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FAQs, Frequently Asked Questions

I just enrolled but I see that the course began already. Am I too late?
New participants are welcome at any time! As long as the course has opened, you can begin once you enroll.

How do I navigate the course?
Start with “Course.” Click to open a section. Click on the “Day” or “Section.” Click across icons on the “Ribbon” to go through the material. Complete the work on each page. You can adjust video play speed in the video player. You can also turn the captions on and off, and download the transcripts and videos.

What are the system requirements for this course?
The course was tested on recent versions of Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. We’ve found some bugs in assessments that occur on Safari, and do not recommend using it. While it is possible to access the course on tablets and other mobile devices, some parts of the course do not function correctly, and it is recommended that you take the course on a laptop or desktop to have full functionality.

How long will I have access to the course materials?
Audit learners will lose access to the course materials the number of weeks given as the course length. This time is counted from when you enroll or from when the course begins, whichever is later.

Verified learners will have access to most of the course materials, even after the course closes. However, in some cases, content made available with external tools, or content you submit to external tools may not be available more than thirty days after the course ends. Where our agreements and the technology allow, we will make downloads of your content available. If there are specific items like links you’ve posted or code you’ve submitted that you wish to retain, we recommend you copy and paste to a file you save within the availability window. Please save any important work, especially essays and projects, before the course closes.

Will the text of the lectures be available?
Yes, transcripts of the course will be made available alongside each video. You can also download the transcripts as needed.

Is there a textbook?
There is no required textbook for this course. The course materials will include excerpts from the five texts listed in the syllabus.

What is the format of the class?
This is a self-paced course. Lessons are a mix of pre-recorded lecture videos, readings, and assessments. Progress at your own pace but try to cover at least one “week” each week. Please finish before the course closes. Learners on the audit track will lose free access after the number of weeks given as the course length.

What are the assessments??
This course contains graded and ungraded assessments throughout the course to test your understanding of the material and encourage engagement with the course. Graded components are largely textual annotations and discussion. There may be several  other types of graded assessments; these include multiple choice, which will have one correct answer, checkbox questions, which will have two or more correct answers, image-based analysis questions, and short answers. Ungraded assessments include polls and discussion boards, as well as some optional essays. We highly encourage all students to complete these assignments, as they offer an opportunity to interact with other students.

How does the Short Response assignment work?

Some learners have asked for further clarification on the Short Response assignments for each unit. Please do your best to submit your response by the soft deadlines indicated in the Course Calendar. Once you submit your Short Response, you will be prompted to do a Learner Training. You will only have to do this training for the first Short Response in Unit 1. Next you'll be asked to review three of your peers' short responses using the rubric provided. When you finish, your response will also be graded by learners using the same rubric. Your grade will show up in the progress bar. Please note, there may be lag time before you receive your grade for the Short Response.

How do I receive credit for the Close Reading exercises that require me to do annotations?

To receive credit for each tab, you will be required to EITHER 1) respond to questions asked by the instructor in this close reading 2) create your own annotations 3) respond to your peers' annotations. Please note that you can see whether or not you received credit under "Graded (please make at least one annotation)".

If your grade is NOT appearing in the progress bar, please verify that you made at least one annotation and click "My Notes".

Please see further explanation below:

Annotation Grading Explanation

Are there follow-ups to the course?

At this time, there are no additional courses. However, we recommend participating in any ChinaX Series courses you find interesting!

How can I contact the Book Club Team Team and Staff?

We would appreciate hearing both your positive and constructive feedback about the course content and your learning experience. Your feedback will be invaluable as we improve future iterations of the course. Please contact us through the course's feedback section.

Please find a list of HarvardX's most commonly asked questions below. You will need to scroll to see the whole list.

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