![[CLIS logo]](IMAGES/head.jpg)
| Instructor | |
|---|---|
| Name | Doug Oard |
| oard@umd.edu | |
| Office | HBK 2118F |
| Office Phone | (301)405-7590 |
| Day | Time | Activity | Room | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | 4:45-5:20 | Office Hours | HBK 2118F | Doug Oard |
| Tuesday | 5:30-8:15 | Section 0101 | HBK 2119 | Doug Oard |
| Thursday | 5:30-8:15 | Section SG01 | TBA | Rachel Bradley |
We will meet once a week in HBK 2119. A syllabus that summarizes what we will cover each week and gives a preview of the homework assignments and a reading list showing the reading for each week can be found on the class Web page. Most sessions will be recorded using panopto (audio, video, and slide capture); links will be made available from the syllabus after class. Section SG01 is being taught using a different syllabus, and students in section 0101 may make advance arrangements with the section SG01 instructor to attend that section on a day when they are covering similar topics if they will be unable to make it to one of our sessions on our regular night. If you choose to do this, you remain responsible for the material as presented in section 0101, of course.
I will usually be in my office before class if you would like to stop by to discuss anything, and I am also happy to meet with students after class or at any other mutually convenient time by appointment, and if meeting in person is inconvenient for you we can also set up a time to talk by phone. Email by far is the best way to reach me to set up an appointment or a phone call, and it is also a good way to get a quick answer to a simple question.
The required textbook is Brian Kernighan, D is for Digital: What a well informed person should know about computers and communications, CreateSpace, 2011. It is available from the bookstore or from Amazon for about $15. There will also be additional required reading assignments that will be linked from the syllabus (none of these cost anything to access). Material from all of the assigned readings is testable, regardless of whether the specific information is discussed in class. All exams are open book, so memorization is not required. But it is important that you understand the content of those readings and that you know where to find specific information when you need it because the time limitations on the test are sufficiently stringent that it will likely not be possible to begin to learn about a topic during the test!
All students registered as of January 16, 2013 will be automatically signed up for the course mailing list using the email address that is on record for them with the university. If you do not receive email on that list by January 18, please contact the instructor to confirm which email address you which to have on that list. Students are encouraged to post to the list (you'll get the address the first time you receive an email) when you have something that you believe that your classmates might wish to see. Questions sent to the professor by email may be answered using the mailing list when the answers might be of general interest (unless you specifically request otherwise).
You will most likely want a USB thumb drive (i.e., a "memory stick") on which to store assignments between computer sessions because some computers you will be using may not be configured to provide permanent file storage. You will also need to obtain a TerpConnect account. If you want to print on campus (which is not required if you have a printer at home), you will need a "Personal Print Account" (which requires an initial deposit).
| Component | Percentage | Computation |
|---|---|---|
| Midterm and Final | 35% | Best=25%, the other=10% |
| Term Project | 40% | Online use and written report |
| Homework/Quiz | 15% | 3% each for best 5 |
| Thought leadership | 10% | class, mailing list, project team |
There will be one take-home quiz, one take-home midterm exam, and one in-class final exam. Quiz grading is described below; the principal purpose of the quiz is to support self-assessment and demystify the midterm exam. More credit will be given for the better of the two exams.
Homework is due to the professor by email before the start of class. Solutions will be posted electronically after the assignment is due. There will be 5 assignments. Credit for partial work will be given. Late assignments will be corrected, but will not receive credit. The lowest homework or quiz grade will be dropped, so only the best 5 of those 6 grades will be used to compute the average. All material included in the homework is testable, however, so skipping an assignment is a bad idea.
Questions about exam grading should be discussed with the professor. Questions about homework grades should first be discussed with the TA, and then with the professor if your concern has not been resolved.
Students may work together on the homework assignments, but all of the material that is turned in for grading must be produced individually. For example, students may form study groups and work out solutions together on a whiteboard, but it would not be permissible for one student to create a computer file containing the answers and then for other students to copy that file and submit it as their own work. The goal of this policy is to encourage the use of homework as a learning aid. A concentration on grades to the exclusion of learning when working on the homework can be counterproductive, since each exam is worth at least as much as all of the homework assignments together.
For the quiz and the two examinations, students may not receive assistance from any other person. For the take-home quiz and the take-home midterm examination, students must complete the exam in the allotted time, and must truthfully record their start and stop times. The University of Maryland has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student, you are responsible for upholding these standards. More information is available at http://www.shc.umd.edu/.
For the term project, three-person teams will design and implement some type of application in a way that makes substantial use of advanced technologies learned in this class. Team work is required. Each group will be asked to make a 5 minute Powerpoint presentation describing their project plans in class the week after Spring Break. This is intended to help shape the focus and scope of the project; the presentation will not be graded. Groups are encouraged, however, to get an earlier start; they may submit a one page description of their plans by email to solicit feedback at any time. A written report describing the project is due at the start of the last class session of the semester, and project presentations will be given by each team during that session.
Students are expected to demonstrate mastery of the following prerequisite knowledge throughout the course. These skills are not taught as a part of this course. Students concerned about their mastery of specific skills on this list should discuss the matter with the professor prior to the second class of the semester.
It is required that students arrange for regular access to a computer with an Internet connection, either at home or at work, unless they will be on campus daily. There is a tremendous amount of detail to be mastered in this course, and experience suggests that there is no way to learn it all if you only have access to computing facilities only one or two days a week. For this reason, you should plan to use a computer in an intellectually meaningful way at least five days a week. Furthermore, since much of the information in the course will be distributed only online, access to a computer throughout the week will be important to ensure that you have timely access to this information. Any type of computer and any speed network connection will do. New computers that will do everything you need are available for under $300. If you have a broadband Internet connection at home (cable modem or a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connection) then you should be able to reach the University's computers through that connection. Help getting connected is available from the OIT Help Desk at (301)405-1500.
When not scheduled for use as a classroom, The iSchool computer lab (HBK 2108) can be used by students during the posted hours (which may vary). Computers are also available on campus in several Open Workstation Labs.
Students wishing to discuss accommodations for unusual circumstances should come see me, and should do so no later than the third week of classes.