Welcome to COM 325 2015

Hi there! Welcome to COM 325: Interviewing Principles and Practices. Im sure you all have your reasons
for signing up for this class (hopefully strong and valid reasons; not just because it was online), but I
want to express my excitement that youre here, for the class, and the learning opportunities that await
all of you. Please note part of my teaching philosophy is accepting that I cannot force my students to
learn. They have to want to learn. Basically, I am saying that you will get out of this class what you put
into this class. The learning opportunities are developed in such a way that they can benefit you
immensely outside the walls of our classroom but you have to be the one to make that happen. Even
though I am not on campus I am always here to help you. Send me an e-mail and I will respond! I want
you to do well in my class.
Now with all of that said I am going to give you a basic rundown of what you can expect in the
modules over the next 16 weeks. However, I fully expect you to read the syllabus, course/campus
policies, and schedule. I am happy to answer your questions but if you ask something that is discussed
in one of those documents I will tell you to go look in said document.
Become familiar with the toolbar on the left-hand side of Blackboard. It contains all of the links
you need to navigate through the course successfully.
In EACH learning module you will have:

Discussion posts: the number of initial prompts and required peer replies will change
throughout the weeks. So it is very important that you read the module information carefully.
PowerPoint Presentations:
o In the first 4 modules, I included my notes within the PowerPoints. This is because
those chapters serve as building blocks for the remaining textbook content. I felt it was
important to provide the information there so that you could read along and see what I
was keying in on.
o In modules 5-9 I have provided a module overview which gives basic information of
the chapters and situates the content in a relatable way to the average person. I have
then shifted the responsibility of accessing and presenting information to you. This is
where my teaching philosophy comes into play. I want you to read the chapter content
and critically assess how it can apply in your own lives and then dialogue with the class.
Quizzes: There will be at least 1 quiz per module. Each quiz will only cover material that was
presented in that module and there is no midterm or final exam. Youre welcome.

Some more important information:

Learning Opportunities are explained in detail within topic-specific modules. Their dropboxes
(designated areas for submitting assignments) are included in the appropriate module for the
date they are due.
Speaking of due dates - Due dates can be found in LOTS of different places in our class. Really
no excuse for not being prepared.
o The schedule
o The Learning Modules landing page

Jodie M. Bowers

Welcome to COM 325 2015

A landing page is a main page for a section. For example, when you log into
our class. The first page you see is a landing page for the entire course. It
features class announcements.
o Within the actual module itself
o The Discussion Posts landing page
LearnSmart Study Modules are not included in every module.
Printing out the syllabus, policies, schedule, and learning opportunity details is always
recommended.
o When I was an online student I was able to keep better track of deliverables and due
dates with them hanging in front of my desk.
The Class Cafeteria discussion board is a place for you! You are allowed, and encouraged, to
post your questions there and share anything you find (of course it needs to be appropriate for
a classroom setting) that is related to course content.

And last, but certainly not least, this course is designed to be asynchronous. That means you are able to
complete the work at your own pace as long as you have your deliverables submitted by the due dates. I
will to the best of my ability grade anything that can be graded early and provide feedback where
needed. However, there are some items (specifically the discussion posts) that are time sensitive.
Discussion posts are an amazing way for students to talk, share, and debate material IF the students are
participating at the same time. If you post your initial prompt response early, make sure you go back
and engage your classmates the week that discussion topic is due.

One more thing if you are ever confused, in doubt, or just generally lost, REACH
OUT TO ME. I cannot help you if you dont ask. If I see that you are falling behind
in course deliverables I will attempt to contact you through your PNC e-mail (and
phone if I can get that info) at least once.

Jodie M. Bowers