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 Wednesday and Friday of the term at 10 AM in MGH 430.

This 5-credit class covers a wide range of material and will require a considerable amount of time. Students unable to spend up to 10 hours a week outside of class should consider taking this course during another term when they have more time.

Course Description

The official course description states that the class:

• Introduces skills, concepts, and capabilities necessary to effectively use information technology.
• Includes logical reasoning, managing complexity, operation of computers and networks, and contemporary applications such as effective Web searching and database manipulation, ethical aspects, and social impacts of information technology.

The Fluency Vision

This course 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 of Washington Undergraduate Grading policy. More information is available on the Grading page of the course Web site.

The breakdown of your grade for this class is as follows:
45%     3 Projects (150 points each)
27%     9 pop quizzes (30 points each)
24%     12 Lab assignments (20 points each)
  4%     4 pop reflection papers (10 points each)

Coursework, Workload, and Late/Missed Policy

Attendance is expected for all lectures and labs. Once a week unannounced online quizzes will be given in the lab on previously-assigned readings. Four times during the quarter reflection papers of 3-4 paragraphs will be written in the lecture hall on topics from that week's readings.

Coursework entails readings, computer labs, assignments, projects, weekly quizzes, twice weekly written reflections, and class participation in lectures and labs.

Attendance at all lectures (M,W,F 12:30–1:20 PM, MGH 389) and the assigned computer labs is expected. For each hour of class time you should plan for one 1.5 to 3 hours of work outside of class; so, roughly, 8 to 15 hours of outside work each week. Remember that this course is a five-credit class.

In life, sometimes 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 a quiz or writing assignment, contact the instructor immediately.  Early, late, or make-up quizzes will only be administered in extreme circumstances.  Be advised that in order to make up any missed quiz or writing assignment, 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, quizzes and writing assignments will not be rescheduled for any reason.

Projects should always be turned in on time through the online Catalyst tools with one exception:

The 1-1-1-1 Rule

You may turn in one part of one project one day late one time during the quarter without penalty. No other late projects will be accepted. Always turn in what you have completed, partial or otherwise. Some credit is better than no credit!

Picture Identification

When pop quizzes are given in the labs, you must be prepared to show your Husky ID or other photo ID such as driver’s license.

Required Textbooks

Two textbooks are required:

1. Title: Fluency with Information Technology:  Skills, Concepts & Capabilities,
   Third Ed.
   Author: Snyder, L.
   Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 2006
   ISBN: 0-321-51239-1
   Useful files for this book are available at: http://www.aw.com/snyder/
   
2. Title: QuickStart to Javascript, 1st Ed.
   Author: Forest Lin
   Publisher: Addison Wesley, 2000
   ISBN: 1576760189

Throughout the course, additional online materials will be identified. These materials will assist with learning HTML, databases, and JavaScript. In particular, the tutorials at W3 Schools are extremely helpful.

Second Edition of Fluency

Review this chapter-by-chapter comparison of the second and third editions as we go through the course.

Computer Labs

Each computer lab section meets two times each week. Attendance is required. The labs are integrated with the lecture material. In the labs, you will learn the hands-on computer skills that you will need to complete the projects.

In addition, the pop quizzes will take place in the labs. 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.

Course Communications

All communication is to be respectful—in lectures, labs, office hours, emails, the class listserv, and the bulletin board—whether in person or electronic.

Announcements

Announcements appear in two places:

• Course home page
• Course listServ

Every student must have a UW NetID account to send messages to the instructors and other students. All enrolled students are automatically added to the class listServ. All important announcements will be sent to this list. The listServ may provide 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. For instance, if you do not have access to email on weekends, you must check the Home page on Monday mornings before lecture.

NOTE: All listServ announcements are sent to your UW NetID address. If you forward your UW email to another email address, make sure that email address is up to date.

If you missed an announcement or you want to see an earlier announcement, check the course listServ archives or use the drop-down menu on the Home page to view this week's, this month's, or this quarter's announcements.

Anonymous Email

There is a link from the class Web site that will allow you to send anonymous email to the Instructors, 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! NOTE: Don't send an anonymous email if you expect a reply! We won't know who to reply to!

Email Help

Click the "Instructors and TAs" link under Contacts in the right navigation bar. A U-Mail Web form will open. Select the people you would like to contact. During the week, Monday through Friday, you will hear back from one of us within 24 hours. Do not expect an immediate reply on the weekends.

Bulletin Board

Every student will be able to post to the class bulletin board. You can post a message or discussion on a particular project, on lecture or on labs. The link to the class bulletin board is in the right navigation column, under Contacts.

You may 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. The bulletin board is different from the class listserv, where the information comes directly to your email account.

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:

1. systematically play around with the technology,
2. ask a co-worker or friend for help, or
3. ask an expert for help.

Hopefully you’ll explore all three means to get unstuck in this course. This process is called “debugging” and we’ll talk more about this sort of strategy during the course. Here are some suggestions:

• Step back. 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.
• Check the class bulletin board. Others may have encountered (and solved) a similar problem.
• 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 Instructor and TAs.
  • Office hours. Each week the instructor and TAs hold regular office hours. Come prepared with a specific question in order to make the most of your time with them. Any student may attend anyone's office hours.
  • Email help. 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 this class 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.

You must follow these rules when you are working with someone else on homework that must be your own:

• After working together no collaborators should keep any records or documents of the session ... only memories.
• Wait at least 1/2 hour before starting your own work, and in that time engage in some mindless activity ... such as playing a video game or watching a sitcom.

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. You are responsible for understanding the University rules concerning plagiarism.

If you have questions regarding the class policy, consult the Instructor.

Disability Accommodation

More information is available on the Accommodations page. In brief, 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.

Success in this Course

The best predictor of success in this course is good study habits. What does that mean? It means that students who come to class prepared, who read the text, who attend the lab sections and diligently work on the assignments, and who turn in the projects on time do well. Keeping up with the work is the secret. It doesn't take a genius to do well in this class. Anyone can be successful! Good luck!