Online COMM 107 Overview
Channel: Ryan Guy
Date: 2020-03-22

My name is Ryan Guy and I am  the instructor of Modesto Junior College’s Fully Online "Introduction to debate" course.  Historically, this has always been a class that was offered with a face to face component. Advances in  video conferencing technology have made it possible for us to offer this class in a fully online modality.  This is an exciting development, as it allows anyone with access to fast internet to take this course.  Meaning your classmates might be just down the street  or on the other side of the globe! 

As you consider taking this class there  are a couple of things you should keep in mind.

First, as you may have noticed on PiratesNet, there is still a listed meet time for this class.  These live class meetings will take place each week via a video conferencing system. The specific time for your class section can be found in the course description on PiratesNet.    

In order to participate in these sessions, you will need access to a computer, a webcam, and a fast-enough internet connection to be able to video conference . I find if you can  watch HD videos on YouTube or Netflix your connection is fast enough. To take advantage of the full functionality of our campus video conferencing software you will need to use an actual computer.  Any modern desktop or laptop will work great.  Unfortunately, smartphones don’t quite have the processing power to run the advanced tools we will need.  

It is important to understand at the outset, that these live class sections are a required part of the class.  The debates, which are the main graded component of the course, must take place in a live setting.  Virtually attending the entire live session each week is how that is accomplished.

If attending and actively participating in the live class sessions is not something you can commit to, then I encourage you to check out some of the other course offerings we have that fulfill the same requirements as this class.

If taking a class in this format sounds up your ally, then I look forward to having you in the course. Learning to debate is an exciting opportunity. In this class you will get the chance to hone your persuasive skills, while getting to discuss a wide range of interesting and controversial topics. 

This course does not have a textbook you need to buy.  All the readings and lectures are fee open educational resources.   You will be able to access everything via our class learning management system: Canvas.

The only materials I suggest you pick up are a couple different colored pens ,a simple digital countdown timer,     and a ream of blank legal sized paper (cheap 8.5 x 11 copy paper also works).

Well that is the online comm 107 course in a nutshell. If you have any questions about it feel free to send me an email.  Thanks for considering my course.