Syllabus

Welcome to PathwayConnect!

Purposes of PathwayConnect

Get the gospel down into students' hearts.
Help students become capable learners.
Prepare students to lead and support families.

In partnership with BYU–Idaho, PathwayConnect strives to uphold the mission of the University.

GS 120L Life Skills

We are excited to have you as a student in this course and in the PathwayConnect Program! GS 120L 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 at the gathering, you will need to finish some final assignments by the end of each week.

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 120L course will teach you some basic life skills that can help you be more successful in both your personal life and 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.
increase your English proficiency (in listening, speaking, reading, and writing).

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:

Become an effective learner.
Become self-reliant.
Serve your family, church, and community.
Become more proficient in your English listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

Course Architecture

This course will run in 14 one-week lessons. The BYU–Idaho Learning Model, especially its Teach One Another activities, is integral to each lesson. The 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 grade.

BYU–Idaho online courses are designed each week with 3–4 hours of activities for each academic credit received. Therefore, you will need to be able to devote at least 15–20 hours each week to this 5-credit course in order to do well. 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 BYU–Idaho online courses are not exempt. 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 improve. 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 by the mid-week due date and the Post-Gathering folder activities by the end-of-week due date. Due dates are included on each assignment.

Lesson Activity Descriptions

Each lesson will open five days early in order to accommodate students who want more flexibility in their schedule.

Speaking Partner and Peer Appointments

Speaking Partner Appointment: Once each week, beginning in Lesson 02 and continuing through Lesson 13, you will speak with a speaking partner, who is fluent in English, using Skype or another video chat tool for 30 minutes. You will discuss the items listed in the assignment located in the course. You can also ask your speaking partner questions about vocabulary, pronunciation, culture, etc. Contact your speaking partner as soon as you receive their information and plan how you will meet. After your appointment, complete the speaking partner assignment to report on your learning experience.
- If you have questions about the Speaking Partner Program or you have trouble contacting your speaking partner, contact the Pathway Support Center for assistance.
Peer Appointment: Once each week, beginning in Lesson 02 and continuing through Lesson 13, you will meet with your assigned peer for 30 minutes. Your Pathway missionaries will assign this partner to you. Your meeting can occur anytime other than during the gathering. It is recommended that you meet with your assigned peer early in the week so that if you have any concerns you can discuss it with the missionaries at the Thursday gathering and complete the appointment by the end-of-week due date. At your appointment, discuss the assignment located in the course and then submit that assignment to report on your learning experience. You will each submit your own Peer Appointment report to receive credit for the appointment.

Pre-Gathering Folder

Topic Introduction and Listening Practice: Study these videos and readings to learn the lesson material each week and practice your listening comprehension skills.
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. Your instructor cannot override the average score. Do 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.
- - *This information is also true for the Study Skill, Scripture Study, and Learn a Hymn activities.

Language Skill: Each week, you will learn a skill and how to use it to increase your fluency and comprehension. You will complete a short quiz to demonstrate your understanding of the language skill.
Reading and Writing Practice: You will practice the weekly language skill to help you better understand a reading assignment. You will practice your writing skills by answering questions based upon the reading assignment.
Scripture Study: You will increase your reading comprehension skills and your experience in the gospel by studying an assignment from the scriptures related to the weekly lesson.
Initial Post to the Weekly Discussion Board: The discussion board is a way for you to practice your writing skills and deepen your understanding and learning of the weekly lesson topics as you connect with your classmates online and discuss ideas with them. You will share your initial comments by the mid-week due date, and continue the discussion throughout the week. If you subscribe to your posts you will be alerted when someone responds.
Learn a Hymn: This assignment will help you with your English pronunciation. You will listen to a hymn on the LDS.org website and learn the words in English. Singing makes memorizing easier. After spending at least 30 minutes learning the music and memorizing the song, you will take a short quiz on the hymn. You will sing the weekly hymn together at the gathering on Thursday.
Start your Listening/Speaking Log: You will also have completed several entries on the Listening/Speaking log by mid-week. This is an opportunity for you to practice speaking and listening on your own each week. You will complete a listening/speaking log (a written account of your experiences) for five activities that you choose from the provided list. Each activity should take about 30 minutes. Create a document on your computer to keep track of your activities, as you will upload that at the end of the week.

Gathering Folder (Attend on Thursday)

Gathering Preparation: This document details the actions you need to complete before the Thursday night gathering.
PathwayConnect Gathering: You will be expected to attend a gathering each week of the semester. Your learning experience will be deepened and enhanced by actively participating in each gathering. Every Thursday night you will meet at your institute or church building with your local classmates and missionaries to discuss the principles studied during the week and practice your English language skills. Each gathering lasts for 90 minutes and begins and ends with a song and a prayer.
- In the rare circumstance that your Gathering is cancelled by the missionaries, notify your instructor of the cancellation.
Attendance Report: Attend the local gathering under the direction of your Pathway missionaries. Then, submit this brief assignment to report your attendance at each gathering. It opens on Thursday of the lesson in which it is due. Complete it after you attend the gathering (on Thursday), but before the end-of-week due date.

Post-Gathering Folder

Response Posts to the Weekly Discussion Board: 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 on and applying the things you have studied earlier in the week.
Submit Your Listening/Speaking Log: Finish your listening/speaking activities, and submit the final log.
Vocabulary Quiz: Building vocabulary is one of the most important aspects of language learning. You use vocabulary for every skill—reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Learning vocabulary makes language learning much easier. You will be given a table of vocabulary words in several assignments throughout the week. The words appear in the lesson material. Study these words to build your English vocabulary. At the end of the week, you will complete a quiz on the vocabulary you studied during the lesson. It is expected that students take each weekly Vocabulary Quiz and the Final Vocabulary Exam in Lesson 14 without using any dictionaries, notes, or outside resources. Use only what you know independently.
Learning Report: This brief assignment concludes each lesson and provides the opportunity to report on your discussion board participation, to report the amount of time you spend completing the assignments each week, to report your progress with ongoing projects, and to provide feedback to help improve the course. As in all of your assignments, try to use your best English as you express your thoughts and complete this report. The Learning Report opens after the mid-week due date of the lesson in which it is due. You will have until the end-of-week due date to complete it.

Lesson Enhancement Folder

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.

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.

Course Materials

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

In order to complete the Speaking Partner Appointments, you need video chat capabilities. Many newer computers have built-in webcams and microphones; however, if your computer is not equipped with these components, you may need to purchase them. You may use Skype or another video chat format. Use this link if you would like a free Skype download. If you have any technology related questions, check for an answer on the Speaking Partner FAQ page. After clicking on the link, scroll down and click on "Speaking Partners" to open. Then click on each question listed to read the answer given. This will help you to better understand this assignment.

You are welcome to use a dictionary anywhere in the course except for places that say you can't; for example, the vocabulary quiz.

All materials can be accessed through the course; no additional textbooks are required.

Course Policies

Prerequisites

None

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 120L Breakdown—200 points per week
Title	Approximate Percentage of Total Grade	Weekly Point Value
Gathering Attendance (Approximately 30%)
Attendance	30.0%	60 points
Pre-Gathering (Approximately 20%)
Topic Intro	5.0%	10 points
Study Skills	2.5%	5 points
Read/Write	5.0%	10 points
Scripture Study	5.0%	10 points
Learn a Hymn	2.5%	5 points
Teach One Another (Approximately 20%)
Discussion Board	7.5%	15 points
Peer Discussion Appointment	7.5%	15 points
Speaking Partner Appointment	7.5%	15 points
Post-Gathering (Approximately 30%)
Application Activity	7.5%	15 points
Vocab Quiz	7.5%	15 points
Listening/Speaking Log	7.5%	15 points
Learning Report	5.0%	10 points

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

Weekly PathwayConnect gatherings are a source of spiritually and socially empowering experiences. As a PathwayConnect student, you are expected to attend all gatherings during the semester. Plan your schedule accordingly and make any necessary arrangements to attend the Thursday gatherings in person.

Students who are traveling and are unable to attend their assigned gathering(s) may attend another gathering in the city they are visiting and still obtain attendance credit. Traveling students are encouraged to attend a gathering with the same course as their own; however, students who do not have that option may attend any PathwayConnect gathering. (This does not apply to institute courses.) Students should direct any attendance-related questions to their online instructors for BYU-Idaho courses or their institute instructor for institute courses.

If illness or another temporary issue arises and 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. Because of this missed opportunity, your grade will be negatively impacted, so be sure to attend each gathering and then report your attendance using the Attendance Report located in each lesson. Also, 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, 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 holiday (U.S., national, or local), extreme weather, or other unsafe situation. If such a situation occurs, you will do the following:

Review the week's gathering Lesson Plan. It may include information that will be helpful when completing your post gathering assignments.
You are still required to complete, and report, all assignments in the week's lesson.
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.
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 online 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 3, 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 the Topic Introduction and Listening Practice, Scripture Study, and Learn a Hymn, are automatically graded by the system and report your score immediately. 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.

Academic Honesty Policy

You should complete your own work and be evaluated for that work as you seek to be completely honest in all your dealings. PathwayConnect students avoid academic dishonesty and misconduct 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.

Honor Code

The Honor Code is based upon principles of honesty and integrity. As a Pathway Academic Start student, you are preparing to live by the Honor Code. You will learn more about the Honor Code in a future lesson. You may visit the Honor Code website if you wish to learn more about it at this time.

Disability Law

In compliance with applicable disability law, qualified students with a disability may be entitled to "reasonable accommodation." It is the student's responsibility to disclose to the teacher any special need he/she may have as soon as possible as accommodations are not retroactive.

Course Questions/Problems/Concerns

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:

Post any general course questions/problems/concerns, etc. on the "Questions & Conversations" discussion board. Using this board will inform class members, the instructor, and others of the issues you find and allow the proper people to correct them for everyone. Please subscribe to this board and check it 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.

Note: 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 (not including Sundays and holidays). Please state your question clearly, include sufficient detail, and allow enough time when communicating with your instructor in an email.

Course Resources

Resources

There are many resources available to you in this "Welcome" folder such as computer tutorials and free websites you can use to improve your typing skills. These can be found in this Welcome folder.

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.

Disclaimer

The instructor reserves the right to change any part of this syllabus at any time during the semester in order to adapt to changing course needs. You will be notified prior to any changes that may take place.