Syllabus

Welcome to PathwayConnect

 Purposes of PathwayConnect

• Help students get the gospel down into their hearts.
• Help students become capable learners.
• Prepare students to lead and support families.

Course Overview

We are excited to have you as a student in this course and in the PathwayConnect Program! GS 120 is the first course in the PathwayConnect Program and introduces you to BYU-Idaho online courses. Whether or not you’ve had previous college experience, this program will provide a pathway to furthering your education, no matter what you decide to do next.

For this course, your Institute or church building will act as the gathering location every Thursday throughout the semester. Each week, you will be asked to do some preparatory coursework online, and then come to the gathering ready to participate in other activities with your classmates. After learning from and teaching each other, you will need to finish some final assignments by the end of each week. Remember that in addition to the GS 120 Life Skills course, you should also be enrolled in a religion class through your Institute or through BYU-Idaho.

This course is designed to engage both your mind and your heart. Thus, it is important to prepare both intellectually and spiritually each week. Consistent personal prayer, scripture study, and attention to your covenants will provide a great support to your academic studies. While this is not a religion course, what you study here will help you to grow spiritually. When you are prepared, the Holy Spirit can provide guidance and direction that will make a great difference in your life.

Course Description

The GS 120 course will teach you some basic life skills that can help you be more successful in both your personal life and in your academic studies. For example, during the semester, you will study topics such as how to:

• be a true disciple leader.
• make good decisions.
• set achievable goals.
• manage your time and finances.
• improve your family relationships.

These are just a few of the skills you will learn. Additionally, as you connect these skills with gospel principles, they will become even more powerful to you. As you begin to see how these skills are changing your own life, you’ll have the opportunity to share what you learn with family, friends, and classmates. Become involved with the course; it will be a powerful, transformative experience. So start now; be committed, and get ready to see your life improve!

Course Objectives

This course is designed to help you achieve the following:

1. Become an effective learner.
2. Become self-reliant.
3. Serve your family, church, and community.

Course Materials

You must have consistent access to a computer with a reliable Internet connection in order to be successful in this online course.

All materials are contained within this course; no additional textbooks are required.

Course Architecture

This course will run in 14 one-week lessons. The BYU-Idaho learning model, especially the Teach One Another process step, is integral to each lesson. Your local gathering is also an important component of this course that you will be expected to attend weekly. This course is not an independent study course. There are consistent assignment due dates and accountability reports due each week. Failure to complete assignments and activities by their due date will significantly affect your final grade.

BYU-Idaho online courses are designed for students to spend 3 - 4 hours each week per academic credit. Therefore, you need to devote at least 9 - 12 hours of study time each week to successfully complete this 3-credit course. If you know you will not be able to devote this much time to the class this semester, please consider taking the course at another time when you can make such a commitment.

Teach One Another is a vital part of the BYU-Idaho Learning Model, and are a part of PathwayConnect courses as well. Teaching others what you have learned helps you to understand and remember ideas/concepts/insights much better. Additionally, learning to have your views challenged and improved through the perspective of others is an important way to grow. If you will take advantage of the various opportunities within this course to strengthen several life skills, you will find the insights and skills you acquire will be useful long after you have finished the course.

Lesson Architecture

The lesson material, activities, and assessments in each lesson are organized chronologically and display the progression of the lesson. The “Pre-Gathering” folder contains foundational items and should be completed before moving on to the other lesson folders. The “Gathering Folder” contains information pertinent to the Thursday gathering. The “Post-Gathering Folder” contains lesson conclusion activities.

After you complete the “Pre-Gathering” folder activities, you may move on to the activities in the “Gathering” and “Post-Gathering” folder. Complete the “Pre-Gathering” folder activities before your Gathering. They are due by Wednesday at 11:00 PM Mountain Time (your deadline will vary depending on where you live). Complete the “Post-Gathering” folder activities after attending the gathering. They are Saturday at 11:00 PM Mountain Time. Again, the actual deadline will vary depending on where you live. Due dates are attached to individual assignments within the course.

Lesson Activity Descriptions

Each lesson will open a few days early in order to accommodate students who want more flexibility in their schedule. All activities have the following descriptions and due dates:

Pre-Gathering sub-module

(Due Wednesday at 11:00 PM Mountain Time)

• Lesson Material: Study the videos and readings to learn the lesson material each week.
• Comprehension Quiz: These short comprehension quizzes will test your understanding of the assigned lesson material. They are open-note quizzes, which means you can use your notes and the lesson material as you complete the quiz. Note that you are only allowed to use your personal notes and the lesson material. You may not ask someone else to help you answer the quiz questions.
• Study the lesson material before starting any quiz, review your notes, and then begin the quiz. You are allowed to take Comprehension Quizzes twice. If you choose to take a quiz a second time, the computer will average your scores.
• If you start a quiz and try to exit the quiz or submit it without answering the questions, the computer will record this as your first attempt and give you a score of 0. When you take the quiz a second time, that score will be averaged with the 0 for your final quiz score. Therefore, it is important that you not start the quiz until you are ready to do so.
• Once you start a quiz, you may use your notes to help you answer the questions. After answering all of the questions, submit the quiz to receive your score. If you would like to take the quiz a second time, go back and review the lesson material, and then take the quiz the second time. The computer will record the average of both scores as your final quiz score.
• Discussion Board - Initial Post: After reviewing the lesson material, gather your thoughts and share your initial comments with your online classmates. The discussion board activity is an online conversation that will deepen your understanding and learning experience.

Gathering sub-module

(Attend your local gathering every week.)

• Gathering Preparation: Please read this document before the gathering as this document details the actions you need to complete prior to the gathering.
• Attend the Gathering: Attend the local gathering each week at your Institute or church building, under the direction of your Pathway Missionaries. Your learning experience will be deepened and enhanced by actively participating in each gathering.
• In the rare circumstance that your gathering is cancelled by the missionaries, notify your instructor of the cancellation.
• Attendance Report: This brief report will allow you to report on your gathering attendance. It will become available on the Thursday of the lesson in which it is due. Complete it after you attend the gathering but before the Saturday, 11:00 PM Mountain Time due date.

Post-Gathering sub-module

(Due Saturday, 11:00 PM, Mountain Time)

• Discussion Board - Response Posts: Reply to the comments of three classmates as you further develop meaningful, online conversations that deepen your understanding and learning experience.
• Application Activity: In this important activity, you will be pondering and applying the concepts learned in the lesson.
• Teach a Friend: Each week you will have the opportunity to share your learning with someone outside of the class. Reflecting on what you have learned during the week, you will choose one or two principles and/or skills to teach to another individual. This person may be a family member, co-worker, friend, or anyone else that is not currently enrolled in this course. You are not required to teach the same person each week. By completing this activity you will deepen your own learning of the lesson material as you share your knowledge with a friend. Each week, you will submit a report of who you taught and what you taught, as well as any insights you gained from teaching.
• Learning Report: The Learning Report becomes available to you after the gathering. This brief assignment concludes each lesson and provides the opportunity to report on your discussion board participation, the amount of time you spend in the course and completing the assignments each week, your progress with ongoing projects, and feedback to help improve the course. As in all of your assignments, use proper language as you express your thoughts and complete the report.

Lesson Enhancement sub-module

• Optional Lesson Enhancement: This document provides additional resources for each lesson. It is an optional activity that allows you to further explore each week’s lesson topics.

Courtesy Expectations

As you interact with others in various assignments, please remember to be kind, considerate, and respectful of differing viewpoints. You can differ in opinions (sometimes, the best learning comes when others challenge your thinking) but still be civil and loving. Respect one another’s opinions and avoid using racist, bigoted, homophobic, sexist, or aggressive language in class discussions, writing assignments, or in reporting problems or concerns. Any violation of basic common courtesy - including interaction with peers, the instructor, or others monitoring the course - will negatively impact your grade.

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Grading

Grading Categories: Students are expected to be active learners. This means completing assignments on time, being prepared for the weekly gathering, and actively participating in the course. Your grade will be calculated according to the categories listed below.

GS 120 breakdown - 100 pts per week
Title	Approximate Percentage of Total Grade	Weekly Point Value
Gathering Attendance Total : Approximately 30%
Attendance Report	30%	30 points
Prepare Total: Approximately 20%
Lesson Material and Comprehension Quiz	20%	20 pts
Teach One Another : Approximately 17%
Discussion Board	7%	8 pts
Teach a Friend	10%	12 pts
Ponder/Prove Total: Approximately 33%
Application Activity	23%	20 pts
Learning Report	10%	10 pts

Final Grade Breakdown

A = 94 - 100%; A- = 90 - 93; B+ = 87 - 89; B = 83 - 86; B- = 80 - 82; C+ = 77 - 79; C = 73 - 76;C- = 70 - 72; D+ = 67 - 69; D = 63 - 66; D- = 60 - 62; F = 0 - 59

Note: You need a B average if you choose to matriculate into the BYU-Idaho Online Degree Program.

Attendance Policy

PathwayConnect students are expected to attend all gatherings during the semester in person. Gathering via Skype, phone, or similar means is not permitted. You should plan your schedule accordingly and make any necessary arrangements to attend each Thursday gathering.

If you are traveling and are unable to attend your assigned gathering(s), you may attend another gathering in the place you are visiting and still obtain attendance credit. You are encouraged to attend a gathering with the same course as your own; however, if you do not have that option, you may attend any PathwayConnect gathering. (This does not apply to Institute courses.) Before visiting a site, you should contact the missionaries over the site to notify them of your intended visit. Missionary contact information can be found on the BYU-Pathway Worldwide website or by calling Pathway Support. You should direct any attendance-related questions to your online or Institute instructor.

If you do not attend a gathering, you will miss the opportunity to meet with your peers, engage in important coursework and assist in teaching one another. Missing a gathering will negatively impact your grade, so be sure to attend each gathering and then report your attendance using the Attendance Report located in each lesson. Be aware that attendance can impact grades differently from one PathwayConnect course to another, so please read the course grading section of this syllabus carefully.

If a rare circumstance arises such as a natural disaster, death in the family, medical emergency, the birth of a child, or other serious or unsafe situation that prevents you from attending a gathering, contact your instructor immediately for more information and to discuss your situation.

In very rare instances, your Pathway missionaries may cancel a gathering due to a national holiday, extreme weather, or other unsafe situation. If such a situation occurs

1. DO NOT complete the Attendance Report for the week. Instead, email your instructor to explain the reason for the cancellation. They will "exempt" your grade for this quiz in the gradebook. You MUST email your instructor in order to be excused from the assignment! You will receive 0 points for your attendance until your instructor excuses the report. Your instructor should excuse the report within a few days of receiving your email.
2. Complete all other coursework as normal.
3. If you have any questions regarding the lesson material or assignment due dates, ask your instructor for further assistance.

For more information on the attendance policy, please read the Pathway Handbook, section 5.5. Contact your instructor or Pathway Support if you have questions.

Participation Expectations

The BYU-Idaho Learning Model used in this course is based on the gospel instruction given by the Savior to "teach one another." Not only is it a religious injunction, it will also help you to learn more and remember what you learn longer. Therefore, it is expected that in this course you will interact with others, both teaching and learning together. This applies to your participation in the gathering as well as online activities such as discussion boards. Come early to the gatherings and stay the entire time. Participate fully in the activities and discussions. Complete your discussion board posts in a timely fashion so others can interact with you in meaningful conversations. Doing so will help you do better in the course and allow you to serve your fellow classmates.

Late Work

Turning work in on time is a sign of professionalism and respect for the instructor as well as the other students in the class. Students are expected to submit all work on time. It is good practice to reserve time in your schedule to work on your assignments several days before assignments are due. This time will allow you to appropriately handle interruptions to your schedule (such as unforeseen work or family obligations) or to resolve any technological issues that may arise and still submit your work in a timely manner.

If you have a situation in which you need to submit work later than the due date, contact your instructor for assistance. Your instructor will inform you of your options and the specific consequences of the late work. Due to the interactive nature of discussion board activities, late work will not be accepted on discussion boards. Beginning in Lesson 04, if you choose to submit late work, your instructor will reduce your grade accordingly. To prevent losing points on late assignments, it is best to submit your work early.

Feedback on Assignments

You will receive two types of feedback on the work you do for this course. Some assignments, such as comprehension quizzes, are automatically graded by the system and allow you to know immediately how well you have done. Other assignments, such as Discussion Boards and Application Activities, require an instructor to carefully read and evaluate your responses, which take longer to grade. Remember, your instructor is required to grade not only your assignments, but all of your classmates' work as well. You can expect to receive a grade and any accompanying feedback for these types of assignments within a week of their due dates.

Course Support

If you ever have a question, problem, or concern about the course, you can get help in resolving it in one of two ways. Your instructor will inform you of the method he/she wishes to use:

1. Post any general course questions/problems/concerns, etc. to the Questions and Conversations discussion forum. Using this forum will inform class members, the instructor, and others of the issues you find and allow the proper people to correct them for everyone. Please check this board frequently throughout the semester. If you are experiencing the same problem as another student who has already reported it, you can make an additional post so others know the seriousness of the problem. If you know the answer to a question, please post solutions. Helping to solve your classmates’ problems is another way to teach one another. Additionally, your instructor is monitoring this board and will inform you of fixes and solutions here.
2. You can also contact your instructor through email. If your question or concern is of a personal nature, please contact your instructor through email rather than posting it to a public place such as the Questions and Conversations board. Your instructor will let you know which method your course is using.

Note: Regardless of the method your course uses, you should only email your instructor directly if the problem is of a personal nature or in the way your instructor has indicated he/she would like to be informed of problems. Unless specifically asked to do otherwise, please report any questions, problems, or concerns in one of the two methods above.

If you contact your instructor through email, it could take up to 24 hours to receive a response (excluding Sundays and holidays). Please state your question clearly, include sufficient detail, and allow enough time when communicating with your instructor in an email.

3. If you have been unable to resolve your questions, problems, or concerns you can report a concern by contacting the Pathway Support Center.

Course Helps

Welcome Module

There are many resources available to you in the Welcome module such as computer tutorials and free websites which can help you improve your typing skills. Open the module from the navigation menu on the left side of the screen and browse the available resources.

Note-Taking

Write down notes in each lesson to help you remember what you learn and the revelation you may receive. This is one way to learn by study and by faith (see Doctrine and Covenants 88:118). Spend a few minutes each week to review your notes. This will help you remember most of your learning. You will also be able to use your notes when you take the final exam.

PathwayConnect Policies

Student Honor

The Student Honor Code is based upon principles of honesty and integrity. As a PathwayConnect student, you are required to maintain standards of academic integrity and student conduct and encouraged to live by the CES Honor Code.

Academic Integrity

You should complete your own work and be evaluated for that work as you seek to be completely honest in all your dealings. You must avoid academic dishonesty in all its forms, including, but not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, and fabrication/falsification. The most common examples of academic dishonesty are copying another person’s work or not acknowledging a source of information.

The use of any language translation software, apps, or online programs, such as Google Translate, in order to translate sentences, paragraphs, or whole essays is not permitted in this course. However, the use of these translation programs to look up a single word or short phrase, is generally allowed.

Student Conduct

You are to avoid misconduct such as disruptive behavior, abuse of administrative processes and any other inappropriate actions. All forms of harassment (verbal, physical, mental, or sexual), hazing, intimidation, exploitation, or aggressive behavior that threaten or endanger the physical or emotional health and safety of others is prohibited. Behavior such as using profane or abusive language will not be tolerated. Participants behaving in such ways are subject to BYU-Pathway Worldwide disciplinary action including suspension and/or dismissal from PathwayConnect, as well as referral to law enforcement.

Assistance for Students with Disabilities

While BYU-Pathway Worldwide is not legally required to provide accommodations to students with disabilities, it endeavors to provide reasonable assistance to students who need it. Such assistance is provided voluntarily and in BYU-Pathway Worldwide’s sole discretion. BYU-Pathway Worldwide will provide, upon request, speech-to-text or text-to-speech software for students with disabilities. If you are interested in using this software please contact Pathway Support. If you need other types of assistance, you should communicate directly with your online instructors, missionaries, or local leaders, as appropriate. For more information please read the Pathway Handbook, section 8.3.

Disclaimer Statement

This syllabus is subject to change by BYU-Pathway Worldwide or the instructor. Any changes will be communicated via email or the course site. Continued enrollment in this course assumes that you have read and understood the information outlined in the syllabus.