WELCOME
Welcome to your personal computer based course!
Online courses can be a great way to learn from the
convenience of home or other remote location
without having to come into a traditional classroom.
It’s not for everyone though. Distance learning
requires a high degree of self-discipline, excellent
time management skills, and motivation! The ACC
Distance Learning office and your professor are
dedicated to helping you succeed. As an
introduction to distance learning and this course
you will be required to complete a few tasks that
will orient you to the program overall and to the
course specifically.
Is Distance Learning for you?
The first thing you should do is go to the ACC
Distance Learning web site by clicking on the link
in brown. Take a few minutes to acquaint yourself
with the site and maybe explore some of the links.
Before you leave there, click on DL 101: Learning
Style Self-Assessment and DL 101: Technical Skills
Checklist and complete them. When you’re
finished, email the page to amcneely@austincc.edu.
Put your course synonym in the subject line so you
can be identified in one of several courses. If you
discover that you’re not suited for distance courses,
contact Student Services for advice .
Blackboard
Blackboard is an online course management system that
can be used as an addendum to classroom courses or
as a virtual classroom. It is a very handy resource
available 24/7. We will use Blackboard extensively
in your course.
ACC’s Blackboard server is located at
http://acconline.austincc.edu/. Once your browser
has accessed the Blackboard site, click the "Login"
button to begin using Blackboard. You will be
prompted to enter a User ID and Password to access
your courses.
For help logging in to Blackboard, click 
Your Course
Once you’ve determined that you’re ready for online
learning, you will need to familiarize yourself with
the course materials available to you on Blackboard.
If you are not already online, go to
http://acconline.austincc.edu/ . If you aren’t familiar
with Blackboard, click on the Student Guide link
and follow directions to login and choose a
password. Once you are on, select your course,
either PSYC 2301 or SOCW 2361. You will see
Announcements on the right and a menu on the left.
Spend some time getting to know the course
organization and become familiar with all of the
links.
Which course are you enrolled in?

PSYC 2301
This course is a survey of introductory
topics such as learning, memory,
sensation and perception,
personality, life-span development,
physiological basis of behavior, stress
and health, psychological disorders,
social psychology, and research
methods. Additional topics such as
language development, states of
consciousness, and psychotherapy
may also be included as determined
by the instructor.

SOCW 2361
Social Work 2361 is an introductory course whose
purpose/goal is to introduce the student to
social work theory, practice methods, and
areas of service as they are applied to
assessment and intervention at the individual,
organizational, and community levels.
The course examines social work history and its
influence on social work practice today. It is
designed to provide students with some basic
social work practice skills, including
Genograms, Eco Maps and methods of
community assessment. Throughout the
course, special attention is given to factors
affecting diverse population groups, including
groups distinguished by culture, class, race,
ethnicity, age, mental and physical ability,
religion, and sexual orientation.
General Policies
Special Needs
ACC is an equal opportunity institution. If you
have a disability or special need that may
require accommodations in the classroom,
please contact me outside of class to discuss
your needs. You should also meet with the
Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) on the
campus you attend regularly.
General Policies
ECS Students
This is a college course and all students enrolled in this
course will be treated as college students. All
sections of this syllabus and orientation pertain
equally to all students in this course, regardless of
age or educational status. Regardless of their age,
high school students who are enrolled in a college
course are protected by the Family Education Rights
and Privacy Act of 1974. In compliance with this Act, I
will not discuss your grades or your academic
progress with your parent(s) , unless you are
present, or unless I have your written permission to
do so. Email will not be accepted.
General Policies
Academic Freedom
In any classroom situation that includes discussion and
critical thinking, there are bound to be many differing
experiences and viewpoints. It is my hope that these
differences will enhance the class and create an
atmosphere where students and instructor alike will be
more encouraged to think and learn. Therefore, be
assured that your grade will not be adversely affected
by any beliefs or ideas expressed in class or
assignments. Rather, we are all expected to respect the
views of others when expressed in classroom
discussions. Demonstration of disrespect toward other
students or the instructor will not be tolerated.
General Policies
Privacy
In compliance with the Family Education Rights and
Privacy Act of 1974, I will not give out
information concerning your grades,
academic progress, attendance, address,
phone, or email address to anyone (including
parents) unless you give your written
permission. In addition, I will not give grade
information over the telephone or by email.
General Policies
Scholastic Honesty
“Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their
thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is
defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, classroom
presentations, and homework.” (Student Handbook, 2006)
Any form of scholastic dishonesty, including but not
limited to, cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing,
unauthorized collaboration with another in
preparing outside work, will not be tolerated and
will result in a grade of "F", and may result in
disciplinary action by the college.
What is plagiarism?
One of the best parts of being in college is sharing ideas in
the books we read, the discussions in which we engage,
and lectures we hear. We use them in our own writing,
too. To be fair and honest, we give credit where credit is
due. Plagiarism is presenting ideas in words or images
without giving acknowledgement to s/he who created
them.
How Can You Avoid Plagiarism?
Give credit whenever you use another person’s
•
Ideas, theories, opinions;
•
Images, drawings, graphs;
•
Statistics;
•
Quotations of actual words;
•
Paraphrased words.
General Policies
Withdrawal
Students or instructors may initiate withdrawals any
time during the semester before the official
withdrawal deadline. Withdrawal forms are
available from the Admissions offices. When the
instructor withdraws a student, ACC will send
written notice to the student's address on record, as
contained in the student's permanent file.
Friday Augusts 25th
Monday, November 27th
Fall 2006 - Last day to request
100% refund for 16- and 1st 8Week sessions
Fall 2006 - Last day to
withdraw/reinstate students
(16-, 12-, and 8 week)
General Policies
Incompletes
A grade of incomplete may be granted if you have
made substantial progress and have
extenuating circumstances arise (for example:
illness, family crisis). An incomplete will not
be granted if you have not made substantial
progress and/or simply fail to come to class. It
is up to you to withdraw if you cannot keep
up with the course
General Policies
Attendance/Participation
You may be wondering “How do I attend an
online course?” Even though theses courses
are in the virtual world, they still require your
time and attention. These are not self-paced,
individual instruction courses! You must have
an active presence in the course room and
submit your input to discussion boards in a
timely and engaging fashion. You will find
that much of your learning comes from
classmates. And they will learn from you!
General Policies
Grading
Grades are earned on a percentage basis, as follows:
> 89% = A
80 – 89% = B
70 – 79% = C
60 – 69% = D (a "D" is not a transferable grade)
< 60% = F
You will earn an "F" for any form of scholastic dishonesty or if you fail to withdraw
from class but stop attending.
General Policies
Exams
Exams will be completed online and you will have a
window of opportunity in which to complete each. It is
imperative that you use a reliable internet connection
to take exams. If connection is lost for any reason, your
exam will not be graded and you will be required to
make special arrangements to complete an alternate
examination. This is unavoidable because the primary
testing method is electronic. Use of the ACC network
connection, or other high speed connection, will
eliminate 90% of the problems students encounter. A
missed exam results in a score of 0.
There will be no retests except in the event of a documented emergency.
Drop Box - What’s that?
Blackboard’s Digital Drop Box feature is
designed to facilitate file exchange between
students and instructors within the
Blackboard system. The drop box feature is
used as a method to submit homework
assignments and papers for grading and/or
revision. All of the work you do will
submitted through the Dropbox. I will not
accept assignments via email or snail mail.
Courseroom etiquette
Even though we are “meeting” in a virtual classroom, it is still a
classroom. Following a few simple guidelines will enhance
each person’s experience and make the course a productive
and pleasant one for us all.
Avoid strong language
2. DO NOT write using all caps – THAT’S YELLING!
3. Stay on topic
4. Read each discussion first, write second.
5. Review yours twice, and post once.
6. Emoticons communicate nonverbals. 
7. Use the right place to post your message.
8. Keep attachments as small as possible.
9. Try to answer your own questions first.Then ask
a classmate. If you still don’t know, email the
instructor.
1.
Critical thinking
The best thing you can take from this experience is an enhanced
ability to think critically!
“Critical thinking consists of a mental process of
analyzing or evaluating information, particularly
statements or propositions that people have offered
as true. It forms a process of reflecting upon the
meaning of statements, examining the offered
evidence and reasoning, and forming judgments
about the facts “ (Wikipedia, 2006)
Learning Styles
Everyone has a style of learning styles that works best
for him/her. By understanding your own style, you
can find ways to enhance your learning and improve
your academic performance and retention of
information. The link below will take you to a site
where you can take a free Learning Styles Test either
online or on paper. I encourage everyone to find out
her/his learning style!
For the free Learning Styles Test click 
Contact me
•
Office hours


•
Email

•
Tuesday 4-6 pm
RGC, Rm 010
By appointment
Please use:
profmcn@ibwell.com
Phone


512.223.2016 Monday or Friday
512.302.1590 all other times
What’s next?
That should get us started! Don’t forget to login to
Blackboard and do some good looking around. Follow
the syllabus and outline to stay on track. Make sure your
contact information is there, so I can get a hold of you.
If you have any questions that neither you or your
classmates can answer from the material available, email
is the best way to catch me. Please use the email
provided on the “Contact me” screen, so you don’t get
lost in the spam. If you need to call me (yes, sometimes I
want to talk with a real live human too!) know that I am
often unable to use the phone and will return your call
as quickly as possible. Give me one business day to do
so.
So we’re off! See in the courseroom!