INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY

Who should take this course online?

Online courses are designed for highly motivated students who cannot or do not wish to come to campus because of their work schedules, family needs, or other reasons. Distance Learning students can control their own schedules by working with the course materials at their convenience.

This course is designed so that you can take it from anywhere in the world that has a reliable internet connection.

There are no spatial constraints, but there are some very specific temporal constraints:

The course must take place during a six-week period with set beginning- and end-dates.
Daily writing assignments and quizzes can be completed at any time, although they will be penalized if they are completed after their stated deadline (which is always midnight of the day they are assigned). You are always welcome to complete your work early, which gives you the opportunity to shift work forward or backward a few days when needed.
And finally, there will be scheduled “real-time” classroom conversations in Second Life that each student is expected to attend (see Course Requirements).

Can you answer “YES” to the following questions?

Technical Skills/Resources

Can you create, save, and manage files on your computer?
Can you type proficiently enough for real-time text messaging?
Do you know how to install software on your computer? (You will need to load software for Second Life.)
Can you do word processing?
Do you have an email address?
Do you know how to send email and send/receive email attachments?
Do you have 24/7 access to a computer with internet access?
Does your computer have the capacity to run Second Life? (go here to check)

Personal Skills/Resources

Are you self-motivated and self-disciplined?
Do you stay on task without direct supervision?
Can you prioritize your work?
Are you good at assessing your own progress?
Do you enjoy using your computer and technology skills?
Do you feel comfortable communicating in writing?
Are you willing to take an active part in the learning process?
Can you devote 20 hours per week — anytime during the day or night — to participate in this course?

Time Required

This course runs for thirty days, and carries three semester-hours of college credit. An on-campus course of this sort would translate into daily class sessions of 75 minutes. This is approximately one-half of a normal course load for a student. Even if this is the only class you are taking during these thirty days, you will likely be juggling any number of other commitments, and many of you will be enrolled in two online courses at a time.

Do not enroll in this class unless you can give it, on average, three to four hours each day. The due dates for assignments are flexible, allowing you to shift the work around. For instance, you might be gone on a four day weekend — that’s fine, so long as you work ahead in anticipation of the absence. You can shift the work around, but you can’t make it go away, and you can’t put it off for more than a day or two.

This course is divided into modules, with a new module about every day (see the Schedule). I've included a few free days — often between sections of readings — which can provide time for you to catch your breath, catch up, or work ahead.

To succeed in this course, you need all of the above.

Manchester College // Registrar // Department of Religion and Philosophy // Last updated: 28 April 2011