Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is featured on a special-edition box of Wheaties. Phelps, won 6 gold and 2 bronze medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. (AP Photo courtesy of General Mills)

Accessing the Course Questions? Required Materials Technology Skills Needed Minimum Computer Hardware and Software Requirements

Welcome to
HED 342 Nutrition for Athletic Performance

Congratulations on joining the group of online students for HED 342 Nutrition for Athletic Performance. This highly interactive learning environment will offer you a unique opportunity to more thoroughly explore sports and exercise nutrition than ever before.

One of the exciting advantages of online learning is that you can plan your class time to fit your schedule. However, it is important to balance this flexibility with your new responsibility of scheduling your own learning. Therefore, self-discipline is essential for success in any online course. Begin planning now for private, uninterrupted time in your schedule to complete the reading and writing assignments – preferably in one-hour blocks. Plan to check in on the course at least 4 times a week because it can be easy to fall behind.

What to Expect

Class participation will comprise 50% of your grade. While you may be accustomed to participating in face-to-face classes by attending and speaking up in class, in an o nline class your participation will consist of writing and posting your thoughts to electronic discussion boards and reading and responding to others’ responses in writing. As a result of the discussion boards, you will be reading and writing more in this class than in most courses. At least 3 posts per week will be required. This interaction with your classmates and the instructor will offer a rich opportunity to share impressions of the reading and viewing material and is the cornerstone of online learning. Depending on your reading and writing skills, you should expect to spend at least 9-12 hours per week on this course.

The remaining 50% of your grade will consist of 1 midterm, a group case study, a dietary evaluation project and the final examination.

Lectures and discussions will be on the Internet – hosted by software called Moodle.

Class begins on August 25, 2008, with an introductory module to familiarize you with online learning.

Each week, a new module will include an overview, reading assignments, featured web sites as supplemental resources, and discussion topics. Weeks 7 and 13 are reflection and synthesizing weeks.

It is critical we have accurate contact information for you. Unless we hear from you otherwise, your instructor will be contacting you using the email address used in your Moodle profile. Check your email account regularly for updated information.

Accessing the Course

To access the course, use your browser software to go to: http://learn.humboldt.edu

Your username is the same as your username on Humboldt State’s mail server (axe). All students receive an email account whether they chose to use it or not. This consists of your first-middle-last initials followed by a number, e.g., “jdv1.” Your password will be the same as the password you use on all other HSU computer systems using this username. You should be able to login after August 18. If you have registered through Extended Education, you will be able to login within 24 hours after your registration fee has been paid after August 18.

If you have never activated your HSU email, you can learn your username by activating your account.

After you login to Moodle (see instructions above), you will see a link identifying this course. Click on that link to enter the course, then explore the course by with each of the hyperlinks in the top section of the course.. You cannot damage anything, so relax and browse until you feel comfortable. Each Friday look for the upcoming week's course content under "Play Book." (This will allow those who want to "work ahead" over the weekend to get a head start).

Questions?

• About course content or requirements, contact Dr. Kathy D. Munoz (707-826-3840 or kdm1@humboldt.edu).
• About the suitability of your computer hardware or software for online learning, contact the Humboldt State University Help Desk (707-826-4357 or help@humboldt.edu).

Required Materials

Buy your required textbooks and software before class begins from the HSU Bookstore, any online distributor, or a bookstore of your choice:

• McArdle, William D., Katch, Frank I., and Katch, Victor L. Sports and Exercise Nutrition, 3rd edition, Lippincott, Williams, & Williams, 2008. Includes Nutritionist Pro software for diet analysis.
  • Amazon.com $83.00
  • Barnesandnoble.com $92.95
• MyDietAnalysis Software (Pearson Publishing, 2007)
• Watkins, R., and Corry, M. E-Learning Companion: A Student’s Guide to Online Success, The George Washington University, 2005. Also on Reserve at the HSU Library.

Additional readings are required and are available online at no charge.

Technology Skills Needed for Successful Online Learning

• Use web browsing software (e.g., Firefox or Internet Explorer) to locate URLs and follow hyperlinks on web pages.
• Use a word processor to create and save documents.
• Send and reply to messages using email.
• Attach files to email messages.
• Keyboard at a minimum of 35 wpm.
• Run application software from CD.

While not essential, knowing how to cut and paste to text from a word processing document into another application is very helpful.

Minimum Hardware and Software Requirements for Online Learning

• You will need access to a computer and the Internet. Most late model computers have adequate processing capabilities for online courses. For specific questions about the technical suitability of your home computer, contact the HSU Help Desk (707-826-4357 or help@humboldt.edu).
• If you plan to connect from home, you will need Internet access. An inexpensive option is a 56K modem and phone line. A more expensive but faster alternative is high speed Internet access with a cable modem or DSL. For either connection method, you will need an Internet Service Provided (such as America Online, North Coast Internet, Cox Cable, etc.).
• You will also need word processing software (e.g., Microsoft Word).
• Web browsing software, e.g., Internet Explorer version 5.5 or later (version 6.0 or later is recommended). Firefox is also a highly recommended browser; and is the only browser recommended for Mac users.

On behalf of the Department of Kinesiology and Recreation Administration at Humboldt State University, welcome to HED 342. We look forward to offering you a fun and rewarding education experience!