WSU Coug logo with text: STEM Exemplar Course

Welcome to the STEM Exemplar Course

Instructor Introduction Navigating The Course

Overview

Welcome to this sample STEM course online!

The overall goal of this course is to showcase some of the ways in which science can be taught and learned in an online environment. The course focuses on biology, but many of the kinds of activities and assessments in this course are the kinds of things you might see in any STEM course offered through WSU’s Global Campus.

This sample course only includes detailed activities for the first unit, which would take students through the first midterm exam. The topics included were selected to present a sample of things you might cover in an introductory biology course, and to give you a chance to experience something of an online science course. The remaining units are not active in this course, though they are outlined; this gives some sense of how a semester-long online biology class might be laid out, and what kind of workload and time commitment may be associated with it.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) are established and must be clearly communicated for every Global Campus course. In this exemplar course, the SLOs below relate to the outcomes we hope for as you explore what it might be like to take an online STEM course through WSU's Global Campus. On the syllabus, you will notice that the SLOs are different, as they are meant to provide an example of the types of outcomes that you might see in an actual online biology class here at WSU.

By the end of the exemplar class students will be able to:

successfully navigate the online course space
participate in discussions and respond to classmates' posts
complete quizzes and exams in Canvas
complete and submit a variety of assignments in Canvas, including biology laboratory investigations
determine the course expectations and requirements
contact and interact with your instructor
succeed in an online course at WSU

First Timers
Tips for Success
Your Next Step

Activate your official WSU email account if you haven’t already done so.
Make sure your computer meets the minimum technical requirements.
New to Canvas? Visit the Canvas Student Guide.
Review the Tips for Success tab on this page.
Please note that some of your reading assignments may include articles and/or book chapters placed on eReserves, or articles that you must locate in the WSU Libraries eJournal data base.
To increase the font size of Canvas use the zoom feature within your web browser. Most web browsers support using Ctrl + (Windows) or Cmd + (Macs) to increase the font size. Alternatively, you may follow the instructions specific to your web browser, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

EXPLORE the course space:

Read the Syllabus thoroughly.
Note the required materials and make sure you acquire what you need as soon as possible.
Familiarize yourself with the Course Schedule and create a study plan. Check out the Canvas tools that can assist you with this, e.g. the Calendar, Syllabus, Announcements, etc.
Select the Help icon on the left-hand side to view support resources from Canvas and WSU.
ACCESS the course space early and often.
MANAGE your time: Create a detailed timeline or outline of all required activities to make sure that deadlines are met (see Course Schedule).
- Be proactive. Get started on assignments early. You never know when life might get in the way, including technology problems.
COMMUNICATE: Use Discussions to communicate with your instructor, fellow classmate. You are not alone in this class—reach out for assistance when you need it!

Review the Syllabus.
View the Course Schedule
Get started on your course by selecting Modules on the left-hand navigation.