Course Attendance and Graded Assignments

Course Attendance

Individual instructors, course directors, or departments determine the policy on class attendance. Students are required to observe the regulations as announced for the course. Most instructors of web-based courses have an assignment or some other method of an “online check-in” required in the first two weeks of the course to check for online participation. Attendance for Guided Independent Study courses is determined on the basis of a submitted student survey. Suitable tests and other assignments as identified in the course materials measure the progress of each student. As a general rule, each semester hour of discussion or lecture in a session-based course normally entails at least two hours of outside preparation for the average student. This standard is the basis on which the Registrar’s Office assigns hours of University credit for courses.

Graded Assignments

See the course syllabus and related course materials for instructions on how to submit assignments in your Distance Education course.

If an instructor has provided advanced notice of the assignment requirements for a course, this information will be posted on the Course Overview Page (see “Getting Started”).

Familiarize yourself with the course format and procedures so you are prepared to begin course work. Complete the assignments in order and in accordance with the schedule outlined by your instructor. Depending upon your instructor’s wishes, assignments may be submitted by one or all of the following methods: e-mail, digital drop box, fax, conventional mail, or you may bring your assignment to our office at 30 S. Dubuque Street. You typically cannot submit assignments online that require mathematical or scientific symbols, special foreign characters, or completion of workbook pages unless they are sent as attached PDF files. To receive credit for a course, you must complete all course requirements.

Guided Independent Study

Unlike on-campus courses, GIS courses are based almost solely on the written word—whether it is expressed on the printed page, online, or in media. It is important that you understand from the outset that the instructor will evaluate you on the basis of your written responses to the various assignments. You must take great care to ensure that, before you write, you understand the written comments in the study guide as well as the directions for the specific assignments. The written assignments in GIS courses have a two-fold purpose. They are an important means by which students learn and demonstrate mastery of the course material and an important means by which instructors provide feedback on the work and respond to questions.

While GIS courses are self-paced, all courses have limitations and restrictions on the number of assignments that may be submitted at one time. Check your study guide carefully for guidelines. Under no circumstances should you submit all or a substantial portion of the written assignments at one time. As you proceed through the course, it is of the utmost importance that you understand the instructor’s expectations and allow time to receive feedback on assignments before moving ahead to subsequent ones.

Web/ICN/Extension Courses

Course assignments may take a variety of forms, as e.g., submitted papers, essays, quizzes, and discussion board postings. Follow the directions identified in your course materials. As with on-campus courses, assignments are submitted directly to the instructor, unless stated otherwise in the course syllabus.