Course Syllabus

Hint/Reminder: If you want to get in touch with me, use the Inbox icon on the left side of the Canvas screen. Look for the little pencil icon on the top toolbar to start a new message.

Final Exam

This is another odd "week" so read carefully.....

• The final module is now open. Read and follow the instructions carefully.
   
• The project is due on Friday of next week (May 25) at 11:59pm.

A note about fonts..... If you don't have a font that the book calls for, find a similar one. It's especially important to understand the difference between serif and non-serif (or san serif) fonts. If you don't know the difference, do a search and get familiar with the terms and uses of these two font categories.

BTW, don't forget that there is a lab -- with books and helpers -- on the 2nd floor of Maggini. At Doyle Library, there is a reserve copy with this call number:
HF5548.4.M525 V47 2014.

Special Notes:

1. Usually online classes run from Monday morning through Sunday night each week. Since we are starting on a Wednesday, our class will run Wednesdays through Tuesdays. When we get to Week 16, you'll get a longer "week" that runs until the beginning of Exam Week.
   
   
2. In the instructions for discussion boards, you will see Friday nights as the due date for initial posts and Sunday as the due date for replies. That is incorrect for this class, since we are on a Wed.-Tue. schedule. Instead of changing all those instruction pages, here are the correct instructions: Starting on Week 2, initial discussion posts should be up by Sunday night and all replying finished by Tuesday night. And of course, assignments are due on Tuesday night as well. (But all this will be different on Week 16 and Exam Week.)
    
   

BTW, don't forget that there is a lab -- with books and helpers -- on the 2nd floor of Maggini. At Doyle Library, there is a reserve copy with this call number: HF5548.4.M525 V47 2014.

Note on hardware: 
The textbook assumes you have the Windows 8 operating system. (The last 2 pages of the book mention using Windows 7 instead.) For our purposes, it really doesn't matter what version of Windows your computer has, as long as it will run the Office software.

Note on software:
The textbook uses MS Office 2013 (for Windows), and so should you. If you try to use an older version or a Mac version to complete assignments, you may not be able to get the same results as the book shows or expects. That could affect your points on homework. (Remember that you can use campus computers. Better still, use the Maggini 2nd floor lab.) If you want to buy MS Office, here is a link to a site that will sell cheap to students: CollegeBuys.org  (Note: You will only be able to buy the 2016 version, but that's OK. Also, if you try to purchase the Office365 (online) version instead of the software version, you might not get a discount.

Note on files you will need:
Here is a link to visit the publisher's Student Companion Site for this textbook. You need to use this link to download the Student Files you will need for future assignments:

• Student Companion Site (Links to an external site.) (Click the "Data Files for Students" link on the lower left side of the page.)
• You will need all the files on the download page during this course.
• Each file you see is a .ZIP folder. Save each one, then go to where you saved them. Right-click each .ZIP folder and choose "Extract." This will "unzip" the folders and make the files inside them usable when you need them.
• Hint: You will be learning to "zip" your finished homework, and when I receive them, I will "unzip" them for grading.

Answers to questions that you might have....

Question: "What if I don't have the font or theme that the book asks me to use?"
Answer: Find a similar font or theme. I just need to see that you know how to find and use formatting options.

Question: "Should I resubmit homework that didn't get full points?"
Answer: When I score your homework, I will let you know if I want you to resubmit. I will decide that based on the how many or how serious your errors were.

Question: "If I see a zero for my points on an assignment, what does that mean?"
Answer: It probably means I have not received your homework yet, or there was a problem with your submission. You can still turn it in for grading. I put the zero to let you know I have not received it or could not open it, in case you thought you had turned it in successfully.

Question: "When we do Excel, is it OK to work out the math on my own and just type in the right answer?"
Answer: No, it is not OK. The main point of Excel is getting formulas to do the calculating for you. So I look for formulas in your work, not just right answers.

This course is set up in Modules. So the best way to use our class site is to click the Modules link on the left and go to each week's lesson, discussion, and assignment.

Start with the Getting Started module before you do the Week 1 module.

Click the Grades link whenever you want to see your points for homework.
(Grading is usually done within a couple of days of the due date for assignments.)