Physical geography
This Weebly page is an informational companion to an on-line course offered by the University of Idaho's Department of Geography. The course explores many different aspects of our home planet by examining and building natural systems and processes in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. These combine to form the environmental conditions and landscape patterns that we experience every day.
This course is best suited for self-motivated students. Successful students will manage their time well, allocating time to read the textbook and work through the various exercises for the cousrse; the successful student will also meet submission deadlines for quizzes, exams, and assignments. Specific information regarding deadlines and other aspects of the course may be found in the course syllabus, which will also be available within the UI's BBLearn pages for the course.
This course is best suited for self-motivated students. Successful students will manage their time well, allocating time to read the textbook and work through the various exercises for the cousrse; the successful student will also meet submission deadlines for quizzes, exams, and assignments. Specific information regarding deadlines and other aspects of the course may be found in the course syllabus, which will also be available within the UI's BBLearn pages for the course.
CRitical notes for any academic session
Be sure to read all the information on this page, but here are some critical things for students in the summer session:
- This is a completely on-line course, based heavily on a specific digital textbook. You will need to obtain an access code from the UI Bookstore to enter the course and start working on its materials. The publisher allows you two weeks of free access to the course to allow time for you to obtain an access code.
- Hit this link for more general information about access codes, getting things running on the publisher's website (McGraw-Hill Connect), and related things: Click Here
- Very, very important point: In order to properly link your BBLearn account at UI with the on-line materials in Connect... you should first enter BBLearn directly, navigate to Unit 01, Chapter 01, and click on the LearnSmart icon. Clicking on Chapter 01's LearnSmart activity will take you to Connect, and prompt you to activate your course access code... this is the best way to ensure that linkages between BBLearn and Connect are properly set up.
- BBLearn will officially open access to this course when the academic session actually begins. During summer sessions, students will be doing the same things that occur during a regular semester; the course is not fundamentally altered, except that it is much faster.
Course MEchanics
Fall 2018 Notes:
The course is based upon the 2nd Edition of Exploring Physical Geography, by Reynolds et al. Students will purchase an access card at the UI Bookstore which will provide access to a digital version of the textbook; if a student prefers to have an actual, physical textbook, they can order one directly from the publisher for an additional fee (altogether, still less expensive than most of the other textbooks on the subject).
General Notes:
With an on-line delivery system, students are largely responsible for setting their own schedules for reading the text, accessing other digital course materials, and ultimately meeting course deadlines. Electronic submission of coursework assignments, quizzes, and exams will follow a staggered succession of due dates to ensure that progress is made throughout the academic term.
BBLearn / Connect Integration:
The course is based upon the 2nd Edition of Exploring Physical Geography, by Reynolds et al. Students will purchase an access card at the UI Bookstore which will provide access to a digital version of the textbook; if a student prefers to have an actual, physical textbook, they can order one directly from the publisher for an additional fee (altogether, still less expensive than most of the other textbooks on the subject).
- The course will utilize the McGraw-Hill Connect features within BBLearn that track student progress and comprehension of concepts throughout the semester. These features will be supplemented by assessment instruments (quizzes, exams, extra credits) of the instructor's own design whenever and wherever it seems appropriate.
- This approach is less lecture-centric and much more textbook-centric, using the tools of Connect to keep students moving through the material in different ways. There shall be some instructor-produced lectures that supplement the textbook where such materials are needed to provide further depth or for making regional connections between concepts and the Pacific Northwest.
- Access cards for Exploring Physical Geography, 2E are available through the UI Bookstore.
General Notes:
With an on-line delivery system, students are largely responsible for setting their own schedules for reading the text, accessing other digital course materials, and ultimately meeting course deadlines. Electronic submission of coursework assignments, quizzes, and exams will follow a staggered succession of due dates to ensure that progress is made throughout the academic term.
- Student assessment may include chapter-based quizzes, unit exams, several Internet-based activities, and perhaps some written assignments. Quizzes and exams may contain true/false, multiple-choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, essay, and other formats.
- Quite often, questions will contain visual elements such as landscape photographs, satellite images, weather maps, or other graphics, and will focus upon the application of concepts to the interpretation and explanation of actual locations and events.
- As with any other 3-credit course at UI, students should plan to spend 3 hours per week directly engaging the material (largely focused on the required textbook), and 8-10 hours per week engaging other course materials including re-reading the text, developing notes, working on assignments and activities, completing quizzes, and taking exams.
- Students will spend a lot of time on their computer to complete this course, and will need a reliable Internet connection along with compatible web browsers for both BBLearn and Connect, and will also need to install Google Earth Pro on the computer used for the course.
BBLearn / Connect Integration:
- Chapter quizzes, unit exams, and other assignments will be conducted within the BBLearn interface or via basic email attachments. Virtually all scored items will be administered within BBLearn's modules or uploaded into a BBLearn dropbox.
- Best Practice LearnSmart: to access the course textbook, first login to BBLearn and then click on the LearnSmart activity for the appropriate chapter and then read/work through the question set for that chapter's LearnSmart; submit the LearnSmart after completing all the remaining activities for the chapter, and return to the textbook later through Connect if you need to re-read its contents for some reason
- Best Practice Exercises & Quizzes: for all other exercises and quizzes, the publisher Support team recommends logging into BBLearn, then clicking on the appropriate link to access that specific exercise or quiz; this is supposed to make the linkage between BBLearn and Connect function more reliably, including transference of scores from Connect back to BBLearn
- No matter which semester or academic session it is, the course textbook is required. Students will need either a digital or physical version of the textbook in order to maximize their success at mastering Physical Geography concepts and applications; your access code has the digital version built-in, and purchase of a physical copy is optional... that purchase can be done on the Connect website
Other Points To consider
Advising Notes: Summer Session
Critical Notes: Summer Session Time Management
Last updated: 07/29/18
- If you are taking this course toward the UI's Natural Science Core requirements, this on-line lecture course counts as a 3-credit lecture course in the Natural Sciences. You will still need to complete the 1-credit laboratory course to fulfill the 4-credit Natural Science Core requirement.
- From the instructor... think long and hard before registering for more than 9 credits in summer session. Past experience shows that many students do not have the time management skills to adequately complete more than 6-9 credits, especially when they stack courses across the different summer academic sessions.
- Consult with your academic advisor and critically consider your summer plans in conjunction with the realities of academic work in an accelerated time frame that compresses 16 weeks of work into a 12-week session.
- University of Idaho Summer Session Policies on Credit Limitations
- University of Idaho Core Information
Critical Notes: Summer Session Time Management
- The full-session summer course compresses 16 weeks of material into 12 weeks from May-August.
- Due dates are not flexible, although students are free to work through the course and complete it prior to the official end of summer session. The course involves reading (with questions that probe mastery of the material), engaging with several types of interactive exercises, and chapter-based quizzes. Each chapter's exercises and quiz are due on specific dates at a pace that is accelerated compared to regular semesters.
- Extensions are not provided because of planned family vacations, fieldwork that you may be conducting for another summer session course, work that you are doing under contract with your employer, etc. If you cannot commit to the realities of an accelerated summer session course schedule, I strongly suggest that you instead plan to take this course in a regular semester.
Last updated: 07/29/18