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FIT100 |
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Syllabus |
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Prerequisites No previous experience with computers is required for this course. HOWEVER... be prepared for a steep learning curve if you truly have NO experience. Students with no experience should join the Computer Basics Labs held on the first two evenings of the term. (See Announcements.) This class covers a wide range of material and will require a considerable amount of time. Students not able to spend up to 10 hours a week outside of class should consider taking FIT100 during another term when they have more time.
Course Description The Fluency Vision CSE100/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 at the course Web site.
Grading Policy Grades 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:
Coursework, Workload, Late/Missed Exam PolicyAttendance is expected for all lectures and labs. Mini quizzes will be given at random class lectures or labs on the readings for that day. 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. In life, bad things 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 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 part (Freebie): You may turn in one project part 1-day late without penalty during the term. No other late projects will be accepted. Always turn in what you have completed, partial or otherwise: some credit is better than no credit!
Required Text
There is only one required text. Useful files for this book are available at: http://www.aw.com/snyder/. At various points in the course, additional online materials will be identified. This materials will assist with HTML, databases and JavaScript. You will be
using H-ITT handheld
transmitters (clickers) to respond to questions in class. If you buy the
textbook at the University Book Store, there is a discount coupon for the
clicker included in your textbook. Don't lose the coupon - you need it to get
back most of the cost of the clicker. The clickers are required - be sure to
purchase one at the bookstore! You can send a copy of your receipt to the
vendor (rather than the original receipt) when you ask for the refund. This
way you can keep the original receipt to give to the bookstore next summer
for your patronage refund. Computer
Lab Each 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.
How to Communicate in the Class… All communication in FIT100 is to be respectful. Announcements The FIT100 homepage lists all announcements. Consult it often. Bulletin Board Every 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. Email Every student must have
a UW email account to send messages to the instructors and other students.
All enrolled students are automatically a part of the class list serve. All
important announcements will be sent to this list. This may be the only
official class notice you will receive in some cases. Be sure to read these
postings regularly. You will be responsible for the content. 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 Email There 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
fact in IT that users of a particular technology WILL get stuck. It happens
to everyone -- 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: Debugging When 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 find their mistakes as you will by finding your own. Consult with the
Instructors/Teaching Assistants Your 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 Collaboration It 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. There are rules for working with someone on homework that must be your own:
It is recommended that you note on your submitted work "I talked to ____ while working on this assignment." Copying files or other
documents from someone else, and claiming they are yours is 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. Disability If 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. Secret to
Success in FIT100 |
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This page is maintained by: Larry Snyder, snyder@cs.washington.edu |
