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WELCOME
TO THE COURSE
This interactive seminar course is
offered as part of Cumberland's On-Line Learning curriculum.
It provides an in-depth examination of the U.S. Endangered
Species Act, one of the most comprehensive and controversial
statutes ever enacted for the protection of at-risk
species.
Unlike the "talking head" model utilized
by some distance education courses in which video/audio
lectures are viewed on-line in lieu of actual face-to-face
class meetings, or a list of "links" to various
cases, resources, etc. is furnished for the students
to read and study on their own, this course is designed
to provide a truly "interactive"
experience for each student in the class with respect
to both the course materials as well as the
other students enrolled in the course. In addition to
actively and personally responding to every
assigned excerise and course activity, each student
must also participate regularly in the class discussions.
Passive student participation is simply not an option.
Actual course learning modules are reserved for registered
students, but you can try this
"Sample Lesson"
to get a sense of just what all is involved in
an "active learning" on-line course.
Technical Ability
This course requires only minimal "technical"
ability. Students are expected to have completed at
least some basic training on Westlaw and Lexis, as well
as to have done minimal "surfing" on the "net"
and to know that a “browser” is a program
used to access the World Wide Web (www). Students in
this course will be required to use a web browser (Netscape
or Microsoft IE, Mozilla, Opera, etc), and to access
the www for required assignments, use e-mail, participate
in on-line "chats," and post and retrieve
electronic messages via an electronic "discussion
board." Assistance is provided to help those students
who are at least minimally experienced in using these
features to become more proficient. In addition, the
course website also contains a special section (entitled
"Technical
Stuff") wherein students can view detailed
on-screen training "simulations" that provide
detailed instruction on a variety of technical and related
issues pertaining to the use of specific course features
(e.g., on-line "chatting," threaded discussion
boards) and software applications (e.g., PDFs).
Students
who are uncertain of their technical ability to participate
in an on-line course may wish to take a brief "Self-Assessment"
before proceeding.
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