English Composition 1
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The Course Web Pages
Overview
Most of the course material is presented as Web pages, and the course Web pages are designed for easy access, easy navigation, and fast download time. They are also designed to be printer-friendly. If you find the print on the pages to be too small, you can enlarge the text. Just click the "Edit" menu of Internet Explorer, choose "Text size," and indicate that you would like the text to be larger.
You should have no problems accessing all of the course Web pages with any recent Web browser. However, if the pages do not look right on your screen (if, for instance, headings on pages overlap with other parts of the page), you may need to download a more recent version of your Web browser.
The course Web pages are somewhat "simple." Each image on a Web page increases the download time for that page, so I have avoided the use of images to make sure that the pages download quickly. Even if you have a slow Internet connection, it should take no more than a few seconds for each page to load on your computer.
Audio files, presented in both Windows Media Player and Real Player format, are a feature of the course that goes beyond the basic Web page. These files help clarify what you see on some of the course Web pages.
Organization of the Course Web Pages
I have tried to organize the Web pages in ways that will make it easy for you to find information. However, if you ever have difficulty locating information that is presented on a course Web page, or if you cannot find information that you think should be presented on a course Web page but is not, please let me know.
The course has a Home Page, and all of the primary Web pages from the course are linked on the left side of the Home Page. Each of the primary Web pages has the same list of links to the left for easy navigation. On the right of each of the primary pages, you will find a list of links for material that is relevant to the general topic of the primary page. For example, the primary Web page titled The Technology includes links to several Web pages that tell you something about technology used for the course.
All of the course Web pages, including this one, include a "Back" link and a link to the course home page at the top of the page.
What the Course Web Pages Provide
All of the course Web pages present important information, so, near the beginning of the semester, you should take a self-guided tour through all of the course Web pages. You do not need to read all of the course Web pages as you take a tour through them--that would take a long time--but you should become familiar with the material provided by the pages and where that material is located.
The course Web pages could be organized into four general categories, according to the kind of information they present, which are outlined below. Please take note of the especially important Web pages identified below: you need to be familiar with the information on those Web pages.
- Basic Course Information
Many of the course Web pages provide basic information about the course. These are the kinds of pages that you might read just once to understand, for example, the course policies. These Web pages include the material linked on the About the Course page and on The Instructor page. One of the most important Web pages here is the Course Outline and Policies page. - Explanation of the Technology
These Web pages help you understand the technology used in the course. The pages are linked mainly on The Technology page and the Using WebBoard page. The Using WebBoard page and its links are especially important because of our heavy use of WebBoard. - Instructional Material to Supplement the Textbook
There is a required textbook for the course, but many of the course Web pages offer material to supplement the information provided by the textbook. These pages are linked on the Writing Resources page, and some will be linked on the Assignments pages. The resources linked on the Writing Resources page are especially important, providing a lot of material that should be helpful as you work on writing assignments for the course. - Assignments
The Assignments page and its links are also important. Here, you will find all assignments for the course, with explanations of essay assignments, links to WebBoard assignments, and links to quizzes and exercises. You should visit the Assignments page frequently to check new assignments, to read assignment descriptions, to keep track of due dates, and to make sure that you complete assignments on time.
Accessing the Course Web Pages
You should have no problem accessing all of the course Web pages with your Web browser. If the pages do not look right on your screen, you might consider downloading a more recent version of your Web browser. Links to download pages, along with additional information about the computer requirements for the course, can be found on the Computer Requirements page.