Geol 372 - Computers In Geology

Fall 2008	Instructor: Sonjia Leyva

Lecture: M & W: 11:40 am – 12:30 pm	Office: PS 221, 323-343-2149

Activity: M & W: 01:00 pm – 2:40 pm	Office Hours: M, T & W: 3:00 – 3:30 pm

Room: SH C363	Webpage: www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sleyva

Email: sleyva@calstatela.edu

Course Description: Use computers and software as tools to enhance your skills in the areas of geological problem-solving, report-writing, and presentations. We will explore a variety of Windows-based software applications, including word-processing, html editors, spreadsheets and graphing, image manipulation, drawing, presentations, and ARC-GIS. Lecture 1.66 hours, activity 3.33 hours per week.

Course Objectives: The goal of this class is to give the student the computer skills necessary in today's work environment. To achieve this goal, the student will be required to present an approved research project on any relevant geologic topic of interest to the student. The student will be required to use the computer skills learned to submit a written proposal and present a poster and PowerPoint presentation to the class at the end of the quarter.

Text & Materials:

There is no text book for this class. All assignments, notes, etc. will be accessed from the class website: www.geophile.net/College. In addition, resources provided by the Student Scholars Training Program (SSTP) will be useful. Access the SSTP resources at http://www.calstatela.edu/its/training/sstp/.

Week	Lecture Topic	Activity	Week Due
1	Introduction, Word Processing	El Niño, Proposal	2
2	Spreadsheets	Excel assignments 1 & 2	3
3	Spreadsheets	Excel assignments 3 & 4	4
4	MS Powerpoint	Folio / Volcanos	5
5	MS Powerpoint & Midterm Exam	Folio / Volcanos	6
6	HTML & Webpages	Webfolio	7
7	HTML & Webpages	Volcanoes	8
8	Google Earth	TBD	9
9	Google Earth	TBD	10
10	Presentations
11	Final Exam - Monday, December 1, 10:45 am - 1:15 PM

METHODS OF EVALUATION

Points	Total points possible	% of grade
Exams
2 tests @ 100 points each	200	40%
Activities	10 - 20 points each	200	40%
Presentation	100 points	100	20%
500	100%

You may do up to 15 points of extra credit work to raise your total points earned. All extra credit with the exception of the EQ kit is due the last day of class - not the day of the final! Your grade is based on your percentage score out of 500 points. Grades will be assigned using + and - (i.e., B+, B or B-). Your grades will be available on the class website, www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sleyva/grades/index.html.

Grade	Points	Want to get a good grade? Here's how:

1. Attend every class.

2. Take notes & review them after class & before exams.

3. Read your textbook.

4. Ask questions.

5. You are responsible for studying.
A = >90%	> 450.0 points
B = 80 - 89%	400.0 - 449.9 points
C = 70 - 79%	350.0 - 399.9 points
D = 60 - 69%	300.0 - 349.9 points
F = < 60%	< 300.0 points

REQUIREMENTS

Class Attendance: Students are expected to attend each class session and to arrive on time. It will be difficult to make up missed class sessions. However, if you miss a class session of valid reasons (illness), it will up to you to make arrangements to complete the activity. Students who miss a class due to an unexcused absence will NOT be allow to make up the work. Make-up labs/assignments will be given only to those who can verify a valid excuse for missing the assignment. The make-up lab/assignment will given at a time that is mutually agreeable to both the student and myself. Failure to take the make-up lab/assignment within one week of the original lab/assignment date OR before the last week of class will result in the missed exam/lab/assignment counting in as a zero.

Exams: There are a total of two equally weighted exams are scheduled: one midterm and one final. Each exam is worth 100 points. Make-up exams will be given only to those who can verify a valid excuse for missing an exam. The make-up will be given at a time that is mutually agreeable to both the student and myself, but must be arranged prior to the initial exam. Failure to take the make-up exam within two weeks of the original exam date will result in the missed exam counting in as a zero. In addition, the exam question sheet must be returned to me after the exam and after the exam review. Failure to do so will result in a ten (10)-point reduction in the student's grade for that exam.

Presentation (100 points): Each student is required to propose and present an approved research project on any relevant geologic topic of interest to the student. The student will be required to use the computer skills learned to submit a written proposal and present a poster and PowerPoint presentation to the class at the end of the quarter. Guidelines for these presentation are outlined on the attached pages. Presentations are due during the last week of classes. Late submissions will not be accepted

Activities (20 points per assignment): Students will participate in a variety of laboratory experiments/exercises designed to introduce you to various aspects of Earth Science. The assignments will be due the following week at the beginning of class. Students are encouraged to work together in completing the laboratory work. However, each student should be sure to understand the techniques and concepts involved because midterm and final exam test problems will be very similar to laboratory problems. Labs are due the following week. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Internet Access - Internet access is required for this class because much of the course content will be posted on the class web site, www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sleyva. Access at home or work is fine as long as you can view the web pages regularly and have a reasonably fast connection. If you don't have access at home or work, you can get free access through an account here at Cal State LA. To get a computer account at Cal State LA, go to the Academic Technology Support (ATS) Office in (basement) King Hall D140. You will need identification and proof of registration. More information on computer accounts: http://www.calstatela.edu/ats/user/scr/.

UNIVERSITY & DEPARTMENT POLICIES (a.k.a. the "fine print")

Statement of Reasonable Accommodation:

The Department of Geological Sciences faculty members fully support the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The members of the faculty will provide reasonable accommodation to any student with a disability who is registered with the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD) who needs and requests accommodation. The faculty may wish to contact the OSD to verify the presence of a disability and confirm that accommodation is necessary. The OSD will arrange and provide for the accommodation.

Reasonable accommodation may involve allowing a student to use an interpreter, note taker, or reader; accommodation may be needed during class sessions and for administration of examinations. The intent of the ADA in requiring consideration of reasonable accommodation is not to give a particular student an unfair advantage over other students, but simply to allow a student with disability to have an equal opportunity to be successful.

•	Student Conduct:

◦	Student conduct is viewed as a serious matter by the faculty members of the Department of Geological Sciences. The Department faculty members assume that all students will conduct themselves as mature citizens of the campus community and will conduct themselves in a manner congruent with university policies and regulations. Inappropriate conduct is subject to discipline as provided for in Title 5, California Code of Regulations (see student conduct: rights and responsibilities, and student discipline, CSULA General Catalog). Academic honesty is expected of all students in the Department, in accordance with University policy. There are established university reporting procedures if a student is suspected of committing an academically dishonest act.

◦	The University has a clearly defined policy on Academic Honesty. This policy will be enforced in this class. Cheating and plagiarizing will not be tolerated. Students caught plagiarizing and/or cheating will be subject to the consequences and set forth in the University Catalog, Appendix D - Academic Honesty. You can access it online at: http://catalog.calstatela.edu

•	Make-up exams/assignments:

◦	Make-up exams and/or assignments will be given only to those who can verify a valid excuse for missing the exam/assignment. The make-up will given at a time that is mutually agreeable to both the student and myself. Failure to take the make-up exam and/or assignment within two weeks of the original exam date will result in the missed exam counting in as a zero.

•	Grading:

◦	University policy allows a grade of incomplete to be given only to those who have been sick, injured, or have a similar valid excuse. A grade of "incomplete" will not be given after poor performance in the course.

◦	If you are repeating any Cal State L.A. course in order to remove a D or an F from your transcript, you must file an academic renewal petition in Administration 101 no later than the last day to add a class. Instructions for doing this may be found under "Academic Renewal" in your Schedule of Classes.

◦	University policy requires that all students shall be graded in exactly the same fashion. What does this mean? You may not ask for extra assignments or to repeat an exam to improve your grade, or additional assignments after the course is completed.

:

◦	: If you are enrolled in my class, you are expected to attend each and every class session. That said, there are times in life when you cannot make it to class (illness, emergencies, etc.). Please contact me at sleyva@calstatela.edu if you will not be in class and why. Make up work is only allowed if you have an excused absence (see above).

◦	: If, for some reason, you need to drop my class, please be courteous and let me know. I will assume that you no longer wish to be enrolled in my class if you miss more than three consecutive classes without contacting me. You will be dropped from the class after the third consecutive absence.

◦	: Students will be added to the class if and only if there is room to do so. Students allowed to add will be given and add code which they can use to add the class. Adding the class MUST be done prior to attending the next class session. Failure to do so will result in the student not being allowed to attend the class until they have officially enrolled. If after the second class session the student has still not enrolled in the class the student will not be allowed to attend the class at all.

◦	: The college has a clearly defined policy on receiving a grade of "incomplete". If a student demonstrates that he or she meets the requirements for receiving a grade of "incomplete" I will then consider their request. Upon receiving a grade of "incomplete" the student must complete the missing work with a year. Once the missing work is completed, paperwork will be submitted to change the student's grade accordingly.

•	Avoid the hassles. Take the Writing Proficiency Examination (WPE) after you have completed your English Composition and prior to the completion of 135 units in order to avoid a registration hold. The dates for the WPE are published in the Schedule of Classes. Enroll by registering in UNIV 400 and paying the $15 exam fee. Do it now!!!