|
|
| AMS Ocean Studies Course Information |
| Return to Course Information Site | Contact Us |
|
 |
We have compiled several common questions about offering the AMS Ocean Studies course and have posted their answers below. Should your question not be answered in this listing, please:
Question Topics
|
|||||||||||
Gaining Approval to Offer the CourseQ. I am a professor who would like to offer the course, but getting a new course approved is very difficult and time consuming. Do you have any advice? A. There might
already be a course in your college catalog, such as “Introduction to
Oceanography" or "Oceans and Climate” which could serve as a
home for AMS Ocean Studies. The course can be offered with a title other
than AMS Ocean Studies. Remember that AMS Ocean Studies is a very
versatile offering which may be easily adapted to many course descriptions and
situations. Be sure to check lists of infrequently offered or banked/archived
courses. Also, look into courses offered by other disciplines, which could be
cross-listed with your own. In some cases, the course is offered as a
“special topics” or “directed reading course.” Q. I will have to submit a detailed proposal to the curriculum committee to get the course approved. Can I get a syllabus for the course? A. Because the
course is offered in so many ways and by individual faculty members at many
colleges, AMS does not provide a syllabus for the course. However, a course
schedule and syllabus can easily be constructed from information found on the
Textbook info page, the Investigations Manual info page, and by viewing the
real-time course delivery schedule. Q. Is the course suitable to be offered as a lab science course? A. To offer AMS
Ocean Studies as a lab science course, we suggest you
license the complete course package, which
includes the Textbook, Investigations Manual, and
Course Website. The twice weekly
investigations found in the Investigations Manual plus weekly Current Ocean
Studies investigations on the Course Website are considered by many to be
ideal lab exercises with a mix of hands-on exploration, data analysis, and map
and graph work. These investigations are similar to activites found in many
typical lab manuals except that in the case of AMS Ocean Studies they
are based on current and/or real-world oceanographic information. Offering the
course with additional semester credit hours adds value because there are no
additional licensing fees or book costs. Q. What is the major advantage to incorporating the real-time aspects of the course (in addition to using the Textbook and Investigations Manual)? A. The real-time
aspect has been proven (i.e., in the
AMS Weather Studies course,
on which AMS Ocean Studies is modeled) to heighten student interest and
extend learning by incorporating current oceanographic data with the specific
topic of the lesson. Also, the Weekly Ocean News will be available each week
when the course is offered and current ocean data, graphics, and satellite
imagery are continously available from the Course Website, offering the ability
to fashion additional exercises. Faculty BackgroundQ. What kind of background does the instructor need to offer the course? A. Specific
qualifications needed for offering the course will depend on the course design
and the departmental and curricular policies in effect at your institution. The
course can be offered by instructors with a broad range of backgrounds. The
design of the course and accompanying Faculty Manual (on the CD) allow the
course to be successfully implemented by instructors with little formal
training in oceanography. The course can be offered in a variety of departments
including: oceanography, meteorology, mathematics, physical science, physics,
biology, geography and earth science. In some cases, the course may be offered
as part of a career degree program, such as teacher education, geotechnologies,
and natural resources. Q. If I do not have a lot of formal training in oceanography, will I feel comfortable offering the course? A. The course
materials are presented in such a way that an instructor in most science and
mathematics departments should have no difficulty offering the course. The
AMS Ocean Studies complete course package includes everything needed for
your success. While one might wish to add supplementary materials in some
situations, the course (as packaged) is a robust introduction to oceanography.
Collegial assistance will be available from faculty members who have already
offered AMS Ocean Studies and AMS science educators will answer
questions on all aspects of course delivery and content. A Faculty Website and
a comprehensive Faculty Resource CD will provide answer keys to investigations,
a large test-question bank, and suggestions for offering the course in various
ways. Q. How much mathematics is needed for the course? A. While oceanography is a quantitative science, this introductory course does not require extensive preparation beyond basic algebra. Q. If I offer this course as a distance education course over the web, how will I give exams and communicate with my students? A. Making this
course a totally online experience for students depends on local institutional
needs and technical capabilities. Most institutions have an Office of
Information Technology, Distance Education, or Continuing Education department,
which provides assistance with these kinds of issues. They may also assist you
in developing your own course management website for administering the course.
Modern technology allows a wide range of distance education implementations. In
most cases, though, the course will successfully be delivered via the
accompanying Course Website and the use of phone, fax, or e-mail for
communication with students. Course Management SystemsQ. Can AMS Ocean Studies be administered using course management systems such as Blackboard and WebCT? A. Many colleges
offer the course using Blackboard, WebCT, or other course management systems.
These systems are used in traditional lecture/laboratory and distance learning
offerings. AMS recommends you check with your college administration to see if
this is a requirement. For colleges using course management
systems, we provide all textbook chapter, Investigations Manual, Current
Ocean Studies, and test bank questions as files compatible with
Respondus, test generation software for
which your institution may have a license. Respondus opens formatted files and
converts them to various course management system files. Q. My college requires that I use a course management system and I have no experience with such a program. Where should I go for assistance? A. First, contact
your Office of Information Technology, Distance Education, or Continuing
Education. This office will typically help you set up your course management
system and website. Please contact AMS if you would like to speak with other
AMS Ocean Studies faculty members using the same course management
system. Quality and Integrity IssuesQ. This is an innovative delivery method. How successful has it been? A. AMS Ocean Studies content is based on that of the highly successful AMS DataStreme Ocean graduate-level K-12 teacher enhancement course which has been offered since Fall 2003. Virtually all of the AMS Ocean Studies components have been used and tested as a part of this prior program. AMS Ocean Studies has benefited from the feedback AMS has received from the teachers who have completed the DataStreme Ocean course and the more formal assessments that have been undertaken to evaluate it for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which funded DataStreme Ocean through the Cooperative Program for Earth System Education (CPESE). The AMS Ocean Studies course structure is modeled after the AMS
Weather Studies course, which has been implemented since Fall 1999 by over
400 institutions. AMS Ocean Studies has been implemented at over 140
institutions. Q. Can we count on the quality and integrity of this course? A. The course
itself bears the seal of a distinguished professional scientific society which
has been in existence since 1919. The AMS Education Program has delivered
quality educational programs in meteorology and oceanography in partnerships
with the National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. National Weather Service, SUNY
College at Brockport, the United States Naval Academy, the Office of Naval
Research, the Naval Meteorological and Oceanographic Command, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Environmental Satellite,
Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), as well as the National Ocean Service.
AMS Ocean Studies was developed in cooperation with the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In addition, several national experts in
education and oceanography have contributed to the development of this course
insuring its scientific integrity. Textbook IssuesQ. How may I order an evaluation copy of the textbook (and Investigations Manual)? A. If you are interested in using the Ocean Studies Textbook (or Textbook and Investigations Manual) in a current or future course offering, you may request an examination copy. If you would like to order the book for personal use, please visit the AMS Online Store and select "AMS Undergraduate Studies." Q. How will textbooks and other course materials be handled? A. AMS Ocean Studies course materials will be sold by college or local bookstores in the same way that college texts are usually sold. Institutions licensing the full course typically have their bookstores order the AMS Ocean Studies Student Package, but may also purchase the textbook and Investigations Manual/globe separately. Institutions choosing the text-only option may purchase the Ocean Studies textbook without a course license. Q. What specific information do I need to provide the bookstore? A. To order the AMS Ocean Studies Textbook, Investigations Manual (2011-2012 and Summer 2012 version), and globe, please use the information below. Summer 2011 orders, click here.
To order the Ocean Studies Textbook:
To order the AMS Ocean Studies Investigations Manual & globe:
Q. How do bookstores place an order? A. Bookstores should send a purchase order to us by mail or fax. AMS Weather, Ocean & Climate Studies Bookstores are encouraged to call 202-737-1043 if there are any further
questions. Course Licensing Fee and CostsQ. How much does it cost to license AMS Ocean Studies? A. The Course License is only $149 and extends from August 15th to August 14th the following year. This is a flat fee and allows the licensee to offer the course in an unlimited number of course sections throughout the year. Visit the License Procedure page for details. Q I am a professor who would like to offer the course but I don’t know where I would get the licensing fee? Who pays for the course? A. Most
departments can cover the licensing cost as a petty cash expenditure.
Additionally, you might talk to your Office of Distance or Continuing Education
about their potential offer to assist in providing funding for this course.
Also, check with your academic vice president, dean, business or budget office
to see if there is a budget category to cover these types of costs. Inquire
about how other courses your institution is offering which have license fees
(Oceanus, Planet Earth, The Earth Revealed are just a few possible examples)
manage these cost arrangements. Q. Can students be assessed a special fee to cover the costs of the course? A. Covering the cost of the license fees for the course is a local matter that has to be determined by your institution. Q. Can the course be licensed for use by schools using a quarter system or for an intersession or a summer session? A. AMS Ocean
Studies can be offered at any time by using the Textbook and Investigations
Manual, which are designed to function together as a complete course. (Colleges
offering the course during fall and spring semesters are strongly encouraged to
incorporate Current Ocean Studies investigations available on the course
website. Q. Can one license be used on multiple campuses? A. Generally, the answer is no. One license covers the course being offered as many times during the licensed period as wanted on the campus that purchased the license. Offering the course through one instructor on one campus that has enrollment open to other campuses requires only one license. Offering the course on different campuses through different instructors requires additional licenses. For further clarification, please contact us. |
|||||||||||||
| Return to Course Information Site | AMS Weather Studies Course | Contact Us |
| AMS Climate Studies Course |
|
|
 |
Updated: