mist4600coursefaqs.html
URL: www.terry.uga.edu/~jaronson/mist4600/
MIST 4600
Computer Programming in Business
JE Aronson
(Image source: www.geomagsa.com)
Course FAQs (Frequently
Asked
Questions)
Specifics are generally described in
detail in the Course Policies.
ATTENDANCE ISSUES AND KEEPING UP:
Q: Why does this course
seem to take so much more time and effort than others that I have had
taken or am taking now?
A: This is the first of two
courses in the MIS major. It is very hands-on and typically involves
difficult (but doable) concepts and implementations. It typically
requires a lot more work than most students expect. That's why I
continually warn you all that this is to be expected and you should hit
the ground running and keep up. I do my best to make it doable, but you
have to meet me halfway. People who succeed in this course typically
listen to this advice. People who do not succeed think that they can
coast through this course: generally an impossibility!
Q: I missed a lot of classes,
will this hurt my grade?
A: Yes! (Especially if you missed an exam!)
Q: Yes? Please explain.
A: Coming to class indicates
your participation and willingness to be part of the learning process.
It is the number one predictor of class success. I want you to come to
class. Whether you have seen this material before, or not, coming to
class will still accurately predict your overall course success.
Q: But I already know all this
stuff, should I still come to class?
A: Yes. You can teach it to
your peers. That way, you'll really learn it well and can tutor next
semester. Also, you will know what we are doing.
Q: So, what is your attendance
policy then?
A: Coming to class indicates
interest and leads to more effective learning. But, I am not
going to take attendance. In the past, I took attendance in this course
and most of my others. I recognize that you are an adult and can decide
for yourself if you think coming to class is relevant. (Or as I have
often heard "shoot yourself"as a substitute for "suit yourself.") I
presume that you are responsible for your own learning. Again, you are
responsible for your own learning! I actually am not presuming
this so much as demanding this. You are responsible for keeping track
of where we are and what we are doing (if you miss a class, get with
your course buddies, I don't repeat lectures for missed classes). If
you plan to miss a lot of classes, you should plan to be a good
self-learner. If you are ill, get with your course buddies as well. If
you have an extended illness or issue, let me know what we need to do
to put you back on track.
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 with me and I do not cover the material
twice. Contact one of your course buddies to find out what we did. We
post and
email information on a regular basis about what we did and will be
doing. Do contact me if you miss an exam. If you are
involved in something life-threatening or emotionally draining, deal
with the issues first. Contact me last.
Q: But, if I miss class, can I
somehow get the audio recordings?
A: Yes. I plan to record each
class and post it to WebCT (this may change later in the semester).
Bear in mind that there may be technical problems, so although most
classes will be recorded, not all will be.
Q: What happens if I get really sick
and miss a lot of school?
A: When you return to campus,
come see me with a copy of your documentation (to give me) and we can
discuss what you need
to do.We will attempt to work something out to make the course work for
you.
Q: Then, generally, you
don't care if I miss class? Why not?
A: It may seem like I don't
care whether you miss class or not, or why, but I actually do care and
there are, of course, valid reasons for missing class. And it is
hypercritical to help out friends and deal with emergencies, health and
even flat tires. Those are givens. BUT,
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 ane so I don't take attendance. This is especially
true of early morning classes
when people like to sleep in or end up sleeping in for a variety of
reasons..
Q: So, what's the deal with any
in-class activities and/or quizzes?
A: Well, although I don't take
attendance, these do count as credit towards your final grade as part
of the instructor discretionary points. You'll
have to be in class when we do these to get credit for them. And, you cannot make
them up.
Q: I was doing great and
suddenly I fell behind. What can I do?
A: Do some peer learning and
get with your course buddies to learn the material together. Teach each
other. Definitely
attend the extra
help/review sessions we offer. Perhaps get a tutor, and do spend more
time on
the class. You can't rush the learning process. It takes time. Oh, and
come to class!
MISSED EXAMS, LATE HOMEWORK, LATE
SUBMISSIONS IN GENERAL:
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, civic elections, and we'll even consider a
couple of
interviews, but not to an extreme. 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: If I miss an exam, will you give
me a makeup exam?
A: No, not specifically for
the one you missed. There is a single,
comprehensive makeup exam at the end of the semester. You can miss and
make up credit for at most one exam with a valid excuse
by taking the makeup exam.
Q: How
about missing any in-class experiential work or quizzes?
A: No. You cannot make up
in-class work.
Q: Do you drop the lowest exam
score?
A: No.
Q: Do
you drop the lowest homework score?
A: No.
Q: Do you accept late homework?
A: Yes, but only up to 12 hours
after it is due with a 50% penalty. After that, no (NO exceptions).
Q: What if I have a problem
with submitting my file(s) to WebCT. Say I attempted to upload a file
and WebCT did not work. Or, I could not access WebCT from where I was?
What if I submit the wrong file for an exam or assignment? Etc.?
A: Sorry. I cannot accept late work of
any kind regardless of the reason. Even though most students are
honest, there have been cases in the past where a file was claimed to
have been last worked on before it was due, and it was not true.
Unfortunately, it is too easy to falsify date and time stamps on files.
Therefore, I cannot accept late assignments due to problems submitting
files. If you were at an exam, and submitted the wrong file, even
though you may have backed up the correct file, I cannot accept it. You
can take the make up exam at the end of the semester to cover the
problem.
It is your responsibility to ensure that the assignment or exam file
was uploaded AND submitted properly. We will practice doing this
beforehand.
Q: But what if I still have
the file on my flash drive? Why won't you accept it?
A: See the above.
SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENT AND EXAM FILES
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. You must UPLOAD
the file first, then SUBMIT IT.
Most of our submitted work will need to be zipped first because the
software system we uses creates project folders containing many files.
Q: What if I submit an
assignment and I want to resubmit it 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: The 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: What if I upload and submit an
open file to WebCT? WebCT will say it is OK, but sometimes they are
empty files?
A: It is dangerous to submit
open files. Always close the file before you submit it or email it.
FILE BACKUP:
Q: Why is a jump (flash) drive required for this course?
A: Most of us work in several locations. You will need to to move your
files around and to back up your work. When you turn off most machines
in the computer labs, the hard drives are wiped clean. See the next FAQ.
Q: What if I lose all my files that
I was going to submit for an assignment or exam.
A: There is no way for me to
know that you really did the assignment. Why didn't you back them up
to your Jump drive, which is required for this course? Basically, you
are out of
luck. If you didn't save them or back them up and your system crashes,
they are
probably gone. Back your work up regularly. It looks like you earn a
zero (0) on this assignment.
Q: What if I lose my jump drive?
A: Same as above.
Q: But that's not fair!
A: Really? Go buy a jump drive,
today so that it will not happen (again).
Q: OK, so I lost my files, now what?
A: Well, you'll still have 12
hours to turn it in for 50% of the original score. I have found that no
matter how complex an assignment was, replicating it can be done
extremely quickly if you really understand what the concepts are all
about. Redo it and take the penalty.
Q: What if I can't get my act
together to work on it because I have other commitments?
A: Then, you will earn a zero
on the assignment.
COURSE MATERIAL LOCATIONS AND GRADING:
Q: Where are the course syllabus and
other materials?
A: The current set is on the
WebCT courseware site. This can be
reached from webct.uga.edu.
Material
on the Web at http://www.terry.uga.edu/~jaronson/mist4600/
is static (will not be updated). Updates will only be made on the WebCT
courseware site.
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, but 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. I haven't been getting those. What is going on?
A: You must check your WebCT
mail for course mail.
Q: Where are grades posted?
A: Only on the WebCT courseware
site. You may have to activate the MyGrades area to view it. It is a
secure site. If you need help, ask someone in the class or
someone in the SMIS organization who has gotten it to work properly, or
email help@terry.uga.edu. I
cannot show you how to do this because I do not have access to this
particular view of the course.
Q: Is it possible for the grading
scales to be different in from one section to another (when there are
multiple sections)?
A: Yes. Technically, each
section of the course
is a different course. My sections generally are comparable, but NOT
identical. Exams, assignments, quizzes, final grading scheme though
comparable are different. If there is more than one instructor teaching
different sections, the sections may be coordinated, or not. The
textbooks, examples, exams, assignments and other aspects of the course
may or may not be the same. Because
each
instructor may emphasize different topics, students in each
section may perform differently. So even the grade cutoffs for As, Bs,
Cs,
etc. may be different. Just assume that the sections are independent
courses.
EMAIL AND CONTACTING ME:
Q: When you send email to the entire class, how do I get it?
A: WebCT has its own email
system that makes it easy to send email to everyone. I plan
to use it. If this changes, I will let you know.
Q: So, you expect us to get
into WebCT every day to check announcments and email?
A: Yes.
Q: How do I get in touch
with
you directly in case of emergency?
A: The best bet is to send an
email to me directly at jaronson@uga.edu.
You must
put "MIST4600: " at
the start of the subject, and include a meaningful subject (tell me in
the subject what you are asking/telling me - be direct). 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. Or
call my office at 706.542.0991.
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 information about the job or a signature, there is
no context for the recipient to
determine what you are asking about and who you are (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. But, the most important issue is that I teach
more than one course, each with multiple exams, quizzes and homeworks.
I need context from you to be able to answer your question or request.
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 who you are and/or what was being asked in email, or I
repeatedly asked for
additional information. Sometimes I will ask you, but I may not. It
wastes your time
and my time. I may simply delete the message.
Q: So you really
might not reply to me if I don't sign the email, make the subject
meaningful?
A: Right. I will probably
delete it. Or, the mail server or client may assume that the email
message is spam and delete it for me.
Q: So,
I want to contact someone in the class, but don't recall his/her email
address. How can I find it?
A: You can either use the WebCT
internal email system, or look them up at the UGA Web site (www.uga.edu). Go to Search and type in
his/her name in the People box.
Q: What if I forget his/her
name?
A: You are out of luck!
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, but 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 when you completed an assignment; you
cannot lie about the reason for taking an exam later or a makeup exam;
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.
GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS:
Q: What about
SMIS
meettings?
A: You must attend a preset
number of SMIS meetings as part of this course (schedule available at www.ugasmis.org). You must sign in
as an MIST 4600 student with my name listed as the Instructor on a
signup sheet at the meeting. An SMIS officer will have this
signup sheet and 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. If you are taking more than two MIS courses, you do not have
to attend twice as many meetings.
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. We are
all learning this material together.
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 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. Borrow a tray from one of the cafeteria and go traying down the
hills on the snow.
I want us to explore the development
of a new set of policies for cell phone and PC use during class. These
policies may change.
Q: Why do I have to bring a
bag of candy to class if my cell phone rings?
A: It seems fair that since
you disturbed everyone, you should have a penalty that involves
everyone's benefit. If your phone rings and you don't answer it, I
might look for it so we know it's yours. Playing games
or checking email or surfing the
Web - or basically doing anything not class-related, the bag-of-candy
rule applies. It is extremely distracting to other students if you are
tapping on the keys.
Q: What about notebook
computer, PC and PDA use?
A: If you're taking notes,
that's fine. Otherwise
you're disburbing people.
Q: There are people talking
loudly enough to disturb me in class. What should I do?
A: Ask them to be quiet, at
most twice. If they do not, involve me. I have a low tolerance for
this. I will administratively drop people out of the class or
automatically fail them if they repeatedly disturb others focused on
learning.
Q: I noticed some people
working in the classroom during class, but they are not in the class.
A: Tell them that they have to
leave. If they do not leave, then tell me and I will throw them out.
Q: Why do you encourage active
learning and note taking?
A: These, along with
attendance, are the most important criteria for course success.
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 an MIS major, and you can't get the degree unless you know how
to program. Company and other recruiters expect that, as an MIS
graduate from the Terry College, you will have a set of fundamental
knowledge that includes what we cover in this class.
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 sometimes you seem to have difficulties with using software in
class. How can this happen since you certainly must know everything
about the software and programming?
A: Sometimes there are subtle
differences in the way software systems 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. I hope you will have these experiences here at
UGA so you will get used to them, instead of frequently on the job.
Q: What
courses outside the major do you recommend for a busines or even an MIS
major?
A: Surprisingly, I recommend
theater, public speaking, communications, and journalism courses on
interviewing, reporting, technical and creative writing (And
improvisational acting/comedy workshops; businesses promote these:
there is value in being able to 'think on your feet.'). These will
help you pick up important 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 MIS stuff. Also, take something that you really enjoy
so that you'll have something else to talk about with recruiters and
future work colleagues. Develop a hobby or outside interest..
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 using them.
I thought it would be more interesting to show you photos of me in more
interesting places around the world doing more interesting things (like
in Grand Cayman Island, Key West, France, The
Netherlands, Costa Rica, Colombia, etc.).
Sea Turtle Farm, Grand Cayman Island, December 2004.
Page Maintained by JE Aronson
Last Modified: December 30, 2008