Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Q:  Will I need to come to campus for In-Person, Proctored Exams?

A:  No. We we will proctor two timed, and proctored exams on Zoom. Proctored exams are one of many assessment tools used in MTH to assess student learning. Our class will be participating in a Virtual Proctoring Pilot that is being run in collaboration with Math, Online Learning, and the Testing Center. The exams in this class will be proctored virtually in Zoom with me, your instructor, on the following dates and times:

Midterm: Week 5 on Zoom

Final:  Finals Week on Zoom

Review the Student Guide to Virtually Proctored Exams in Zoom for important information and requirements. Please make every concerted effort to attend the scheduled virtually proctored exams. If you do not meet the requirements for virtually proctored exams, prefer to take your exams in-person, and/or have an unavoidable scheduling conflict, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss alternative arrangements. With adequate notice, alternative testing arrangements can be made for virtual or in-person proctoring at a testing center. Scheduling appointments with a testing center is the responsibility of the student, as well as paying any associated fees with using a non-PCC testing center. 

If you have accommodations through Accessible Ed & Disability Resources at PCC, please contact me so we can discuss your specific accommodations and how I can best support you. 

If you have any questions or concerns about virtually proctored exams, please feel free to contact me.

Q:  Will your class require the use of a textbook or purchased course materials?

A:  I HIGHLY recommend purchasing the Video Lecture Outlines Packet from the PCC Bookstore to help support your learning. Shipping is free! To order, click on the "textbook" link in the course information, or go to the Bookstore from the MyPCC homepage.
The packet is about 100 pages and includes all the Class Notes that match the book videos. Having a printed copy of this packet is very helpful to note taking and practicing the material in Algebra. For most students, writing the process out by hand is an essential step to mastering Algebra. Purchasing this packet is a great option because you do not need to print at home.
 

Q: Are chances of doing well online the same as a course that meets face-to-face?
A: No, typically online passing rates are much lower than face-to-face courses. This is true for other online math courses as well, not particular to my course. This is due to students not being aware of what it takes to succeed online or ignoring the message I have for you below. If you are taking an online course because the face-to-face course you wanted to take was full or because you want to take a class with me this is not a wise decision. You should take an online course because you have researched it and found that it is a good fit for your learning style.

Q: How do I access the course?
A: Log into MyPCC. On the main webpage, in the Quick Links window on the left, you will see the link to access D2L.

Q: When should I start the course?
A: Immediately!! I am expecting you to access and start the course the day I give you access or the day after. We have our first assignment due Tuesday the first week of the term . The longer you wait to access the course, the chance of succeeding in the course diminishes. When you access the D2L course and participate in the activities it is the equivalent of attending a face-to-face course. Students that do not sufficiently participate in the course by completing the requirements of the first week will be dropped. However, it is up to you do drop the course if you are not planning on attending (i.e. Do not rely on me to drop you.)

Q: Is an online course self-paced?
A: The online course is not self paced. The pace is set by the instructor who releases modules containing lecture notes and quizzes on a weekly basis. In about a week period you get to decide when you will study, but it cannot be done all in 1 day or even all in 2 days. Students who eventually drop out, attempt to participate only a few times during a one week period. You must realize that you will need to study every other day at a minimum. If your strategy is to do all the work on Saturday and Sunday, for example, this will not work.

Q: I am taking an online course because I do not have much time to study and I am hoping it is easier. Is this correct?
A: An online environment is harder than a face-to-face course . You have to be very disciplined and make sure you have a set schedule of when you will study. If you have a hard time motivating yourself to study then an online environment is not for you. Please note that when you take a face-to-face class you can sit passively and obtain information by the exchange of information between teacher and student. That component is missing here. Do not take this course if you are taking a full class load and working. Leave yourself free time that you can use when emergencies arise. If you have a schedule that has no free time available, then you are setting yourself up for failure. YOU SHOULD START THE COURSE the first day of availability. If you wait five days after the course starts to actually start studying, it is too late.

Q: How is the material presented?
A: I will provide the student with written material, videos, and online free textbook. You also have as a resource the textbook used for this course.

Q: Is there homework?
A: Yes lots of it done in WeBWork and submitted work through D2L.

 A reliable computer and internet access. Access to some type of scanning device.  Electronically submitted work will be printed and completed by hand, or read in PDF format on your computer and answered on notebook paper. You will then scan and uploaded assignments to D2L. Having a (free) scanner app on your phone is very helpful to this process. Some students prefer to electronically annotate and uploaded to D2L.