mist2090coursefaqs.html
URL: www.terry.uga.edu/~jaronson/mist2090/
MIST 2090
Introduction to Information Systems in
Business
Course FAQs (Frequently Asked
Questions)
JE Aronson's Section
Amsterdam Gracht (Canal) in June 2005
Course Information and WebCT
Q: Where is the course syllabus
and all the course information?
A: All the course information,
including the syllabus and announcments, is on the UGA WebCT course
site (courseware) site at webct.uga.edu . You can find
information for only
my section at www.terry.uga.edu/~jaronson/mist2090/
, This Web site is not updated
once the semester starts.
Q: How do I get to the course
WebCT site?
A: Go to the Web site and log
in.
Q: What is my WebCT ID?
A: It is the same as your UGA
MyID.
Q: How about my WebCT
password?
A: It is the same as your UGA
MyID account's password.
Q: What if I want to change my
password for WebCT?
A: You can't. You can
change your password for your MyID and that will change your WebCT
password. EITS (the UGA campus computing organization) handles this.
Q: Who do I contact if I have
problems with WebCT?
A: I can add or delete you from
the course. For any other problem, you must contact the EITS Help Desk
at (go here for WebCT specific help:) www.eitshelpdesk.uga.edu/index.php
or the main number at
706.542.3106.
Q: I know you put announcements
for the class on WebCT. Sometimes you email announcements and
other class information through the WebCT email system. I haven't been
getting those. What is going on?
A: You haven't been accessing
the course on WebCT. Possibly you are not enrolled in the WebCT version
of the course. This is a manual process.
Q: Why don't you use the UGA
email system?
A: I do; only not for class
issues and class work. If I used it for class work, my mailbox would
fill up
quickly and often. I check the WebCT email system twice a day or more.
Use only the WebCT email system for our class work.
Course Procedural Issues
Q: Why are you so
focused on telling us that we are adults and are responsible for our
own actions and learning? I already know this.
A: This is a reminder. Even
though most of you are adults and take responsibility, I feel it
necessary to say this because a small percentage of students simply do
not. Consequently, they waste a lot of class time and energy.
Q: I was doing great and
suddenly I fell behind. What can I do?
A: Get with your course buddies
and work on peer learning. Perhaps get a tutor, and do spend more time
on
the class. You can't rush the learning process. It takes time.
Q: What if I lose all my files that
I was going to submit for an assignment, quiz or exam.
A: Basically, you are out of
luck. You are supposed to own a USB flash drive (it's required). If
you didn't back them up and your system crashes or you are on campus
and you logout, the files are
probably gone. Back your work up regularly.
Q: How do I submit my homework?
A: ONLY through WebCT
(never by email). There is an "Assignment" that you click on if you are
on time. Towards
the bottom of the document you can submit by clicking on the
appropriate link.
Q: What if I submit an
assignment and I want to resubmit before it is due because I want to
improve it?
A: WebCT lets you submit more
than once. It only retains the latest file submitted.
Q: So, if I like what I
initially submitted, I only have to submit it once, right?
A: Right!
Q: If I submit an assignment,
why isn't it graded yet?
A: Grading is a manual
process. It still takes us time to read the assignments and grade and
post the results. And often the posting of the results is an
independent step from the grading step.
Q: Why do Access database files
seem to upload to WebCT OK; when I check them, they are empty?
A: Access keeps the file open,
so when you try to upload it while it is open, a filename is uploaded;
the file contents are not.
Q: What can I do about this
issue in Access?
A: You must EXIT Access before you upload any
assignment database files.
Q: What about Excel, Word and
Powerpoint files?
A: You may
experience similar problems. Or WebCT may actually receive the
most recently saved one because you may have the file open in your
Office software package. The upload occurs off the hard disk from
the permanently stored one. The safest way to submit files is always to
save and close it before you submit it. For Access database files, Exit
the software first.
Q: So, if I am working
with an Excel file, and I submit it for grading before exiting
Excel, the submitted file might not be the correct version?
A: Right. Always save and
close the file first.
Q: What are valid excuses for
missing an exam?
A: First off, you need proof.
Valid excuses include illness (physical or emotional), serious illness
of a family member, death in the family, getting drafted into
military service, jury duty, court appearances, civic elections, and a
few others. Even
so, if you miss too
many exams, it is as if you did not take the class, and
therefore may earn a not such great grade.
Q:
Why don't you like to use Powerpoint Presentations?
A: Powerpoint has been proven
to be a minimal method of knowledge transfer. I know this from my
research on knowledge management systems. The human brain is not wired
to retain knowledge from bullets; the brain is wired to learn from
stories. We will
use Powerpoint because you expect it. We won't use it all the time.
Q: Since that is true, then I
suppose you will be using alternative methods of teaching in the
classroom?
A: Yes. We will have many
group activities, where peer learning (one of the most effective
teaching method) is utilized.
Q: Are there other methods you
plan to use?
A: Yes. I have learned
empirically that storytelling (in business colleges, we call these
cases), role playing exercises, daily assignments, and (student) panel
discussions work very, very effectively. We will to explore
other methods.
Q: But if you use mechanisms
like panel discussions, doesn't that mean that you're not doing any
teaching? Why do you get paid for teaching if you aren't teaching?
A: To the contrary: A student
asked me this
question once. I explained that more effort goes into preparing
alternative methods than in preparing a 'standard' lecture. Developing
cases or
questions for panels to answer that ensure that the right material is
covered in the right depth is much harder to do, and takes much more
time
and effort than covering Powerpoint in a traditional lecture format. I
spend much more time in preparing these alternative methods, followed
up
by the same amount of class time to administer them and ensure that the
learning of the right material occurs. After the first panel discussion
we did, the student who asked me the question earlier discovered that
he learned so much more from his peers discussing their group projects
than from covering the bullet points in a Powerpoint presentation.
Q: How is participation and
attendance handled?
A: Again, you are an
adult. I expect you to come to class prepared to learn. I feel that
your performance on assignments and exams will reflect whether you
attend class or not. I
do not take attendance per
se, nor do I plan to have daily "quizzes" to check attendance.
This is college, not high school. If you come to class to learn, then
great; otherwise don't come to class. Do be aware that there is a
participation portion of your grade. There will be some in-class
exercises to determine those points. If you miss them, you can make
them up by attending SMIS meetings. And, some of those points will come
from answering questions from the end of each chapter or another source.
Q: What about those quizzes? I have
heard a lot about them from other people who have taken this course.
A: I do not administer daily
quizzes. The other professors who teach this course may.
Q: I feel that I deserver credit
for coming to class.
A: That's nice. We
can agree to disagree. I will not be taking attendance.
Q: What about those SMIS
meetings?
A: Up to three (3) class
participation
points may be gained by
attending SMIS meetings (one meeting per point; schedule available at www.ugasmis.org). I suggest that
everyone in the class attend 3 of these. You must sign the
MIST 2090 signup sheet at the meeting. An SMIS officer will have this
signup sheet and at the end of the semester will forward to me the
information about who attended.
I will not have the raw signup sheets, so if you are not given credit,
you will need to contact the SMIS person who has them, not me. Do get
to these early in the
semester.
Q:
Should I contact you if I
will or did miss class?
A: Typically, no. There is no
way to make up a missed class. Contact one of your course buddies
first, or email friends in the class in WebCT to find out what we did.
I post and
email information on a regular basis about what we did and will be
doing. And, you can get whatever files are relevant to the class from
WebCT, including an audio file of the work we did on most days. Do
contact me if you miss an exam (not a regular) class. If
you
are
involved in something life-threatening or emotionally draining, deal
with the issues first. Contact me last.
Q: What happens if I get really sick
and miss a lot of school?
A: When you return to campus,
see me and bring me valid documentation. Then meet me during office
hours so we can work something out to make the course work for
you. You might have to complete the course in the following semester.
Q: Why don't you care
about why I miss a class?
A: Firstly, I am not taking
attendance. Secondly, if you miss a participation day, you can make 3
up by going to SMIS meetings. It may seem like I don't
care whether you miss class or not, or why. I do care and
there are, of course, valid reasons for missing class. It is
hypercritical to help out friends and deal with emergencies, health and
even flat tires. Those are givens. The
sheer volume of handling missed class excuses precludes me from
being able to read a lot of creative writing about what happened in
most circumstances. This is especially true of early morning classes
when people like to sleep in or end up sleeping in for a variety of
reasons. Be aware that lying about
why you missed class or making an absent student appear to have
attended class are academic honesty violations.
Q: Where are the course syllabus and
other materials?
A: Everything is on WebCT.
Because you are enrolled in the class, you
have access to them. If you Late Add, I might have to add you to WebCT.
This can be reached
from webct.uga.edu. You must
check your section's site for announcements daily.
Q: Where are grades posted?
A: Only on the course WebCT
site in MyGrades. You
may have to activate that area to view it. It is a
secure site.
Q: I don't know anyone in the class.
How can I get a course buddy?
A: Introduce yourself to the
people around you and ask them to be your buddies. Don't be shy.
Q: Is it possible for the grading
scales to be different from one section to another?
A: Yes. Technically, each
section of the course
is a different course. Even though the Instructors are
coordinating them, and the exams and assignments are essentially the
same, the
exams, though comparable, may be different. And, because
each
instructor may emphasize slightly different topics, students in each
section may perform differently. So grading cutoffs for As, Bs, Cs,
etc. and the plusses and minuses may be different.
Q: Why do I have to take this
course? I don't want to be a programmer.
A: This course provides a
foundation for MIS understanding and vocabulary. You can't call
yourself a business major unless you know something about information
systems/information technology. MIS is one of the functional areas of
business, and you must at least be computer literate, if not computer
fluent. This course can also be used to satisfy The University's lab
course requirement. And ALL knowledge workers today really have to know
about
MIS/IT.
Q: Why is class cancelled if the
Clarke County Schools are closed even though the University may still
be open?
A: On the third day that I
drove to campus when this occurred, a bus and a jackknifed
tractor trailer skidded down the hill on Broad Street near campus
towards me. I realized then that if it is too risky for me to get to
campus because the roads are slick, it is too risky for you to get to
campus, too. We don't need to risk our lives for learning. We can learn
later. If it snows and The University is closed, you can go sledding,
tobogganing, or traying. The campus is hilly enough.
Q: Why are there cell phone, laptop
and behavior policies?
A: Enough students in the past
have exhibited behaviors that required us to establish such firm
policies.
Q: Why do I have to leave class if
I use my cell phone.
A: I do not want to police the
class for behavior. If you start using your cell phone, you will
disturb your neighbors. I will ask you to leave the classroom the first
time. The second time, I will administratively drop you from the course.
Q: Why is the penalty so severe
for the second time?
A: Enough is enough. That's why.
Q: What about laptop
computer use?
A: If you're taking notes,
that's fine. If you are doing anything
other than note taking, you will disturb your neighbors. I will ask you
to leave the classroom the first time. The second
time, I will administratively drop you from the course.
Q: So were have all those
negative course behaviors listed in the course behaviors really happen?
A: Yes. This is college. There
should be mutual respect among everyone in the classroom. Aside from
being outright rude, these negative behaviors are extremely
disrespectful to everyone in the class, and they disrupt the learning
process. They have happened so frequently that we felt it necessary to
point out explicitly what they are (for example, some people don't
realize that talking aloud to their neighbors can cause a distraction,
even when sitting in the very rear of a classroom), why they are not
tolerated (oh grow up already!), and the fact that if they occur twice,
you will be dropped from the course. So, if you plan to behave like
this, either grow up and behave
appropriately, or don't come to class.
Q: So, what if I feel the need
to be attached to Facebook 24/7 and can't be unconnected.
A: If your emotional need is that
great, just don't come to class Do go to the Health Center and see
a counselor to work through your issues, and then when you can handle
being in a room without Facebook, come back to class.
Q: I sit in the back and can't
hear you. What can I do?
A: If you have a hearing
disability, then sit in the front. And, the acoustics in the
room could be an issue. Let me know if the microphone volume is too
low.
Q: Why do you encourage active
learning and note taking?
A: These, along with
attendance, are the most important criteria for course success.
Contacting Me,
Other Instructors and TAs
Q:
How do I get in touch
with
you directly?
A: Send an
email message to me directly through the
WebCT course site. You must
put "MIST2090: " at
the start of the subject, and include a meaningful subject. You must include your name (ideally as a
signature at the bottom of the message). You
may also drop in during my office hours or schedule an appointment.
Q: Why do you
want that
information in the subject and my name?
A: Your email is a business
correspondence. If you were attempting to use email to get a job and
indicated a subject of "Hey" and simply had the message "What about
that job?" with no signature, there is no context for the recipient to
determine what you are asking about (and you would not get the job; if
you had it, you would probably be fired). Professional email etiquette
demands what I am asking you for. In addition, good grammar and
spelling is important. The most important issue is that I teach
more than one course, each with multiple exams, quizzes and
assignments.
I need context from you to be able to answer your question or request.
Finally, I generally am teaching at least one other class during the
semester. Sometimes there is common material, or the two classes use
common names. Sometimes I have classes with as many as 330, othertimes
as few as a mere 110 (in two sections). I need the context or I can't
intelligently answer a question.
Q: What if I leave out that
information?
A: I won't know what you are
asking or requesting. In the past, I spent untold hours trying either
to figure out what was being asked in email, or I repeatedly asked for
additional information. It is not professional not to
include the required information. This is
college, and the Terry College of Business is a business college. I
have stopped asking repeatedly for contextual information to meet
someone else's email requests. It wastes your time
and my time. I might simply delete the message. Basically, you are not
doing this for me, you are doing this for yourself.
Q: What if I
send a message to your UGA email account?
A: I may not answer it. I want
all course correspondence to be done through WebCT.
Q: Whom do I
contact if I have
a question about the software work and assignments?
A: First off, go to the lab
classroom Caldwell 305. They are scheduled every day of the week. You
can also contact any Lab TA via email.
Q: Do the lab TAs have office
hours?
A: Actually, their time in the
lab classroom is their office hours.
Q: Who is my TA?
A: You do not have an assigned
TA. Any TA can help you out.
Q: Can I see any Lecture
Instructor during his or her office hours?
A: Of course.
Q: What about this other Lecture Instructors?
A: If the question does not involve grading, feel free to see any of us
during our designated office hours; if the question involves
software work, do attempt to find a TA during the scheduled lab
sessions first. We're always willing and ready to help.
Q:
If I have a question
about grades, I know that I have to connect with you directly.
A: Right. In that case, email
me, call or drop in during my office hours or
schedule an appointment.
Academic Honesty
Q: What is the deal with Academic Honesty and Academic
Dishonesty?
A:
Those of us who have taught
for a long time and new instructors realize that
Academic Honesty is a critical issue here at UGA. We will remind you
all on a regular basis. It is
your responsibility to conform to the Academic Honesty policies of The
University. Among other things, that means that you cannot copy
anyone else's work; you cannot give someone your work to copy; you
cannot lie about taking an exam later because you are ill; you cannot
copy exam answers from others; you cannot give anyone else exam
answers; you canot presume that group work is appropriate unless it is
specifically stated in the assignment or announced in class; you cannot
put a group's nonperformer's name on an assignment for credit when he
or she clearly did not do any of the work on a group project. Finally,
if you have not been through the formal stages of the Academic
Dishonesty Process here on campus, I can tell you that although it is
an extremely fair process, it is also heart wrenching for both students
and faculty to deal with a poor choice on the part of one or several
students face-to-face.
Miscellaneous
Q: Do you
spend a lot of time preparing to teach?
A: Actually, yes. A lot of
work goes into making course material coherent/understandable, and
producing a cohesive lecture, demo, in class activity, panel, and/or
role playing exercise that makes sense, is timely, and is
done on time. Most students don't realize that it takes most professors
about
6 hours of preparation for a single hour (a 6:1 ratio) of in-class
material used for the first time After that, the ratio may drop
to 3:1, and finally, maybe to 2:1. This doesn't include replying to and
creating course email, exam preparation and grading, etc.
Q: I notice
that on rare occassions you have difficulties with course software in
class. How can this happen since you certainly must know everything
about the software, especially Microsoft Office productivity packages?
A: Sometimes there are subtle
differences in the way software packatges are configured in the
classroom, versus how they are configured in my office and even at
home. Sometimes, a slightly
newer software release operates differently than past ones did. And,
sometimes upgrades to the operating system (Windows, Vista, etc.) can
have the same effect. When
these events occur, please be patient. This is a given factor in using
any technology and is not a result of lack of preparation. It is the
result of surprise. This is a good example of how the real-world
impacts technology use.
Q: What
courses outside the major do you recommend for a business or even an
MIS
major?
A: Surprisingly, I recommend
theater, public speaking, communications, and journalism courses on
interviewing, reporting, technical and creative writing. These will
help you pick up skills that you don't normally get within the MIS
major or business courses. Recruiters look for these skills. They know
that you know the business and/or MIS stuff. Also, take something that
you really enjoy.
Q: Why
don't
you have standard, formal suit and tie photos of you on your Web and
course Web sites?
A: I got tired of wearing and
using them.
I thought it would be more interesting to show you more interesting
photos.
Concluding Question:
Q: Why are there so many
policies and rules, and why are the penalties so severe.
A: Basically, there are 300 of
you, and one of me. Though everything seems rigid and possibly
foreboding, I have found that most people operate most of the time
within these policies, etc. The small group of people who do
not make the class difficult for everyone else.
Page
Maintained by JE Aronson
Last Modified: August 16, 2009
