Assignments
RTM 251 - Introduction to Recreation and the Natural Environment
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Assignments RTM 251 - Introduction to Recreation and the Natural Environment
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Welcome to the assignments or 'learning exercises' for RTM 251. You'll spend a lot of time at this page as each key assignment contains a link with more detail about the requirement. (As the course fully migrates to Moodle - all the assignments will appear there as well - but use this page as your assignments niche for now)
The course offers a unique blend of traditional and on-line learning methods that will create an enjoyable way for the student to meet the objectives of this course.
If you have any questions please check the assignment page first for the information followed by dropping me an email if your question still remains. (alan.wright@csun.edu)
Summary of Assignments: *** If you want to see all the assignments in a table format by date - click here ***.
1. Environmental Life-style Audit: The assignment will require you to keep a journal of your behavior as it relates to issues of energy consumption and cycles, and environmental impact. The project will be done by the second week of class (due on January 31, 2010). This assignment requires you to 'take a few notes' as you progress through a normal 2 day period of everyday life and then write a brief summary of your experience. Follow this link to the specific requirements of the activity log. (9% of grade)
Pre-lecture: The pre-lecture is really just a survey to familiarize you with the Quizmaker program. The Pre-lecture Quiz is now ready by following this link Pretest251.html. and is part of assignments for week two.
Begin reading in the Last Child book in anticipation for upcoming discussions (pages 1-111 are part of exam one).
2. Lectures and Exam I & Exam II: Rather than give a more comprehensive exam twice during the semester, the EXAM I and EXAM II are each given in three parts Quiz 1, 2, 3 combine to create a score for Exam I and Quiz 4, 5, 6 combine to create a score for Exam II. Each on-line study unit will be followed by a short and challenging quiz. Three quizzes will equal one exam. The lecture units and quizzes must be completed by the date listed as EXAM I. There is no separate Exam I just the deadline for completion of the three lecture units and their quizzes. The deadline for Exam I components is due March 7, 2010 . The deadline for exam II components is May 5, 2010. (each quiz is worth 7% of the grade thus making each exam worth exam 21% of the total grade, total exams = 42%). Please note that reading assignments from the course text are included within the lecture links.
Once the student has read the lecture material and completed the study questions and memorized new material then follow the Quiz link to Quizmaker (or Moodle in some cases - Quiz 5) and take your test. Students proceed at their own pace as they move through the lectures - though a good rule of thumb is to expect to take a new quiz every 2 weeks so you don't get slammed trying to do all the reading and test preparation just prior to the final deadlines when all three quizzes must be completed.
I. Unit 1: Benefits of Outdoor Recreation and the Delivery System
Remember to participate in the discussion board based on the Last Child book, as part of your preparation for Quiz 1. Quiz 1 is available through Moodle. Do not follow that link until you are ready to take this Quiz. Suggested due date Feb 14.
II. Unit 2: Outdoor Recreation: the Question of Environmental Impact and the larger Environmental Crisis
Quiz 2 is now available in Moodle. Do not follow that link until after you have participated in the Forum. After your dialogue entries and after preparation you can take Quiz 2. Suggested due date Feb 28.
III. Unit 3: Resource Managers: A Question of Balance. NPS History and Management Philosophy. What is Wilderness?
Quiz 3 is now available in Moodle. Do not follow that link until after you have participated in the Forum. After your dialogue entires and after preparation you can take Quiz 3. Suggested due date Mar 7.
Exam I deadline (Quiz 1, 2, 3) - MUST be completed by March 7, 2010.
IV. Unit 4: Resource Managers - USFS/ BLM/ State/ Local / Private and Non-profit Sectors
Quiz 4 is not yet available . Quiz 4 is available from the Moodle platform of the class. Do not take the test in Moodle until you are prepared.
V. Unit 5: Conflict Issues - Hunting, Access, and Search and Rescue Issues
Quiz 5 is not yet available . Do not follow this link until you are ready to take this Quiz. LS251Quiz5.html
VI. Unit 6: Future Issues - Reconnecting with Nature (Louv)
Quiz 6 is not yet available. Do not follow this link until you are ready to take this Quiz. LS251Quiz6.html
Exam II deadline (Quiz 4, 5, 6) must be completed by May 5, 2010.
3. On-line Discussions: Each lecture will have a set of questions and students are expected to participate during the date ranges posted for that topic unit (lecture). In order to prepare you for the quizzes on Richard Louv's book and other topics based on readings on web pages, there will be threaded discussions posted and accessed through the Moodle page. Threaded discussions or bulletin boards are not discussions done in real time but rather a discussion carried on over a number of days as people return to the site to read other's thoughts and add their own.
Students will be expected to 'show up' a minimum of two times for each discussion and enter at least two engaging thoughts on each visit. These thoughts may be to the initial discussion question or directed to a response another student has posted. This is a minimum expectation, a lively discussion is encouraged. Credit for these discussions will be worth 1.5% per each of the six required discussions (total = 9%).
You should particiapte in discussions for each study unit. Make sure you enter the correct discussion board for the lecture material. In other words, don't post comments for lecture/study topic one in discussion area # 2. When exactly you interact with the bulletin board is up to you as students will be progressing at their own pace. The assignment summaries table indicates some soft dates of when you might want to have done those discussions based on progressing toward the firm deadlines for the group of quizzes to be completed.
The quality of your comments will not be evaluated in the bulletin board (forum) but achieving the minimum entries is the baseline points in the grading scheme of discussion requirement. My expectation is that active discussion will also enhance the ability of being successful with the quiz material. Make sense? I hope so.
4. Research on Outdoor Recreation Impact: Select an outdoor recreational activity and research the activity to build a profile about that outdoor pursuit and its relevance to the themes of the class. The focus of the report is not on ‘how-to’ or ‘where-to’ do the recreational activity (e.g. mountain biking, caving, four wheeling, rain forest tours, etc.) but a brief profile of the activity followed by the question of how this activity impacts the natural environment. The report will be written and then submitted to the instructor to be posted on the class web for other students to interact with your report. The profile must be submitted along with the regular narrative of the term paper.
Due Dates: Topics are due on
February 15, 2010 via a simple email with your name and topic and
full reports will be completed and emailed by April 18 , 2009. Required student interactions with five selected reports will be completed by May 5, 2010. These interactions are done by submitting your reactions on the bulletin board. (The review of fellow student papers has been cancelled).
The outline of
the profile can be found here. (project valued at 20% of total grade).
5. Field Education Experience - Outdoor Discovery: In addition to the on-line learning there is a required field learning experience that will be self-initiated. Several options are possible and are outlined in detail at this link. Please consult the experience page early as some of the opportunities require early action in the semester. The field experience could range from overnight outdoor adventure experiences to participation in more passive environmental education programs. The experience will be fun and a great compliment to the issues discussed in the class. A brief journal of your observations and learning will be submitted electronically and is due May 7. (Grade value of 15%.)
6. Environmental Ethic: A brief summary of your individual life-style values and commitments while a sojourner on the planet. Limit of 1 page. Consult the outline of this assignment. DUE DATE: May 10 . (grade value 5%)
Summary Table of Assignments: If you want to see all the assignments in a table format by date - click here.
Please note the weighted value of the different assignments is slightly different here than in the draft syllabus posted earlier. This web page is the accurate representation.
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Footnote about Electronic Assignments
Here are some requirements and tips for submitting assignments.
Note the general format and rules from the syllabus and course intro that are repeated below.
Electronic submission:
ü Send material to the professor’s email: alan.wright@csun.edu
ü Send the typed document as an attachment in Word, WordPerfect, or Adobe Acrobat (PDF file).
ü Name the file in the following format: your last name, your first name, course number abbreviation, and short title. Here is an example: SmithJoe251Lifestyle or Smith Joe RTM251 research paper.
ü DO NOT send the assignment in the body of the email itself.
ü Make sure you attach the document before you hit send.
ü If you want immediate confirmation of receipt of the email send it with a return receipt request. I will respond to receipt of assignments but it may take a few days to respond to each email.
General: Assignment Regs from Syllabus or Guide for Success
All assignments for on-line classes are due by the stroke of midnight on the date posted as the due date. Late papers will be received but will be assessed a penalty of 2% per day (so 14% first week, 28% week two, etc.). Students are reminded to consider the mathematical impact on their final grade of failing to hand in an assignment. I'd be glad to assist you with the math if you have questions - just remember that an assignment worth 10% of the grade which is not submitted gets a 0 which puts your overall course grade at a B assuming all other assignments were perfect. So the bottom line - Better late than never - up to a point!