Frequently Asked Questions
The following represent the most frequently asked questions by students in traditional classroom and Web courses. I think that you will find these to be informative. Please contact me with other questions which you may have as the semester progresses.
I procrastinate
occasionally and do not complete assignments on time. Do you grant
extensions?
Withdraw from the course immediately.
I will be
delayed getting the book for this course, what do you suggest?
The book is critical for our course and you do not need to get behind from
the beginning. Students assume responsibility for reading the book and
completing assignments on time when enrolling in a course. There is a copy
on reserve in the library which you can use in the interim. Additionally,
there are many study aides that complement and correlate with the book which
you can begin using in the NS Online portion of our
course.
Is it easier to
take a Web course
compared with a traditional classroom course?
No. In fact, it may be more difficult unless you are proficient at independent
learning and have good time-management skills. This is especially true of the economics courses. You have the
primary responsibility for completing the work and mastering the concepts. You
may always contact me for help.
I work and have
family responsibilities in addition to school. How much time should I plan
to devote to this course each week?
The answer will vary depending on the course
and the student. Some courses are more challenging, economics for example,
and will require more time and effort. Additionally, some students have a
propensity for certain subjects and not for others. A "rule of thumb" is
that a student should expect to devote at least one hour studying outside of
class for each hour in class; therefore, a course that is three credit
hours will require at least six hours of effort per week.
Can I
proceed at my own pace?
I encourage you to work ahead of the dates in the semester calendar and all
assignments are available on the first day of the semester. You must complete
all assignments no later than the due dates. College policy requires that a WF
grade (Withdrawn Failing) be submitted to the Records Office when a student
has not adhered to the course requirements in the syllabus.
A WF grade
will be assigned if a student in a Web
course misses two assignments or fails
to log in to the course for two consecutive weeks.
A WF grade
will be assigned if a student in an on-campus course misses six
classes or two consecutive weeks.
What are the basic requirements in
this course?
Read the book, work through the course materials on the Web, complete the tests
and exams, and submit
all required
assignments. These are the minimum requirements to complete the course. I trust that
you will do more to get the full advantage from this course... this is a mark
of scholarship! (See the next question)
Am I required to submit any of the
review/discussion questions, Internet exercises, cases or homework assignments in the text
or on the Web?
All of these are for you to use as you wish to develop mastery of the
subject. You do not have to submit responses to them. If you put forth minimal
effort in this course, you can expect minimal results. If you want to get
the most from this course, you will need to "get your hands dirty" and do
quite a bit of work. Learning requires hard work! (See the previous
question)
When can I
log in and begin my course?
The NS Online content, including tests and exams, will be available
by the first day of classes. I encourage you to begin reading the textbook
assignments before then if possible.
Will I be okay
with dial-up access to the Internet?
Yes, that will work but you may experience a slow response with some
of the Internet activities. Broadband (cable and DSL) will provide a much
faster experience.
What strategy do you recommend to
learn the material?
This approach has always worked for me: 1) scan the chapter to get a sense of what it is about; 2)
read it very thoroughly and patiently for understanding, item by item; and,
3) review the chapter to be certain that I understand everything. Finally, I
would work through all available study aides such as: lecture notes, study
suggestions, PowerPoint presentations, practice tests, etc. Scholarship
requires hard work, diligent effort and patience. Click
this link for extensive
suggestions from Eric
Jensen’s book, Brain-Based Learning.
Can I
communicate with other class members?
Yes. Each course has an NS Online component with an email utility and a
discussion area for communications. I have created discussion topics for each
of the tests and exams where students can post information, questions and
answers for other class members.
What are the tests
and exams like?
You must have a thorough understanding of the
theories, concepts, and principles presented in the material and how to
apply them. Most questions are application oriented. There may be a few definitions, terms and memory-work questions but not many. The practice tests are a good
indicator of what to expect.
Can I begin an online test
or exam,
leave it and come back to finish it at a later time?
Do not begin an online test or exam unless you are prepared to complete
it at that time.
The tests and exams are timed and the electronic timer begins to run when a test or exam is
started, continues to run,
and is stopped only by: a) submitting the test for grading within the
allocated time; or b) the allocated time expires before the test is submitted
for grading. You will not be able to submit a test for grading after the allocated time has
expired.
Are the practice
tests
worth my efforts?
Yes! You should do well on the tests and exams IF you master each practice test
question.
What if I do not complete the test
or exam
by the date published in the semester calendar?
The dates published
in the semester calendar are not the due dates,
they are the last opportunity to complete a test or exam.
I expect that students will not wait until the
last opportunity but some always do and often run into unexpected complications.
The usual
last-minute difficulties each semester include: computer malfunction, had to
work late, illness, car troubles, read the calendar date wrong, etc.
Believe me,
something will happen if you wait until the last day and I do not approve
extensions! Tests and exams will not be available after the date published in the
semester
calendar. The lowest test grade for the semester will be substituted for the
first missed test. Subsequent missed tests will receive a score of zero. Missed exams will receive a score of zero. Clearly, this is to encourage you not to procrastinate until
the deadline.
Do I have to
go to the Testing Center or an off-campus site for the tests and exams?
You may take the tests (not exams) online
wherever you have Internet access. The Mid-Term and Final Exams are required
to be completed either in the Testing Center on campus or at a Nashville
State off-campus site. Please
click here
for more information.
How do I get my test
and exam grades when I complete them online?
The test or exam will be graded electronically and available for you to review
immediately after you submit it.
Can I access a completed test
or exam for
review?
Yes. Start the Respondus LockDown Browser, log in to our course, click Grades and the
submission icon to the right of the test or exam you wish to review.
Why can't I
print the completed test/exam for review?
I had to disable printing and copy/paste for security reasons. I did not
like to do that but I was experiencing quite a few security problems. I have
attempted to find some middle ground between not making them available at
all, as some professors do, and trying to maintain a degree of integrity for
the tests and exams. I trust that you will understand. You can print and
copy/paste the practice tests.
What if I have a question or wish to
discuss an answer for a test question?
I am available to help with
any questions which you may have about questions and answers from any of the
tests (required and practice) and exams. Please post your question along
with the complete test question and answer (or a specific reference where I
can find the question) in the discussion forum related to the particular
test or exam. I will explain answers to questions from the required
tests/exams in the appropriate forum after the deadline for the test or exam
has passed.
What if I earn a low score on one
test and have high scores on the others, can I earn extra credit to
compensate?
Yes, you have an opportunity to earn extra credit and
improve your grade for the semester. Please see the course syllabus for details.
Can I find out how I am progressing compared with
the other class members?
I will send an email message after each test and exam which will provide the results for
the entire class.
Am I required to contact you
periodically during the semester?
I only ask that you contact me when you need assistance with some aspect of
the course. Of course, I always like to hear from students!
What is the best way to contact
you?
I am available via the NS Online email program, telephone
(615.353.3424), or in my office (C-354E) on
campus. Email is the quickest method for us to get in touch. I check
email periodically from early morning to early evening during the week and sporadically during weekends.
My campus email address is Quenton.Pulliam@nscc.edu if NS Online is
unavailable. Please send a telephone number and a
couple of convenient times for me to call if you wish. I am usually in my
office on Tuesday and Thursday mornings during the fall and spring semesters
and Tuesday mornings during the summer. Please contact me for an appointment
if you wish to meet in my office.
Do I need a
parking permit when I come to campus?
Yes, either a temporary or an annual permit is required to park on campus.
Parking permits are available from the Security Office and you will need your
license plate number. Annual parking permits are recommended if you plan to
visit the campus frequently.