Spring 2014 Course Syllabus
CONTACT INFORMATION
Course Instructor: Dr. Chris A. Martin, Professor
Course Administrator: Ms. Cindy James-Richman, Instructional Professional
Email: cynthia.jamesrichman@asu.edu
Contacting the Course Administrator
The best way to contact the course administrator is by via email. Although every effort will be
made to respond to student emails, students should not expect an immediate response to
questions especially during evenings or weekends. Course administrator office hours are offered
to students by appointment only.
COURSE FORMAT
This is an Internet course consisting of four modules on different aspects of gardening in the
southwest including how to design and maintain sustainable landscape gardens, gardening for
amenity, and gardening for food. The core of the class consists of instructional programs that are
available on MyASU Blackboard. Each module consists of three program topics and is
organized so that students can efficiently complete the activities and quizzes for each module
within the time allotted.
For each module, students must review all information including readings, PowerPoint
presentations, and videos and then complete three on-line quizzes and one creative assignment
by the module deadlines given below. Prior to taking the on-line quizzes, students should print
out the topic study guide, complete the short reading assignments, view the instructional videos
and presentations and finally fill out the study guide using information presented in the reading
assignments and video presentations. Having completed this, students will then be prepared to
successfully take the on-line quizzes. The quizzes are open book/notes and can only be taken
once during the module period. An announcement will be posted for students on the Blackboard
web page when modules become available in order to remind students of the module deadlines.
Student’s grades for the quizzes and creative assignments will be posted electronically in the
myASU Gradebook. Students will have the choice of earning extra credit points by completing
one additional program and on-line quiz.
Notification of when the extra credit program is available to students will be posted on the
course Blackboard website. This extra credit opportunity is offered to students as compensation
for any problems (self-inflicted or systemic) that students might encounter with the electronic
delivery of all course material through MyASU Blackboard.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK
ABS 360 Southwest Home Gardening
Science and Mathematics Faculty
School of Letters and Sciences
Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus
THE NEW Sunset Western Garden Book, 2012 Edition. Students may purchase this text at many
local bookstores and garden centers. It is also available online at amazon.com. This is a general
book about landscaping and gardening in the western U.S.A. It's a great resource that is packed
with information that t students will find useful for the course as well as information about plants
adapted to the desert Southwest. The reading assignments from the textbook for each topic are
listed in the topic study guide.
THE COURSE GRADING SYSTEM
Grades will be based on a 400 point system. Students will earn points on the 12 on-line quizzes
and four creative assignments. Students earning more than 400 points (possible because of the
extra credit quiz) will receive an A+ grade for the course. Otherwise, plus and minus grades will
not be assigned.
Point distribution
300 points - Twelve quizzes @ 24 to 26 points each
100 points - Four Creative Assignments @ 25 points each
400 points - TOTAL
Grade ranges
A+ > 400 points
A = 360 - 400 points
B = 320 - 359 points
C = 280 - 319 points
D = 240 - 279 points
E = 239 points and below
Students may view their course progress at any time on MyASU Gradebook Final Course Grades
will be issued on MyASU roster grades at the end of the semester.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT AND DEADLINES
Course Module Availability Module Assessment Deadline
Module 1 – 1/13 to 2/6 2/6 @t 5 pm
Module 2 – 2/3 to 3/6 3/6 @ 5 pm
Module 3 – 3/3 to 4/3 4/3 @ 5 pm
Module 4 - 3/31 to 4/24 4/24 @ 5 pm
Read this special note: The module deadlines are fixed and NO extensions will be granted to
students after 7 days before each of the module deadlines posted above. For example, the first
module deadline is February 6th which means that after January 30th NO extensions will be
granted regardless of conditions or circumstances. Moreover, extension requests before this
deadline are not guaranteed. The course administrator reserves the sole right to grant or deny a
student’s request for a module extension. Under the unusual situation or circumstances in which
the course administrator does agree to grant a deadline extension, the extension interval given to
students is generally 3 days.
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
