Welcome

We are pleased that you selected this self-paced course to fulfill your unique educational needs. You are now a member of Mizzou Online’s large and diverse student body—a student body that comes from all parts of the United States and many parts of the world.

Although the freedom to choose when and where to study is a privilege, it is also a responsibility that requires motivation and self-discipline. To succeed at self-paced study, you will need to develop a study plan by setting realistic goals and working toward them. The following paragraphs highlight important course completion information.

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About the Course

This course is a review of the history of literacy instruction with particular emphasis on past theories and developments and their implications for today’s classroom teachers; the evolution of these reading practices and ideas across time through the use of primary texts.

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Materials/Textbooks

Required Textbooks

Readings in Reading Instruction: Its History, Theory, and Development. Richard D. Robinson. Pearson, 2005.

External Websites

Throughout this course, you will find links to useful websites. These links will include guided instruction on how each link can be used—whether as a supplemental resource, a place to go for practice, or for reference on course assignments.

Broken or incorrect links. We check for broken links regularly, but let our support staff know if you find one and we will get it fixed right away.

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Lessons

This course is composed of ten lessons. Each lesson contains the following sections:

• the purpose, which states the author’s aim in designing the lesson;

• the objectives, which list the specific kinds of knowledge students should gain from the lesson;

• the reading assignment, which specifies what pages you must read for the lesson;

• the commentary, which consists of the author’s discussion of the important topics covered by the lesson and may offer some additional information concerning the topics covered in the text(s); and

• study questions, which will help you prepare for the progress evaluations and exams.

Note: You must submit all assigned work in sequence (Lesson 1, then Lesson 2, etc.), and you cannot submit more than three (3) assignments in a 7-day period.

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Technical Specifications

Hardware Recommendations: PC

• Pentium 75 processor
• 20 MB RAM
• Hard disk drive with 70 MB free space
• SVGA monitor
• 56k modem

Hardware Recommendations: Macintosh

• Macintosh Power PC Processor
• 20 MB RAM
• System 7.5.3
• Hard disk drive with 70 MB free space
• SVGA monitor
• 56k modem

Please note that WWW browser performance will be enhanced if your system exceeds these recommendations.

Software Requirements

You will need a Web browser that supports graphics and JavaScript (Netscape Communicator/Navigator 4.0 or higher or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher). Your browser should also accept cookies, which are used solely to verify your login.

An active e-mail account is also required for instructor-evaluated courses. Some courses may require software for playing or recording audio or video, reading documents in PDF, etc.

It is suggested that you have virus protection software on your system. Symantec AntiVirus or Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit are recommended for PC users and Disinfectant is recommended for Mac users. Virus protection software will help to protect your system (and ours) against computer viruses. MU students can download virus protection software at http://doit.missouri.edu/software/anti-virus.html.

College/University Students: Check with your on-campus computing services office about access to the Internet/WWW. Many colleges and universities offer students e-mail accounts and software as well as Web access. (MU students should check with the Division of Information Technology.)

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Students with Disabilities

If you anticipate barriers related to the format or requirements of this course, please let the student services staff at Mizzou Online know as soon as possible.

If disability related accommodations are necessary (for example, a note taker, extended time on exams, captioning), please register with the Office of Disability Services, S5 Memorial Union, 573-882-4696. For other resources for students with disabilities, visit the Disability Resources site from the MU Chancellor.

To receive testing accommodations for this course, you must provide a memo of accommodation, issued from the MU Office of Disability Services, to Mizzou Online Student Services prior to requesting exams.

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Begin Work on the Course

Starting with the first lesson, study the lesson’s purpose, objectives, and commentary. Then complete the reading assignment and any recommended study activities. Take notes and make sure you understand all the material presented in the readings. Follow this procedure for each lesson. Complete progress evaluations and exams in the order they are presented in this course.

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Make a Plan to Accomplish Your Goals

Use the number of lessons, progress evaluations, and exams to create a schedule that will help you stay on track. You will have nine months to complete this course. As you complete the course, check your schedule often to make sure you’re on track to accomplish your goal.

The following forms are PDF files and require Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Note: Adobe Acrobat 7 is the latest version of Acrobat Reader. If you receive an error message from the link listed below, you may need to upgrade to a newer version of Acrobat Reader.

University Independent Study Planning Sheet (Acrobat 5.0)

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Grades

Your final grade will be based on the number of points you earn in the course. The total points available are listed below:

Progress Evaluations:	300	Points
Midterm Examination:	100	Points
Final Examination:	100	Points
Total:	500	Points

After completing the course, you will receive a grade report that gives your final exam score and your letter grade for the course. Mizzou Online will not mail your grade report until all outstanding balances have been paid.

Academic integrity. You are expected to follow Mizzou Online guidelines for academic integrity and freedom. Please review your academic rights and responsibilities.