Course Description
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. This course is offered jointly through The Information School (INFO 100) and Computer Science and Engineering (CSE 100).For more information on the goals of this class and the report, read the more detailed vision statement.
The textbook for this course was written by Larry Snyder of the UW CSE department. The lectures that will be presented are largely derived from the material that Larry has created when he taught the course in past quarters. Some material is also borrowed from other offerings of the course.
Prerequisites
No previous experience with computers is required for this course. However, it is not an easy course and we will cover a lot of new (and interesting!) material. You should be prepared to work hard in this course. If you truly have NO experience with computers, you must be prepared for a steep learning curve.This class covers a wide range of material and will require a considerable amount of time. Students not able to spend up to 10 hours a week outside of class should consider taking the class during another term when they have more time.
In any case, you will need to take responsibility for learning the material. Do the homework, talk to the TAs, go to all the lectures and labs.
Required Text
The required text is Fluency with Information Technology: Skills, Concepts & Capabilities Second Edition, ISBN 0-321-35782-5 by Larry Snyder of the UW CSE department. At various points in the course, additional online materials will be identified. This material will assist with HTML, databases and JavaScript.Coursework, Workload, Late/Missed Exam Policy
Attendance is expected for all lectures and labs. Mini quizzes will be given at random class lectures or labs on the readings for that day.Coursework entails readings, computer labs, assignments, computer projects, mini quizzes, midterm exams, participation and a final exam.
Attendance at lecture and the assigned computer labs is expected. For each hour of class time you should plan for one 1.5 – 3 hours of work outside of class; so, roughly, 8 -15 hours of outside work each week.
In life, 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 contact the instructor immediately, before you miss an exam or turnin if at all possible. Early, late, or make-up exams will only be administered in extreme circumstances. Pop quizzes will not be made up, but adjustments made for students with a valid excuse. Be advised that in order to make up any missed exam 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, exams will not be rescheduled for any reason and assignments should always make it to class, even if it in the hands of a roommate or classmate. Always turn in what you have completed, partial or otherwise: some credit is better than no credit!
Computer Lab Section Meetings
Each computer lab section meets two times a week. Attendance is required. The labs are integrated with the lecture material. Hands-on computer skills needed to complete the projects will be taught in the labs.In addition, 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.
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.
Announcements
There is a mailing list that will be used to distribute important announcements to the entire class. An archive of these announcements is linked from the class home page.Bulletin Board
Every student is able to post to the class bulletin board from the course website. You can post a message or discussion on a particular project, on lecture or on labs.You may also 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. This is different from the class mailing list, where the information comes directly to your email account.
Please use some judgment in posting to the bulletin board. It is appropriate to ask for clarification about assignments; it is NOT appropriate to post your solution to a homework problem and say "this doesn't work, please tell me why not".
Students with Disabilities
To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact Disabled Student Services: 448 Schmitz, 206-543-8924 (V/TTY). If you have a letter from DSS indicating that you have a disability which requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to me so we can discuss the accommodations you might need in the class.Academic accommodations due to disability will not be made unless the student has a letter from DSS specifying the type and nature of accommodations needed.
TA Concerns
If you have any concerns about a course or the TA, please see the TA about these issues as soon as possible. If you are not comfortable talking with the TA or not satisfied with the response that you receive, you may contact the instructor of the course.If you are still not satisfied with the response that you receive, you may contact Joseph Janes, the Associate Dean for Academics in 370 Mary Gates Hall, by phone at (206) 616-0987 or by e-mail at jwj@u.washington.edu.
Grading Criteria
This course will utilize the University of Washington Standard Grading System. For more information about this grading system visit: http://www.washington.edu/students/gencat/front/Grading_Sys.htmlAcademic Integrity
The essence of academic life revolves around respect not only for the ideas of others, but also their rights to those ideas and their promulgation. It is therefore essential that all of us engaged in the life of the mind take the utmost care that the ideas and expressions of ideas of other people always be appropriately handled, and, where necessary, cited. For writing assignments, when ideas or materials of others are used, they must be cited. The format is not that important–as long as the source material can be located and the citation verified, it’s OK. What is important is that the material be cited. In any situation, if you have a question, please feel free to ask. Such attention to ideas and acknowledgment of their sources is central not only to academic life, but life in general.Please acquaint yourself with the University of Washington's resources on academic honesty (http://depts.washington.edu/grading/issue1/honesty.htm).
Students are encouraged to take drafts of their writing assignments to the Writing Center for assistance with using citations ethically and effectively. Information on scheduling an appointment can be found at: http://www.uwtc.washington.edu/resources/eiwc/.
Copyright
All of the expressions of ideas in this class that are fixed in any tangible medium such as digital and physical documents are protected by copyright law as embodied in title 17 of the United States Code. These expressions include the work product of both: (1) your student colleagues (e.g., any assignments published here in the course environment or statements committed to text in a discussion forum); and, (2) your instructors (e.g., the syllabus, assignments, reading lists, and lectures). Within the constraints of "fair use", you may copy these copyrighted expressions for your personal intellectual use in support of your education here in the iSchool. Such fair use by you does not include further distribution by any means of copying, performance or presentation beyond the circle of your close acquaintances, student colleagues in this class and your family. If you have any questions regarding whether a use to which you wish to put one of these expressions violates the creator's copyright interests, please feel free to ask the instructor for guidance.Privacy
To support an academic environment of rigorous discussion and open expression of personal thoughts and feelings, we, as members of the academic community, must be committed to the inviolate right of privacy of our student and instructor colleagues. As a result, we must forego sharing personally identifiable information about any member of our community including information about the ideas they express, their families, life styles and their political and social affiliations. If you have any questions regarding whether a disclosure you wish to make regarding anyone in this course or in the iSchool community violates that person's privacy interests, please feel free to ask the instructor for guidance.Knowing violations of these principles of academic conduct, privacy or copyright may result in University disciplinary action under the Student Code of Conduct.