GEOGRAPHY 330-V: Frequently Asked Questions

How can I enroll for an Online Geography course?

There are different ways to enroll in our Online Geography courses, depending on the type of student you are.

(1) Current, degree-seeking students at MSU can enroll for our courses as they would any other course at State, using the school's online enrollment system (IBMGate).

(2) Anyone else wishing to take an Online Geography course without pursuing a degree at MSU can register for a course via Lifelong Education Enrollment. This simply means that you would like to take a course at MSU with seeking a degree. It is also possible to take our courses for no credit or as a visitor - please contact the Office of the Registrar to designate such as choice once you have enrolled in the course.

General questions about the course

Question: Do I need a textbook or coursepack for this course?

Answer: There is a recommended text book. Any course materials (or both) are listed for you in the syllabus. To view the syllabus, click on the Syllabus link on the left navigation bar.

Question: What is the grading scale?

Answer: The course grading scale is provided for you on the last page of the syllabus. To view the syllabus, click on the Syllabus link on the left navigation bar.

Question: What if I experience problems logging into the ANGEL course site?

Answer: If you are officially registered for this course and it has been 2-5 days since you registered, this course should appear under your "My ANGEL Courses" when you log into ANGEL. On the first day of class, you will be able to click on this link and enter the course site. If you cannot log into ANGEL using your MSU NetID and correct password, ANGEL itself may be malfunctioning. Please visit the servicestatus.msu.edu website to find out whether ANGEL is up or not. If you are still having difficulty, contact the ANGEL help line: 517.355.2345 or 1.800.500.1554 (North America and Hawaii).

Question: When a date is given on the course schedule does that mean I need to have the lesson read and completed on or before that day?

Answer: These lesson dates are provided to give you a good idea of how to pace yourself in the course so that you are reasonably prepared to take the quiz (or complete assignments). The dates of quizzes and assignments, however, are not flexible.

Question: What is the best way to stay in contact with my Instructor? Other students?

Answer: The best way to contact your Instructor is to email him/her directly from your MSU.EDU or ANGEL MAIL account. From there, you can discuss whether a better option would be via the phone or meeting in person (both of these are not always options as some of our Instructors are off-campus or even overseas). You can email other students directly via ANGEL MAIL (>Communicate tab>) or post a note on a course discussion board (Content tab -> Course Message Boards). Your Instructor can set up Chat Rooms (Communicate tab) for added communication -- if you are interested in using these, please contact your Instructor.

Question: How does the online version of the course differ from the lecture version?

Answer: The major difference is that this course is entirely online. Each online geography course has an Advising Professor, who has taught this same course in-person on campus. The online lessons are based on the Advising Professor's in-class lectures, either exactly or very closely. Exams (and assignments) have been written based solely on the online lessons and required course materials.

Question: I am a special needs student, is there anything I need to do before starting the course?

Answer: Yes, please contact your Instructor immediately. He/she will then direct you to the Course Coordinator for the class. No matter what, you need to be currently registered with the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) and have an current digital VISA. The Course Coordinator will need a copy of your digital VISA before the first quiz/exam.

Question: If I experience technical problems while taking this online course, will my grade be affected?

Answer: No, but you need to be in contact with the ANGEL help line and your Instructor as soon as you experience the problem so that they can start working on a solution. Notifying your Instructor two weeks after an exam about the problems you experienced while taking it is not acceptable.

Question: Where do I find my grades?

Answer: Your personal online gradebook (Report tab) contains the scores (for example, 34 points out of 50 points possible) for all of your assignments, exams, or quizzes. These scores, however, will not appear in the gradebook until they have been released by your Instructor, typically a few days after the close of an assessment.

Question: What is the number for the ANGEL Help Line? What should I call the Help Line for?

Answer: 517.355.2345 or 1.800.500.1554 (North America and Hawaii). You can call the Help Line about any technical difficulties you have with the course site, for example, logging into ANGEL or the course course, viewing popups or video clips, et cetera.

Questions about lessons

Question: I am having difficulty following a web link provided in the lesson. What should I do?

Answer: Email your Instructor with the lesson #, page #, and link that is giving you trouble.

Question: I am having difficulty seeing a figure or image provided in the lesson. What should I do?

Answer: Email your Instructor with the lesson #, page #, and image/figure that is giving you trouble.

Question: I am having difficulty getting popup, bullet questions, or answers in the lesson to work. What should I do?

Answer: Contact the ANGEL Help Line [517.355.2345 or 1.800.500.1554 (North America and Hawaii)] and be prepared to let them know which lesson, page, and question is giving you trouble. They will be able to walk you though a handful of troubleshooting ideas. If you are still having trouble after you have contacted the Help Line, email your Instructor with the lesson, page, and question is giving you trouble.

Question: I would like to do well in this course, what is the best way to study?

Answer: There is a document (Tips for doing well in this course) that is found in the Getting Started folder (Content tab -> Getting Started) that provides tips passed down from previous Instructors and students, as well as the Advising Professor, on how to excel in this course. These tips have been shown to work. If you still have trouble after attempting these tips, please contact your Instructor. In addition, please remember that this course is a typical 15-week lecture course essentially condensed and delivered, online over only 7 weeks -- the course covers an enormous amount of material in a short time. Be sure to read all of your lessons and make sure you know how you are being graded (Resources tab), and when things are due (Content tab -> Course schedule).

Questions about quizzes

Question: I am a special needs student, is there anything I need to do before the quiz in order to accommodate my needs?

Question: I have never taken an online course, how do I take the quiz?

Answer: First, find out when the quiz will be given by viewing the course schedule (Content tab) or calendar (Calendar tab). On the specified quiz date and time, it will appear under the Content tab. If you click on the quiz name, you will be able to view the instructions. At the end of the instructions, you will be able to click on "Begin Quiz" to actually begin taking the quiz. Do not click on the "Begin" link until you are ready. Your quiz clock begins when you click on this link. The quiz will turn off and disappear from the Content tab at the end-time specified on the schedule or calendar and instructions page

Question: What if I experience problems during a quiz?

Answer: Do not panic. Return to the quiz instructions page and figure out which Instructor is on duty at the time. Email the Instructor on duty. Make sure you indicate which course and section you are in and what exactly your problem is. Wait for a reply -- ALL replies will go to your MSU.EDU email account. If you have a non-MSU email account (such as hotmail or Google mail) you may want to check that account as well, just in case.

Question: What if I do not have enough time to complete the quiz?

Answer: Time limits have been set to give you ample time to finish based on performances of past online students. If, for some reason, you get booted out of the exam by ANGEL before you are done taking it, please contact the Instructor on duty (see exam instructions) about your problem. Be sure to include which class and section you are in, as well as a detailed explanation of the problem.

Question: What if I have a question about a specific question?

Answer: While taking your quiz, write down the question number and text. A few days after the quiz, you will be able to return to the quiz to view your questions, selected responses, correct answers, and a brief explanation of the answer. If this explanation (feedback) does not answer your question, please contact your Instructor.

Question: Will I be able to find out how the rest of the class did on an exam?

Answer: Once the quiz answers are released basic stats will be posted for you to view (Content tab -> Quiz statistics or in the Course Message Boards).

Questions about writing assignments

Question: I have never taken an online course, how do I complete a writing assignment?

Answer: First, find out when the assignment is due by viewing the course schedule (Content tab) or calendar (Calendar tab). About a week (or so) before the assignment due date, it will appear for you to read and complete (Content tab -> Writing Assignments). Once in the Writing Assignments folder, read the instructions on how to post your response to a writing assignment.

Question: What if I experience problems during an assignment?

Answer: Do not panic. Email your Instructor. Be sure to explain what exactly your problem is. Wait for a reply -- ALL replies will go to your MSU.EDU email account. If you have a non-MSU email account (such as hotmail or Google mail) you may want to check that account as well, just in case.

Question: What if I do not have enough time to complete the assignment?

Answer: Each assignment will be made available to students at least a week before it is due. This will give you plenty of time to complete the assignment. Late assignments will not be accepted. Once an assignment is begun, there is NO time limit (like a quiz/exam) for you to meet. Just be sure to submit your answers for grading before the assignment due date.

Question: What if I have a question about a specific assignment question?

Answer: Email your Instructor with the question. Depending on what your question is, he/she may be able to provide an explanation. If you want to know what the correct answer is, you will have to wait a few days after the assignment closes. At that time, you will be able to return to the Writing Assignment folder to view the grading rubric for that assignment. If you still have questions, please contact your Instructor.

Question: What is plagiarism? And, what will happen if I plagiarize?

Answer: As defined, plagiarism is the effort to fundamentally use someone else's ideas as your own whether intentionally or not. Read the section on Academic Honesty and plagiarism in the syllabus. Make sure you understand both University and course policies. Plagiarism is cheating and will be pursued according to the guidelines specified in the syllabus if detected.

Question: If I need to cite a source or reference in my assignment, how do I go about doing this?

Answer: In the Writing Assignments folder (Content tab -> Writing Assignments), you will find documentation (Citation Format) on how to use references correctly. Please read this document carefully and follow the examples provided for you. If you have a question on whether something needs to be referenced, it is generally best to be most cautious and provide a reference for it. If you have specific questions about using a reference that is not answered, please contact your Instructor.

Question: What is the best way to prepare an assignment response before submitting it?

Answer: We highly recommend that you compose your response in a word-processing program that has a Spell or Grammar-Check function, like Word or Word Perfect. Once you have composed, edited, and spell-checked your response, you can copy the text from your word-processing program and paste it into the writing assignment in ANGEL. Beware, though, formatting done in Word or Word Perfect such as bold or italics will be LOST when pasted into ANGEL. If you want your paragraphs to be maintained one pasted, you will need to double space in between the paragraphs so that a space appears in ANGEL. We also recommend typing a few spaces (or an indent) at the beginning of your response. If possible, check the preview of your response before submitting it to make sure it looks the way you would like it to.

Question: What if I want to edit my assignment responses after I have saved it?

Answer: In the Writing Assignments folder (Content tab -> Writing Assignments), you will find an explanation on how to edit your post. Once the assignment has closed (and disappeared), you may no longer edit your response. If you still have questions, please contact your Instructor.

Questions about exercises and self-assessments

Question: Why do we have self-assessments?

Answer: To help you prepare for exams. Self-assessments were generated to assist you in your studying and preparation for graded exercises. They can ONLY HELP your grade, so we recommend very highly that you use them to your advantage.

Question: Are exercises graded?

Answer: No. Furthermore, they will provide you will valuable feedback about how much of the course material you are grasping. They will also help you identify topics that you need to spend more time studying before the next quiz. If you have any questions about the exercises, contact your Instructor -- he/she will be delighted to discuss your questions/concerns.