Course and WebCT Information

INSTRUCTOR: Janice Stoudemire, CPA, ATA, ABA

E-MAIL: stoudemirej@midlandstech.edu

PHONE: 803-822-3604

Thank you for your interest in this internet-based course. Please take a moment to read the information on this page. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

IMPORTANT: The college is migrating to from 4.1 WebCT to 6.0 platform starting in Spring 2008. Please note that the interface, look and feel as well as the access is different. Please go to http://www.midlandstech.edu/onlinelearning/StudentSupport/

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
What is this course about? This course is a study of the procedures for conducting audits and investigations of various enterprises. Attention is given to the nature and purpose of auditing, auditing standards, professional conduct and ethics, auditor's legal liability and the approaches followed in performing audits of financial statements. (Prerequisite: ACC 102 or ACC 112)

TEXTBOOK:
Required: Auditing and Assurance Services-2nd edition (new this term) by Timothy Louwers, Robert Ramsey, David Sinason and Jerry Strawser by McGraw-Hill/Irwin Publishers ISBN for text book only: 0-07-281835-2

ORIENTATION:
There is a mandatory on-campus orientation for all students registered for this course. NO EXCEPTIONS! The orientation will be held on Thursday, January, 10 FROM 1:00 AM - 2:00 PM in Congaree Hall, Room 149 (Airport Campus). . Please make any necessary arrangements in advance so you will be able to attend this important session. IMPORTANT: You will NOT be able to access the on-line course unless you attend the orientation. The information provided at the orientation is critical to your success in the course. Therefore, failure to attend will require withdrawal from the course. Please note: The student is responsible for withdrawing from the course if they fail to attend orientation. The instructor will list you as a "no show" on the enrollment verification form.
 

TESTING:
The majority of the coursework will be completed on-line. However, students must come to campus for the mandatory orientation and for the 4 examinations and the mandatory departmental exam. Students will have a choice of a Thursday, Friday or Saturday to come to campus and the testing center offers day and evening hours. The compete syllabus as well as the calendar of test dates are housed in the course site and are available the first day of class.

IS AN ON-LINE COURSE RIGHT FOR YOU?
Students often wonder if an on-line course is right for them. Please consider the following items when deciding if this is the right instructional format for you.

1. Online courses definitely require strong student motivation and very strong student discipline.
    
2. Research shows that active learners are most successful.
    
3. Students who are good readers and writers will perform better in online courses. Three different reading skills are required. First, students must be good readers--the amount of reading is often doubled in web courses since students must read a text and online material. Second, students must be self-starting readers. All assignments, due-dates, and instructions are available on the web, but students must seek them out. Third, students must be good detail readers and proofreaders. The slightest spelling or syntax error can mean hours of frustration. Failure to read and follow directions can seriously harm student performance. Students may also have bad habits contributing to superficial reading such as "hitting" a page, or "checking it out." Course web pages contain too much information for this—students must go to the page, stop, and read the page with understanding.
    
4. Online courses tend to require more hours per week than regularly scheduled classes. Faculty can point out that students save some time by eliminating driving, parking, and getting a baby-sitter. But, the time to organize their study, to complete assignments, and to review for exams adds up to a significant commitment.
    
5. Online courses are not self-paced. It is not possible to enroll at any time, take tests at anytime, etc. This course requires students to come to the testing center on Airport Campus for exams. There is flexibility, but all online courses require some scheduled events. It is the student's responsibility to meet these due dates for each course.
    
6. Students who have a year or more of effective use of the Internet perform better in online courses.

WEBCT TRAINING:
The Office of Online Learning at Midlands Technical College offers WebCT training for students. To register and see a list of available training dates, go to http://www.midlandstech.com/distance/WebCT Workshop FormTest.htm

WHAT IF I ALREADY HAVE A "My WebCT" ACCOUNT:
If it is in 6.0, you do not need to create another account! Your current account (username and password) is still valid. After you attend the orientation, you will be able to add the course (see instruction on how to add a course at http://www.midlandstech.edu/onlinelearning/StudentSupport/. However, if your do not have have an account in 6.0 WEBCT, you must follow the instructions at the on-line learning website to create an account.

IMPORTANT: Adding a course to your WebCT homepage does NOT necessarily mean you will be able to access the course(s). You may be denied access due to prerequisite requirements, nonpayment of fees, orientation requirements, or access codes. It is still your responsibility to check the distance learning website for information about course orientations.

Please do not confuse this process with registering or adding courses to your college schedule. This change only applies to creating a WebCt account or adding courses to a WebCT account. You must still register and add courses to your college schedule as before.

ACCESSING THE COURSE:
Click the Creating my WebCT account at the top of this page for instructions on creating your WebCT account. Once you have created an account, click on  Adding Courses to my WebCT account for instructions on adding courses to your WebCT account. NOTE: you may create your account BEFORE the orientation, however, you will not be able to access the course site until AFTER the orientation on January 10.

ONLINE RESOURCES:
I encourage you to review the Distance Learning Frequently Asked Questions. This module will provide you with some answers to common problems, some troubleshooting tips, and some ways to access some help.

If this is your first time using the new version of WebCT, it is highly recommended that you review the What is WebCT.