Welcome+Letter

Welcome! You are receiving this communication because you are enrolled in INFS 1000 Information Literacy and Research Skills. This email is intended to provide preliminary information about the course. I will also be posting this in Blackboard.

__ About the Course __ This course is Web-based, meaning we meet weekly online and NOT in a physical classroom on campus. However, we will be meeting at a specific time each week from 7:00pm to 8:15pm on Wednesday evenings. Because participation comprises more than 20% of your grade, you will want to ensure you are free to meet every week online at that time.

__ Meeting Place __ Class will be held using Adobe Connect, which is Web conferencing software. I will provide a link and you will use that to connect to our online classroom. You will be able to hear me speak, see files I share, and view websites I visit. You will be able to communicate with me using text chat even if you do not have a microphone. If you have a microphone, I can connect you so that you can speak to me and your fellow classmates. I will email the link to you on Monday, August 30 and post it in our Blackboard site.

__ Course Materials __ All course materials will be hosted in or linked from within the course Blackboard site. The College does not open Blackboard to students until the first day of the semester, August 30. Materials will be available for the first couple weeks, and I will release other materials as we proceed through the semester.

You can access Blackboard from My Tri-C Space or by using this link: [|http://bbccc.tri-c.edu]. Log in using your S number and the same password you use to access My Tri-C Space. If you do not see the course site for INFS 1000 when you log in to Blackboard, please email me immediately at [|mary.thompson@tri-c.edu].

If you are not familiar with how to use Blackboard, training materials and checklists are available to you on the Blackboard tab in My Tri-C Space in the Blackboard Support channel.

__ Equipment __ You will need to have a reliable connection to the Internet in order to participate in this course. We will be holding class via an Internet connection, and all materials will be available through the Internet using a Web browser like Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox. You may want to plan for back-up access in the event your primary connection is not available.

You will also need computer with speakers in order to hear me and other students who may have access to a microphone.

Although it is not required that you have a microphone, you may wish to consider the purchase of a microphone headset in order to ask questions using audio. However, text chat will be available.

Finally, you may wish to consider the purchase of a USB drive to store your work. If you are unable to purchase a flash drive, consider creating a Google account to store your files in Google Documents.

__ Textbook __ There is one required textbook for this class, which you can order online through the College’s bookstore or Amazon.com. An electronic version is also available for $6.00 from http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000063139. Other required readings will be posted in Blackboard.

Badke, William. //Research Strategies: Finding Your Way through the Information Fog//. 3rd ed. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse.com, 2008.

__ First Steps - Assignment #1, Discussion Board #1, and Quiz #1 __ Attached to this email are instructions for your first several assignments. There are several due dates the first week of the semester, so please review the directions and deadlines carefully.

Finally, please respond to this email so that I know you received it. Reply with the following information: See you shortly!
 * The name you are enrolled under and the name you prefer to use if it differs;
 * Your Tri-C email address;
 * Your telephone number;
 * Your major;
 * Your career aspirations; and
 * The reason you are taking this course.