Getting Started in English 255 & Tips for Success: Q & A

Where do I find information to get familiar with the course and get started?

• English 255 is packaged in an online environment called Moodle which is an online place where
you have access to a variety of tools, features, and interactions. You can enter the English 255
Moodle site through your MyAU portal. Through MyAU, you can book examinations, apply for
extensions, register for courses, and so on. The university will also communicate with you via
MyAU. To log in at http://my.athabascau.ca, enter your student ID number and password where
requested. Once on your MyAU portal, you will see an English 255 course tab. Click on the tab,
and it will take you directly to Moodle. At this point, you’ll see the English 255 page. You can
also enter the English 255 Moodle site by following this link:
http://cll.lms.athabascau.ca/course/view.php?id=115. Please take some time to familiarize
yourself with everything the site has to offer.

Is there e-mail protocol I should be following when I contact you?

• Yes, please do the following:

o Include information in the subject line of your e-mail (such as English 255 Assignment
#1 or #2, etc.)
o Always write a message in the body of the e-mail and include your first and last name (if
your e-mail address doesn’t properly identify you).

Do I have an Athabasca e-mail account, and should I use it instead of my personal e-mail?

• Yes, you do, and yes, you should use it. Once you are registered in a course at AU, you will be
given the opportunity (through an account activation e-mail) to sign up for an @athabasca.edu
email account. There are huge benefits in doing so, like FREE access to Office 365, which
includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. If you sign up for an @athabasca.edu e-mail
account, you need to make sure to check it regularly.

How do I submit assignments?

• Your 255 Moodle page has a drop box for assignments. Follow the instructions there. Upload
your assignments as Microsoft Word documents. Remember, if you activate your athabasca.edu
e-mail account, you can download Word for FREE.

How long should my assignments be?

• Assignments #1 and #3 involve two paragraphs each, and each paragraph should be no more than
9-12 sentences.
• Assignments #4, #5, #6, and #7 must be 1000-1200 words each. For each assignment, stay as
close to the required length as possible (for essays, a half page over or under the guidelines on
length is usually acceptable).
Can I send in all my assignments at once?
• No, this is poor practice. In fact, I don’t like to accept more than one assignment at a time, as I
wish to encourage you to apply my tutorial comments from one assignment to the next. As such,
when more than one assignment is submitted at a time, I provide summative comments and a
grade only. The assignment itself is not returned.

What if I need help with an assignment?

• That’s what I’m here for. Please e-mail or phone me and ask questions. Although I do NOT look
at drafts of assignments, I do look at outlines and help students work through any trouble spots.

How long will it take for me to get an assignment back, and how will my assignments be
returned to me?

• I do my very best to return assignments as quickly as possible, but I almost always require the full
eight business day turnaround that I am allowed. I will return your assignments through Moodle,
but if you haven’t heard from me in 10 days, please let me know.

Is there a specific format I should follow for my assignments?

• Yes, here are some specifics:

o Proper format for assignments is modeled for you under the

Course Information link. You can find Course Information right below the “Start Here”
section on our Moodle home page.
o Assignments #1 and #3 consist of two paragraphs each. Each of these assignments should
be typed inside one document.
o The standard font to use for assignments is 12 pt. Times New Roman.
o All assignments must be double-spaced. If you don’t know how to do this electronically,
on the computer, please ask. This is important because I mark online and can’t mark
properly if you have manually double-spaced.
o All assignments need to have a title, which should be properly capitalized.
o The first sentence of each paragraph must be indented by pressing Tab once.
o There should be no extra spaces between paragraphs. If you are using Word, you should
eliminate the extra space (which Microsoft Word puts in automatically). In the "home"
tool bar, right above the "paragraph" area, there is a little icon for changing the paragraph
spacing from single to double, and so on. Click on it and a pop up will appear. One of the
options is to "remove space after paragraph." Click on that option, and the problem will
be solved.

Should I research when I prepare my assignments?

• You should only use research for assignments #4 and #5, and all research must be cited properly
in parenthetical citations in the text of your essay as well as on your Works Cited or References
page.
• Documentation might be new to you and even somewhat intimidating. Know this: there are no
hidden secrets to documenting properly. All you have to do is commit to being very, very careful.
This isn’t a memorization game. We all (myself included) have to look up information on how to
cite.
 • You need to include in-text citations and entries in the Works Cited (MLA) or References (APA)
section for all borrowed material, including directly quoted phrases or sentences and for all
paraphrased material.
• For advice on MLA documentation (including information on when to cite and how to cite),
consult the following:
o The Purdue Online Writing Lab at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
§ Be aware that there is a citation generator on the site that belongs to an
advertiser. Unfortunately, citation generators will NOT necessarily produce
correct results. Thus, we strongly recommend you avoid citation generators of
any kind, but if you are inclined to use one as a first step only, you will need to
review this information from Purdue: Responsible Use of Citation Generators.
Remember that your tutor is there for you, so if you have consulted the citation
guidelines and still have questions, please ask for help.
• MLA is the preferred documentation system in English courses, but we do permit students to use
APA in English 255, if they have a good reason for doing so. If you are using or planning to use
APA in this course or others, you must follow APA 7th edition rules, which incorporate some
significant changes from the previous version. Please follow this link to view the major
changes: https://library.mtroyal.ca/ld.php?content_id=35051103. Please follow this link to an
APA Guide to Referencing: https://library.mtroyal.ca/ld.php?content_id=34474092, and please
follow this guide to formatting a paper in
APA: https://library.mtroyal.ca/ld.php?content_id=34487459.
• Remember that Wikipedia is an open source, meaning entries can be added and changed by
anyone. Do not use Wikipedia, but do pay attention to the requirements of the assignments asking
you to use the databases provided by our AU library. When you do so, you will find quality
academic articles.
• Make sure to familiarize yourself with university policies around academic integrity:
9.1.3.2: http://calendar.athabascau.ca/undergrad/current/student-code/academic-misconduct-
offences.php. I am well aware that there are many sites to upload old assignments or download
completed assignments. Use of them (uploading instructions or assignments) could constitute
academic misconduct: use of another student's work is academic misconduct. Under no
circumstances should you be accessing these sites, not to look around, not to upload essays
("aiding another in committing an academic offence”), not to download essays, and certainly not
to “sell [and] distribute course materials.” Remember that I want you to learn and be successful,
so I am committed to providing you with the resources you need. Along with instructions and
links in Moodle, I am there to help you.

What if I need help with my basic writing skills?

• If you are truly not ready for English 255, I’ll let you know when I grade your first assignment. I
sometimes recommend a preparatory course.
• If you are prepared for the course but struggling with your writing skills, there are resources
available to you.
o First – AU’s Write Site has information on essay writing, grammar, punctuation, and (as I
already mentioned) documentation. There is a very good video tutorial on paragraphing,
so I strongly recommend watching it at http://www2.athabascau.ca/services/write-
site/paragraph-resource/
o There are also opportunities for coaching in writing. For information on this service,
please see http://www.athabascau.ca/html/services/write-site/what-is-a-writing-
coach.php.
 o If you do use the Write Site for coaching, understand that coaching can be helpful, but it's
not a guarantee of success. Here is some basic information: coaches do not correct or edit
papers. They offer advice; coaches focus on two or three writing elements only; coaches
do not necessarily know the expectations of the tutor or the assignment; coaches cannot
comment on the content of your assignments – just the writing; coaches may provide an
assessment that doesn't match mine.
o There are many other print and online resources, so please ask if you feel you want to
look beyond the Write Site.

How do I request my final exam, when do I have to make the request, and when should I
write it?

• On the 255 Moodle home page, locate the section called “Course Information.”
Once you click on it, you’ll see a Table of Contents on the right-hand side of the
page. Scroll down to and click on “Final Examination,” and all the information
you need will be right there.
• You must request your final exam BEFORE your contract expires.
• Ideally, you should write your final once you have completed all assignments
and have my feedback. Writing your exam early in your course is
STRONGLY discouraged and often signals that something is
wrong.
• For full details, including timelines and deadlines, Google “Athabasca
University final exams” OR follow this link:
http://calendar.athabascau.ca/undergrad/current/exams-grades/exam- request.php#timelines

Can you help me understand assignment #2, the group discussions?

How can I learn what is expected of me?

o Simply take the time to look through the entire unit. Once you read through all the
instructions, you will feel much more comfortable and will understand what is expected
of you. After you have read the material, I’d be happy to answer any remaining questions.

What if I’m not used to working on a computer?

o You only need very basic computer skills to manage this assignment. It looks
intimidating, but once you get started, you’ll find that your computer skills are sufficient
and the entire experience will be rewarding. The group discussions are a way for you to
engage with other students taking English 255 and learn about how to write to a specific
audience, how to write a rhetorical analysis (practice for the unit #6 assignment) and
how to summarize a debate (practice for the opening paragraph of the unit #5
assignment).

What if I’m still uncomfortable with this assignment? Do I have to participate?

o Almost all students are nervous about participating in the online discussions, so you’re
not alone! Nevertheless, once you begin the sessions, you are very likely to enjoy the
connection with other students. Thus, I encourage you to participate in the online
discussions, but if you are not comfortable, you should e-mail me to discuss the
 possibility of doing the alternative assignment, as you need my permission to proceed in
that direction.

When should I sign up?

o You should sign up only after you have submitted your unit one paragraphs to me and
have received their marked versions back from me.

When I try to sign up, all the groups seem to be full. What should I do?

o New groups are made regularly, so just keep checking back.

Is session 2 of the online discussions the same as the unit 3 assignment?

o No, these are separate assignments. Do not confuse session 2 of assignment #2 (the
online discussions) with assignment #3 (the two summaries); the two assignments, which
are explained in separate sections of the Study Guide, are separate and different
assignments.

What happens if other members of my discussion group don’t post their work on time? Do I
still have to respond?

o It is every student’s responsibility to post his or her assignment on or before the first day
of each session. If someone in your group posts on day two, three or four, you should still
respond, but if someone in your group posts on the last day or even after the session
closes, you should not respond. You will not lose marks, though you should tell me.

What happens if I post my assignment paragraphs late (at the end of the session or after the
session closes)?

o We are very strict about consequences for late postings since participating in the online
discussions is a commitment to others. It is inconsiderate to post late because it doesn’t
give your group members sufficient time to respond. They will likely be uncomfortable
and upset about having to check back frequently to see if you have posted yet. Therefore,
late postings come with severe grade consequences, so be sure to post on time!