Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find the student data files needed in the tutorials and assignments?
The Student Data Files are located on the textbook company's Web site. Directions can be found on the inside front cover. I have set up two easier methods (1) on the RIC internal network drive named Instruct (J:) in the revans folder under cis251, and (2) a link on the Syllabus to the textbook company Web site where you will find a link to download the student files. The J: drive cannot be accessed from off campus. If you choose the download approach, when you have the file located on your computer, right-click on it, then select Open With and choose Compressed (zipped) Folders. Each folder within the Student Data Files folder contains the starting files for the tutorials and the assignments from the book.
How do I submit an assignment corrections?
Fix the issues noted in the grade notes, then email the corrected files as an attachment to a WebCT email. In the subject line type the assignment number followed by the word resubmit. (ie: wd1.111 resubmit)
When does an assignment correction have to be made by?
When I post grade notes I specify the date the correction must be returned by. If I do not list a date, it should be returned by the next class date.
Do I get to correct all errors in assignments?
No. If your errors were such that the grade is 90 or above, there is no requirement to redo the work. I will only increase the grade if you resubmit an assignment requested by me.
What does "Extra Credit" mean?
I sometimes post assignments as extra credit work. All points received for this work applies to the overall total of work completed. For example, you have completed 5 assignments with a total score of 300. Your assignment grade is a 300/5 or 60. If you do an extra credit worth 100 points, then your total score would be 400. Your new assignment grade is a 400/5 or a 80. Even with extra credit points added in, your overall score will never exceed 100.
Do I have to do the tutorials in the textbook?
You do not have to turn in the work completed in the tutorials unless there is a specific assignment to do so, but it is important you do the work. As a college student you are expected to do the work necessary to complete the course material. I will lecture on the material in the tutorials from a different slant so you get more than one viewpoint. I will assume you have covered the tutorial BEFORE coming to the lecture session. The lecture is a hands on, let use what you learned session. This is where you practice what you have seen in the textbook.
One of the quiz questions is wrong; I know my answer is the correct one.
I need to know the quiz you were taking and which of the 3 you were on. A good approach is to copy and paste the question and answers from the quiz into your email to me. I will research the question and adjust your grade if I find you are correct. Then I will correct the quiz so others will be graded correctly. The questions and answers were prepared by the textbook company and occasionally an error is discovered.
How do I submit an assignment after the due date?
You do not. Assignments are due on the dates established. Most assignments will include a late date. Submitting by the late date, but after the due date will result in a maximum grade of 70 for the assignment. If you miss the dates, you forfeit the grade on that assignment. This is where completing extra credit work is important, even if your grades are looking pretty good right now.
The clock on the quiz says many hours have been used.
All quizzes are to be completed in one session of 20-30 minutes, depending on the quiz. The clock starts as soon as you begin the quiz. You cannot start a quiz and then get back into it later. If the system should go down in the middle of a quiz (rare occurrence), I can reset a quiz so you can start again. I need the quiz name and the occurrence you were on (1 2 3) and an explanation of why you are requesting a reset. Send this info by WebCT email.
From the Start menu, open the My Documents folder. Then drill down to the folder you wish to compress. Right-click on the folder icon, select Send to, and then Compressed (zipped) Folder. On campus a dialog box may appear, just click Yes. The resulting compressed file will be name the same as the folder and have the extension of .zip
How do I compress two or more files?
Open the folder containing the files to be compressed. Click on the first file, then hold the Ctrl key down and click on the second file. Repeat for additional files to be included in the compression. When all files have been selected, release the Ctrl key, then right-click on any of the selected files, select Send to, and then Compressed (zipped) Folder. The resulting compressed file will be named the same as the one of the file and have the extension of .zip
Where do I obtain the Student Data Files to do the assignments?
The Student Data Files are available from the textbook company. I have downloaded them and placed them on the Instruct: J-drive for easy access at RIC. From any networked computer, open the J-drive and drill down on the Evans folder to your course (ie: cis251) and then to the Student Data Files folder. You will find a sub-folder for each section in the book. I strongly suggest you copy the folder to a CD-R for use at home; a USB flash drive would also be good for this purpose.
If you did not bring the files home, you can download them from the Internet. In WebCT, open the syllabus for this course, then click the link on the textbook title. This brings you to the download page for the textbook company. Follow their instructions to use the resulting file. Instructions to obtain the files also appear on the inside back cover of your textbook.
Where do I find
Serif and Sans Serif Fonts?
Do not look in the Font list. There may be one or more font face
names in the list with the words Serif or Sans Serif. Do not use these;
they are not what is meant by the instruction “Use a sans serif or a serif
font”.
Serif is defined in the dictionary as a short decorative line at the start or
finish of a stroke in a letter. Sans is defined as without. Therefore, sans
serif means without a short decorative line at the start or finish of a stroke
in a letter.
In other words, a sans serif font is any font in the font list which does not
have the small additional lines (called serifs) at the tops and bottoms of the
letters. Sans serif fonts are often used in titles so they contrast with the
body text. A serif font is a fond in the font list which does not include these
small lines.
Times New Roman is a serif font – with the lines
Arial is a sans serif font – without the
lines
How do I see the Grade
comments?
On the Homepage, click the Assignments icon (may also appear in the left link bar). Locate the assignment, then click the Graded link. This displays the details about the graded assignment including any comments posted by the instructor. Always check the comments, even if you received a good grade.
How do I view a previous assignment after it is unavailable?
You cannot view an unavailable assignment. For this reason, it is advisable to print an assignment for future reference. I suggest printing to the Microsoft Office Document Image Writer and saving it for later reference. This "printer" produces a .mdi file which can be viewed or printed later.
What do I Need for Computing Power at Home?
This course assumes you are able to run the applications available on campus. If you do not have those applications off campus, then you must use the available labs on campus for successful completion of homework – older versions may not be able to access the same material required by the assignments such as templates and clip art.
Microsoft Office 2007 Professional is required to run the following applications:
Microsoft Word 2007
Microsoft Excel 2007
Microsoft PowerPoint 2007
Microsoft Access 2007
Microsoft Publisher 2007
In addition, to installing Microsoft Office 2007, your Operating System must be Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installed, or better.
The browser should be Microsoft Internet Explorer version7, or better.
If you are taking Web Development courses or need to develop Web pages using Rapid Application Development software, you need to have Microsoft FrontPage 2003.
Programming courses such as Visual Basic and Java may require you to have Microsoft Visual Studio 2005, or better.
All of the above mentioned applications are available on all of the campus lab computers. In addition, because of an exclusive campus agreement with Microsoft, you may purchase any of the applications for a modest fee of $12-$24 at the campus bookstore.
Before attempting to install any applications on your home computer, read the hardware requirements for the application you are installing. In my experience, you will need a PC with a P4 or Celeron processor which runs at 2 GHz or better, no less than 512mb of RAM (1-2GB recommended), at least one USB port to transfer files using a USB Flash Drive, an Internet connection (phone modem or broadband connection), and a primary disk (Drive C:) of no less than 40gb. A CD-RW (CD burner) is also useful.
And remember, NEVER install new applications without backing up critical documents, emails, audio files (tunes), and pictures first.
Most of this information is spelled out in the Syllabus for the course. This is a quick list of some of its highlights.
How do I create a PDF file? I don't have the PDF writer in Office 2007.
You have two choices and probably should do both:
1. Download and install the PDF addin from MS http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=4d951911-3e7e-4ae6-b059-a2e79ed87041&displaylang=en
2. Download and install PDFredirect http://www.download.com/PDF-ReDirect/3000-6675_4-10255233.html