Last updated: $Date: 2007/05/01 01:03:48 $
Much of this course is organized into two-week blocks, each focusing on a particular topic (see class schedule for more details). The first session of each block will be primarily devoted to building fundamental concepts, where emphasis is placed on ideas. These sessions will be conducted along a more traditional lecture format, although structured discussions will be integrated at appropriate junctures. The second session of each block will be devoted to technology presentations. The purpose of each technology presentation is to help you acquire the necessary skills in applying information technology to solve real world problems. Each technology presentation will consists of demos and hands-on lab exercises that complement the concepts introduced in the previous session.
| Assignments (5 total) | 20% |
| Exams (midterm and final) | 35% (25% for higher grade, 10% for lower grade) |
| Final project | 35% |
| Class participation | 10% |
| Total | 100% |
There will be a total of five homework assignments due throughout the semester. Together, they are worth 20% of your final grade. Homeworks are designed to help you learn the material, so please use them for that! You are allowed to collaborate with others (as many people as you'd like), but you must turn in your own assignment. For example, you could work together in a group, but each person must write up their solutions individually.
All completed assignments will be posted on the Web, on your homepage. At the end of the semester, you'll have a complete record of your accomplishments (a Web portfolio). For the first assignment, please email me the URL of your homepage. For convenience, you are encouraged to use your WAM account to host your files.
Grading: A plus/check/minus system will be used for grading the homework assignments. Check indicates a satisfactory completion of the assignment. Plus indicates an impressive mastery of the material. Minus indicates noticeable gaps in the product. Late policy: for assignments turned in a day or less late, I will take your original grade and bump it down a step (e.g., plus becomes check, check becomes minus, etc.). Assignments more than a day late will not be accepted.
There will be two exams, a midterm and a final.
Both exams together will be worth 35% of your final grade. The higher of the two will be weighted more heavily (25%); the other will be weighted less (10%).
See separate page for the final project.
Each class is critical to your learning experience, and I expect you to come to class prepared (having read all assigned readings, ready to engage). I also expect active participation, not passive reception to the material. Your energy in contributing to class discussions and hands-on exercises will make this class an enjoyable experience for all of us. Class participation is worth 10% of your total grade. In the beginning, everyone starts out with five points (out of a total of ten). Depending on the factors discussed above, this total may go up or down.
http://www.shc.umd.edu.
Last updated: $Date: 2007/05/01 01:03:48 $