Welcome to “Romance in the Western Middle Ages.” This course will have a lot of student collaboration in it but it will also require you to be able to work independently. To succeed in this course you need to be internet-proficient—and this will mean being proficient in Moodle, our course venue (you may have to learn how this system works, but it is really not that difficult after a short while, and there are some tutorials at http://moodle.njit.edu). You also should think seriously about the fact that this course will be run in a “distance” format. Distance learning is definitely not for everyone. Some people prefer it but others have a really hard time with it. Again, you will need to be able to work independently and otherwise to be self-directed. So, please, make a sober decision about this course before it is too late. This course may not be right for you.

Below I’d like to sketch out in more detail for you how this course is going to work, what is expected of you, and what you can expect from me, your course instructor. Let me begin by saying that you can easily do well in this course; but in order to do well you will have to follow the course guidelines and especially the course calendar. Because this is a distance course, the course structure becomes especially important. Success usually comes to people who are proactive, that is, who look ahead at what is coming and prepare for it. This strategy is especially key to succeeding in a course that operates on-line, in a distance format, and particularly in what is known as an asynchronous format (that is, you have the freedom of “attending class” at your convenience, not at a specified time--but that freedom can turn out to be a burden if you are not going to be responsible, if you are not going to be disciplined).

There are a number of texts assigned for this course (listed on the course syllabus—accessible from the Web CT course page and to be found here: http://web.njit.edu/~kimmelma/hss403romanceDLsummer.html). I hope these texts will provide you with a fertile reading and thinking experience. Besides reading, we will also be doing a lot of writing. If you wish to succeed in this course you will need, as I have already suggested, to adhere strictly to the course schedule by getting your reading and writing assignments done on time; indeed, you would be smart to start reading ahead of the scheduled class activities—moreover, as soon as possible, you should begin to think about your term research project and write me about what you want to do.

I have tried to anticipate your needs as well as the needs of this course by setting up a number of venues for us to communicate among ourselves, as you will see, for example, by the topic headings in Discussions (on our course Homepage in Moodle, look there for the discussions icons in the bottom portion of the center of your screen). Please place comments in the appropriate topic sectors (such as you find them indicated in the discussions section when you click there). Check for new postings in this bulletin board and elsewhere at least twice daily (though more frequent participation will serve you as well as your classmates better), and respond to them as required or otherwise as you wish, with your comments or questions (daily/weekly classwork makes up a major portion of your course grade). Overall, you will need to familiarize yourself with all the various functions—which allow us as a class several ways to communicate—the Moodle class conferencing system provides. There is a “Chat” venue that you can use with others in the class or with me—of course, you can always send me mail in Moodle—see the appropriate icons on the course homepage; but, for doing group work, the Chat venue has its downside, insofar as I probably won't be able to participate with your group and, also, I won't have a record of your participation--such a record will exist in the various discussions areas, and I can have recourse to it when making up your weekly and final grades.

It is STRONGLY recommended that you learn the Moodle system thoroughly right away; you may wish to begin your learning process by following the link listed under Student Tutorials at the main Moodle website (http://moodle.njit.edu). 

The basic plan for this course is as follows.

Every few days you will have some reading to do. You will do the reading, and then you will work within a group of your classmates to create study questions based on what you have read (the study questions should not merely require that someone regurgitate facts or details--rather, the questions should be thoughtful and imaginative, and should provoke thoughtfulness in anyone who would try to answer them), and your group will post the questions, one question per posting (each group member should contribute at least one question to the member's group, and the group should decide which questions will be posted to the rest of the class), two questions per group. Each post your group makes (someone in the group must volunteer to do the posting) must specify which section of which reading the posting concerns itself with, and must contain the name of the group and the names of group members who participated in creating the posting--if someone has not participated then that person's name is NOT to go on the posting--that is, each posting is to be signed by the group members who worked to create the text of that posting. Your group will subsequently have to answer study questions posed by the other groups in the class; again, each answer must be signed with the name of the group and names of participating group members. When replying to a question (or to any posting, for that matter), click "Reply" and then add your reply in the window that will open up for you. All of this work needs to take place in the proper topic area in Moodle. Groups will reply as groups to the questions posed by other groups (thus each group will have to decide on the text to be used as an answer to a posted question); after the groups have posted replies or answers then individuals may follow up with further commentary or answers. When someone is posting in behalf of a group, the language of the posting must reflect the group's point of view; thus a posting should not have language like, say, "I think that Sir Gawain should have [etc.]" but rather the language should read "We believe that Ywain was really better off when he [etc.]." If there are irreconcilable differences among group members about a question or issue then the posting should read something like "Moustafa feels that Ywain was [etc.], while Nancy has said that [etc.]." Another related matter: your group may possibly (though it is not likely) wish to meet in a chat room in real time; but please keep in mind, as I have suggested above, that your discussions there will need to be summarized in your group’s discussion area, since I look there to determine the quantity and quality of each student’s participation.

This course will have a lot going on in it, and trying to take it all in will be easier if you participate often and in a forthcoming manner. And, because a lot will be going on, it is important that we do things in an orderly way, such as by specifically replying to postings so that a bulletin board discussion thread is formed for future reference, and such as by making sure that all messages you send are spell-checked and proofread for grammar and otherwise for clarity (in a distance course this is especially important—we want to prevent unnecessary “noise" that can be very debilitating—doing things on-line is a unique experience, as you may know already). It is best to compose your messages in a word-processing program and then copy and paste them into WebCT when you are ready to send them, after you have spell-checked and proofread them. All postings to the class must be spell checked before sending; check for grammar problems too. CLARITY and ORDERLINESS is VERY IMPORTANT in an on-line course.

Aside from questions, answers and discussions, you will have to write some papers. Please see paper guidelines on the course Website and via a special link, Writing Assignments Guides, on the course Homepage. Again, don’t hesitate to post in Moodle your ideas or queries about a term paper project as soon as possible. The project topic has to be approved by me. The topic for it is open so long as it falls within the purview of “Romance in the Western Middle Ages.”

The final exam will be "open-book" (but don’t kid yourself that you won’t have to study for it) and in essay format. Again, please note that all your writing must be spell-checked and to the best of your ability grammar-checked. If it is not, then your submission of a requirement such as your Term Paper or Final Exam will not receive credit. I will do my best to supply you with the exam questions at least a few days before your answers will be due.

What you can expect from me is that I will be fair and helpful. But please keep in mind that on-line courses operate according to a different paradigm than the warm-body variety. In the real-time, on-site, physical classroom the course instructor is more the “sage on the stage” than, in our case, the “guide on the side.” This course is YOURS, not mine. Take control of it. Use it and it will pay off for you. When you are asking questions or volunteering your opinions, you are allowing the process of understanding and appreciation to go forward. The end result of this process, if you allow it to happen, is well thought-out exam essays and papers that earn high grades. If you are “silent” in this course, that is, if you don't participate, then the great likelihood is that you will do poorly in it and may even fail it.

What have I left out? How about plagiarism? Okay, then, here’s the deal: If I find you have plagiarized something, I’ll fail you for the course. Blatant plagiarism will be reported to the Dean of Students. Please see here and its linked pages: http://integrity.njit.edu.  If on occasion you are to make use of the ideas or words of someone else in your writing, then the source(s) of those ideas and/or words must be cited; that is, when appropriate, papers must be fully documented (you must cite sources--using footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical documentation, which include when possible specific page numbers keyed to particular passages in one's text, and complete bibliographical information). If you are not sure about documentation principles and/or procedures, you should consult a freshman English textbook such as The Beacon Handbook or better yet The MLA Handbook. Both Writing and Documentation help can also be found at the course website, or at my website (http://web.njit.edu/~kimmelma/) by clicking on "Writing Guide" (http://web.njit.edu/~kimmelma/writing.html) and "Documentation Guide" (http://web.njit.edu/~kimmelma/documentation.html).

I cannot emphasize strongly enough the fact that this course will have a lot going on it; trying to take it all in will be easier if you participate often and in a forthcoming manner—a word to the wise. To be sure, you might wish to pause, now, and to ask yourself if you are really ready and willing to do what it takes to succeed in this course. A lot of people think distance learning is easy relative to sitting in a classroom. Well, let me tell you: distance learning is not any easier and may be for you a lot more difficult and time consuming. Therefore please be careful; don't let yourself get in over your head in this course. I know I’m repeating myself but this is important: Don't go on with the course until it is too late to pull out of it unscathed. I have taught distance learning courses before, and I have seen time and again too many students who operate on an out-of-sight-out-of-mind basis. They don’t keep up and so they can’t catch up. Also, they are not willing to post messages, even when a sizable portion of their grade depends on doing just that! One more time: if you wish to pass this course (or do well in it), then you will have to be disciplined and active.

Are you ready for this? Well, if you really, seriously, think that you are, then the very next thing I hope you'll do, now, once you have closed out this message from me, and then have familiarized yourself with Web CT, is to introduce yourself to the class, in the Discussions topic sector called "Introducing Ourselves." Tell us about your likes and dislikes, about why you have signed up for this course, about what you hope to do in the future. What year of school are you in? What is your favorite book, movie, song? Do you have a hobby, a job? What is your impression of the Middle Ages?

Personal or private questions? E-mail me from within the WebCT system. DO NOT E-MAIL ME AT MY CAMPUS EDDRESS unless it is a real emergency. By the way, I will normally be e-mailing you if necessary within the Web CT system, but if there is an emergency then I will e-mail you at your NJIT eddress (so, if you do not regularly check your NJIT mail then you had better be sure that any mail going there gets forwarded to you at the eddress you use regularly).

Class/public questions? Post them in one of our two Housekeeping sections.

One final caution: Please MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT ALL COMMUNICATIONS YOU INITIATE ARE VIRUS-FREE.

I look forward to getting to know you, to our exchanges, and otherwise to our sharing of our reading experiences that I think you will find enriching and enlightening.

Oh, one final, final thing: We all must be aware of how we conduct our virtual selves on-line. Perhaps you have heard the term “flaming”; it means the verbal abuse of someone who is receiving your on-line message. People, if they don’t watch themselves, can end up flaming someone even without fully realizing what they are doing. Working on line has its frustrations, but that does not mean they should be taken out on anyone. Below are some “Netiquette” concepts I ask you to adhere to when participating in this course.
- Respect. Treat all participants with respect and in a professional and courteous manner in e-mail, chat, and in discussions.
- Kindness: Refrain from using profanities, insults, or other disparaging remarks.
- Truth: Endeavor to cite only the truth and not knowingly misrepresent, mischaracterize, or misquote information.
- Responsibility: Take responsibility for your own actions instead of blaming others.
- Cooperation: Work together with other students and the instructor in cooperation toward our common goals of seeking
   and providing a quality education.
- Nondiscrimination: Respect the differences in people and their ideas and opinions.
- Civility: Always treat your fellow classmates and instructor civilly.

Along these lines, please understand that failure to follow protocols for class and group work in a distance course can prove to be very disruptive for an entire class--all of the people participating in the course online. It is as if someone or a couple of people were sitting in a classroom and talking so loudly that other people cannot hear what the professor or students are saying. In theory someone could prove so disruptive of a gathering of students that the person has to be asked to leave the classroom. What is the analogue in an online course? I am happy to be able to say that no one as yet has had to be removed from any online course of mine (or in my classroom, for that matter), but I think the point I am attempting to make here is clear enough.

Okay?

Well, then, let's begin.
 

Yours cordially,

Burt Kimmelman
http://web.njit.edu/~kimmelma
P.S. Matters related to the above course introduction, which are meant to augment it, can be found at the course Website. Please make sure you read the material there before going any further in this course. The course website is: http://web.njit.edu/~kimmelma/hss403romanceDLsummer.html.