Caribbean Theatre Orientation Page

Spring Semester 2008

Thanks for your interest in taking the online Caribbean Theatre course, THE 4434 section 141, reference number 13644, offered during Spring Semester 2008 through the University of South Florida as a distance learning option. This note contains information about registration and orientation. It may help to answer some of your questions about the course, including how assignments are completed, how the course works and an overview of what we will cover during the semester. I will have an on-campus orientation for distance learning students who are local residents. Of course, students who are not residents of Florida are not expected to attend the orientation. Attendance at the orientation sessions is not mandatory, but it seems to help most students. We will try to arrange a video conference for students at remote locations if necessary. Otherwise you will have to work through it as we proceed with the course and I will try to answer your questions via e-mail. Caribbean Theatre meets the University of South Florida's Liberal Arts Exit Requirements.

Perhaps you have taken an online course before, or you may be apprehensive about what is required. As the instructor, I would like you to know that many students were nervous at first, but pleasantly surprised with the results at the end of the semester. It is a good way to sharpen your computer skills and writing techniques while broadening your knowledge of theatre and popular forms such as Carnival and Calypso in the West Indies, which for some of you might be a strange and wonderful new subject but for others it may be very familiar, especially if you have performed in shows or enjoy theatre and film, or live in the region.

If you have any questions about tuition or enrollment, or if you would like to register, you may do so online through the web addresses listed below or by telephone.

For questions about registration, you may contact Merry Lynn Morris, CVPA Theatre advisor in Tampa, at: mmorris@arts.usf.edu. Her telephone number is: 974-1739.

At this time there isn't a formal orientation session for Caribbean Theatre. I will answer all questions through Blackboard.

Please note that you may always make an appointment to see me in my office throughout the semester. All of the work is assigned and completed online (in addition to the readings which you will do on your own as you do for an on-campus course). There are videotapes for viewing, and we will make those tapes available to you at your local campus, or the distance learning office will mail them to you in time for your assignments.

The books will be available in the Tampa bookstore. For "students at a distance," you may check prices and order the required textbooks and plays online at our textbook link, or you may find the material on electronic reserve. There is a customized "Reader" for the course with plays and essays. It will be available at Pro-Copy on Fowler Avenue in Tampa. The plays and essays in the Reader are available through e-Reserve for registered distance learning students. Please be sure to select THE 4434 on e-Reserve.

There are two websites with different passwords for this course:

1.) Connected Courseware
HETS-LAAP students will receive group logon id and passwords for the course content on this site once you register for the course. Others have two options for access to this course material. You may register for access to these course pages using your own selected logon id and password by completing the sign-up which costs $21 for the spring semester. Another option is to purchase the CD-ROM for the course which will be available in the Tampa bookstore and through postal delivery for approximately $15. The accuracy of the links on the CD-ROM may go "stale" during the semester, hence the higher price for the web access to course content since the links are validated weekly. The CD-ROM and web pages contain important material used in your assignments. This is where you’ll find most of the content for the Caribbean Theatre course, including notes, pictures, hyperlinks to relevant sites, study questions for each play and reading assignments. There are also resources for research papers including virtual library resources and search tools. Here is the link for research paper guidelines.

2.) Blackboard (MyUSF)
Before you go to this site you must be registered for the class. To see if you are "officially" registered through the University of South Florida, you must obtain a NetID by going to this address: https://una.acomp.usf.edu, then you may log into the
portal by going to https://my.usf.edu and clicking on the link to Caribbean Theatre.

The Blackboard site has announcements, reading assignments and other documents. This is where you will find announcements, and grade reports. You will participate in discussion forums on specific topics at this site. Since this course is offered under both on-campus and online options, distance learning students will find more pertinent information on the Blackboard site pertaining to the course. You will receive regular reading and website assignments in advance. I will keep you informed primarily through announcements on Blackboard and e-mail. You must contact me to in advance to give me your e-mail address.

There are four quizzes you will take on Blackboard, two group projects and a research paper, but I'm leaning towards more group discussion and online project reports with minimal quizzes. You do most of the work as you would for a campus class (e.g. assigned readings), but you will have web-based assignments as well including pictures, websites and notes to study. Exams are "open book, open notes," taken at your home computer workstation. Towards the end of the semester, you will complete the group projects using the tools on Blackboard, such as private group discussion and virtual chat. I will select members for each group based on performance on the four exams so that each group has a wide range of student ability and level of achievement. Guidelines for the research paper are on the course website and CD-ROM, available at the bookstore during the first week of the semester. I'll provide more details at the orientation session and will answer any questions you send to me directly via e-mail. Please check for announcements on Blackboard at least twice a week during the semester. I will give you plenty of time to complete assignments, and provide advance notice of due dates for assignments and quizzes.

Thank you for your participation.

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