History 29-Online: History of California

I. What is History 29-Online?0

History 29-Online is an online version of History 29: History of California as traditionally taught on-campus. The course content and expected student outcomes are the same, except that in History 29-Online there are no classroom experiences. There are no on-campus meetings. Everything, except the required text, is presented and mastered online.

History 29-Online is a college-level transfer course that surveys the historical development of California from pre-Columbian times to the present. It explores California’s unique natural geography and diverse pre-Columbian Indian cultures. It explores life as it existed during the eras of romantic Spanish missions and Mexican ranchos. It covers the history of the Gold Rush, California’s railroad era, and San Francisco’s great earthquake and fire. It also covers modern events and current problems.

II. Are online courses easy?

Online classes provide students with tremendous flexibility, but they are as hard or harder than traditional on-campus classes. Typical reading and computer work assignments are long for everything the instructor normally says in a classroom must now be written down. Both the companionship and anonymity of the classroom are missing. It’s difficult to make friends with unseen classmates or to escape the instructor’s attention. As in traditional classes, online courses have established dates when course assignments are due. With no mandatory classes or study periods, it’s very easy to let the course work slide and miss these dates. Online success, then, requires more student dedication and self-discipline than on-campus classes. Obviously, online classes are not for everyone.

III. How does History 29-Online work?

Students register for History 29-Online exactly as they do for traditional on-campus courses. Once enrolled, students log onto History 29's Home Page and follow instructions. History 29 students contact other students through History 29's chat rooms and discussion sites. Students contact the instructor by e-mail, telephone, written letter, and/or scheduling a personal on-campus conference.

The required text is available at the Merced College Bookstore: Richard B. Rice et. al. The Elusive Eden: A New History of California, 3ed edition. McGraw-Hill, 2002. The text, course assignments, and tests are all found on-line.

IV. What do I do if I have more questions?

Contact the instructor, Mabel Jones, by e-mail or telephone and I’ll do my best to answer.

(E-mail) Jones.m@mccd.edu

(Telephone) (209) 384-6073