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Spanish 104D (Distance Learning)

Requirements || Resources || Calendar

Spanish 104D at The Ohio State University

In the Department of Spanish and Portuguese (SPPO) the interest in distance education stems from a need to develop an outreach program to area high schools interested in offering an intermediate language course in their own campuses. In the autumn of 2000, the distance learning course based on videoconferencing was piloted in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese with the support of the College of Humanities, the Foreign Language Center, and the Department of Technology Enhanced Learning and Research (TELR) that provides funding for distance learning, distance education, online courses, Web-based courses, and Web-enhanced courses at OSU. Since Autumn 2000, we have offered Spanish 104 on an annual basis. This intermediate language course includes reading of Spanish short stories, poems, and other authentic texts, with attention to literary appreciation as well as development of language skills.

The intermediate Spanish course offered at OSU does not consist solely of individual learning from home as many might assume. It is time and place dependent, but occurs simultaneously in two places through videoconferencing technology. Distance education implies physical separation between the teacher and some of the learners; however, students at both locations are physically present in a classroom five days a week for class meetings. OSU students meet in the conference room (on campus) from 12:30 to 1:18 pm with the instructor. The other students attend class via teleconference from New Albany High School. We have found that with teleconferencing it is possible to sustain two-way communication between the teacher and all students as well as among students. Such interaction is important to any educational experience, but vital to a communicative language course.

We will be using the Carmen course management tool for this course. You will use it to...

• Do on-line quizzes
• Submit your homework (in html format) in the electronic dropbox
• Locate and read the updated syllabus, videos, handouts, reading materials, etc.
• Submit your journal entries

Note that e-mail from Carmen is sent to the official OSU e-mail address (Name.Number.osu.edu). You should read e-mail sent to your official OSU account on a daily basis. Also be aware that the Carmen system keeps detailed logs of your interaction with the system, e.g. when you log in, how long you take to complete a quiz, etc. If you are unsure of how to use the Carmen Web site consult with your instructor as soon as possible.

Prerequisite

The prerequisite for Spanish 104D is Spanish 103.01 or 103.66 earned through regular course enrollment, MultiCAT Placement Test, or Transfer Credit. A grade of "B" in Spanish 103.01 or 103.66 is recommended. Spanish 104D is not open to:

• native speakers of Spanish
• students with credit for 111
• students with credit for Spanish 104

Placement Tests

All students who studied Spanish for two years or more in high school and have used Spanish to fulfill the admissions requirement, but have not received any previous Spanish credit at The Ohio State University or another university/college must take MultiCAT (Multimedia Computer Adaptive Test). Go to 171 Hagerty Hall with your student I.D. to take the placement test.

Students who believe they can improve placement beyond the MultiCAT or beyond recent course work due to self-study or travel abroad, and native speakers of Spanish as well as bilingual students should consider taking the EM Proficiency Exam. Eligible students may seek credit by examination (EM) for Spanish 101.01, 102.01, 103.01, 104, and 401. Students can only take the EM Proficiency Exam for the class in which they are currently enrolled or have placed. Students who have audited or received a failing grade for a course in Spanish are not eligible to take an EM Proficiency Exam. Students currently enrolled in a course may take an EM Proficiency Exam for that course only during the first week of the quarter. For more information, see the Spanish Credit by Examination page.

Texts and materials

• Long, Donna Reseigh y Janice L. Macián. De paseo, 4/e. Boston: Heinle Cengage Learning, 2010
• Long, Donna Reseigh y Janice L. Macián. Diario de actividades, 4/e. Boston: Heinle Cengage Learning, 2010
• Spanish-English dictionary (pocket dictionaries are not recommended.)

GEC Goals and Objectives

Goals:
Foreign Language coursework develops students’ skills in communication across ethnic, cultural, ideological, and national boundaries, and helps students develop an understanding of other cultures and patterns of thought.

Expected Learning Outcomes:

1. Students demonstrate basic communicative skills (e.g., speaking, listening, reading, and/or writing) in a language other than their native language.
2. Students learn about the cultural contexts and manifestations of the peoples who speak the language that they are studying.
3. Students recognize and understand differences and similarities between the cultures and communities of the language that they are studying and their own.

Goals for the course

• Expand vocabulary usage
• Practice listening skills
• Practice conversation skills
• Read authentic texts (articles, short stories, essays, and poems, etc.)
• Practice writing in Spanish
• Review grammar concepts and incorporate new structures
• Learn cultural concepts of Spanish-speaking countries
• Use technology to explore and reinforce linguistic concepts.

Attendance and Class Participation

Regular attendance and participation in class activities are essential to be a successful language learner. In order for students to progress in understanding and speaking Spanish, they must hear and speak it on a daily basis. Therefore, students must prepare carefully for class by completing all assignments in advance and be ready to participate in class. Every day students will be graded on individual, pair, and group activities. The dates for all exams are clearly marked on your syllabus under "Calendar."

Makeup work will be permitted only when the instructor is presented with acceptable documentation. Legitimate excused absences include the following: participation in a scheduled activity of an official University organization, verifiable confining illness, serious verifiable family emergencies, subpoenas, jury duty, and military service. It is the student's responsibility to notify his/her instructor of any excused absence as far in advance as possible. Work must be made up in a timely manner (e.g. before the next scheduled evaluation). Documentation for excused absences must be presented as soon as possible. No documentation will be accepted after the last day of regularly scheduled classes.

NOTE: The following message appears on the "Advice Nurse" page. Did you miss a class due to an illness? Do you need to provide an excuse? If you had a visit with a health care provider they can provide you with a visit verification form. If you didn't see a health care provider but still need to document your illness you can use the Absence Excuse Form. This is NOT an acceptable excuse. You should use your four "grace days" to cover these and any other unexcused absences (work, family vacations, long weekends, undocumented illness, transportation problems, etc.)

• After four absences, each additional undocumented absence will result in a 1 point reduction of your final grade per absence, i.e., 5 unexcused absences will reduce your final grade by 5 points. For example if your overall average is 95% and you have five unexcused absences your final grade will be a 90%. Absences are counted from the first day of the quarter. Chronic lateness to class will also reduce your grade. Repeated unexcused absences will result in the filing of a "Student Absence Form" with your college office.

Incompletes

An Incomplete "I" indicates that the student has completed a major portion of the work in the course in a satisfactory manner, but for reasons judged by the Language Studies Committee to be legitimate, a portion of the course requirements remains to be completed.

Academic Misconduct

"It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term "academic misconduct" includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5-487). For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct [PDF]."
Academic misconduct is defined as any activity which tends to compromise the academic integrity of the institution, or subvert the educational process. Such instances include, but are not limited to: cheating on assignments or examinations, collusion, falsification of excuses, submitting work from a previous quarter without explicit permission of the current instructor, violation of course rules contained in the syllabus or provided in class and plagiarism. Plagiarism is the representation of another's works or ideas as one's own: it includes the unacknowledged word for word use and/or paraphrasing of another person's work, and/or the inappropriate unacknowledged use of another person's ideas. Plagiarism via the internet is not only dishonest; it's also liable to be caught. Paper assignments, if they are clear and course-specific, don't match well with what's available on the net, and search engines on the net make detection of plagiarism as easy as plagiarism itself. For example for a written or oral report you should use the vocabulary, grammar structures, and strategies you've learned. Paraphrase your information and do not "cut and paste" whole paragraphs from the web. For more on university policies concerning plagiarism, including information on the formal hearing process by the Committee on Academic Misconduct visit the COAM FAQ page.

Disability Services

Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Students with disabilities that have been certified by the Office for Disability Services will be appropriately accommodated, and should inform the instructor as soon as possible of their needs. The Office for Disability Services is located in 150 Pomerene Hall, 1760 Neil Avenue; telephone 292-3307, TDD 292-0901.

This syllabus as well as complete information about all other elementary and intermediate Spanish language courses and requirements can be found at: http://sppo.osu.edu/spanish/courses/syllabi/syllabus.cfm