What is Russian Individualized Instruction (I.I.)?

The Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures at The Ohio State University offers you two ways to complete elementary, intermediate and Reading Russian courses. In addition to the traditional classroom track, the department offers the Russian Individualized Instruction (Russian I.I.) program. Four-skills courses include:

101.51-104.51 (Elementary-Lower Intermediate);
405.51 and 407.51 (Intermediate).
The four-skills courses are all five-credit courses.
There are also reading courses, 580.51-582.51, each worth 3 credit hours.
Russian 571, 572 and 573 are designed to fulfill the language requirements for researchers and don't require a prior knowledge of Russian language. Contact the Russian I.I. supervisor for more details.

·  Getting Started
      ·  Orientation Session
      ·  Selecting Credit Hours
      ·  Making Changes to Credit Hours
      ·  Credits and Units
·  Planning, Homework, Sessions, and Units
·  Homework and Conversation Sessions
·  Testing and Assessment
·  Materials Audio Program, and Video
·  Undergraduate Resources Section

Getting Started

The goals of the individualized and classroom tracks are the same: you should achieve a certain degree of proficiency in the four basic language skills (speaking, listening, writing and reading). You will also learn about life and culture in the Russian-speaking world. Through your experience in the Russian I.I. program, you will acquire the tools you need to effectively learn the Russian language at more advanced levels - whether in a Russian-speaking environment or in a classroom setting.

"Individualized instruction" means that students work with the same type of materials as in the classroom track, but on their own schedule and at their own pace. This is accomplished with the aid of additional "self-access" instructional materials such as the Student Manual, as well as through consultation with the teaching staff in the Individualized Instruction Learning Center during scheduled appointments.

Russian I.I. is designed for the motivated student who either cannot schedule the regular classroom track or who prefers to work at a different pace (more quickly or more slowly) than the classroom track. The program is mastery-based, meaning that a student earns one credit at a time and must earn each credit with a grade of 80% or better. Students must be disciplined and motivated in order to be successful in Russian I.I. At the same time, the Russian I.I. experience has residual effects on a student's learning and study strategies, such as learning to learn (time management, goal setting, motivation, self-assessment), learning about oneself as a learner, and taking responsibility for one's own learning. Note that there are no Incompletes in I.I. Although the goals of the classroom and individualized tracks are similar, there are some differences in the way the I.I. program helps you achieve these goals:

Classroom	Individualized Instruction
meet every lesson with instructor/other learners	meet with instructor in Center as often as you need; meet informally with other learners at your level if you wish
there is a set time and place for learning	learn at home, in the Center, at variable times
instructor determines pace of instruction	learner determines pace of instruction; moves to next unit when mastery has been achieved
set dates for tests and quizzes	learner determines when he/she is ready to be tested
time limit on written tests	no time limit on written tests
no retakes on tests	mastery-based approach; up to three retakes on tests
presentations geared to majority of learners	help provided individually by appointment
student initiative for his/her own learning is valued	student initiative for his/her own learning is not only valued, but required

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Orientation Session

The Russian I.I. Supervisor will schedule Orientation Sessions for new students during the first week of the quarter. If you are registered before the first day of classes, you will receive an e-mail about the time and the location of the Orientation Sessions. The schedule for these meetings will be also posted in the Individualized Instruction Learning Center located in Hagerty Hall Room 120 and will be available through the I.I. Center front desk at 292-7060.

It is very important that you attend one of these orientation sessions. Here you will be provided a number of important schedules, lists of deadlines, updated guidelines, and forms for the current quarter, as well as details concerning materials, e-mail addresses, Web sites, etc. Your personal Russian I.I. folder will be activated during this meeting and you will have an opportunity to ask questions. In addition, the first-week course roster will be checked to make sure that you have registered for the correct course and the appropriate number of credits.

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Selecting Credit Hours

Since one of the key differences between the classroom track and the I.I. track in Russian language study is variable pacing, you have the option to choose the number of credit hours that best suit your schedule and goals. There is a credit minimum of two (2) credits per quarter. If this is your first course in I.I. and you are a full-time student, we recommend that you initially register for five (5) credit hours.

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Making Changes to Credit Hours

In the seventh (7th) week of the quarter, you will have the opportunity to adjust your registration to change the number of credits for which you are enrolled. This is referred to as "Contract Week." During Contract Week you will be able to add or drop credits (to a minimum of 2), but will not be able to drop the course entirely (refer to Registrar's deadlines for dropping a course). All students will be required to come into the I.I. Center during this week to discuss with an instructor his/her progress in the course and whether a credit change would be recommended. Failure to complete the number of credit hours that you have "contracted" during Contract Week before the end of the quarter will result in an "E" on your permanent record, even if you return the next quarter to complete these units for a satisfactory grade. Graduating Seniors should pay special attention to end-of-quarter deadlines that apply exclusively to them. All students should carefully consult schedules and deadlines provided during the orientation session as these represent requirements for the particular quarter of enrollment.

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Credits and Units
Russian 101.51			Russian 102.51
Unit 1	Lesson 1	1 cr.	Unit 6	Lesson 5	1 cr.
Unit 2	Lesson 2	1 cr.	Unit 7	Lesson 6	1 cr.
Unit 3	Lesson 3	1 cr.	Unit 8	Lesson 7	1 cr.
Unit 4	Lesson 4	1 cr.	Unit 9	Grammar Review	1 cr.
Unit 5	Extended Project	1 cr.	Unit 10	Extended Project	1 cr.

For Russian 101.51 there are four (4) units that correspond with textbook lessons (Nachalo, Book 1, Second Edition), and then the final credit is applied to an Extended Project found in the Student Manual. For Russian 102.51 there are three (3) units that correspond with textbook lessons, and then the final credits are applied to a Grammar Review Unit and an Extended Project.

Russian 103.51			Russian 104.51
Unit 8	Lesson 8	1 cr.	Unit 12	Lesson 12	1 cr.
Unit 9	Lesson 9	1 cr.	Unit 13	Lesson 13	1 cr.
Unit 10	Lesson 10	1 cr.	Unit 14	Lesson 14	1 cr.
Unit 11	Lesson 11	1 cr.	Unit Epilogue	Epilogue	1 cr.
Unit EP103	Extended Project	1 cr.	Unit EP104	Extended Project	1 cr.

For Russian 103.51 there are four (4) units that correspond with textbook lessons (Nachalo, Book 2, Second Edition), and then the final credit is applied to an Extended Project found in the Student Manual. For Russian 104.51 there are also four (4) units that correspond with textbook lessons, and then the final credit is applied to an Extended Project.

Russian 405.51 and 407.51 contain five (5) credit hours each, with each credit corresponding to a lesson in the textbook, as illustrated in the following table:

Russian 405.51			Russian 407.51
Unit 1	Lesson 1	1 cr.	Unit 6	Lesson 6	1 cr.
Unit 2	Lesson 2	1 cr.	Unit 7	Lesson 7	1 cr.
Unit 3	Lesson 3	1 cr.	Unit 8	Lesson 8	1 cr.
Unit 4	Lesson 4	1 cr.	Unit 9	Lesson 9	1 cr.
Unit 5	Lesson 5	1 cr.	Unit 10	Lesson 10	1 cr.

Russian 580.51-582.51 consist of three units each worth one credit.

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Planning, Homework, Sessions, and Units

Individual Planning Schedule (IPS)

All Russian I.I. students set personal deadlines for completing each lesson by filling out an Individual Planning Schedule (IPS). One copy of the IPS is kept by the student, and one copy remains in the student's personal file. The IPS must be signed by the student and an I.I. instructor who has approved it. You will receive this form during your Orientation Session. It can be filled out at the Orientation Session, or turned in during your first appointment with an instructor. The deadline for turning in the IPS is the second Friday of the quarter. The purpose of the IPS is to help you plan your work for the quarter. When you complete a unit by the deadline that you have set for yourself, you will receive an extra bonus point for that unit. As you create your IPS, please remember that the end of the quarter is an especially busy time in the I.I. Center. Students who put off their last lesson's appointments to the very end often find it difficult to find free appointment slots in the schedule.

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Homework and Conversation Sessions

Once you have completed all the assigned work for a chapter in your Student Manual, you must make an appointment with an instructor in the I.I. Center for a homework-check session and conversation session. Note that there are two conversation sessions and one homework session for 405.51 and 407.51. There are no conversation sessions for 580.51-582.51. Each session is ½ hour in length (30 minutes). You may schedule these sessions in any sequence you wish (i.e. - homework session, then conversation session, or vice-versa), and you may schedule them together in a one-hour block, or separately at different times or days (for details on scheduling appointments, see Scheduling Appointments, below). For EP104, however, homework sessions must precede the conversation session (see Extended Project, below).

Homework sessions give your instructor the opportunity to correct written homework assignments (e.g. - compositions, free writing) and to check that you are completing the assigned work. There are also exercises in the textbook that may have a variety of possible answers, and thus, no answer key. This is a good time to ask questions about any items with which you have had difficulty. It is recommended that before the sessions you highlight or note down the specific activities or language points that you wish to inquire about so that you can locate them easily. You will not receive credit for a homework session if you have not completed all of the written homework assignments for the lesson, or if the instructor determines that the work you have done is careless and/or incomplete.

Conversation sessions are designed for you to practice as well as show off what you have learned. They are not tests. You will not be given a grade. If, however, the instructor determines from your performance that you have not completed the work for the unit satisfactorily, he/she has the option of requiring that you come in for another session before checking off this requirement in your student folder.

Bonus conversation sessions After you have participated in the required homework and conversation sessions for a lesson, you may sign up to participate in bonus conversation sessions. These give you the opportunity to practice new material, ask questions, or just chat in Russian. For each 1/2 hour bonus conversation session you attend after fulfilling the conversation and homework session requirements, you receive 1 extra credit point which is applied to your final grade for that lesson. Extra credit for a lesson is awarded only for bonus conversation sessions completed before taking either part of the lesson exam (written or oral). You may receive a maximum of 5 extra credit points per lesson.

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Scheduling Appointments

You can schedule an appointment online at http://osuii.org/. Appointments for conversation and homework sessions are for ½ hour (30 minutes). Students may not sign up for more than 3 consecutive 1/2 hour conversation or homework sessions per day during the quarter and for more than 2 1/2 hour conversation or homework sessions per day during the Last Week of classes.

Canceling an appointment
If you need to cancel an appointment for a conversation or homework session or an oral exam, you must cancel it online at least 24 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment time. The online scheduling system also offers you the option of putting a scheduled appointment on an “Offer Board” less than 24 hours before the meeting time. That way, if another student can use that appointment time, they can take it and save you a missed appointment—or a useless appointment if you cannot be prepared for it in time. If you do not show up or are 10 minutes late for an appointment and fail to cancel at least 24 hours in advance (and noone takes it from the Offer Board), you will receive an oral and written warning that your appointment-making privileges are in jeopardy. You are allowed three such warnings.

Any infraction of the cancellation policy after three warnings will result in the loss of your appointment-making privileges. If you lose your appointment-making privileges, you will be able to meet with instructors on a stand-by basis only. This applies to all types of appointments, including those for conversation and homework sessions, bonus conversation sessions, and oral exams. Consult the current schedules for both the I.I. Center and Russian I.I.

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Testing and Assessment

After you have completed all of the assigned work for a given unit, come in to the Individualized Instruction Center for conversation and homework sessions and to take the oral and written exams.

You must have all pre-testing unit requirements (i.e., homework checks, conversation session, etc.) completed before taking tests. The following table illustrates the testing and assessment scheme for Russian 101.51 (for testing and assessment of the other levels, see your instructor):

Grade Distribution
Unit	Corresponding Materials	Testing & Assessment Components	% of Unit Grade	Minimum % to Pass
1	Nachalo Book 1, Chapter Ý	Oral	15%	12%
		Listening	15%	12%
		Written	70%	56%
2	Nachalo Book 1, Chapter 2	Oral	15%	12%
		Listening	15%	12%
		Written	70%	56%
3	Nachalo Book 1, Chapter 3	Oral	15%	12%
		Listening	15%	12%
		Written	70%	56%
4	Nachalo Book 1, Chapter 4	Oral	15%	12%
		Listening	15%	12%
		Written	70%	56%
5	Student Manual, Extended Project	Composition	80%	64%
		Oral Presentation	20%	16%

Because Russian I.I. involves a mastery-based approach, students are required to pass each testing/assessment component with an 80% score or higher (indicated by the minimum percentage required to pass in the table). If you do not score above 80% on a required testing/assessment component, you must re-take that component. You cannot re-take a test on the same day, so be sure to allow for this possibility as you create your Individual Planning Schedule (IPS, see above). There are three variants of each test (i.e. - Oral Variant A, B, C; Listening Variant A, B, C,; Written Variant A, B, C). If you fail all three variants of a test, you will receive an "E" for the course.

You may take the testing components (i.e. - Oral, Listening, Written) in any order you wish and on separate occasions. Since, however, the oral and listening components involve the participation of an instructor, we require that you schedule these together in one 30-minute session for your own convenience. The oral and listening components have been designed to fit into one session. At the same time, if for some reason circumstances do not allow for both components to be completed in one session, the instructor may ask you to schedule another appointment due to time constraints.

For the written component, you do not have to make an appointment with an instructor. You may take a written test during the Individualized Instruction Learning Center hours of operation (consult current quarter's schedule) even when the Russian I.I. office is closed. In order to obtain a copy of the written test, we ask that you select a date for your test and sign up at the front desk in the I.I. Center (Hagerty Hall 120) in person or by phone (292-7060). Once a Russian I.I. instructor has checked your personal folder to determine whether all pre-testing requirements have been met (i.e. - homework checks, conversation session, etc.), he/she will leave the appropriate written test for you at the I.I. Center front desk. You can then take the test at any time on that day in one of the testing rooms of the I.I. Center, provided the Center is open (consult current quarter hours of operation for the I.I. Center). If you fail to schedule your test in advance, you may drop by the I.I. Center while the Russian I.I. office is open on the hour or half-hour in order to request a test directly from the attending Russian I.I. instructor. Once you have completed a written test for a unit, it should be graded within 24 hours. The instructor who grades your written test will record in a log at the I.I. Center front desk whether you have passed or failed (Note: You must wait until your next appointment to see your actual score and to see and discuss the test with an instructor). If you have to retake your exam, make sure you write 'retake' in the sign-up book as well as the letter variant you wish to retake, i.e., Variant B or C.

Completing your first unit: You are expected to make satisfactory progress throughout the quarter. Students with 4-5 or more credits must complete their first unit by the last day of the third week of the quarter. Students taking 2-3 credits must complete their first appointment by the last day of the fourth week of the quarter.

Deadline for students taking 2 credits: Students taking only two credit hours must finish all coursework, including exams, by an earlier date, typically the beginning of the ninth week of classes. This applies even if you drop down to 2 credits during Contract Week!

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Materials, Audio Program and Video

Russian 101.51-104.51 All materials are available at SBX (1806 North High Street; 291-9528). A Student Tape or CD will accompany your Nachalo textbook purchase. However, there is a set of Laboratory Recordings that are meant to be used in conjunction with the Workbook and Laboratory Manual. The Instructional Media Centers at OSU have recently transitioned from a system of audiotapes to an online system. This new system will provide free access to the Laboratory Recordings through the internet. The Web site to access the online Listening activities is: http://telr.osu.edu/languagelab/

The Nachalo Video that accompanies the course, just as is the case with the set of Laboratory Recordings, is available online as part of the same system. Because viewing video online demands specific applications and a very fast internet connection to be effective, students will most likely want to access the video from OSU Computer Labs on campus. Again, more detailed information will be forthcoming during your orientation session.

Russian 405.51-407.51 and 580-51-582.51

All materials are available at SBX (1806 North High Street, 291-9528). 580-51-582.51 is also available at the Foreign Language Publications in 100 Hagerty Hall.

Four of the most popular compact/pocket dictionaries include:
1. Katzner. English-Russian, Russian-English Dictionary. John Wiley & Sons, 2nd Edition (1994).
2. Langenscheidt's Pocket Dictionary: Russian-English, English-Russian. Langenscheidt Publishing Group, (2001).
3. Pomahoba. Romanov's Russian-English/English-Russian Dictionary. Pocket Books, (1990).
4. Thompson. The Oxford Russian Dictionary: Russian-English, English-Russian. Berkley Books, NY, (1997).


To purchase the optional materials, consult any reputable online bookstore or special orders departments of bookstores in your area. You may also wish to take advantage of the OSU Main Library, including its East European & Slavic Studies Reading Room (EES) on the Third Floor (Room 300), which maintains an impressive reference library.

Russian 101.51-102.51

Required:

Russian 101.51 Student Manual. Available at SBX (for more information, you can also go to the Web site of the publisher, Zippublishing at www.zippublishing.com or call them at 263-0833).

Russian 102.51 Student Manual. Available at SBX (for more information, you can also go to the Web site of the publisher, Zippublishing at www.zippublishing.com or call them at 263-0833).

Lubensky, et al. Nachalo (Book 1), Second Edition. McGraw-Hill, 2001. Comes with Student Audio CD or tape. Available at SBX (1806 N. High St., 291-9528).

Warner, et al. Workbook and Laboratory Manual to Accompany Nachalo (Book 1), Second Edition. McGraw-Hill, 2001. Available at SBX (1806 N. High St., 291-9528).

Bown, et al. Video Guide to Accompany Nachalo (Books 1&2), Second Edition. McGraw-Hill, 2001. Available at SBX (1806 N. High St., 291-9528).

Russian 103.51-104.51

Required:

Russian 103.51 Student Manual. Available at SBX (for more information, you can also go to the Web site of the publisher, Zippublishing at www.zippublishing.com or call them at 263-0833).

Russian 104.51 Student Manual. Available at SBX (for more information, you can also go to the Web site of the publisher, Zippublishing at www.zippublishing.com or call them at 263-0833).

Lubensky, et al. Nachalo (Book 2), Second Edition. McGraw-Hill, 2002. Comes with Student Audio CD or tape. Available at SBX (1806 N. High St., 291-9528).

Warner, et al. Workbook and Laboratory Manual to Accompany Nachalo (Book 2), Second Edition. McGraw-Hill, 2002. Available at SBX (1806 N. High St., 291-9528).

Bown, et al. Video Guide to Accompany Nachalo (Books 1&2), Second Edition. McGraw-Hill, 2001. Available at SBX (1806 N. High St., 291-9528).

Russian 405.51 and 407.51

Required:

Russian 405.51 Student Manual. Available at SBX (for more information, you can also go to the Web site of the publisher, Zippublishing at www.zippublishing.com or call them at 263-0833).

Russian 407.51 Student Manual. Available at SBX (for more information, you can also go to the Web site of the publisher, Zippublishing at www.zippublishing.com or call them at 263-0833).

Cynthia Martin and Andrei Zaitsev. Russian Stage Two: Welcome Back! ACTR, 2001. Comes with textbook, two workbooks, two CDs, and one DVD. Available at SBX (1806 N. High St., 291-9528).



Russian 580.51
Rugaleva, Anelya. Reading Russian 1. An Advanced Course (Units 1-3).

Russian 581.51
Rugaleva, Anelya. Reading Russian 2. An Advanced Course (Units 4-6).

Russian 582.51
Rugaleva, Anelya. Reading Russian 3. An Advanced Course (Units 7-9).

Undergraduate Resources