Why this particular text? In some academic areas the instructor has a plethora of texts to select from; in folklore there are few comprehensive texts available, and a quick search would reveal that the Brunvand text is used in the majority of American folklore courses. Further, having looked over all alternate texts, I believe it is the best text available--it is clearly organized, contains excellent bibliographic resource information, and is quite comprehensive. Still, it is a college textbook and subsequently requires a certain level of commitment and attention from the reader.While I find the text rich and entertaining, some beginning folklore students might find it dry and overwhelming. If you have trouble with the text, try skimming the chapter first (simply look for the main topic areas and see how they relate to each other). When reading the chapter for retention, attempt to separate what is important to remember from what is only offered as example. Try to achieve a general understanding of the "big picture," and don't get lost in the minutiae. As a general guideline, don't try to read any textbook in bed! Lastly, those of you who do enjoy the text and wish to read more by Jan Harold Brunvand, there is much to pick from. If interested in urban legends, pick up his Encylopedia of Urban Legends, Too Good To Be True, or The Vanishing Hitchhiker. For other areas of folklore, try his Readings in American Folklore or the American Folklore: An Encyclopedia (he edited this "must have" reference work).
How does the folklore class on the Internet compare with the folklore class taught in the traditional way? I personally enjoy the direct interaction with students that a traditional course offers, but I also recognize the need for another type of course--a class that appeals to people who, for whatever reason, can't attend a regularly scheduled class. I have attempted to keep the same academic rigor and cover the same information in both courses. I do realize, however, that a class on the Internet requires more effort from both the student and instructor. Students should expect to spend at about 9 hours a week on the course assignments. Many distance education courses, including Internet courses, have a dismal student success rate; I am aware of the reasons for this problem, and I have attempted to combat it. You will be given good examples of each major assignment, graded work will be returned quickly, and I will be available via e-mail, phone, or snail mail on a regular basis to answer any questions you might have. In spite of my effort, the success of the class will depend on the level of commitment the students bring to the folklore discussion board and the class as a whole. Any student wishing to succeed must be willing to work on their own, seek help when needed, complete assignments on time, and participate in creating a "classroom" on the net.
How will my collection sheets and course project be graded? They will be graded according to the criteria mentioned in the syllabus/first day handout and student example areas. The student examples all received good grades, so do take the time to look them over. I will evaluate your work as soon as possible, and you will be have access to the scores via the online grade option.
How will my "homefun" sheets be graded? The grade for the homefun sheets will depend on the following: Did you answer each question? Is the answer clear and complete? If you can’t answer the question, did you indicate why you can’t answer it? For example, if the homefun sheet asks you to locate a ghost story, and you cannot do so after making a reasonable attempt (checking Brunvand, the Internet, and a few friends) I will be sympathetic. If you don’t understand a particular question, check the Brunvand text first. Next, post a question to the "Student Lounge" conference area. If your answer is not quick in coming, or you need a faster response, e-mail or phone me. You will be have access to the scores via the online grade option.
How do I fill out and return a homefun sheet? The following method should work for most people. After locating the particular homefun sheet in your Internet browser, save the sheet to your hard drive by clicking on the "file" option and selecting "save as…" Save the document as a text file in a directory you will be able to locate later. You might even consider creating a directory called "folklore" to keep all your work in. Anyway, after saving the document as a text file, you will be able to retrieve it in any word processor. Exit your Internet browser and open the text file in your word processor of choice. After answering all the questions, doing a spell check, and checking the sheet over (can be done over a period of days), copy the information to the word processor clipboard (this usually requires you to highlight the text and select the "copy" option under the "Edit" menu. Next, open whatever e-mail program you use. Type me a short note indicating what assignment has been completed, paste the clipboard text into the body of the e-mail, and send it to me.
Why do we need to post the collection sheets to the Discussion Board? While I believe the collection sheet process is generally most rewarding to the collector, I also believe that students benefit from sharing their work with other students. Posting the collection sheets to the discussion board will allow you to attach graphics or sounds, show your work to your peers, learn from the work of other students, and give and receive comments.
Why do you want us to copy the homefun sheets and project papers to the clipboard and paste them in the body of an email? This is the easiest method to transfer files between different computers. Although it does limit creativity, it does allow for people using a variety of word processors and computer platforms to send information back and forth in a generally acceptable fashion. Students use a variety of word processors, have varying computer skill levels, and any other method has resulted in mountains of problems.
I find using the copy and paste too limiting for my creativity; Can I send my assignments in another format? Yes, but you must have some basic understanding of file formats. As this is not a computer class, I can’t be responsible for instruction on all aspects of computer message formats. In other words, if you are knowledgeable, it is possible for you to send assignments to me as an HTML document I can view in my browser (great if you have pictures or sound). I am willing to be as flexible as possible, at least at the start of the class. If you do wish to try any other method than copy and paste, please communicate to me the specific method you are considering using before you try it.
Will there be any quizzes or tests? Although the majority of your points will come from your written work, there will be weekly quizzes, a quiz over the first 8 weeks, and a quiz over the entire semester. There is also a final exam. The quizzes will be true/false or multiple choice and be mainly from the weekly reading assignments (a few questions will come from the links on the weekly pages). Quizzes should be quite easy after you have done the reading and visited the links. The final exam will be a "take home" essay final, and you will have ample time to complete it. The exam will be structured to measure the breadth and depth of your folklore knowledge. It should be relatively easy for those who have kept up with their reading, homefun sheets, and visited the linked Internet sites.
Do I have to do all the homefun sheets? Although filling out all the weekly homefun sheets will help you understand folklore better, as well as prepare you for the final exam, you are only required to turn in the homefun sheet on Proverbs and either the homefun on Fairy Tales or Humor..
Can I do any extra credit work? No.
Why do we have to turn in papers by specific deadlines? Why not just have everything due by the last day? Having taught for a number of years, I am aware that while some freedom is conducive to creativity and the fostering of responsibility, I also know that it is too easy for many students to put assignments off until it is too late—a major reason why distance education has such a high failure rate. I have attempted to walk a middle road. Assignment due dates will be spaced throughout the semester so that even students with hectic schedules should, through use of some time management, have little problem in completing assignments when due. Specific assignment due dates will be listed on the weekly schedule. Writing these important dates on a study calendar during the first week of class should also help you manage time and avoid any surprises.
There are lots of links to other sites; am I expected to study all the material on each linked site? No. Still, I do expect you to visit each linked site, explore the site, and at least attempt to discover why I linked our page to it. For example, the link to the "Ebonics debate" in week 2 is not there to convince you to adopt a particular position, though the author certainly expresses one. I have linked to this interesting essay because I want you to see how complex and emotive our attitudes can be when discussing dialect--one small part of folklore research. As you read the article you will also have to begin a critical thinking process as you develop your own definitions of dialect and language. Perhaps most importantly, what makes the Internet so worthwhile as a method of instruction is that it offers the capability of nonlinear instruction. If you visit a site on Cinderella, you might well discover other links which might catch your attention, i.e., a link that discusses the Cinderella theme in King Lear, or a link that offers an article on the anti-Cinderella theme in the latest movie. Please explore the links as much as you can, bookmark and share with others (via the discussion board) any links you find worthy, and consider taking brief notes as you travel on the Internet.
Why do some sections of the folklore pages look strange on my browser, and some links and e-mail seem to work in an unusual manner? This is likely to be caused by your browser. If your browser is quite old, and in Internet time that is about 1 year, it might not be able to support the new scripting and HTML tags you are going to find all over the Internet. The solution is to upgrade. Netscape and Internet Explorer allow for free downloads and use of their latest browser; On the other hand, if you know nothing about downloading and installing software, you should consider asking a friend for assistance before attempting any changes to your system. You also might wonder why the Folklore site is a bit "plain" overall. Rather than sacrifice access or create more confusion than absolutely necessary, I have deliberately limited my creative use of forms, image maps, and glitz. To assist those with limited visual ability, I have kept the font size reasonable, set the resolution at 640x480, and included alternate text for all images.
Does the the Internet Folklore class allow me to automatically use the COS Computer Lab/Writing Lab? Yes, because this course has a "support hour," you may use the COS Computer Lab or the COS Writing Lab to complete assignments for this course. You can get assistance with email, writing assignments, and the computers in the labs should be considered as a backup when your own computer isn't available.
