This page provides additional detail for students wanting to enroll in an online section of Environmental Geology for 2009-2010
How Does This Online Class Work?
Flooding on the Ohio River at Evansville in 2004.
- The assessments and modules for this course are made available on a schedule. In most cases, you will be unable to work ahead more than two weeks in the course.
- No campus visits are required.
- The course is taught through the textbook and online learning modules that you will read through a web browser within Oncourse.
- There are approximately 20 modules in the course (compared to 30 lectures in a normal on-campus class).
- Assessments (quizzes, etc.) can only be taken on specific dates. There are approximately 10-12 assesments in the course. In Fall 2009 this included 2 tests, 7 quizzes, and 3 forum postings, in addition to a major writing assignment. The number and type of assessments will vary by semester and instructor.
- You must be computer saavy, meaning you use email and the internet regularly. You should know how to install software on your computer, and most importantly, you should have a computer with an internet connection.
- You must complete either a service learning project and paper or a research project paper (except in the summer session). In the summer session, additional essay responses are given on tests in lieu of the writing assignment.
- Optional field trips in Indianapolis and other locations in Indiana may be available to add extra credit to your grade. The availability of these field trips will vary by semester and instructor.
This online course will be run through Oncourse. The syllabus, all lecture materials, and assignments are provided through Oncourse.
The required textbook and CD is Introduction to Environmental Geology by Edward Keller, 4th edition, including the Hazard City CD. This book is available at the IUPUI Bookstore.
What will be Covered?
You will learn about geology, science, and the intersection of our environment and geology within Indiana. Below is a snapshot of 10 items you'll learn by the end of the semester:
- Where trash goes in Central Indiana when you throw it away.
- How evolution and intelligent design distinguish the difference between science and philosophy
- The chances of a major earthquake happening in the midwest
- Whether you have to worry about running out of important resource like oil and steel in your lifetime
- Whether a really hot summer in Indiana is related to the problem of global warming
- Why California will never fall off into the ocean.
- How the geology of the state provides us low prices on electricity
- How understanding geology can prevent you from buying a house with flood or landslide risk
- Where diamonds come from and why all diamonds are billions of years old.
- Why raw sewage is routinely dumped into most streams in Indiana