Effective Reading Syllabus

COM 1103-W01

Spring 2011

Instructor Contact Information:  Linda Robinett

                                                          lrobinett@occc.edu

                                                          405-682-1611 Ext. 7386

                                                          3E5 Arts and Humanities Bldg.

 

Office Hours:  MWF:  8:30-9:00 a.m., 10:50-11:50 a.m.

                          M:        1:00-2:00 p.m.

                          T:          8:30-11:00 a.m.

                          TH:       10:30-11:00 a.m., 6:00-7:30 p.m. online

Course Description: The student will improve reading rate while maintaining or improving comprehension.  The student will study conventional patterns of written material in order to improve comprehension and retention.  Individual contracts allow students to focus on specific aspects of reading:  speed, comprehension skills, vocabulary, study reading, or reasoning/thinking skills.

 

Course Structure:  Students are strongly encouraged to complete the Angel  Orientation before starting the course. 

 

This course is not self paced.  There are prescheduled deadlines for assignments and exams. In most instances, students are  required  to come to campus to take a pre and post-test (Nelson-Denny Reading Test). However, students who cannot come to campus will have to make arrangements to have the tests mailed to a proctor, who will be responsible for administering the exam. More information about proctors and proctoring sites is available from the Distance Education office. 

 

Students who are close to campus may want to use the Communications Lab on the first floor of the Main Building to do lab work on Reading Solutions software.

 

Course Expectations: Students should expect to spend several hours per week on this course. Since this is a reading course, students will be expected to read the textbook and an autobiography and complete exercises and assignments.  In addition, extra reading practice (what we call lab work) will be a part of the grade.

 

Students will also be required to interact with other students and the instructor by using the Discussion Board. 

 

Required Course Materials: The textbook for Effective Reading is Efficient and Flexible Reading, 8th edition, by Kathleen T. McWhortor . Reading Road Trip (Part of My Reading Lab) access code will be packaged with the text. The supplemental autobiography is Black Boy by Richard Wright. Online bookstore link:  http://bookstore.occc.edu/wm_home.htm

 

 

Course Requirements:

 1. Two Nelson-Denny Reading Tests (Pre and Post) will be taken either on campus or at a proctored location.  Notify the instructor before the course or during the first week if  you need to take the exam in another location, so that arrangements can be made.       

2.      Students will have 4 tests and one paper (set of questions) to complete.  (25 possible points each).

      Prereading and SQ3R forms to complete for 10 points each.

      35 vocabulary word list-20 points.

Reading Road Trip- 50 points

      Reading Selections- 20 point

      Discussion  board participation -15 points.  Total possible points:250

3.      Tests will be available on certain dates once the material has been read and discussed. Some tests will have essay questions that will be graded separately from the computer scored section.  Therefore, the grade will not be available immediately.

4.    Reading Road Trip online work will be ongoing throughout the semester.

5.   The end of the 12th week of class ( in a 16 week course) is the deadline for withdrawing from the class.  It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw if he/she desires to do so.

 

 

Course Schedule for Effective Reading

Com 1103-W01

Week 1    Lesson 1  Take Nelson-Denny Reading Test, Form G, in Communications Lab. 

Week 2    Lesson 2   Chapter One Test available until Feb. 6 

Week 3    Lesson 3 

Week 4    Lesson 4  Prereading Assignment available until Feb 20 

Week 5  Lesson 5  Prefix/Root Analogy Test available until March 6

Week 6  Lesson 6  35 Vocabulary Word Assignment available until  March 20 

Week 7  Lesson

Week 8  Lesson 8  You may work on Reading Road Trip(My Reading Lab) throughout the semester. 

Week 9  Lesson 9  Black Boy Discussion and test.  Test available until March 27

Week 10  Lesson 10  Black Boy Questions available until April 10

Week 11  Lesson 11 

Week 12 Lesson 12  Paragraph Organizational Patterns  Test available until  April 17

Week 13  Lesson 13  SQ3R Assignment available until May 1 

Week 14  Lesson 14 

Week 15  Lesson 15  Take Nelson-Denny Post-test, Form H, in Communications Lab

               All Reading Road Trip(My Reading Lab) sections must be finished by May 8. 2011.

Week 16  Lesson 16  Results of Post-test and Grades

 

 

Grading Criteria: A : A  student will receive a grade of A in the course if he/she scores between 225-250 points.

                           B: A student will receive a grade of B in the course if he/she scores between 200-224 points

                          C: A student will receive a grade of C in the course if he/she scores between 175-199 points. 

                          D: A student will receive a D in the course if he/she scores between 150-174 points. 

                          F: A student who scores below 150 points will receive a grade of F. 

For all grades, students will demonstrate a growth in reading as indicated by a reading assessment. Students will have to meet the following criteria on the Nelson-Denny test to receive their final grades for the course. A-12.8 grade level or a growth of 2 grade levels higher than 12.8    B-11.4 grade level or a growth of 2 grade levels higher than 11.4  

C-10.0 grade level or a growth of 2 grade levels higher than 10.0   

 D-Below 10.0

Late Policy:  Tests and Assignments are only available for a specific time.  If the test or assignment is not completed within that time frame, a zero will be recorded.

 Accommodations for Students with Special Needs:   Oklahoma City   Community College   complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities who need accommodations must make their request by contacting the office of Services to Students with Disabilities located on the 1st floor of the main building by entry 2 or call 682-7520.  

 

Assessment of Student Learning

 Oklahoma City Community College is committed to providing quality educational experiences to all students and to striving for continuous improvement in its programs and services.  Student assessment is vital to the educational process and can be of significant value to you and to the students who follow you. 

To ensure that adequate assessment information is available to allow OCCC to continuously improve programs and services, you may be asked to participate in personal interviews; take program and/or general education assessments, which could be tests; give oral presentations, write assignments, or engage in other activitiesYou may also be asked to complete surveys during designated times, which may include class periods.  These opportunities are your chance to help OCCC improve the courses, programs, and services which could affect you and will certainly impact students in the future.    

Academic Integrity

Oklahoma City Community College places the highest value on student learning and academic integrity is critical for that learning to take place. A lack of academic integrity will undermine the learning process leaving students less prepared to face challenges in future classes as well as in the work environment. Therefore Oklahoma City Community College expects all students to meet the highest ethical standards in their academic pursuits. Faculty and staff share in the responsibility to ensure standards are maintained.

Violations of academic integrity are viewed very seriously. Any form of academic dishonesty is subject to disciplinary action by the college.

The absence of academic integrity is described as cheating, often defined as “the deception of others about one’s work.” Such acts may include but are not limited to the following list compiled by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Advisory Council:

·         Submitting another’s work as one’s own or allowing another to submit one’s work as though it were his or hers.

·         Several people completing an assignment and turning in multiple copies, all represented either implicitly or explicitly as individual work.

·         Failing to contribute an equal share in group assignments or projects while claiming equal credit for the work.

·         Using a textbook, notes, or technology tools during an examination without permission of the instructor.

·         Receiving or giving unauthorized help on assignment or examinations.
Stealing a problem solution or assessment answers from a professor, a student or other sources.

·         Tampering with experimental data to obtain “desired” results, or creating results for experiments not done.

·         Creating results for observations or interviews that were not done.

·         Obtaining an unfair advantage by gaining or providing access to examination materials prior to the time authorized by the professor.

·         Tampering with or destroying the work of others.

·         Submitting substantial portions of the same academic work for credit or honors more than once without permission of the present professor.

·         Lying about these or other academic matters.

·         Falsifying college records, forms or other documents.

·         Accessing computer systems or files without authorization.

Any violation of academic integrity by a student that is detected by a college staff member shall be reported by the staff member to the appropriate professor or College administrator.

Should a professor determine that a student violation of academic integrity has occurred, the following actions shall be taken.

·         The professor may record a zero for the assignment, require the student to redo the assignment, assign a failing grade in the class, or recommend other appropriate action.

·         The professor shall present in writing to the appropriate Dean and to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs a description of the specific occurrence, supporting documentation and action taken.

·         The Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs shall send the student a certified letter that verifies that a report of the incident and the professor’s actions is on file in the office of the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. The student may file an appeal in accordance with the Student Appeal of a Grade Procedure if he/she believes that an erroneous or unfair accusation has been made.

·         The Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs may file an official complaint of a Student Conduct Code Violation if a) the incident is an extreme violation or b) if there are repeated instances of violations on file. The Student Conduct Code is published each year in the Student Handbook.

Revised 2010

 

 

SAFETY AND SECURITY EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

 

The health and safety of all our students, faculty, and staff are OCCC’s prime concern. The procedures outlined below are designed to deal with emergencies of various types. Students should always follow the lead of their instructors.

 

Fire

First notification will come from the fire alarm horns, sirens, and strobes. The class should gather their belongings, exit the building using the nearest exit, and move to a parking lot. Do not use the elevators. No alarm should be treated as a false alarm. Horns, sirens, and strobes are only used for fire alarms.

 

Fire (Special Considerations)

If someone in your area is not physically capable of descending the stairwell, please ensure that they remain in the “area of safe refuge” located just inside each upper-level enclosed first stairwell. There are emergency phones located near each of these areas.

 

Medical

For all medical related issues push the ”emergency” button located on each classroom phone. The phone will display your room number, allowing for fast response to your location. All security officers are trained as first responders and will assist in guiding EMSA to your location. Treat all bodily fluids as if they were contaminated.

 

Bomb

If you receive a bomb threat, document as much information as possible and push the “emergency” button on the phone. If the decision to evacuate is given, the phone will sound an alarm and display a text message. The class should gather their belongings, exit the building using the nearest exit, and move to an open grassy area. Please turn off all wireless devices. (Cell phones, radios, laptops, and other portable devices.)

 

Weather

Tornado warnings that include OCCC will be sent directly to the classroom phone. The phone will sound and alarm and display a text message. The class should gather their belongings, move away from exterior glass and exits, and move to safer areas. These areas are lower-level interior classrooms, restrooms, and stairwells. You should familiarize yourself with the safer areas near your classroom(s). If the city/county sirens are sounding and OCCC is not in the warning area a message will be sent to the classroom phone advising this information.

 

Disturbance/Threats

If someone is causing a disturbance in a classroom call security immediately. Push the “emergency” button located on each classroom phone. Distance yourself from that person, do not place yourself in the person’s exit path and remove all potential weapons from the area. Shelter in place: If there is an armed person or shooter on campus: Close and lock your hallway doors. Turn off the lights, shut the blinds or move away from exposed areas. Use desks, tables and other objects to provide protection. Updated information will be sent to the classroom phone.

 

 

Accommodation Statement:

Oklahoma City Community College Complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities who seek accommodations must make their request by contacting the Office of Student Support Services located on the first floor of the main building near SEM entry 3 or by calling 682-7520. All accommodations must be approved by the Assistant Director, Student Disability Services