Online Fall 2021 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Note: This plan is subject to change as the University and the College release new guidelines. Please stay connected. Please read this document very carefully before our first online session this week. If you have any questions and concerns, please email me at JinKim@citytech.cuny.edu.
Q. I am not familiar with OpenLab and Blackboard. What should I know about it?
A. I use two different platforms for this course: OpenLab (this website!) and Blackboard. You must familiarize yourself with Blackboard and OpenLab for online classes. I will store most reading and visual materials and project explanations on OpenLab. If you missed some materials for the class, you can visit this course site to catch up. However, much communication and assignment submissions as well as group discussions will be done on Blackboard. Yet, no worries, I will definitely share each link of OpenLab if necessary. Please look at both this site and Blackboard.
Q. How will content be taught?
A. This is an asynchronous class.
Asynchronous lectures and activities
Our class begins on Monday and ends on Wednesday each week, except the first week. The first week begins on Tuesday and ends on Wednesday, because Tuesday is the first day of the academic year. I will post all the weekly assignments and make them available at 12:01 am on Mondays on Blackboard. For example, on Feb 1, a new weekly folder, “Week 1: Aug 24-25” will be available at 12:01 am. Click on the folder for that week.
I will post all the assignments, links for the reading materials to this website, lecture videos and notes, discussion prompts, and many other things on the weekly folder. You have 72 hours to read, write, and complete all the assignments. Please complete all the work in order in the folder, because I organize the folder just like I teach in-person classes. Get them done.
You must allocate at least 3 hours or more to complete each week. You have three days, because I would like to give you enough time to digest those materials. The weekly folder will be disappeared by the end of that week, but you still have access to reading materials through this website. You can submit your assignments late, but no more than Sunday. But remember that there will be a penalty for the late submission. There will be an 1-point deduction every 6 hours for late submissions. Â See the syllabus. Email me at jinkim@citytech.cuny.edu, if you need an accommodation.
Synchronous meetings.
Though this class meets asynchronously, I will add some synchronous activities.
First, I plan to offer intensive individual meetings with students as much as I could. Please make an appointment with me during my office hours (See “how to make an appointment”). You will have a private Zoom link through Calendly, when you request a meeting with me, so each meeting will be confidential.
Second, I will offer midterm and final exam review sessions. I will offer two sessions for each exam. Please mark your calendar.
- Midterm exam review: ADD DATE & TIME
- Final exam review: ADD DATE & TIME
I know some students might have conflicted schedule, such as class and work. In this case, please let me know in advance so that I can accommodate you.
 Q. How will materials be disseminated?
A. This course does not require to purchase a textbook, but will use an Open Educational Resource. See the syllabus. However, of course, you are required to read a chapter before a new topic begins. Yet, all the other materials, including reading materials and videos, will be posted on this website. Again, I will share all the information, including specific links for this course, under the weekly folder. Please read and follow my instructions very carefully.
Q. What do I have in the weekly assignments folder?
A. I will be using a combination of reading assignments, lecture videos (or notes), reading response papers, and discussion board for the course. Rather than having real-time lectures, I will post lecture videos (mostly slides with my voice) and other activities on the weekly folder. There will be some variations, but typical weekly assignments will be like:
1) Reading
I will store all the supplementary reading materials here on this website, but all the links to specific reading assignments in the weekly assignments folder.
2) Watching
I have already shared short videos on our course website.
3) Lecture videos
You will see lecture videos in the weekly folder; and are required to watch them to digest class materials. However, do not download my lecture videos. Please limitedly use them only on Blackboard. Again, the weekly folder will be gone on Sunday night (11:59 pm). Please watch them within the time frame!
I do not share my slides with my students. So please take a note, while watching videos.
4) Discussion board posts
You will participate in class discussions through discussion board posts on Blackboard each week after reading and watching videos. Each student is assigned into a group with 5-6 members; and you will make comments on other students’ posts or comments. Click your group only. Discussion board posts must be posted to the Blackboard discussion board by Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Q. What do we write for writing assignments?
A. There are three writing assignments that you must complete in order to pass this course: neighborhood project (two short writing assignments) and two movie reviews. You are required to write a 3-page-long writing assignments about the farmers market and your local grocery store. Two movie reviews are simple: pick up one sociological term and use that term to analyze the documentary. You write just one page.
Q. Where do I submit my writing assignments?
A. All assignment submissions will be done on Blackboard. Click on “Writing & Exams.” You will see three options: Neighborhood Project and two Movie Reviews. For the first assignment, click on “Neighborhood Project” and “the farmers market” for the instruction. Once you read it, write a 3-page-long paper and submit it to the second option by clicking on “View/Complete.”
Submit your Movie Review 1 & 2 by clicking on the third and fourth options.
 Q. Can I submit my assignments late?
A. You must complete all the weekly work by the end of Wednesday night. You can still submit your assignments late, but no more than Sunday. The folder for the week will be disappeared at the end of that week.
You can still submit the neighborhood project late, but I strongly encourage you to submit your draft on time. If you earn less than 80 out of 100, I will give you a chance to revise your draft.
Remember that there is a penalty for the late work for EACH 6 HOURS (not each class) after the deadline. Students will receive a 1-point deduction (out of 100) for each 6 hours.
However, email me at jinkim@citytech.cuny.edu, if you need an accommodation with a legit reason!
Q. Do you still take attendance?
A. Yes, I do. Once you complete all the work, I will mark it “attend.” If you do not do it, I will mark it “absent.” If you complete them late, I will mark it “late.”
 Q. Now I know you are willing to meet with us. But are you available to meet in person?
A. Nope. Per public health guidelines, I will not be taking in-person meetings. However, I am happy to correspond with you via email or to chat with you via Zoom during my office hours (T 11:00 am -12:00pm, W 1:00 pm -2:00 pm, or by appointment). You can request a meeting with me via Calendly. Please see attached to see how it works by clicking this!
Q. I’m having a technical issue now. What should I do?
A. Given that this course is entirely reliant on technology, it is important to complete your work ahead of time to avoid the risk of technological failures preventing you from doing your work on time. If you encounter technical problems, please find the appropriate contact information here: http://it.citytech.cuny.edu/
Remember I do not accept any email submissions unless you have a serious technical issue with Blackboard. Please submit all the work via Blackboard.
Q. How could I succeed in this course? Could you give us some advice?
A. First, note that you must be self-motivated and self-disciplined in order to succeed in this class. Many of you might take four classes; and have many assignments to pass those classes. Some professors might have real-time lectures, while others, like myself, offer you more flexible time to complete weekly work with some synchronous activities. Both have pros and cons. Yet, for asynchronous classes (or mixed), like my class, I would suggest you to make a routine for each class. You may want to set a particular time to complete all the weekly assignments for Elements of Sociology class. For example, you can dedicate yourself to complete all the work for my class between 8:30 am and 11:00 am on Tuesdays. For additional writing assignments, you can work them on Wednesdays. Make a plan in advance!
Second, do the work. Write on your computer. I often see students working on their assignments on the phone. Please keep in mind that you are more likely to have errors when you work on the phone. Please avoid unnecessary errors. If you do the work, I do not think you will fail this course.
