Hello all,

My name is Joe Escobar and I am your instructor for HST202 United States History at Lane Community College.  You are receiving this email because you have signed up for the course and you have wisely included your email address in your ExpressLane account information.  I wanted to contact you in advance of our first class meeting on Tuesday, a week from today, with some information relevant to this particular course.  

First, sections of HST202 taught by me are in a hybrid format.  This was noted by the "h" code in the notes column in ExpressLane.  You may or may not have seen it when you registered, so that is the main purpose of my email to you.  In this hybrid course, students and instructor meet for 3 credit hours each week, and 1 credit hour is spent completing class assignments online.  Because Lane offers computer access to all students, it is not a class requirement for you to own your own computer.  But, last term, I asked students this question.

How important do you feel it is for future students in this class to own their own internet-connected computer?  They answered:

Extremely Important = 72%
Somewhat Important = 22%
Not Very Important = 6%

So there you have it.  If any of this information causes you concern, feel free to drop this class at your earliest convenience.  Many students are still in need of classes, and I am sure that any openings that result will quickly be filled.  

Second, you must be able to access, and in some cases, print course materials from the internet.  The two links below are examples I'd like you to "try out" as soon as possible.  

The first is a 2.5 minute video with sound, similar to the clips you'll be watching each week during the term.  Make sure you can view and hear it.

https://teach.lanecc.edu/escobarj/media/sample/

The second is a portable document file, or PDF which is 2.5 pages long.  This format is often used for written handouts and is viewable and printable by all computers.  Be sure you can download it and read it.  (You do not have to print it.)

https://teach.lanecc.edu/escobarj/media/sample.pdf

By providing this information, I'm hoping that everyone will avoid any technical issues over the next 11 weeks.

Finally, I have more information for you, including student evaluations, textbook options, Moodle login procedure, and more at:

https://teach.lanecc.edu/escobarj/lcc/HST_202.html

Well, that's all of the news I have for you now.  I look forward to meeting you in person on Tuesday and working with you during the term.

Until then,

Joe Escobar
History Instructor
Lane Community College