The CD 361 Discussion Board

• Following this link will take you to Moodle where you can log in using your CSUN user ID and password to access the class Discussion Board.  Here you can post anything you want as long as it relates specifically to CD 361 - ask questions, discuss concerns, seek and give advice - here's your opportunity to collaborate.  The Discussion Board gives all of us the opportunity to help each of us.  It can be a powerful learning tool IF you use it!

Weekly ASSIGNMENTS

• There are a variety of assignments occurring throughout the semester.  Some weeks you'll have only reading review questions to answer.  Some weeks you'll have only an annotated bibliography to submit.  And in a couple of instances, you'll have BOTH reading review questions AND an annotated bibliography to submit.  Specific information about each week's assignment is available through the links in this section of the webpage, at the end of each Lecture Text, AND (in less detail) on the course calendar also available on this webpage.  ALL assignments are to be submitted as email attachments sent to the instructor's email address (reed.o.elliott@csun.edu).  Note that the "due dates" indicated are the LAST day on which the assignment can be submitted and be "on time."  Assignments submitted after the due date will receive half credit only.  Can you submit your assignments early?  YES!!!  In fact, it's a good idea to get your work done as soon as possible!

Reading Review Question EXEMPLARS

• There are eight textbook reading review question assignments due at various times during the semester (see due dates published in the syllabus and in the calendar on this website).  These assignments will help you master and retain critical information from the textbook reading assignments.  Each link provides specific details showing how a well-written assignment should look (and giving the answers you'll be expected to know for tests).  I'll post the exemplars in the week AFTER each assignment is submitted.  Compare your work to these exemplars.  If you wrote similar answers, equally well-developed, all is well.  If not, study the exemplars carefully and try to imitate them in following assignments. I also recommend that you download and print out the information here.  This will help you understand the essential elements in each reading assignment and will help you perform well on the tests. 

Annotated Bibliography Exemplars

• This course requires you to develop an annotated bibliography containing five citations each of which must follow "APA format" and specify the "URL information" relating to the internet article you summarize.  Would you like to know exactly how to do this?  Would you like to see some previous "A" papers so that you can imitate them and get an "A" yourself?  All you have to do is follow the links in this section!  The five citations you'll construct each address different issues.  With each new assignment, I'll change the exemplars, showing you three specific examples of how that week's bibliography item might be addressed.  This means you'll want to check back with each new assignment because what's available on these links will change!

Term Paper Information

• Here you will find all the essential information that you need to write a successful and satisfying Term Paper.  By following the link you'll obtain a detailed discussion of Term Paper requirements, a list of 18 "preapproved" topics (and one "wildcard" - NOT preapproved, you have to discuss your proposal with me), and the grading rubric used to evaluate your finished paper.  Everything you need is here with the exception of some examples of how finished papers should look and those are provided below!

Term Paper Exemplars

• The Term Paper in CD 361 is GRADED and constitutes 30% of your final grade in the course.  Wouldn't it be great if you could see some examples of "A" term papers so that you would know how to write one yourself?  Of course it would!  That's why I've included these links.  They'll be made available about midway through the course. At that point you'll have enough information and background to begin writing your term paper.  Follow the links to an "A" in CD 361!

Lecture Texts

• In this section, you'll find the entire text (and occasional diagrams) taken from each week's lecture.  These materials are furnished as Adobe Reader (pdf) files so that graphics and other formatting appear as they do in the original source document. 

  My recommendation is to print these out and bring them to class.  This will really speed up your notetaking!  In addition, plan on taking YOUR OWN notes to supplement what's provided here (by writing on the printed out text you got here).  There is A LOT of important information in the lectures that's NOT necessarily in these lecture texts.  DON’T assume that these materials by themselves will give you everything you need!  They're intended to supplement your notes, not to replace them!   

Study Guides

• There are six (open book, open notes) tests in CD 361 (see the syllabus or the calendar on this website for specific dates).  General study guides and specific discussion of some frequently missed items on each test are provided here.  Print this information out and refer to it as you prepare for tests.  All tests may include sections of true/false, elaborated true/false, matching, multiple choice, and diagram labeling and interpretation.  All tests require SCANTRON 882-ES or 882-E. These forms have 50, 5-choice items per side.  You're expected to come prepared for tests with the required SCANTRON forms and number 2 lead pencils. 

• NOTE:  Tests are NOT CUMULATIVE.  There is NO MIDTERM and NO FINAL exam.

Lecture Support Materials

• Each week a variety of support materials will be made available.  These may include suggestions for related reading, short articles (mostly written by the instructor), audio/visual materials, etc.  At the end of each week's lecture I'll tell you what's in the Support Materials section for that week.  If you hear me mention something that sounds interesting to you, you know where to find it!

The Gradebook

• I post my gradebook so that you have a way to monitor your progress in the course and to detect and correct any mistakes.  If you find an error in the gradebook, please bring it to my attention immediately.  I'll make every effort to be fair and to make corrections promptly and with a minimum of hassle.  Special, randomly assigned, ID numbers, unique to this course, are employed in the online gradebook to protect your privacy.  You'll find your ID number for this course written next to your grade at the bottom of Test 1.  Keep this ID number SECRET (so no one else can read your information).  If you don’t want to have your data posted, let me know right away and I'll see that it doesn't appear.  In such a case, you still may check the accuracy of my gradebook by contacting me at office hours, breaks, or before and after class.

Getting a Good Grade in CD 361

• Some students find themselves struggling to do well in university coursework.  Although they “work hard,” they struggle because they haven't learned to “work efficiently.”  These links provide some effective methods for managing the demands of any class, such as CD 361, that requires mastery of complex information.

The Syllabus

• Did you lose your syllabus?  Are you considering taking this course and want to know more about it?  Follow the link to obtain a copy of the current course syllabus.

Some Related Links

• Want to learn more about speech and language development?  Here are some related websites that can give you additional information related to this class and to the subject matter it addresses (NOTE:  please email the instructor if you find any "dead" links).

The Course Calendar

• Here is a week-by-week display of upcoming events, assignments, tests, due dates, and class cancellations, etc.