This class does not have a mid-term, but there will be an in-class final task to do. 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.
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
You will to send me emails with the URLs that I need to use to access materials stored in the protected directory.
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Task 02 will be the URL of a web site you will construct and publish.
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 each of them.
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Task 03 will be a marked up document that you will post in your web space.
You will markup a text document of your choice so that it will be prepared for an e-reader of your choice.
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task ④ spreadsheets
due by 2359 on Monday, 28 Oct 2013
worth 15% of final grade
Task 04 will be a formatted spreadsheet with additional functional applications that you will post in your web space.
You will modify an existing workbook to show your command of the tool.
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task ⑤ databases
due by 2359 on Monday, 26 Nov 2013
worth 15% of final grade
Task 05 will be a fully functioning relational database that you will post in your web space.
You will transform some Excel worksheets into Access tables, build a table, forms, reports, and queries.
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task ⑥ presentations
due by 1100 on Thursday, 12 Dec 2013
worth 10% of final grade
Task 06 will be a self-running, narrated, professional presentation that you will post in your web space.
We will discuss topics, methods, and tools during the sessions.
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active involvement
due daily
worth 10% of final grade
You will accomplish this task each day with your engagement in class.
You will also be expected to create a blog posting and/or comment on a blog posting at least once a week.
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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.
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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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 introducing yourselves after the first session, you will have to post a note about starters you present in class on the blog, and you will surely have something to say about one or more of the other starters presented to you daily.
When you do a posting on the blog, be sure to use a label to identify yourself. At the end of the semester, I will look through your postings and if they are not labeled, you will not receive credit for them.
We should expect to see at least one posting from each of you all every four class sessions, whether you have done a starter or not. It's reasonable to expect everyone to have something to add to the blog conversations.
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.
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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