SPN1131 Spanish II (Online) - Course Syllabus
Instructor: Caridad Jimenez
Contact: cjimenez2@ufl.edu or 850-723-5636
Mode: Online except 3 proctored exams
Course Deadline: 16 weeks from the student’s enrollment date
Credits: 5
Prerequisites: SPN 1130
Textbook(s): Vistas, Third Edition Standard Package
Package ISBN #: 978-1-60007-125-6
Purchase directly from the Vista Higher Learning website –
http://vistahigherlearning.com/students/store/spanish-programs/vistas-3rd-edition.html
Warning: Do NOT buy used materials since the access code will not work if it
This package includes:
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Student edition of textbook (Vistas- Third edition – Hardcover)
Fotonovela DVD - 1 DVD
VHL Pocket Dictionary – Paperback
Supersite Student Passcode – (access code in an envelope). Your pass code is valid for
24 months. This will allow enough time to complete the course without having to buy a
new one.
Scope and Nature of the Course
This is an online course except for 3 proctored exams. The course consists of 9 lessons.
You will find your activities/lessons in the Vistas Supersite. SPN1130 is a prerequisite for the
course SPN1131.
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Course Goals
After you have completed this course, you should be able to:
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Read simple texts in Spanish.
Write in Spanish about people and events.
Have a broader knowledge of the history and culture of the Spanish speaking world.
Understand basic spoken Spanish.
Carry out some conversation in Spanish such as ask and answer questions, describe
people and places and narrate events
Assessment and Grading
1. Course assessment consists of graded activities completed and submitted online via the
Vistas Supersite for lessons 10 - 18.
2. There are three (3) proctored exams (after lessons 12, 15, and 18).
Navigating the Course
You will be required to access two (2) online course environments:
1. The University of Florida E-Learning system - https://lss.at.ufl.edu - This is the one
that you are accessing now. It is important that you log into this site to review course
requirements and procedural information. Here you will find:
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Course Information - requirements, resources, lessons format, proctored exams,
how to get assistance
AND
2. The Vistas Higher Learning Supersite - http://vistas.vhlcentral.com/ - available with
the purchase of an access code.
You must Set up a Vistas Supersite account and register in the appropriate section of the
course on the Vistas Supersite. You should have received an email from Flexible Learning
with instructions to accomplish this.
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IMPORTANT NOTE FOR RETURNING STUDENTS
If you have used the Supersite for a course during a previous semester or academic
session, you do not need to register a new passcode unless your account has expired.
The passcode you bought with your materials is good for 24 months. Please contact Vista
Higher Learning if your passcode has expired.
To enroll in your new course, please login to your account and click on the enroll link
located in your Student Tools box.
In the Vistas Supersite you will find:
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Course activities that are assessed and that contribute to your final grade in this course.
Your grades for each individual activity, each lesson, and your final grade.
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Online learning resources:
o Tutorials tab:
 Tutorials (grammar and vocabulary tutorials)
 Games: memory, flash cards, crosswords
 Additional grammar practice
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Student Tools
o Online Resources
 Online dictionary
 Verb wheel (to help you conjugate verbs in any tense)
 Grammar reference
 My tutorials: grammar tutorials organized by lesson
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Media Resources
o Textbook Audio MP3s
o Streaming Video
Useful Information about printed materials:
When you purchase the Vistas Supersite access code, you will also receive a hardcopy of the
textbook. The Vistas Supersite contains an electronic copy of the textbook pages.
Your hardcopy of the textbook is required to complete a small number of the course activities.
However, your textbook can be useful to you in other ways. Here are some good uses for your
textbook:
1. Take a break from the computer screen. Working for a long time in front of a computer
can be tiring. Since you have a hard copy of the textbook, a DVD and downloadable MP3
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files of the audio program you can work with these materials in order to take a break
from your computer or when you do not have access to it.
2. Your textbook includes most of the exercises you will have to submit for grading plus
others that you will not find in the website. You may want to complete the exercises by
writing them in the textbook before attempting them online. You may also want to study
the grammar by looking at your textbook rather than at the computer screen.
3. Review the material: In the future you may want to take more advanced Spanish courses
and you will not have access to the online materials anymore (since your passcode is only
valid for 24 months). Your textbook will come handy then. It should also be helpful to
review the SPN 1130 material.
4. Read the cultural information (En detalle). This is the only section that you will NOT find
online. You will need to read it in the textbook in order to complete the online exercises.
Technical Requirements
In order to access and complete the learning activities in this online Spanish course your
computer will need to be configured correctly and be able to open and show a variety of
multimedia and interactive content:
1. High-speed Internet connection
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High speed internet (4Mbps to 15Mbps) - typically provided through cable service
DSL Internet (768 Kbps to 6Mbps) - can be an alternative to high speed Internet
Note: Dial-up internet connections will severely limit your ability to access the multimedia &
interactive content in this course and in turn your ability to complete the graded activities
required to complete this course successfully.
2. Operating Systems and Browsers
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PC computer
o Windows 98, NT, 2000, ME, XP OR Vista
o Internet Explorer 6, 7 OR Mozilla Firefox 1.5, 2.0
Apple Mac computers
o Macintosh OS 9
o Internet Explorer 5 OR Macintosh OS X Safari 1.3, 2.0 OR Mozilla Firefox 1.5,
2.0
3. Plug-ins
Plug-ins allow you to see and hear a wide range of computer-based audio and video content
• Multimedia content
o Adobe Shockwave Player - http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/
o Adobe Flash Player - http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/
o Adobe Acrobat Reader - http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
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Audio content
o Windows Platform
 Windows Media Player http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/default.mspx
 QuickTime with iTunes - http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
o Macintosh Platform
 QuickTime with iTunes - http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
Speakers and/or headphones are required to listen to audio recordings on the Vistas
Supersite
o Computer audio speakers and headset can be purchased for less than a total of $50
Course Overview
Lesson Activities and Graded Activities
This course will cover lessons 10 through 18 in your online textbook in the Vistas Supersite.
Graded activities
You will receive one grade per each lesson. This grade will be the average of the scores obtained
in all the activities assigned for each lesson. You will be able to see the grades, feedback and
individual scores for each of the activities that comprise the lesson as well as seeing your average
score by clicking on the My Results tab in the Vistas Supersite.
Your learning activities will be assessed in three different ways:
1. Activities submitted for credit:
Some learning activities will be assessed on a completion basis i.e. you receive a credit
not a specific grade or score. These activities are mostly pronunciation activities that will
provide you with the practice you need.
2. Computer graded activities:
You will have two attempts to complete most computer graded activities. This will give
you the chance to improve your scores after reviewing what you did wrong. When you
exhaust your attempts, your grade will be recorded and you will be able to see it by
clicking on the Assessment tab. Occasionally, your instructor will allow you to resubmit
a section or activity to help you learn the material more effectively.
If you suspect your answers maybe correct, but the computer has marked them wrong,
please don’t get frustrated. This is very common with the computer graded activities. You
can request that your instructor reviews any computer graded activity, and gives you
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proper credit for your answers. Use the request review button rather than emailing the
instructor about your problem.
3. Instructor graded activities:
These activities will be graded comprehensively. That means that I will not take an exact
amount of points per mistake like in an exam. I will consider the quality of the mistakes
as much as their frequency. For instance mistakes in structures which you have not
studied yet, but which you attempt show that you are a risk taker and that you are making
an effort to learn the language. I do not take off points for adding information or trying to
communicate in Spanish beyond the structures you know. I expect however that you
show an understanding of the structures and vocabulary that you have studied.
The grade for each lesson will be the average of all the scores obtained in all the activities
assigned for each lesson.
Required Graded Activities for Lessons 10 – 18
All of the online textbook activities are mandatory except for those that require a partner. The
“partner” activities are called “Intercambiar” (marked with the icon ) and “Escribe tu
composición” and they can be found under the Adelante-Escritura section. “Intercambiar” asks
you to exchange drafts of your composition (“Borrador”) with a partner while “Escribe tu
composición” asks you to compose a final draft incorporating your partner’s suggestions. These
are the only two activities you should leave blank. Note that the “Borrador” (first draft) section
is mandatory and it needs to be a full composition written in Spanish addressing all the suggested
topics, rather than a few short sentences.
COMPLETION of the required coursework is mandatory. You do need to complete all of
the required activities and exams to get a letter grade in the course. If you do not complete your
coursework, you will get a failing grade in the course. This will apply regardless of your scores
in the activities you have completed and even if they add up to a passing grade.
Only an honest attempt to complete the activities correctly will count as completion. You will be
asked to resubmit the activities, if your instructor thinks that they do not constitute a serious
attempt to practice the language.
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Course Grading
Your course grade will be determined as
follows:
Graded Activities
Exam 1
Exam 2
Exam 3
Total
40%
20%
20%
20%
100%
The course letter grade will be determined
according to the following scale:
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DE
90%- 100%
87-89%
84-86%
80-83%
77-79
74-76
70-73%
67-69
64-66%
60-63%
57-59
56% and below
Academic Honesty:
Students enrolled in the Flexible Learning
courses through the University of Florida,
Division of Continuing Education are
expected to perform with the highest level of
academic honesty and integrity. You are
responsible for providing proper
acknowledgement for any work that is not
the product of your own thought; this
includes published and unpublished texts
and information taken from Internet sources.
Failure to properly cite such material will be
regarded as plagiarism.
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“A student shall not represent as the
student’s own work all or any portion of the
work of another. Plagiarism includes but is
not limited to:
1. Quoting oral or written materials
including but not limited to those
found on the internet, whether
published or unpublished, without
proper attribution.
2. Submitting a document or
assignment which in whole or in part
is identical or substantially identical
to a document or assignment not
authored by the student.” Source:
Regulations of the University of
Florida, UF-4.041. For more
information, please go to this link:
Student Honor Code and Student
Conduct Code: Scope and Violations
“For a violation or violations of the Honor
Code, a student may receive any of the
sanctions that can be imposed for Student
Conduct Code violations, including but not
limited to conduct probation, suspension and
expulsion as well as any educational
sanctions. In addition, students may receive
the following:
(a) Assignment grade penalty. The
student is assigned a grade penalty on an
assignment including but not limited to a
zero.
(b) Course grade penalty. The student is
assigned a grade penalty in the entire course
including but not limited to an ‘E’.”
Source: Regulations of the University of
Florida, UF-4.047
Page 7
How to Obtain Help:
Procedural Information
Supersite Technical Problems
DCE: learn@dce.ufl.edu - Ph: 1-800-327-4218
Vista Higher Learning Technical Support:
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http://support.vhlcentral.com/
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Phone: 1-800-248-2813
Monday - Thursday: 8:00 a.m to 3:00 a.m.
Friday:
8:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Saturday:
11:30 a.m - 8:00 p.m.
Sunday:
11:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
*All listed times are in the Eastern time zone,
and do not include holidays.
Course Content
Instructor: cjimenez2@ufl.edu
Tutors and Other Forms of Help:
If you have a tutor or friend who helps you with this course, use him/her wisely. Make sure that
your tutor helps you understand concepts and helps you practice them before you complete your
activities. Ask him/her to provide you with additional exercises and explanations. NEVER work
on your graded activities with your tutor. NEVER ask a tutor/ friend to write, review or change
anything in your graded activities. Always make sure that what you write in your graded
activities are your own words.
The work of a tutor is to help you practice, not to do your homework. By getting too much help
with your learning activities you will not learn the material and you will do very poorly in the
examinations. (I have seen this happening too many times). You may also fail in your
assignment if I, your instructor, have reason to believe that you have been helped. Your graded
activities are both learning activities and an instrument of assessment. That is why they need to
reflect your individual work. This is also the only way to ensure that you will learn the material
and do well in the exams.
Exams and Choosing a Proctor
Most Flexible Learning courses contain one or more examinations. Some Flexible Learning
courses may have the exam(s) available through the web-based course or require a proctored
exam taken at a secure testing location. Once you are enrolled, your course information will
specifically tell you how to request a proctored exam, if required, and explains the required
testing procedures. Prior to requesting exams, submission of all previous assignments is required.
Please Note: Students currently residing in Alachua County must take their exams at the
Flexible Learning office.
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Testing Centers:
The Flexible Learning office, located in Gainesville, Florida, has an on-site testing room for your
convenience. If you take your exam at the Flexible Learning office, we will proctor the exam for
you. No testing fee will apply. Please contact Academic Progress to schedule an exam by
telephone (long distance toll-free 1-800-327-4218 or locally 352-392-1711), or by email
(lessons@dce.ufl.edu). Exams are administered in this office Monday through Friday, except
holidays, at 8:30am or 1:30pm. Please call at least 1 business day in advance to schedule your
exam. The required coursework must be completed before calling to schedule the exam.
If you are unable to come to our facility, you will need to select a proctor and a testing site.
Examinations cannot be taken in a private location, such as someone's home or office. Also,
your friends and relatives are not permitted to proctor your exams.
Examinations for Flexible Learning courses are administered by a proctor, and are designated as
"proctored exams" in the course materials. A proctor is someone who facilitates and watches
over the examination to ensure that no improprieties take place. All proctors must be qualified
educational professionals and will be verified by our office staff before sending the examination
(see "Choosing a Proctor" below).
Choosing a Proctor:
Persons qualified to serve as proctors are:
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authorized testing center personnel at testing centers or learning centers
certified librarians at libraries
civil service examiners
professors or test administrators at colleges or universities
education officers at military bases
If you are uncertain of the qualifications of a proctor, or if you have difficulty locating a proctor,
contact The Flexible Learning Office for assistance (1-800-327-4218).
Requesting the Exam:
To request your exam, please submit the exam request form as a Word document or as a PDF
and email it to lessons@dce.ufl.edu , fax to 352-392-6950, or mail to UF Flexible Learning,
2046 NE Waldo Rd, Suite 1101, Gainesville, FL 32609.
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Disability Accommodations:
The Disability Resource Center in the Dean of Students Office provides students and faculty
with information and support regarding accommodations for students with disabilities. Staff at
the Disability Resource Center will assist any student who registers as having a disability.
Official documentation of a disability is required to determine eligibility for appropriate
accommodations. The professional employees at the Disability Resource Program serve as fulltime advocates for students with disabilities ensuring students have physical and programmatic
access to all college programs. One of the services provided by the Disability Resource Center
includes:
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Testing Accommodations
Please click on this link for further information:
DRC-Testing Accommodations
Here is the link to register with the DRC: DRC-How to Get Started
The Flexible Learning office needs to be notified of any special accommodations required
by the student when they begin their course.
Course Deadline and Extension Policy:
Each student’s online course expires 16 weeks from the date of enrollment. Although there is
flexibility in completing the coursework, the course should be started as soon as the course
materials are received since the 16 week period has already begun. The coursework should be
submitted as it is completed. All final coursework needs to be completed and submitted for
grading at least 2 weeks prior to the course expiration date. Any “due dates” or “expiration
dates” that may be in E-Learning in Sakai or in the Vistas Supersite do not apply to the student’s
course expiration date.
Each student is allowed 16 weeks to complete a course. If the time is about to expire, the student
will be assigned a failing grade ("E"). If the student has made sufficient academic progress,
which is defined as completing at least 50% of the course, the student may petition the instructor
for a course extension. After you have contacted your instructor for an extension, each extension
request will be administratively evaluated.
Dropping or Withdrawing From a Course:
A tuition refund may be granted after a student submits a written request for withdrawal from a
course within 30 days of enrollment. This request must be in writing and may be sent by fax or
email. All requests will receive written responses. Refunds will be the amount of tuition, less
$25.00 per course. If a credit card was used to pay for tuition, the refund will be in the form of
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credit to that card. A refund can be issued on course materials at the time of withdrawal if they
are returned within 30 days of sale and are in their original condition. Allow 6 – 8 weeks for
refund checks. Please call our office (1-800-327-4218) for up to date refund policies. No refunds
are granted after 30 days. Students with disabilities who need to drop a course due to
disability-related reasons are allowed to petition for additional drops. For more information,
contact the Disability Resource Center.
Attention UF Students:
•
To drop a course: In order to drop a UF Flexible Learning course, UF students must have
an Academic Advisor or Department Chair email the UF Flexible Learning office at
learn@dce.ufl.edu stating that the student is approved to drop the course. Please use this
link for more information: UF Drop Policies
Note: UF Students wishing to drop a UF Flexible Learning course after drop/add should
contact their college advising office to see if they have a free drop remaining. If they
have a free drop remaining, they have 14 weeks from the date of enrollment to drop the
course, subject to applicable rules of their college and the university. This action is
subject to verification that a grade has not yet been assigned.
•
All full-term withdrawals must follow University of Florida policies/procedures. An
approved withdrawal form must be submitted to the Dean of Student's Office for review
and final approval. Students must also notify the UF Flexible Learning office of this
request.
Please use this link for more information: UF Withdrawal Policies
Medical Withdrawals:
Here is the link to start the Medical Withdrawal Process:
Dean of Students Office Medical Withdrawal Process
Retroactive Withdrawals:
Here is the link for retroactive withdrawal information: Petition Information
Transfers:
You may transfer from one course to another within 30 days of enrollment. This request must be in
writing and sent by fax or e-mail. You will receive a receipt by mail. Any difference in tuition will
be collected or refunded. There is a $50.00 transfer fee. After the transfer has taken place, the
original enrollment and expiration dates still apply. The approval and signature of a dean or
academic advisor is required for UF students.
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Book Buy-Back Policy:
Textbooks and materials, except for ones that use an access code, that are in continued use by UF
Flexible Learning and are in good condition may be repurchased at 50% of the original purchase
price 30 days from completion of or withdrawal from a course. Contact the UF Flexible Learning
office for details at 1-800-327-4218.
UF Flexible Learning Contact Information:
Email:
Phone:
Toll free:
Fax:
Website:
learn@dce.ufl.edu
(352) 392-1711
(800) 327-4218
(352) 392-6950
UF Flexible Learning
Office Hours:
Monday-Friday
8:00am-5:00pm EST
How to Request a UF Transcript:
There are two ways to order a transcript:
1. The online ordering system by going to this link: Ordering UF Transcripts
2. If you cannot use the online system, please contact the UF Office of the University
Registrar for instructions to mail in a request with a check or money order. They can be
contacted by phone Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at 352-392-1374. Persons
with hearing impairments can call FRS # 1-800-955-8771 (TDD).
Please check your “unofficial transcript” first, before ordering your “official transcript”, to
make certain that your grade has been posted.
The University of Florida assures the confidentiality of all your educational records in
accordance with State University System Rules, State Statutes, and the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act. Grades are not given out over the phone.
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