General Information

HCS 150D Introduction to Horticulture is delivered exclusively through the Web utilizing WebCT software. There are no class meetings for this course. As a student in this course you will interact with the instructor by

• e-mail
• postings on the class Forum
• completing assignment forms on-line

You can contact the instructor by phone if necessary and even meet in person, if you feel that is needed to address specific concerns. You will interact with coursemates by e-mail and forum postings.

Course activities and recommendations

If you have read through the Syllabus, you already know the course is organized into 10 separate modules, each lasting one week. All modules after the first one will be posted every Monday. Each weekly module has specific assignments you must complete in order to get full credit for the course. Completed modules will remain on-line for the duration of the course, but new ones will only be added once a week.

Since the course is on-line, you must obviously have access to a computer. To make the overall experience successful, you should complete the following steps.

1. Computer check. What is WebCT and how can I learn to use it? See: telr.ohio-state.edu/webct/overview

2. Develop a plan/schedule for accessing the course. Unless you are experienced in taking on-line courses, it is very easy to postpone the time needed to spend in front of the computer processing the information provided to you. I have made an effort to introduce activities that will get you out of using a computer all the time, to experience some' physical' horticulture. But you will be the only one determining how often and for how long you work on this course.

3. Communicate routinely with the instructor and coursemates. Make use of the class Forum and e-mail to stay in touch. However, do know that e-mail communication is not instant and that there may be a lag in my response. I'll try to respond as soon as possible.

4. Do the assignments. The assignments are the principal way by which your progress in the course is assessed. It is very important that you do the assignments within the week of the module where the assignment is posted. By keeping on top of the assignments, you can make steady progress in the course.

5. Refer to the Course Calendar for the latest developments in the course. Please note that for management purposes, the assignments are not all active at the beginning of the course; individual assignments are activated as the course progresses.