Course description:
An introduction to American Sign Language. Topics include: basic
vocabulary, grammar, history, fingerspelling, numbers, terminology, and
Deaf culture.
Assignments and tests
Welcome:
This course is an instructor guided online course. You will complete 15 quiz
assignments. You will do a 500 word research paper. At the end of the course
you will be take a proctored receptive final exam and you will submit a
video-recorded signed presentation. You are expected to have a valid email
address during this course and check it at least once a week. Any changes to
your email account should be forwarded to your instructor.
Course Materials:
The materials for this course
of a series of online lessons and a series of quizzes (on CD).
Grading
System:
100-90% = A, 89
to 80% = B, 79-70% = C, 69-60% = D, below 60% = E (fail)
All
quizzes and examinations are cumulative unless otherwise stated.
Quiz assignments:
Your quiz assignments are based on the Unit 1-Unit
3 CDs.
See the schedule. Fill in due dates that will
allow you to finish the course by the time you need to be done. The
schedule has active hyperlinks. By clicking on the quiz links you will
be taken to the "end of lesson" quiz. You may need to scroll down to see the
blank answer sheet. These blank answer sheets for the quizzes can also be accessed from a link at the end
of each lesson.
You should go through the lessons sequentially starting
with lesson one. Go to the website www.lifeprint.com and enter the main
campus. Find the "Lessons" link and click on it. Then open up lesson 1. Read
through lesson one and click on the links to the vocabulary. For each
vocabulary link you should read the whole page and do the sign until you have
it memorized. Then sign all of the practice sentences and read any of the
other material in the lesson. At or near the bottom of the lesson find the
"quiz" link which will take you to that lessons' quiz page. Go through the
practice quiz if you'd like, but the goal is to take the quiz on the CD. To
help you do that I've created "answer sheets" with the numbers already typed
up for you. At the bottom of the quiz page you will see a numbered list of
answer blanks for you to copy and paste into your word processor. For example,
on quiz #1 if you scroll down you will see:
Lesson 1: Receptive ASL Quiz #1: Unit 1 CD Numbers 1-48.
Followed by some instructions and the numbers 1-48.
Copy and paste those numbers into your word processor
program and save it as "lesson1yourfirstandlastname." It is a good idea to use
these answer sheets because they sometimes have clues or "giveaway" answers.
Then put in the Unit 1 CD. The CD
should open up on its own (within a few minutes). If it doesn't, go ahead and browse to the
CD by clicking and open the index file by double clicking on it. If
it doesn't open on your machine or gives you an error, contact me and I'll
send you more info on how to upgrade your system.
On the CD you should see a link to a videofile of me. Not pretty--but
functional. The file might jump from sign to sign as I press stop and record
on my video camera in-between each question. In the first five or so quizzes I
show the sign about 3 times, but in later quizzes I just show the signs once.
Feel free to pause and rewind.
You can adjust the size of the file via your media player's
configuration settings. You can also pause the file by pressing pause. In the
videofile I show a number and then show a sign or a sentence. You type the
answer onto your answer sheet. Make sure to save your answers periodically so
as to avoid losing your work in the event of a crash or power outage.
Only do the number of questions that correspond to that
lesson. For example the Unit 1 has 321 questions numbered 1 to 321. You only
do the first 48 questions for lesson one. Then for lesson 2 you do questions
49 through 113.
Save your document in your word processor. Then
go to
http://www.Lifeprint.com/asluquizzes/index.htm and submit your
answers using the new "multiple choice" test form I recently designed..
Note: If you submit a quiz and the form accepts it and tells you your
percentage of correct answers there is no reason to email your answers
to me since the form emails it to me for you.
If for some reason the form isn't working, as workaround method you can select your
answers and copy and paste them into the body of an email. Put at subject line of
"Lesson 1 Jane Doe." Then send your answers to my assistant
BelindaGVicars@aol.com.
Don't worry if I don't respond right away. Just keep studying and doing
your quizzes. Make sure
you keep a copy for your own records until the end of the semester. (I might
go so far as to recommend that you keep two copies, one on your hard drive and
one on a removable disk, but perhaps I'm overly cautious?).
Expressive Project
You must earn a score of 70% or better on this test to pass this course.
Pick one sentence from each of lessons
1
through 15. You should end up with 15 sentences.
Copy the sentences to a new document and number them 1-15.
Then sit down in-front of a camcorder and videotape yourself signing the
sentences the same way I videotaped mine. For example, sign the number and
then the sentence. You need only show me the sentence one time. Pay particular
attention to your "yes/no" and "WH-question" expressions for each sentence
(because I'll be looking for your facial expressions in addition to your
vocabulary and general fluency).
If you stop once or maybe twice during the videotaping due
to some technical issue or whatever I won't be concerned. But stopping between
each question indicates a lack of preparation and smacks of not knowing the
material well enough to simply sign the sentences without having to look each
sentence up on the web or in the CD.
Some students tape record themselves reading the sentences
out loud and then play back the recording while signing the sentences to the
video camera. That’s okay.
I've even seen students go so far as to write the sentences
on poster paper and stick them on the wall behind the camera so they can read
them while signing to the camera. That’s okay, but a lot of work.
Other students just print out a paper with their sentences
on it and put it in front of them. They lean forward to read the sentence and
then look up at the camera and sign it.
Then print off your script and mail both it and your video
to me. ALSO email me your script so I'll have an electronic copy to edit and
make notes on for your feedback.
I'll correct it within a week or so of receiving the video.
And then I'll email your feedback. You may submit this video on any of the
following: VHS-format full-size cassette, Mini-DV cassette, Video-CD (VCD)
using MPEG-1 formatting, Digital Video Disk (DVD) using [DVD-R+, DVD-R-, or
DVD-ROM], or as a video file on either CD or DVD in Windows Media File format,
Quicktime, Flash, or just upload it to youtube.com. If your signing isn't "good enough" as judged by your
instructor, you will be given instructions for improvement and required to do
the video again. This is regardless of
your other scores.
Please, do NOT send me any High 8 tapes or compact-VHS.
Receptive Final:
You must earn a score of 70% or better on
this test to pass this course. This is a proctored examination. When
you've completed the 20 quizzes (or when you've almost completed them),
send the instructor a request to take the "Receptive Level 1 final."
Include the name and mailing address of a responsible adult who will
function as your proctor. Upon your request the instructor will
mail the testing disk to your proctor. The disk will contain a video
file of a person signing various sentences from
level 1.
You take
the test with the proctor in the room making sure you do not use any books,
websites, or other external material. Insert the CD and it should start automatically after a few moments. If it
doesn’t, navigate to the video file on the disk and double click on it. On the
video the instructor will sign a number of sentences to you. Write them down
(or type them) in either English or ASL gloss (just string the ASL signs
together). You may pause and rewind the video as many times as you would like.
If you miss a concept or change the meaning of the sentence you may miss the
whole sentence so practice hard and don't try to bluff your way through this
test.
The
sentences are based on the practice sheets in the lessons. It is important
for you to do the practice sheets throughout the course so you will be able to
do well on your receptive final. These sentences will be extremely similar to
the ones on the website and on the CDs. When you get done, email your answers to your instructor. In the email,
include your name, address, and local school name along with your answers.
Also include your proctor's name, phone number and email address.
You may
take the test after you have turned in most of your quizzes. Your answers need to be turned in,
emailed or postmarked by the due you chose at the beginning of the course.
This
syllabus and any later email communication from the instructor supersede
whatever information you may find at the general ASLU website.
Prepare
ahead of time to have backup internet access in case your regular computer
crashes. If your computer is prone to crashing, save your work often and
submit it early. Dead computers are not an excuse for late work. If you are in
doubt as to whether your email has gone through, send a separate email with
the subject line "*** ASLU- Reply requested.
First Name, Last Name"
Keep a
backup copy of all submissions until the end of the course and your grade has
been received.
Legal matters:
This syllabus and the schedule are subject to change in the event of
extenuating circumstances. For persons physically attending class: If you are absent from class, it is your
responsibility to check on announcements made while you were absent. No
makeup tests without an obituary of a relative or a note from your medical
professional or school administrator. Turn cell phones to vibrate or
silent settings. Do not wear baseball caps during quizzes. No reading
newspapers in class or other distracting behavior. No videotaping the
lecture or bringing visitors or guests without permission. All students are
always expected to work independently on graded quizzes and/or assignments
unless specifically directed otherwise by the instructor. Assignments
turned in late for any reason may receive 0 credit. Penalties for cheating and
plagiarism may include receiving an F for a particular assignment, an F
for the course, or expulsion from the program or university. Upon identifying
themselves to the instructor and the university, students with
disabilities will receive reasonable accommodation for learning and
evaluation.
Pep
talk:
You can do this. I have near infinite patience. I love teaching and
explaining. If you have questions, ask in class or just email them to me
and I'll get back to you within 48 hours. If you think I've overlooked
your email, feel free to send your question again I won't feel
bothered--rather I'll be grateful for the communication. If there is
something I can do to make the class better for you please do suggest it.
This class may be one of your more challenging accomplishments but I know
if you work hard and put in the time you will succeed.
Notes: One last point. There is something I wish to give you advance
notice of. Typically students, (even high achievers), do not do as well on the
expressive portion of the exam in a "distance education" course as they do on the receptive. Many students who
get an "A" on the receptive end up getting a "C" on the expressive because
signing without having had someone to practice with is like swimming without
water. (Which often results in "A" caliber students receiving a combined
grade of a "B.") So, please understand that I will grade you according to college
standards as if you were one of my in-class students who had been attending
class twice a week for three months. To pass an expressive test
in an asynchronous (you and I are in different places at different times)
distance education environment will require a serious effort. I don't wish to
discourage you, quite the opposite. But I do want you to be informed ahead of
time that you will need to work hard to do well.
Register and
pay for the course