Would you like to make a decision using the EduTools Summative Decision Tool?
| Course Name | Meteorology/Online Weather Studies |
|---|---|
| Provider Name | St. Louis Community College |
| Course Discipline | Physical Science |
| Review Funded By | OCEP |
| Review Date | November 26, 2007 |
| Course Developer and Distribution Models | |
| Developer organizational status | Not Available. Why? |
| Distribution of the course | Not Available. Why? |
| Licensing models | Not Available. Why? |
| Scope and Scholarship | |
| Audience and grade level |
Lower division college curriculum.The course curriculum is based on the Online Weather Studies (OWS) program of the American Meteorological Society (AMS), a scholarly society that publishes the most recognized scientific journals in the United States. This program is an introductory undergraduate-level program in atmospheric science developed specifically for undergraduate institutions by the AMS with the aid of the National Science Foundation. AMS Weather Studies Course Overview |
| Breadth of coverage |
The course content meets standard curriculum requirements for accepted higher education curriculum.The course covers Chapters 1-12, the core of the AMS-OWS program. One chapter is assigned weekly. All materials covered in the assigned text readings and related course notes are assigned and evaluated in weekly online multiple choice quizzes. Questions are based primarily on multiple choice questions provided in a teacher's guide CD_ROM. Only one of two weekly online labs in the Investigation Manual and OWS webpage is assigned. Supplemental chapters 13-15 and other enrichment activities are not incorporated into the course. Weather Studies: An Introduction to Atmospheric Science - Joseph Moran - Table of Contents |
| Writing style and accuracy |
Writing style and accuracy issues are addressed as follows:
Some chapters in the textbook can be unnecessarily wordy and prone to digressions, and summary notes help underscore the important points. For example, Chapter 2 offers long sections on the history of meteorological measurement that can distract from students attempting to learn how to interpret weather data. Notes and study guide questions focus attention on relevant topics, and are not intended to be engaging. However, notes provide inline links to websites (such as USA Today weatherpage and pages of online textbooks) that are written in more engaging styles. A small number of links go to sites that are aimed at a K-12 audience. |
| Course orientation and syllabus |
The following information is available to students at the beginning of the course. Some of the features are instructor, course, or institution specific (i.e., assessment policy, testing logistics, or institutional policies), and have been provided as samples/resources for the instructor.
Course orientation session activities could not be located. |
| Learning objectives clearly stated |
Learning objectives are addressed as follows: Learning objectives are listed only for the first three chapters. However, course notes and study guide questions are based on learning objectives outlined in textbook and allow students to self-assess their attainment of course objectives. |
| Exercises, projects, and activities |
Exercises, projects, and activities provide effective learning experiences and are included as an integral component of the course.An investigation or lab manual, Weather Studies Investigations Manual 2007-2008 and Summer 2008, offers two weekly lab exercises that show how textbook concepts are applied in the real atmosphere, mostly through the analysis of archived weather data and weather charts. These exercises are complimented by an OWS course webpage that allows students to apply the same concepts and analysis techniques to current weather conditions across the United States. These are in the format of multiple choice programmed assignments. Investigations are used primarily to develop analysis skills for current weather data easily accessible on the web, and related to themes covered in the text chapters. As only one of two labs is assigned per chapter, investigations are not as integral to the course as they could be. Supplemental links are provided to government, media, and private industry websites that provide current weather data, but could be featured more prominently on the course webpage to encourage more weather discussions on discussion board. Weather Studies Investigation Manual |
| Additional text material required or optional |
Textbooks, videos, CD/DVDs, readings, or articles packets are required and necessary content elements in the course.The Textbook provides the required content for this course as quizzes and exams contain textbook-based questions. Course notes supply links to apparently optional supplemental reading material. It is not specified whether this material is required or supplemental, however. |
| Instructional philosophy |
Instructional philosophies are addressed as follows:
Topics in Investigations are presented in a linear sequence, with topics mastered in previous chapters frequently reviewed and reinforced when they are often necessary to master new analysis skills. For example, radar data is often superimposed on plots of station data. Sections on weather radar data will hence review interpreting station data plots. Text readings and quizzes offer a didactic component to the course, involving mostly memorization and note-taking skills. As topics in text generally relate to topics in investigations and quizzes are "open-book", rote memorization is minimized. By adhering to the suggested course sequence and materials, the course implicitly adopts these instructional philosophies. |
| Rights of use and copyright associated with course content |
The following rights of use and copyright issues apply to the course. Copyrights for the AMS/OWS materials are cleared but are not noted on the course web site. No other copyright information is noted on the course web site. |
| User Interface | |
| Navigation |
Navigation throughout the course is generally clearly marked and consistent, although there are some inconsistencies.Under the 'Course Information' button, the instructor has provided a page called 'Weekly Routine for the Course' that highlights the expectation from the students and also summarizes the deadlines on a page called 'Course Delivery Schedule - Spring 2008'. Both documents, however, are not mentioned in the Syllabus. Highlighting them in the Syllabus will help improve the thought process for the students as they are all related and are important for the students. The Announcement feature of the CMS is used very effectively in highlighting the assignments on a weekly basis. |
| Course progress indicator for the student |
Course progress indicators for students are addressed as follows:
|
| Placement of elements and presentation consistency |
Elements are not clearly organized but use a consistent format.'Staff information' could be included in the Syllabus and also be the 1st button on the left side. This will group 'Staff Information' and 'Course Information' as administrative matters, leaving the rest related to course content matter. |
| Playback control of media and elements |
The course links to a significant number of outside web sites to supply content. Media controls vary significantly between the course content presented in the course management system (CMS) and that accessed through outside web sites.There are quite a few external web-based labs made available via the 'External Links' button. |
| Course Features and Media Values | |
| Pedagogical features |
Concept presentation consists of the following pedagogical features.
|
| Media presentation effectively presents course concepts |
There is no media associated with this course.The only media presentation is via an external website at http://www.ametsoc.org/amsedu/login.cfm |
| Text |
Text elements for this course:
|
| Video |
Video elements used in this course:
|
| Animation |
Animation used in this course:
|
| Graphics |
Graphic elements in this course:
|
| Audio |
Audio elements of the course:
|
| Simulations and games |
Simulations and games in this course:
|
| Accommodates variety of media types and learning styles |
The use of varied media types is limited and does not accommodate different learning styles. |
| Student interaction with the content |
There are a limited number of interactive exercises, activities and projects available to students, but the course would benefit from additional exercises.There is a weekly online quiz and homework labs. The quiz is not interactive, and it is unclear about the lab as it is an external website. |
| Assessments and Support Materials | |
| Assessments availability |
Pre-assembled assessments are available within the course as a resource for instructors.The weekly quizzes, midterm, and final are pre-assembled assessments by the instructor while the weekly homework labs assessment is a third party software/website that requires login info by the students. |
| Assessment methods |
The following assessment methods are provided:
|
| Assessment grading |
The course provides both auto-graded and manual-graded assessments.Assessments for the weekly Homework Labs are not indicated via the Gradebook; however they are mentioned in the 'Grading System' in the Syllabus. |
| Grading rubrics provided |
Grading rubrics are not provided in the course.A 'Grading System' and 'Grading Scale' is provided in the Syllabus. |
| Test item types |
The following test item types are used in assessments for this course.
|
| Feedback loop for test items |
Feedbacks loops are provided through instructor comments.Answers are posted on a weekly basis in the Announcement Area for the homework labs. |
| Support materials for the instructor | No support materials for the instructor were accessible. |
| Support materials for the student | There is an 'External Links' button that has 21 external website links. However, these seem to be randomly posted and it might be more fruitful if the related chapter is indicated against each website. |
| Communication Tools and Interaction | |
| Course environment |
The course is distributed through a commercial CMS that is maintained by the educational institution, or hosted by a third party CMS provider.The commercial CMS is Blackboard. |
| Communication tool access |
Communication tool access is addressed as follows:
|
| Content to utilize communication tools |
When the course provides ready-to-use exercises, activities and assignments, use of the following communication tools in the CMS are required:
There is also a weekly online quiz from the CMS. |
| Technology Requirements and Interoperability | |
| Course format |
This course is distributed and presented to students online. |
| Operating systems and platforms supported |
Operating systems supported by this course include:
PC Configuration: 400 Megahertz Intel Pentium III Processor (933 preferred) 64 Megabytes RAM (128 or more preferred) 6-Gigabyte Hard Drive 17" Monitor 56.6 Kbps Modem (or Cable Modem / DSL if available) Mac Configuration: 400 Megahertz iMac (933 preferred) 64 MB RAM (128 or more preferred) 6 Gigabytes Hard Drive 56.6 K Modem (or Cable Modem / DSL if available) 17" Monitor Macintosh OS 9 |
| Browsers supported |
Browsers supported by this course include: Browser requirements for this Blackboard 7 vary with OS system and hardware used. A comprehensive table based on a Blackboard end user requirements list is located at http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/DCE/html/bbSpecs.htm |
| Server-side requirements |
This course was hosted by Blackboard which is increasingly becoming the solution for schools who do not want to trouble their IT departments with managing the hosting. A great tech overview of the different ways that Blackboard can be hosted can be found at http://library.blackboard.com/docs/datasheets/Release_6_HWSW_Requirements_Enterprise_Sept12.pdf |
| Required applications or plug-ins |
The course requires the following applications or plug-ins: The latest version of Java is needed for the virtual classroom, chat, and testing features of Blackboard. |
| Learning object architecture or modular course elements |
Course content is built as modular units and can be used outside of the course structure. |
| Interoperability standards |
Interoperability standards are utilized in the following ways.
See http://library.blackboard.com/docs/r7/70/en_US/admin/bbas_r7_0_admin/the_open_standards_content_player.htm |
| Accessibility | This CMS appears to support official accessibility standards. |
| Developer Comments | |
| General comments and differentiating features | Not Available. Why? |
| Course effectiveness | Not Available. Why? |
| Course structure | Not Available. Why? |
| Additional services | Not Available. Why? |
| Test item availability | Not Available. Why? |
| Hours of student work and study | Not Available. Why? |
| Content authoring environment | Not Available. Why? |
This site is licensed under a Creative Commons License.