Evaluation
This class has neither a mid-term nor an in-class final examination. Grades are based on class participation and the completion of six tasks. Each task will focus on the topic listed in the chart below, but each succeeding task will build on the skills learned in the ones which come prior to it. All tasks will be released for view at least one class session prior to their due dates.
| Task | Worth | Due by the 2359 on ⇓ |
|---|---|---|
| ① ⇒ basics | 10% | Wednesday, 07 Sep 2011 |
| ② ⇒ web development | 25% | Monday, 03 Oct 2011 |
| ③ ⇒ document markup | 15% | Wednesday, 12 Oct 2011 |
| ④ ⇒ spreadsheets | 15% | Monday, 31 Oct 2011 |
| ⑤ ⇒ relational databases | 15% | Monday, 28 Nov 2011 |
| ⑥ ⇒ presentations | 10% | final exam time, 0800-1100, on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 |
| active involvement in class activities | 10% | daily |
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This will be a performance-oriented class
Your grade will be determined by the proficiency you show on six tasks. Though they are graded evaluations, they are also good learning experiences and can also be fun to do.
Task 01 will be broken up into several mini-tasks as you set up your web environment for this class. You will accomplish task 01 by sending me emails for the first four subtasks and by FTPing your fifth and sixth subtasks to the web location you will have created with subtask 04.
Task 02 will be the URL of a web site you will construct and publish. You may create either a personal website or a Pathfinder for task 02.
Tasks 03-06 will be products you will post in your web space. I will start looking at your task 02 sites when subsequent tasks are due to find a link to the stored tasks 03, 04, 05, and 06 so that I may download it.
Due dates
Pay attention to the due dates. Tasks should be turned in by the end of the day they are due. Deadlines are listed for your time management purposes; there is no automatic loss of points for lateness. The only exception is the final task which must be turned on time because this task takes the place of a final exam.
If you finish a task early and wish to have me look it over for completeness, I will do so and provide you feedback so that you may alter things if necessary. Of course, I can only do this if you provide it to me early enough and if I have the time available in my schedule. If you finish a task on time or late, I will grade what I receive.
If circumstances render you unable to turn in a task on time, you may negotiate a new, later, delivery date with me. If you negotiate a new delivery date and meet it, you will suffer no negative consequences. If you do not negotiate a new delivery date with me, or if you miss your negotiated date, you run the risk that I will not have time enough to give your submission its due consideration. You always have the opportunity to discuss any circumstances that conspire to hinder your ability to turn in an assignment on time.
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Active Involvement
Your active involvement in enhancing the learning environment for your fellow students will earn you full credit
You all start out with a passing score for involvement. It's up to you to determine if that score increases or decreases.
Active involvement includes asking questions about topics in such a way that your question and the answer also help your fellow classmates. You can ask questions in class, or by posting them on the class blog. I will respond directly to each question asked. Also, if I think the rest of the class can benefit from the question and answer, I will reformat the question to preserve the anonymity of the asker and post both question and response on the blog, so that everyone can benefit.
Active involvement includes posting comments to the class blog. You don't have to do this each day, but you will have to post a note about starters you present on the blog, and you will surely have something to say about one or more of the other starters presented to you daily.
I will expect each of you to do at least one starter, to post information about your starter to the blog, and to comment at least once on a classmate's posting
There is no doubt that everyone in the class will be an expert in at least one area and active involvement also includes offering to display your skills in an area related to the topic under discussion so that we may all learn from and with you.
Be active and involved, but remember: quality of input far outweighs quantity. During class, you will want to respect your fellow students by paying more attention to the class topics, and less to what is happening on social networking sites.
Attendance is a key indicator of your participation. I won't take roll daily, but I will notice your absence. It is very important that you do not miss classes. If you do miss classes, you would be wise to talk to me about it, either before or after the session you miss.
The amount of points earned for active involvement is a subjective judgment and I will be making the subjective call, at the end of the semester. Therefore, don't expect to see the score of 70 on your gradesheets to increase until near the end of the semester. You should have a feel for how well you are doing in this area if you follow the advice on this page.
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