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FIT 100, AUTUMN 2002 Fluency With Information Technology | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SyllabusInstructor Information:Grace Beauchane Whiteaker [gbwhit23@u.washington.edu]
Office Hours: See general office hours below
Teaching Assistants:
Course Website: Class Meeting and Location:Monday, Wednesday, Friday
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PrerequisitesNo previous experience with computers is required for this course. HOWEVER... be prepared for a steep learning curve if you truly have NO experience. This class is not impossible if you are new to computing, but it does cover a wide range of material. Course DescriptionThe Fluency VisionCSE100/INFO100, or FIT100, is an introductory class that implements the recommendations of the National Research Council’s study Being Fluent With Information Technology [National Academy Press, 1999]. The report describes the knowledge and experience a person should possess to be fluent in information technology, where fluency is a more ambitious goal than computer literacy. For more information on the goals of this class and the report, read the vision statement written by Larry Snyder. Grading PolicyGrades will follow the University Undergraduate Grading policy. http://www.washington.edu/students/gencat/front/Grading_Sys.html
The breakdown of your grade for this class is as follows: Attendance is expected for all lectures and labs. Mini quizzes will be given at random class lectures or labs on the readings for that day. Late/Missed Exam Policy, Coursework and WorkloadIn life, bad things will happen. They might take the form of a medical or family emergency. If something like this should happen to you during the quarter and it causes you to miss an exam, contact the your instructor immediately. Early, late, or make-up exams will only be administered in extreme circumstances. Pop quizzes will not be made up, but adjustments made for students with a valid excuse. Be advised that in order to make up any missed exam you must provide a valid reason: documented emergency, illness or standard UW exception (military service, student athletes, etc)- a note from your mother will not be acceptable. Other than the situations described above, exams will not be rescheduled for any reason and assignments should always make it to class, even if it in the hands of a roommate or classmate. One 1-day late policy for project pieces: You may turn in one project piece 1-day late without penalty. No other late projects will be accepted. Always turn in what you have completed, partial or otherwise. Coursework entails readings, computer labs, assignments, computer projects, mini quizzes, midterm exams, participation and a final exam. Attendance at lecture (M,W,F 10:30-11:20 AM, MGH 389) and the assigned computer labs is expected. For each hour of class time you should plan for one 1.5 – 3 hours of work outside of class; so, roughly, 8 -15 hours of outside work each week. Required TextThere are two required texts and one optional text for this course and they can be purchased at the University Bookstore. Copies of all three will be placed on reserve at Odegaard Undergraduate Library as well: Required
Title: HTML 4 for the World Wide Web (4th edition) This next book will be a helpful reference for part of your lab and project work, but it is not required.
Optional There will also be a some eReserves available for portions of the Java Script book. Computer LabEach computer lab section meets two times a week. Attendance is required. The labs are integrated with the lecture material. Hands-on computer skills needed to complete the projects will be taught in the labs.In addition, important information about the projects will be discussed and certain labs graded for points. The labs and the assignments that are part of them will be graded; they account for 15% of your final grade. If you miss a lab, do not expect the TA or Instructor to provide you with an equivalent lab session during their consulting hours. Be prepared to go through the lab on your own and then, if you have specific questions not answered by your classmates, ask your TA. Diskettes: How to Communicate with Others in the Class…Bulletin BoardEvery student will be able to post to the class bulletin board from the course website. You can post a message or discussion on a particular project, on lecture or on labs.You may also post any question that a fellow student may be able to answer. The Bulletin Board will be the main communication tool between the Instructor, the TAs and all students. Check often for new postings, they may be very helpful. This is different from the class listserv, where the information comes directly to your email account. Because not everyone has access to email during the weekends, official announcements will not be sent out past 2 PM on Fridays. Likewise, do not expect an immediate reply from staff on the weekends. During the week, Monday – Friday, you will hear back from one of us within 24 hours. Anonymous EmailThere is a link from the class Web site that will allow you to send anonymous email to the Instructors, the TAs or both if you wish.Anonymous email means you can send mail without the Instructors or TAs knowing who you are. But, it also means that we can't answer you directly if you ask a question using anonymous email! Getting Unstuck…It is the most common action in IT that users of a particular technology WILL get stuck. It is a given - nobody is immune. However, one of the most useful skills you may learn from this course is "how to get unstuck."In the real world, successful people who find themselves stuck do
several things such as: Hopefully you’ll explore all three means to get unstuck in this course. Here are some suggestions: DebuggingWhen you first "get stuck," take a deep breath! Step back for a moment. Look carefully at the work you have just done. Try changing one thing and see what effect it has.You may also want to check the class bulletin board to see if others have encountered (and solved) a similar problem. We’ll talk more about this sort of strategy – called "debugging," during the course. Ask a classmate…Get to know two or three students in the course; exchange email addresses; ask each other for help when you get stuck – try to share ideas about how to figure out the problem rather than telling your classmate the answer. You’ll learn as much by helping others else find their mistakes as you will by finding your own.Consult with the Instructors/Teaching AssistantsYour Instructor will hold regular office hours each week. You will get more out of your time with the Instructor if you come prepared with a specific question in mind.You may also email your question with a full explanation of the problem, not just a vague request for help or the answer! Appropriate Cooperation and CollaborationIt is valuable to work with a friend or classmate when learning a new application or working out a problem. However, the work that you perform in FIT100 for a grade must be your own work unless "working in groups" is explicitly allowed. Projects in this course are meant to be done by the individual.Copying files or simply copying code from a friend is considered plagiarism and anyone caught will be sent to the University Conduct Committee. The rules concerning plagiarism by the University are outlined at: http://depts.washington.edu/grading/issue1/honesty.htm. If you have questions regarding the class policy, consult the Instructor. DisabilityIf you wish to request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact Disabled Student Services, 448 Schmitz, 543-8925 (V/TTY). If you have a letter from Disabled Student Services indicating you have a disability that requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to your instructor so that we can discuss accommodations that you might need for the class.
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Contact the instructor at: gbwhit23@u.washington.edu |