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Beginning a wellness life can be exciting, but it can also cause a little anxiety if you do not know where you are going or how you are going to get there. Fortunately, I will be your guide for this semester, and there is no need to feel anxious. Even if you are already familiar with fitness and wellness, you can still benefit from the directions here. There are two types of information you need for this particular journey: fitness/wellness information, and course procedures information. All of your fitness and wellness information is available when you click on the Course Units button. If you have questions about how the course operates and the answer is not in the syllabus, look for it in the Instructor’s Notes button. Think of this as a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section. In all likelihood, you will find your answer here.
“Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.”
This Chinese proverb sums up the underlying philosophy of this course. Wellness is about learning to do for yourself, and that is what you are expected to do in this class. It might take a bit of trying to get it right, but eventually you will. The information in this section is designed to make sure you start out on the right path and continue on the right path until the end of the semester. If you get lost along the way, you can always come back to this information for a “refresher course.”
Student-Centered Learning
The quote above is also consistent with student-centered learning. What is student-centered learning? The article “Student Centered Learning” by Barbara Nanney defines it as “a broad teaching approach that encompasses replacing lectures with active learning, integrating self-paced learning programs and/or cooperative group situations, ultimately holding the student responsible for his own advances in education.” Again, you will find that you are responsible for your learning in this course and, as the article says, the idea is to make you better prepared to deal with the world beyond school.
A Learning Community
As I mentioned in my Welcome, if you have taken self-paced on-line courses, you will find that this course is different because it is limited self-paced with mandatory due dates. However, many online courses are now using this model, so it might not be completely unfamiliar to you. As I also mentioned in my Welcome, this is a learning community. In other words, we all share in the process. Learning will occur as you complete the assignments I have provided, and also as you interact with your classmates through a variety of structured and unstructured opportunities. In addition, you are expected to use the Open Forum if you have a question or need clarification on something that has not been answered in the syllabus or instructions for a particular assignment. Chances are, if you have a question about something, someone else in the class has the same question. Even if no one else has thought about your question, they might learn something from your