Course Syllabus


Print Syllabus
Course ID: SLG101
Title: American Sign Language I
Modality: Internet
Credit Hours: 4.00

Course Section Information

Institution: Rio Salado College

Section: 10733

Term: Fall 2014

Start Date: 8/25/2014

Weeks: 14

Last date to withdraw: None

Instructor: Angela Van Tongeren

Course Materials

Be sure that you have all the necessary materials prior to the start date of your course.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You need a Webcam and microphone for recording and uploading required videotaped assignments to the Web via YouTube. You will find detailed instructions regarding how to submit the assignments within the course.

Required Textbook:

Title: Learning American Sign Language: Level I (package: includes book & DVD)**
Author: Humphries and Padden
ISBN: 9780558066567 or  9781323294758

**Rio Salado College uses the same DVD for SLG102. Be sure to keep the DVD if you plan on taking the next course so you don't have to buy it again.

Rio Salado College has developed a unique Textbook Savings Program that uses customized textbooks and saves students up to 50% off the original price of textbooks. This textbook is included in the Textbook Savings Program and has been customized specifically for this course at Rio Salado College by Pearson Custom Publishing so that it contains information most relevant to the course. Your course materials are available through the Rio Salado College Bookstore.  All materials should be verified by ISBN before purchasing at the Rio Salado Bookstore or from another seller.

Course Description and Competencies

Official Course Description
Introduction of principles, methods, and techniques for communicating with deaf people who sign. Development of expressive and receptive sign skills, manual alphabet, numbers, and sign vocabulary. Overview of syntax, grammar, and culture related to American Sign Language (A.S.L.).
Official Course Prerequisites
None. SLG103 suggested as a corequisite but not required.
Official Course Competencies
  1. Recognize the parameters of a sign--handshape, location, movement, and palm orientation.
  2. Recognize non-verbal communication as it relates to American Sign Language (A.S.L.).
  3. Apply receptive and expressive mastery of grammatical features of A.S.L.--pronouns, verbs, tense indicators, negatives, adjectives, adverbs, classifiers in specific commands, questions, and statements.
  4. Apply receptive and expressive mastery of targeted numbers combined with age, time, money, and plurals.
  5. Recognize and form the manual alphabet.
  6. Apply the ability to initiate, conduct, and terminate a short specificconversation in A.S.L.

Course Requirements

You must complete all of the course assessments that are listed in your online Gradebook to be eligible for a passing grade. Check the link on your Course Homepage for due dates.

Remember that this is a four credit-hour class. As such, you will need to dedicate significant time to this course. Plan to spend at least four hours on course content and at least eight hours on homework for a total of at least twelve hours each week. Be prepared to double your weekly class and study time if you choose an accelerated calendar.

Grading Procedure and Scale

Grading Procedure

There are 875 possible points for this course.

Syllabus Quiz = 5 Points
Pre-Test = 10 Points
Video Introduction = 20 Points
Fingerspelling/Number Quiz = 20 Points
12 Lesson Tests = 140 Points
4 Vocabulary Quizzes = 80 Points
4 Receptive Stories = 80 Points
16 Video Assignments = 360 Points
Expressive Midterm = 50 Points
Post-Test = 10 Points
At-Home Final Exam = 50 Points
Expressive Final = 50 Points
Total = 875

Grading Scale

To pass this course, your score on the final written exam and expressive video must be at least 60%. In addition, the final course grade will be determined by the following scale:

788 - 875 points = A (90% - 100%)
700 - 787 points = B (80% - 89%)
613 - 699 points = C (70% - 79%)
525 - 612 points = D (60% - 69%)
0 - 524 points = F (0% - 59%)

P/Z cutoff score = 613

The grading procedure for this course is based on the total number of points that are possible. It is administered equally to all students in the course. Do not expect to receive a grade that is higher than the grade that you have earned by your total points.

Exams

The At-Home Final Exam is completed online on your own personal computer. The due date calendar on your course section home page lists specific dates for your exams.

Policies and Procedures:
  1. You must complete the final exam by the date specified on the course calendar. If you test late, your instructor may lower your grade or assign you an "F" in the course unless you have made arrangements with him/her for an extension.
  2. You may take your final exam early if you have completed the assignments ahead of schedule and you have your instructor's permission to do so.
  3. The written final exam is timed. Do not click on the final exam link on the course section homepage or in the last lesson until you are ready to begin the exam.
  4. The exam will ask for a password, which you will find in your RioLearn online Gradebook once you have completed your Post-Test. Click on the Post Test link on the left side of your grade book and scroll to the bottom of the feedback page to access the password.

Copyright Acknowledgements

Some images used in courses are licensed as follows: Accunet/AP Multimedia Archive, http://www.clipart.com, http://www.jupiterimages.com, EBSCO Image Collection.

Extra Credit

There are no extra-credit assignments for this class. The scheduled assignments and exams are sufficient to test your understanding of the materials presented in the course.

Late or Missing Assignments

Assignments are due on time according to the due dates in your gradebook. If you need to request an extension for an assignment, a request must be made to your instructor via RioLearn prior to the due date. You can request a due date change using the “Modify Due Dates” feature from the “Due Dates” tab in the Gradebook.

Late points may be applied at the instructor's discretion.

Submitting Assignments

Graded assessments will be submitted online via the link that is found at the end of each lesson. Complete the assignments in order. Do not skip ahead to future lessons without successfully completing the assessments from the previous lessons.

The assessments are to be submitted only once. Resubmissions without prior instructor approval may result in a grade of zero for the assignment.

Note: Keep a copy of everything you submit.

Submitting Assignments

Online Submission Platform

The assignment due dates in this course are structured to complete all the lessons over the span of the course. Regular and consistent progress is expected in the course through the submission of assignments. The submission of an assignment can be no earlier than 7 days prior to the due date. Consult your course gradebook for specific due dates. Assignments/acknowledgments must be submitted through the online submission platform unless otherwise directed.

Final Grade Options

  • Letter grade (A, B, C, D, F)

  • Extension (in lieu of an incomplete grade): Students may request an assessment extension because of illness or other extenuating circumstances, if they have been doing acceptable work. Assessment extensions may extend up to two weeks beyond the established course end as indicated in the gradebook. Please Note: Assessment extensions are given at the instructor’s discretion. Instructors are not obligated to give extensions.

  • Withdrawn Failing (Y) – Students may be removed from their classes with a Withdrawn Failing (Y) grade for non-participation, which counts like an F in GPA calculation.

  • Withdrawal (W) - Students may submit a withdrawal request on or prior to the "Last Date to Withdraw" indicated in their RioLearn Gradebook.

  • Instructors are unable to submit a withdrawal (W) on behalf of a student. A student wishing to withdraw from a class within the stated timeline must do so by visiting View My Classes/Schedule in the Student Center, and selecting Drop Classes. In extreme circumstances, students do have the option of requesting a complete withdrawal from the college by submitting a "Request for Complete Withdrawal From All Courses" available under the Records heading on Rio’s Important Forms page.

    Before withdrawing, students should consider contacting their instructor and/or Rio's Counseling Services to see what options are available to help them stay in class.

    STUDENTS – STOP Before You Drop! A withdrawal request is irrevocable, and may affect future Financial Aid, Visa status, Veteran benefit eligibility, scholarship eligibility and may delay graduation. Please be sure that it is the right option for you before submission.

    STOP BEFORE YOU DROP

  • Credit/No Credit Option (P/Z) - Some courses may be offered with a credit/no credit option which, if offered, would be identified in the Grading Procedure and Scale section of this syllabus. See detailed information about the (P/Z) option here.

  • Note: Choosing the P/Z option is a permanent change to the gradebook. A P/Z grade will not be changed to a letter grade after the course end date.

Regular and Substantive Faculty-Student Interaction

The Rio Salado College faculty provide learners with frequent opportunities for regular and substantive interaction, which are critical components of a quality online program. At a minimum, faculty teaching online courses for credit monitor weekly due dates and initiate contact with students, post course announcements and/or "From Your Instructor" (FYI) notes that are academic and relevant, respond to academic inquiries within 72 hours, and provide detailed, personalized, and timely feedback. In addition, faculty regularly engage in synchronous and/or asynchronous interaction with students via tools such as discussion boards, rubrics, voice threads, video conferences, audio recordings, phone calls, email and/or text messages, social media, and online collaboration software. Though faculty members are responsible for initiating interaction, providing academic information, and facilitating learning, Rio students are responsible for remaining in regular contact with their instructors and engaging with the course content as active participants in the educational experience.

Requirement for Active Class Participation

Withdrawal for Non-Participation (Y) – Students need to communicate regularly with their instructor and engage in academic activities as determined by the instructor and department. Students may be removed from their classes after 14 days of non-participation with a Withdrawn Failing (Y) grade, which counts like an F in GPA calculation.

If you receive financial aid of any kind, it is your responsibility to protect your eligibility to receive financial aid by meeting the active participation requirements of this class.

Pregnant and Parenting Students

Students will not be discriminated against on the basis of a disclosed pregnancy. This includes discrimination against a student based on pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of these conditions. As a result, a pregnant or parenting student (a student during a defined postpartum period lasting up to 8 weeks after delivery), may be provided adjustments so they are able to access and participate in their educational program or activity.

Please visit the Working with Pregnant and Parenting webpage to learn more about this policy, reasonable adjustments and complete the Pregnancy Adjustment Form. If you have questions about the policy, please contact Rio Salado College’s Title IX/504 Coordinator Tafari Osayande at o.tafari.osayande@riosalado.edu or (480) 517-8196.

In the event of certain pregnancy-related medical complications, contact Disability.Services@riosalado.edu or call (480) 517-8562 for assistance in providing accommodations/academic adjustments.

Basic Needs

If a lack of basic needs such as food, transportation, school supplies, etc. is affecting your participation and/or performance in this course, please contact the Rio Salado Counseling Department at 480-517-8785 or via email at counseling.receptionist@riosalado.edu.

For additional services and resources:

Rio Salado College Counseling and Career Services
Maricopa Basic Needs and Community Resources

Library Services

The Rio Salado Library is committed to student success and provides a variety of materials and services to enhance student learning. Utilizing Rio’s online library for your research is the best way to ensure that your sources are validated, authoritative, and appropriate for college-level coursework. The library's Video Tutorials page provides instruction on how to use the online library to find books, articles, ebooks, and more. Librarians are available to help you at all times via our Ask a Librarian live chat service.

Please note that when library materials (e.g., articles, ebooks, and streaming media) are integrated into your lesson content, you will see the notation “…provided to you through the Rio Salado Library.

Academic Misconduct

Academic Misconduct includes cheating, conspiring to cheat, soliciting to cheat, attempting to cheat, plagiarism, fabrication on an assignment, or other forms of dishonest presentation.

Posting assessments on an unauthorized web site, soliciting assessment answers and the unauthorized acquisition of assessments, assessment answers, or other academic material is cheating. Turning in content created by essay generators or other types of artificial intelligence platforms is also academic misconduct.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use of paraphrase or direct quotation of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling or sharing of term papers or other academic materials. Information gathered from the Internet and not properly identified is also considered plagiarism.

We expect every student to produce his/her original, independent work. Any student whose work indicates a violation of the MCCCD Academic Misconduct Policy (including cheating and plagiarism) can expect sanctions as specified in the college catalog.

Rio Salado College uses software that uncovers plagiarism from student to student and other data sources on the Internet. If a student is found to have plagiarized content, grade consequences will be applied in accordance with departmental policies.

Civility Policy

The faculty of Rio Salado place a high value on the importance of general ethical standards of academic behavior and expect that communication between students and instructors or among students shall maintain the level of formality and mutual respect appropriate to any college teaching/learning situation.

Language or behavior that is rude, abusive, profane, disruptive, or threatening will not be tolerated. Activity of this type is Academic Misconduct as defined in MCCCD Policy AR 2.3.11. Students engaging in such behavior will be removed from the course with a failing grade. Additional sanctions may be applied pursuant to AR 2.3.11.

Honors Program

If you are taking this course for Honors credit, you must complete all assessments, including the Honors Project(s). The Honors Project(s) are listed in one or more lessons of the course and are designated for "Honors Students." Failure to complete the Honors Project(s) will result in a failing grade in the course and a loss of Honors credit.

Honors students are also enrolled in a non-credit Honors Achievement Award (HAA) or Presidential Honors Scholarship (PHS) section within RioLearn to submit co-curricular activity submissions. Co-curriculars must be completed in order to receive funding.

The Honors Department is here to support you! Connect with the college and other Honors students in our INSCRIBE community.

The Honors Department is available to provide additional resources and support to support your journey. Please contact the Honors department at RioSalado.Honors@riosalado.edu.

Classroom Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) and its associated colleges are committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities to students with documented disabilities (e.g. mental health, attentional, learning, chronic health, sensory, or physical). Visit district.maricopa.edu/mandatory-drs-title-ix-syllabus-statements for more information.

Religious Accommodations

Rio Salado College will reasonably accommodate the religious needs, observances, and practices of their students, when requested and the requests are made in accordance with the procedures set forth in ND-4. Any student may request a religious accommodation by making a written request for an accommodation to the appropriate faculty member using the Religious Accommodation Request form. To the extent possible, requests must be made at least two (2) weeks before the requested absence from class due to religious holiday or day of observance.

Addressing Incidents of Sexual Harassment/Assault, Dating/Domestic Violence, and Stalking

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, MCCCD prohibits unlawful sex discrimination against any participant in its education programs or activities. The District also prohibits sexual harassment—including sexual violence—committed by or against students, District employees, and visitors to campus. As outlined in District policy, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking are considered forms of "Sexual Misconduct" prohibited by District policy. Visit district.maricopa.edu/mandatory-drs-title-ix-syllabus-statements for more information.

Student Solution Center

Rio Salado College is dedicated to a quality learning experience and has provided the Student Solution Center webpage as a resource for students to raise issues to our attention. We look forward to the opportunity to provide an equitable solution for all involved parties. For grading or instructional issues, students should first contact their faculty member(s) in accordance with the Instructional Grievance Process. For non-instructional complaints, students may contact Institutional Integrity and Compliance by submitting the non-instructional complaint form, emailing studentcomplaints@riosalado.edu, or calling 480-517-8505. Students may also contact their state regulatory agency; the Arizona SARA Council; and/or the Higher Learning Commission to escalate their concerns.

Change of Address

Please notify Course Support at (480) 517-8243 or 1-800-729-1197 or by email at course.support@riosalado.edu. Please include your name, student number, phone number, and new address including city, state, and zip code.

Contact Us

Please see the following page for contact information.

Disclaimer

Course content may vary from this outline to meet the needs of this particular group.

Rio Salado College Copyright

Course Content © Copyright 2021 Rio Salado College. All Rights Reserved.