FAQ
CIS110 • Introduction to Computers
The questions students ask again and again, in every variation. These answers are for my CIS110 sections only - other instructors have their own policies. If anything here contradicts something you've been told elsewhere, tell me so I can fix whichever one is wrong.
The general questions that apply to all my courses - why journals, why peer reviews, how to ask for a recommendation - are on the teaching site's FAQ.
Q: I'm Confused. What Should I Do?
A: Start at the beginning. Log in to your LMS, go to each link on the left one at a time, and read what's on the right. If there's more than one thing there, click it and see what you find. Watch the videos. If it's too much at once, make a mental note so you can come back.
Remember I.E. - Ignore and Explore. Ignore what you don't need, explore what you do. And read the class announcements, starting with the first one.
Q: I'm Still Confused. What Should I Do?
A: Ask on the class discussion forum - that's the fastest route, and your question almost certainly helps somebody else. For anything private, use the LMS messaging tool. If I haven't answered and you need an answer, text or call me; my number is under instructor contact information in your LMS.
Whichever route you take: be polite, use a meaningful subject line, and be specific. "HELP!" tells me nothing. "I'm having trouble figuring out what's due in week 5" tells me everything. Adding your name to the subject line doesn't help - it's already there. When you contact me directly, include your name and section number.
Q: What Homework Do We Have?
A: Everything under each week in Content is homework - attendance quizzes, readings, and assignments. Week 1 has a lot in it, so take your time and make notes so you can come back. On top of that you have weekly participation: journals and work logs.
Q: What's Due This Week?
A: See the numbered weeks in your LMS. The home page has a schedule showing the dates and which week they belong to. The Schedule here numbers the weeks of the term as well.
Q: How Do I See All My Assignments and Grades?
A: Get in the habit of checking the gradebook in your LMS - everything is there. If you have questions or suggestions about it, ask on the discussion forum. I'm open to changes that make the gradebook easier to understand.
Q: What Book and Software Do I Need?
A: You need a web browser. There's no printed book - through the inclusive access program your school bill already covered the code that connects your account to the online materials, linked in the getting started folder. Unless you opted out, you've already paid, so don't buy anything else before checking.
Q: I Don't Like Ebooks. Can I Get a Printed Copy?
A: There's no book to print. The online materials are videos, tutorials, animations, and practice quizzes. You could print the text sections of each chapter, but you'll do better with a bigger monitor, or two screens so you can read on one and work on the other. Ask on the discussion forum - other students have their own solutions, and this hasn't been a stumbling block for anyone yet.
Q: Can I Work Ahead?
A: Yes, and I encourage it. If it's available, do it. One student stuck in the hospital finished the whole course in two weeks; the record is eleven days. Finishing early frees you for your other classes, or for a second short session.
Working ahead also covers your attendance - stay ahead when I take attendance each week, journals included, and you count as present.
Q: I Missed an Attendance Quiz. What Can I Do?
A: Nothing, unfortunately - attendance quizzes can't be made up. Do them as early in the week as you can, so you don't forget.
Q: Can I Turn in an Assignment I Missed?
A: Follow the schedule where you can. You'll get an opportunity near the end of the course to make up some missed work - but not the attendance quizzes. I mark due dates wherever possible; journals and work logs work differently, because you contribute each week and the scores accumulate across the semester.
Q: Can I Get an Extension on a Due Date?
A: Generally I do not give extensions, but I do let you work, rework, and redo items near the end of the term, so if you've missed something or want to improve your score, you can do it then. If you're in that situation and have missed significant work, plan accordingly:
- Work ahead on the current work, so you finish everything available early, and
- When I re-open those things, you'll have time to go back and do them.
Attendance quizzes do not re-open - they're the only thing you can't redo or fix if you miss them.
I'll make an exception and give additional time if some technical glitch prevents everyone from doing the work. That exception does not cover your own misunderstanding or misreading of a due date.
Q: I Only Got a Couple of Points on My Journal, and I Did It Right. Why?
A: The journal is cumulative. You earn points for each post over time, so you won't see a full score until near the end of the semester - unless you work well ahead.
Q: How Does MindTap Grade My Work?
A: As you work, the system talks to the gradebook and updates it. It isn't instant, but it usually shows up within a few minutes.
Q: My Gradebook Says a Percentage. How Am I Doing Right Now?
A: Short answer: divide your total points by the total possible at this point in the course.
Long answer: it depends what you're asking. If the gradebook shows 56% and you disappeared, you'd finish with 56%, which is an F. If it read 59.5% and you quit, that's a low D. Keep working and reach 89.5%, that's an A.
So what does "right now" mean? The class isn't over, which makes it like asking your finishing time at the 60% mark of a marathon. You aren't done, so there's nothing to measure against.
What I do give you is the maximum possible at the end of each week. Go to the coursework section, or any of my announcements, and look at the number on the far right of a week - that's the most you could have by then. Say week 10 shows 470 points possible and you have 380. That's 380 ÷ 470, or about 81%. Turn in the piece you're missing before the grace period ends and the total moves up proportionally.
Q: Does the Discussion Board Count for Attendance?
A: No. The discussion board is the primary point of contact for the class - a place to get your questions answered, benefit from other people's questions, and earn extra credit. Think of it as the chat group where you get to know your classmates.
Attendance comes from the weekly quizzes, plus steady progress on labs and journals.
Q: I'm Worried About My Grade. Is There Extra Credit?
A: Plenty, and most of it is easy:
- Discussion board posts - everything past the first three points is extra credit
- Helping other students there earns even more
- Extra journal entries beyond the required one per module
- A recognizable picture of yourself on the introduction assignment
- Commenting on and improving this FAQ
- The end-of-course surveys
- Finishing all assignments a month before class ends
- An easter egg hidden in the discussion forum instructions
Q: Why Are People Posting Animals on the Discussion Forum?
A: There's a secret extra credit assignment for anyone who actually reads the instructions for using discussion forums. That's why those posts use the subject line "Q&A Literacy." Now you know - go read the instructions.
Q: Where Do I Find Rate My Professor?
A: Google it along with my name, and it'll come right up. Make sure you use the one for your school. Doing it earns extra credit.
Q: What Is the SOS Survey, and Why Can't I Find It?
A: It's the CPCC Student Opinion Survey. CPCC sends it to your student email in the last week or two of the course, so if you finish early you may need to wait for it. There typically isn't one in the summer.
Q: I Can't Pass This Class. What Should I Do?
A: If the withdrawal date hasn't passed - roughly the 30% mark of the course - withdraw online. If it has passed, tell me you want a W for your final grade.
Check with financial aid before you withdraw. A W can cause problems there, and it's much easier to find that out first.
Q: Can I Suggest a Question for This Page?
A: Please do. Post it on the discussion forum and say what you asked or suggested - that earns extra credit, and it makes this page better for the next person.