Intro

Welcome! Within a landscape, features such as segmental pavement, fences, retaining walls, decks, water features and landscape lighting are all referred to as hardscapes. These permanent installations enhance the property and should be considered a long term investment. LSGR 306 provides you with information regarding the application of fences, decks, retaining walls, and landscape lighting, selection of materials and the basic theory behind the procedures to follow during their construction. Upon completion of this course, you will have gained knowledge around the what, where, why and how of building selected hardscapes. You will also have become familiar with a range of online resources that support undertaking a range of landscape construction projects. Course Welcome and Schedule Welcome to LSGR 302A – Landscape Construction II This document will provide information to assist you throughout the course; please read the information carefully, as it may answer many of your questions about the course and its delivery, organization and content. As the class begins, also review the information provided in Moodle to become familiar with how the course is organized in the online environment. LSGR 306 is designed to help you learn the theory behind the construction of common components of residential and commercial landscapes. You will learn about the use of water features and low voltage lighting. You will be also be introduced to the selection of construction materials, and the installation and care procedures for these hard landscape features. While this course requires a great deal of independent work, I am here to help you. If you want to email, twarke@oldscollege.ca, I will be checking my email daily as well. You are also encouraged pose questions and discuss content with fellow students through the “Raise your Hand” discussion forums. These general discussion forums are optional; please post any questions about the course content in the corresponding forum as required. General Course Information When you are on the main course page, you will see two Moodle books in the Introductory Information section: “Read Me First – Introduction to the Course” and “Olds College Student Support & Policies”. These books contain: this Course Welcome document, general course information (with a link to the course outline), a course schedule, student roles and responsibilities in this course, your instructor’s bio, contact information, and responsibilities in this course, links to Olds College Student Services and online Moodle support, links to Olds College policies and administrative information, and a discussion forum where you can introduce yourself and post any general questions about the course. Course Materials You will be provided with modules, videos and links to other resources. These are required readings/viewings. If a link is broken and does not direct you to the appropriate site, please contact your instructor with this information. Course Organization Please look at the Course Schedule to see how the course has been organized over the next 2 weeks. Also, ensure that your e-mail address within Moodle is correct and up to date, as this is how your instructor will share additional information and any changes in schedule with you. Going to the Settings block on the main course page, and clicking on “Edit profile “under” My profile settings, can update your email. The course is set up with module topics, learning activities and assignments that are numbered, starting with A1 Water. You will see that each landscape feature in the course has its own section (e.g. Section A- deals with Water Features, Section B- Lighting, Section C- , etc.). The Course Schedule provides you with a recommended guide regarding which modules and review quizzes you are to work through each week. You are welcome to go at your own pace as long as you meet the assignment deadlines (you can work ahead, you just cannot get behind). Course Activities The marks for this course are earned through assignments, review quizzes and a final exam. Please review the Course Outline for the categories and mark distribution used for evaluation purposes. Note that the Review Quizzes are combined in the Assignment Category on the course outline. See the Course Schedule for the breakdown of marks between these two sections. The review questions after each module will help you test your knowledge and prepare you to demonstrate your learning in the assignments and final exam. The reviews are timed and you will be given instructions on how to access them. Their questions are either multiple choice or True/False, and will be scored in Moodle, showing you where you may have chosen an incorrect answer. You will have the opportunity to retake each quiz once, and your highest score will be recorded toward your final grade. Note: All Moodle quizzes containing only Multiple Choice and/or True & False will provide you with automatic and immediate feedback and grade upon completion of the quiz. Any Moodle quiz that has Long Answer Questions will be returned to you with feedback and grade within 5 days of completion. The course assignments are a combination of short answer and calculation questions. There are also enquiry questions, which require that you research and report back on something related to the overall topic of that section (e.g. decks, fences). The assignments will be completed and submitted in Moodle. Assignments will be graded by the instructor, who will strive to have them marked and back to you within a week of the due date (approximately). The comprehensive final exam is online and is timed. It will be formatted with a combination of multiple choice, calculation and short answer questions. Please see the Final Exam Introduction page for more details. Success Tips Feel free to contact your instructor if you have any questions regarding the course content, schedule, activities or organization. Our goal is to help you succeed in the course. Some students mistakenly think that an online course takes less time than attending a live face-to-face course. This is not the case. Online courses require self-discipline and dedication to the course work in order to successfully complete them. Please recruit support from your employer and family so they too are aware of the commitment you have made to your continuing education and personal development. To check out your understanding of what it takes to be a successful online learner, please review the resources and tips in the eLearning Café. The eLearning Café is available by clicking on the “Olds College Student Supports & Policies” link on the main page of this course. It can also be accessed on the Moodle home page, in the “Student Support” section on the left hand side of the screen. Online students find it useful to check into the course daily for smaller amounts of time to read announcements or new discussion posts, and then dedicate large chunks of time on days off (or evenings) to complete the larger learning activities. Where Do I Start? Participate in the “Welcome to the Course - Introductory Discussion Forum”. Begin module A1-Water.