Instructor: Dr. John Dalbey	Office: 14-203
Phone: 756-2921  SMS to email: (805) 776-3543	Email:
CSc Dept: 756-2824	Office Hours:  M 1000-1100 W 1100-1200 Th 1400-1500

There will be regular required reading assignments posted online.  A majority of the readings will be from a free online course offered at University of Washington, "BeneFIT."  Readings are to be completed on the date shown on the course calendar.

There will be frequent written homework assignments that involve responding to questions about the readings or to practice some skill with the computer. You may discuss the homework with other students, but you must create and submit your own work. Responses to questions must be typewritten (refer to these guidelines).  Please include at the top of your submission your name, the course and section number, and the assignment number.

There will be occasional in-class activities (both individual and group) which will count the same as a homework.

Some of the assignments will be graded credit/no credit and others will receive a numeric score. 

LABS

During most class meetings there will be a specific activity to carry out on the computer.  Most of these have detailed directions to follow, but some will challenge you with unstructured or open ended problems.  If you don't complete the activity during class time you may finish it outside of class. The finished work is due before the subsequent class meeting.

RESEARCH PAPER

There will be one written research paper.  Details to be provided in class.

EXAMINATIONS

There will be two written exams, a midterm and a final.  The exams will be a combination of multiple choice and short answer questions.  Please bring a scantron form for the multiple choice section.

The will be two "practical" exams requiring you to demonstrate a particular skill on the computer during lab.  The first will be about HTML and the second about spreadsheets.  The instructor may allow a "cheat sheet" for the lab exam.

Exam rules:  closed book, closed note, no headsets, no cell phones (or other digital devices), restricted bathroom breaks.

Letter grades are assigned on a straight percentage basis: A = 90-100%, B = 80% - 89%, C = 70% - 79%, D = 60% - 69%, F = < 60% .  (The instructor may scale these ranges as appropriate). Borderline scores may receive a Plus/Minus grade. 

ALTERNATE GRADING SCHEMES
If you feel the above grading scheme will not provide the best assessment of your learning in the course, you may negotiate with the instructor for an alternate scheme. You must agree to an alternate scheme before the end of the second week of classes.

ATTENDANCE

Attendance is not part of the course grade.  However, missed classes can not be "made up." You will receive a zero on any quizzes or exams for that day. You may obtain permission to be excused from class for valid academic or medical reasons, but it is your responsibility to secure permission from the instructor BEFORE the date you will be absent. The instructor may request appropriate documentation of your excuse.  The midterm and final examinations may only be taken during the scheduled exam period.

WRITING REQUIREMENTS and GRADING SYMBOLS

Follow these guidelines for written work.
 

HOMEWORK SUBMISSION

Due dates for all coursework are shown on the course calendar. Most labs and assignments will be submitted electronically to PolyLearn. Your work will be time stamped automatically when you submit it. Work which is received late, even by one second, receives no credit.

Written homework is due at the exact class start time. Late homework is not accepted. In general, e-mail submission of assignments is not accepted.  If you have some circumstance which you anticipate may cause you to be tardy upon occassion please see the instructor in advance to make alternate arrangements.

If you anticipate illness, other academic burdens, or other emergency will prevent you from submitting your assignment before the deadline, you may request an extension. Simply leave a message for me before class time asking for an extension of the due date. You may leave a message for me electronically, by voice mail, or in the department office. (Limit: 2 extensions).

Notes:

• The reference timepiece is the instructor's wristwatch which he sets by the campus clock tower chime.
• Class starts at the exact class start time (ten minutes after the hour) not when the instructor begins speaking.
• If you are in the room but your work isn't on the table, it's still late.
• Work placed on the table after the class start time is late regardless of whether the instructor has collected the stack of papers.
• Electronically submitted work, (e.g., PolyLearn) is due at the time posted on the assignment.

GETTING ASSISTANCE

Office hours:
One of the great benefits of attending Cal Poly, as opposed to a University of California, is the opportunity to interact directly with your instructors. You are invited to take advantage of this opportunity by visiting the instructor during office hours, even if you are not having difficulties with the course. Of course if you are having difficulties, you should see the instructor as soon as possible. If scheduled office hours are not convenient for you, other times can be reserved by arrangement.

Email:
The instructor will read his email daily (except weekends) and email is a good vehicle for certain kinds of communications. Use e-mail to report errors on the class web site, to report problems in your electronic submission, to clarify assignment requirements, to reserve an appointment, to ask concise technical questions, or to ask short questions that can be responded to with a short answer (a sentence or two). Complex questions or abstract questions are best dealt with in person. Many computer problems, including debugging, are best handled during office hours.

In this course, homework assignments, research papers, and exams are individual efforts. You may verbally discuss the homework topics with other students unless specifically prohibited. However, any written work which you submit must be entirely your own. You may not "work together" on individual assignments.  Assignments which appear to be the result of a "group effort", or which appear to have been copied from another student, will be considered plagiarized. Similarly, you must explain your homework solutions using your own words, not copying the answers from the textbook. Violations of this policy may result in being failed from the course. See the campus policy on Plagiarism (C.A.M. 684)

COMPUTING POLICIES

A number of important class documents will be made available in electronic form. They can be accessed via a web browser through a link from the instructor's home page. These files should be considered as evolving documents, as they will be refined and updated as the course proceeds. Each document will have a version date so that you can determine if you are reading the most recent version. It is your responsibility to be sure that you are working from the most current document.

Occasionally the instructor will mail announcements to the entire class by using an alias which sends mail to your Cal Poly Mail account. If you don't use Cal Poly Mail regularly, you should setup your account to forward your mail to your regular email account.

The instructor will not read email whose "Sender" field is not an actual student name. Don't use nicknames in mail you send to the instructor or it will be returned to you unread.

Students are expected to learn and abide by the Campus "Responsible Use" policy, Calif. state laws (see Penal Code Section 502), and federal laws.

You may access documents on the course web site only via hyperlinks.  You are not authorized to view other documents that may exist but have no hyperlink to them.

CLASSROOM CLIMATE
The topics in this course are potentially controversial and students often hold diverse views.  It is a core value of academic discourse to be tolerant of views different than our own and to treat others with respect.  Students are expected to be thoughtful about their remarks and to participate in discussions in a manner that exhibits courtesy toward and interest in those with differing views. 

In addition, an atmosphere conducive to learning can be fostered by minimizing distractions for others who are trying to  concentrate.  Common courtesies include:

• Arrive on time.  If you arrive late please enter quietly and take a seat in the row nearest the door.
• Don't wear headphones or earphones and don't listen to portable devices in classroom.
• Do not use a notebook computer during lecture. (If you have a legitimate need, see the instructor).
• There will usually be a break about halfway through the class time. Please use these official breaks to attend to your needs.  Be polite and don't stand up and walk out of class during lecture.
  
• Only one person speaks at a time during discussions; no side conversations.
• Wait until class has been dismissed before packing up.

The use of audio-visual recording devices of any kind (camera, tape recorder, etc) are not allowed without the instructor's permission.

CELL PHONES AND PAGERS

Cell phones present an annoying disruption in class and a distraction from course activities, therefore Mr. Dalbey prohibits them in his classroom. You may not talk or send text messages on a cell phone in the classroom for any reason.  Once you enter the classroom or lab, put your cell phone away where it is out of sight. Turn off any audible alarms.

If you have a legitimate need to be using a cell phone during class, inform the instructor in advance.  Otherwise, the instructor will confiscate any cell phone visible in the classroom.  It can be collected at the end of the class meeting.

RECORDING DEVICES

DROP/WITHDRAWAL POLICY

You may drop this course any time during the first two weeks of class. Please carefully evaluate your schedule and determine if you will remain in the class before the end of the add/drop period. After the drop date, the only way out of the course is called "withdrawing" from the course; this requires a "serious and compelling" reason, such as a medical emergency. You may not withdraw simply because you are earning a bad grade or you forgot to drop during the drop period. Withdrawal requires you to document that some desperate situation has arisen after the drop day that you could not have reasonably anticipated.

PENALTIES