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Course Format:
This course is an instructor guided online course. The learning and activities will take place on the web and/or digital media (CDs). You will complete 25 quiz assignments. You will do a 500 word research paper. At the end of the course you will be take a proctored receptive final exam and you will submit a video-recorded signed presentation. You are expected to have a valid email address during this course and check it at least once a week. Any changes to your email account should be forwarded to your instructor.

Course Materials:
The materials for this course consist of seven CDs. Five of the CDs contain video files demonstrating ASL vocabulary and sentences. One of the CDs contains a copy of the ASLU Website. The last CD contains the "Level 1 Receptive Test." Students who have registered and paid may request the first six CDs from the instructor. After students have submitted all 25 quizzes they may request the Level 1 Receptive Test from the instructor. Students should also download the "study sheets."

Assignments and examinations:
25 Quiz Assignments at 20 points each = 500 points
Research Paper = 100 points
Expressive Final (Video Project) = 200 points
Receptive Final = 200 points
Total points: 1000

Grading System: Grades will be based on performance on the quiz assignments, tests, and your research paper according to the following criteria: 100-90% = A, 89 to 80% = B, 79-70% = C, 69-60% = D, below 60% = E (fail)

All quizzes and examinations are cumulative. You design your own schedule of due dates and submit this schedule to your instructor. For full credit, the research paper, and quiz answers are to be submitted in the body of an email on or before the due dates you choose. The quiz assignments are only checked for general accuracy. If you score lower than 85% on any one quiz the instructor may give you zero for that quiz assignment.

Note: just paste or type your answers and/or paper into the body of the email, do NOT include as an attached document (this costs your instructor extra time downloading and opening your attachment). A good approach is to do your work in a normal word processor document and save your work frequently. Then when your work is ready to submit copy and paste it into an email and send to your instructor.

Quiz assignments:
Your quiz assignments are based on the ASL 101-ASL 105 CDs.

See the schedule below. Fill in due dates that will allow you to finish the course by the time you need to be done. The schedule below has active hyperlinks. By clicking on the quiz links you will be taken to the "end of lesson" quiz. You may need to scroll down to see the blank answer sheet. These blank answer sheets for the quizzes can also be accessed from a link at the end of each lesson.

You should go through the lessons sequentially starting with lesson one. Go to the website www.lifeprint.com and enter the main campus. Find the "Lessons" link and click on it. Then open up lesson 1. Read through lesson one and click on the links to the vocabulary. For each vocabulary link you should read the whole page and do the sign until you have it memorized. Then sign all of the practice sentences and read any of the other material in the lesson. At or near the bottom of the lesson find the "quiz" link which will take you to that lessons' quiz page. Go through the practice quiz if you'd like, but the goal is to take the quiz on the CD. To help you do that I've created "answer sheets" with the numbers already typed up for you. At the bottom of the quiz page you will see a numbered list of answer blanks for you to copy and paste into your word processor. For example, on quiz #1 if you scroll down you will see:

Lesson 1: Receptive ASL Quiz #1: ASL 101 CD Numbers 1-48.

Followed by some instructions and the numbers 1-48.

Copy and paste those numbers into your word processor program and save it as "lesson1yourfirstandlastname." It is a good idea to use these answer sheets because they sometimes have clues or "giveaway" answers.

Then put in the ASL 101 CD. If the CD doesn't open up and start playing a video clip (within a few minutes) go ahead and browse to the CD by clicking and open up the ASL101 video file by double clicking on it. If it doesn't open on your machine or gives you an error, contact me and I'll send you more info on how to upgrade your system.

You should see a videofile of me. Not pretty--but functional. The file might jump from sign to sign as I press stop and record on my video camera in-between each question. In the first five or so quizzes I show the sign about 3 times, but in later quizzes I just show the signs once. Feel free to pause and rewind.

You can adjust the size of the file via your media player's configuration settings. You can also pause the file by pressing pause. In the videofile I show a number and then show a sign or a sentence. You type the answer onto your answer sheet. Make sure to save your answers periodically so as to avoid losing your work in the event of a crash or power outage.

Only do the number of questions that correspond to that lesson. For example the ASL 101 has 321 questions numbered 1 to 321. You only do the first 48 questions for lesson one. Then for lesson 2 you do questions 49 through 113.

Save your document in your word processor. Then select your answers and copy and paste into the body of an email. Put at subject line of "Lesson 1 Jane Doe." Then send your answers to me via at BillVicars@aol.com. Make sure you keep a copy for your own records until the end of the semester. (I might go so far as to recommend that you keep two copies, one on your hard drive and one on a removable disk, but perhaps I'm overly cautious?)

Expressive Final (Video Project)
Pick one sentence from each of lessons 6 through 25. You should end up with 20 sentences.
Copy the sentences to a new document and number them 1-20. Then sit down in-front of a camcorder and videotape yourself signing the sentences the same way I videotaped mine. For example, sign the number and then the sentence. You need only show me the sentence one time. Pay particular attention to your "yes/no" and "WH-question" expressions for each sentence (because I'll be looking for your facial expressions in addition to your vocabulary and general fluency).
If you stop once or maybe twice during the videotaping due to some technical issue or whatever I won't be concerned. But stopping between each question indicates a lack of preparation and smacks of not knowing the material well enough to simply sign the sentences without having to look each sentence up on the web or in the CD.
Some students tape record themselves reading the sentences out loud and then play back the recording while signing the sentences to the video camera. That's okay.
I've even seen students go so far as to write the sentences on poster paper and stick them on the wall behind the camera so they can read them while signing to the camera. That's okay, but a lot of work.
Other students just print out a paper with their sentences on it and put it in front of them. They lean forward to read the sentence and then look up at the camera and sign it.
Then print off your script and mail both it and your video to me. ALSO email me your script so I'll have an electronic copy to edit and make notes on for your feedback.
I'll correct it within a week or so of receiving the video. And then I'll email your feedback. You may submit this video on any of the following: VHS-format full-size cassette, Mini-DV cassette, Video-CD (VCD) using MPEG-1 formatting, Digital Video Disk (DVD) using [DVD-R+, DVD-R-, or DVD-ROM], or as a video file on either CD or DVD in Windows Media File format, Quicktime, or Flash. If your video isn't "good enough" as judged by your instructor, you will be given instructions for improvement and required to do the video again. This is regardless of your other scores.

Receptive Final:
This is a proctored examination. When you've completed the 25 quizzes (or when you've almost completed them), send the instructor a request to take the "Receptive Level 1 final." Include the name and mailing address of a responsible adult who will function as your proctor. Upon your request the instructor will mail the testing disk to your proctor. The disk will contain a video file of the instructor signing various sentences from level 1.

You take the test with the proctor in the room making sure you do not use any books, websites, or other external material.
Insert the CD the video should start automatically after a few moments. If it doesn't, navigate to the video file on the disk and double click on it. On the video the instructor will sign a number of sentences to you. Write them down (or type them) in either English or ASL gloss (just string the ASL signs together). You may pause and rewind the video as many times as you would like. If you miss a concept or change the meaning of the sentence you may miss the whole sentence so practice hard and don't try to bluff your way through this test.

The sentences are based on the practice sheets in the lessons. It is important for you to do the practice sheets throughout the course so you will be able to do well on your receptive final. These sentences will be extremely similar to the ones on the website and on the CDs.
When you get done, email your answers to your instructor. In the email, include your name, address, and local school name along with your answers. Also include your proctor's name, phone number and email address.

You may take the test as early as you would like. Your answers need to be turned in, emailed or postmarked by the due you chose at the beginning of the course.

This syllabus and any later email communication from the instructor supersede whatever information you may find at the general ASLU website.

Make ups and backups:
Since this class is offered via the web and you can submit your assignments via email--late submissions of quizzes and assignments may receive zero credit. This is not punishment. It is simply a grading issue. Excellent students plan ahead, get organized, keep track of assignments, and turn things in on time (or early). Poor students wait until the last minute, miss deadlines and then make excuses and ask for leniency. Excellent students get "A's." Poor students get "D's" and "F's."

Prepare ahead of time to have backup internet access in case your regular computer crashes. If your computer is prone to crashing, save your work often and submit it early. Dead computers are not an excuse for late work. If you are in doubt as to whether your email has gone through, send a separate email with the subject line

Keep a backup copy of all submissions until the end of the course and your grade has been received.

Holidays: All federal and state holidays will be observed. Any assignments due on a holiday may be turned in the next business day with no late penalty.

Lesson	Quiz Location	Numbers	Quiz #	Date Due	Your Score
Lesson 1	ASL 101 CD	Numbers 1-48.	Quiz 1
Lesson 2	ASL 101 CD	Numbers 49-113	Quiz 2
Lesson 3	ASL 101 CD	Numbers 114--172	Quiz 3
Lesson 4	ASL 101 CD	Numbers 173-232	Quiz 4
Lesson 5	ASL 101 CD	Numbers 233-321	Quiz 5
Lesson 6	ASL 102 CD	Numbers 1-58	Quiz 6
Lesson 7	ASL 102 CD	Numbers 59-100	Quiz 7
Lesson 8	ASL 102 CD	Numbers 101-144	Quiz 8
Lesson 9	ASL 102 CD	Numbers 145-198	Quiz 9
Lesson 10	ASL 102 CD	Numbers 199--250	Quiz 10
Lesson 11	ASL 103 CD	Numbers 1-51	Quiz 11
Lesson 12	ASL 103 CD	Numbers 51-102	Quiz 12
Lesson 13	ASL 103 CD	Numbers 103-149	Quiz 13
Lesson 14	ASL 103 CD	Numbers 150-193	Quiz 14
Lesson 15	ASL 103 CD	Numbers 194-250	Quiz 15
Lesson 16	ASL 104 CD	Numbers 1-53	Quiz 16
Lesson 17	ASL 104 CD	Numbers 54-99	Quiz 17
Lesson 18	ASL 104 CD	Numbers 100-149	Quiz 18
Lesson 19	ASL 104 CD	Numbers 150-194	Quiz 19
Lesson 20	ASL 104 CD	Numbers 195-242	Quiz 20
Lesson 21	ASL 105 CD	Numbers 1-55	Quiz 21
Lesson 22	ASL 105 CD	Numbers 56-107	Quiz 22
Lesson 23	ASL 105 CD	Numbers 108-152	Quiz 23
Lesson 24	ASL 105 CD	Numbers 153-202	Quiz 24
Lesson 25	ASL 105 CD	Numbers 203-247	Quiz 25
			Paper
			Expressive Final Video
			Receptive Final
			Total

Course Info	Instructor Info
Course description: An introduction to American Sign Language. Topics include: basic vocabulary, grammar, history, fingerspelling, numbers, terminology, and Deaf culture.	Instructor: Dr. William G. Vicars Ed.D.in Deaf Education, ASLTA certified email: BillVicars@aol.com homepage: www.lifeprint.com