THERE IS A MANDATORY MEETING ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 20TH FROM 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ON THE CUYAMACA CAMPUS IN ROOM F-710. FAILURE TO ATTEND WILL RESULT IN BEING DROPPED FROM THE COURSE.

Hello,

Welcome to Philosophy 110: A General Introduction to Philosophy. As this course will be taught online, it is important to provide you with some information about how the course will be structured. The first and most important activity is to familiarize yourself with the Course Management System (CMS), Blackboard. Information about accessing Blackboard can be found in the .pdf at this link. All of the course material, assignments, etc. will be posted on Blackboard. You will also need the textbook, as many of the assignments for this course will be taken directly from it. Information about the textbook can be found on the course schedule and syllabus.

Once you login and click on the course link (Phil 110 Section 1594) you will be taken to the main page. This page will display any announcements I may have made. On the menu at the left, the most important link is Course Content. Clicking this link will bring up a list of folders. These folders contain all the assignments and directions for each week. Currently there are only folders for the first few weeks of the course, but more will be added. All assignments listed in the folder will be due by 11:59 PM on Thursday of the week it is assigned.

Within each folder there is a directions page that tells you exactly which assignments I expect you to complete for that week. It is important to note that though folders may be available, the content and assignments within that folder will not be finalized until the week for which the folder is assigned. Prior to this, the material in each unit may change. It is also important to note that each folder contains more content than I necessarily expect you to complete. Just read the directions page in each folder and complete the assignments described there.

The best way to ensure your success is to schedule several work sessions each week (minimum 1 to 2 hours each), begin assignments as soon as they are announced, and communicate frequently with your teacher and classmates. It is essential that you have a computer and a reliable Internet connection. It is strongly advised that you have a high-speed connection (DSL or cable). If you are using dial-up, you must have a 56kb modem. In addition, you should have a copy of Adobe Reader to access PDF files, which can be downloaded for free here. I expect you to keep up with the assignments, contact me when you have questions, and check e-mail, course announcements, and Blackboard several times a week. I CANNOT DIAGNOSE OR RESOLVE COMPUTER RELATED PROBLEMS OR RESOLVE BLACKBOARD ACCESS ISSUES. Issues with your computer should be addressed to the manufacturer; for difficulties accessing Blackboard you can contact technical support at 619-660-4395.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at imduckles@gmail.com

Dr. Ian Duckles