenses.

Grading:

Grading scale: 90-100 = A / 80-89 = B / 70-79 = C / 60 –69 = D / Below 60 = F

Final Grade Components:

Compositions:	10%
Participation:	10%
Oral exercises:	10%
On-line Homework:	10%
Quizzes:	15%
Chapter Exams:	20%
Final Exam:	25%

Compositions:

All compositions will be completed on the web and submitted via the ‘Discussion Board’ area of BLACKBOARD (http://ou.blackboard.com) for grading. It is always a good idea to SAVE A COPY of each submitted composition for yourself as well so that you have a back up copy and record of the submission.

REMEMBER, COMPOSITIONS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED AS ‘NEW THREADS’ IN THE DISCUSSION BOARD AREA OF BLACKBOARD.

One composition will be due per chapter. The best six (6)composition scores out of the eight (8) assigned compositions will be used for your final composition grade.

· Compositions must be submitted via the ‘Discussion Board’.

· All typed compositions will be graded for spelling, punctuation, appropriate grammar and vocabulary. The best way to ensure this is to compose assignments in Microsoft Word and then ‘Copy’ and ‘Paste’ into Blackboard.

· Punctuation includes accent marks.

· A guide has been posted in the ‘Course Documents’ folder of BLACKBOARD for using accent marks in Microsoft Word, as well as in other applications.

· If you are having difficulty with accents and punctuation, please contact the instructor immediately.

· Compositions will be graded based upon material covered within the chapters. Specific themes for each composition will be given and grades will be based upon these guidelines. The use of chapter vocabulary and grammar in the compositions as well as previously learned materials is a requirement.

· DO NOT write your composition in English and then use an electronic translator to create your final draft. Compositions created in this manner will receive a 0.

· This course follows the university code concerning Academic Misconduct.*

Participation and Oral Exercises:

The participation portion of the grade will be derived from the quality and effort demonstrated by your web postings and participation in the interactive Voiceboard located within the www.piensenlo.com webpage, and externally at http://voiceboard.xplana.com . Further information on these assignments will be given as the semester progresses.
There will be a minimum of one required audio post due on a weekly basis.
You must use a computer equipped with speakers and a microphone (or a headset with microphone) in order to record your audio assignments. These exercises require that you have Flash Player 6 from Macromedia installed on your computer. This application is included in the CD-ROM enclosed in the Online Course Manual.

(You may also submit video clips (in link or file format) via e-mail if you have a webcam and desire to do so.)

Online Workbook and Lab Manual exercises:

All homework assignments will be completed in Blackboard.

· Specific chapter folders under the ASSIGNMENTS tab in the left sidebar will contain the Mosaicos Workbook and Lab Manual exercises related to each chapter. These activities are the equivalent of traditional workbook and lab manual exercises in digital format.

· These assignments are not timed and you will have infinite attempts to complete the assignments for full credit, but each folder will have a specific date by which all assignments for that unit must be completed in order to receive a grade.

· To repeat: You may complete and submit all Online Workbook and Lab Manual Assignments as many times as you want to. You should repeat each assignment until you have received full credit.

· IMPORTANT: BE SURE NOT TO NAVIGATE AWAY FROM OR ‘LEAVE’ AN ONLINE EXERCISE, QUIZ, OR EXAM BEFORE HITTING SUBMIT, AS THIS WILL LOCK YOU OUT OF THE ASSIGNMENT AND INVALIDATE YOUR SCORE.

· PLEASE KEEP UP WITH YOUR WORKBOOK AND LAB MANUAL ASSIGNMENTS!

· This will help you to be well-prepared for each quiz and exam.

· PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!

Weekly Chapter Quizzes:

Weekly quizzes will be posted in the COURSE DOCUMENTS folder in Blackboard. They will be timed and you will be allowed to take each quiz only once.

ALL QUIZZES ARE REQUIRED.

The top six (6) quizzes will be used to calculate your final quiz grade.

Exams

Chapter Exams:

An exam for each chapter must be completed on a weekly basis.

The Chapter Exams will be posted in the COURSE DOCUMENTS folder in Blackboard.

Due dates for each Chapter Exam are FIRM.

Exams must be completed by MIDNIGHT SUNDAY OF THE WEEK IN WHICH the Chapter has been assigned.

These exams will be timed. The lowest 2 grades of the seven chapter exams are dropped in the final course grade calculation. If you miss an exam for ANY reason, this exam will become your dropped exam. Due to the unusually large window of time allowed for completion, NO MAKE- UPS will be allowed.

The Final Exam

• The Final Exam will be given online.

• It will be comprehensive.

• It will be difficult.

• If you do not take the Final Exam, you WILL receive an F for the course.

• Please prepare yourself well.

* Academic misconduct
“ Academic misconduct includes (a) cheating (using unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise), plagiarism, falsification of records, unauthorized possession of examinations, intimidation, and any and all other actions that may improperly affect the evaluation of a student’s academic performance or achievement; (b) assisting others in any such act; or (c) attempts to engage in such acts.” Student Code Book, p. 21. Students should be aware that academic misconduct entails severe penalties and may result in suspension from the university.

This and other useful information for OU students can be found in the online Student Handbook at http://casweb.cas.ou.edu/advising/Handbook.html