User:Vtaylor/Computers and Society/CIS2 Welcome

Welcome to CIS2 Computers and the Internet in Society

Thank you for choosing De Anza Online Education.

Course format
 * there is NO textbook for this course. All resources - reading, videos, podcasts are available online without charge
 * one topic per week - keywords, notes, selected media, assignments, activities, discussion
 * all assignments for a module are due at 11:30pm on the specified due dates - see Syllabus for dates. Late work may be accepted for partial credit
 * watch for announcements, changes and important information
 * college level writing is required for all discussions and assignments
 * many assignments require web research and citations
 * NO on-campus meeting
 * ask if you have questions or need clarification

Online learning success in CIS 2 requires
 * regularly participating in discussions
 * allocating adequate time to do course work during the week
 * completing all assignments on time
 * taking responsibility for your own learning
 * learning to use technology as an important part of the course work - online discussions, collaborative writing, wikis, web-based materials
 * understanding the Canvas course management system tools and process
 * appreciating the unconventional course experiences and the opportunity to interact with other students online

CANVAS

Please get started right away. Get familiar with the Canvas course structure. There are several assignments for this week. See Assignments for details.

We will be using Canvas, the DeAnza Canvas learning management system for communication, discussions, homework assignments, quizzes and grade reporting. It is important that you check into Canvas at least 2-3 times each week. Canvas Help request form

Questions?

This class moves very quickly. Complete assignments on time. If you get behind, it is very difficult to catch up. Most of your grade will be based on your active participation in class discussion, so be sure to contribute to the discussions, as well as turning in the assignments.

In the online Syllabus, the assigned topics are laid out with due dates. Watch for NEWS messages for additional summaries and updates. Consult your Syllabus for course specific dates.

If you have questions, please contact me. You can leave me an e-mail message or post to the Questions discussion anytime. I will get back to you as soon as I can, usually with 24 hours.

External Email address : taylorvalerie@deanza.edu

I hope that you will enjoy this learning experience. Get to know your classmates. Keep in touch and that you enjoy the class!

I look forward to working with you this quarter.

Best regards, Valerie Taylor, Instructor

GETTING STARTED


 * Read the Syllabus. The Syllabus for the course is online. Please read it and keep a copy for future reference.


 * Begin working on the assignments for topic 1. Introductions


 * For each topic there is an Assignments page. Click on the Assignment link in the main CIS 2 course page, and a page with all the assignment activities for the topic is displayed in a separate window.


 * All these Assignment activities are due by 11:30pm on the topic due day.
 * Assignments sent by email can not be accepted for credit. Assignments must be submitted online. Please notify me in advance or in the case of some emergency.


 * Be sure to log in at the beginning of the week and check what assignments are due this week. All discussion assignments require participation throughout the week.

Discussions in an online class

It is important to see other ways to think about the issues and problems that computer technology and the Internet bring to society. Reviewing classmates' observations, making comments, asking and answering questions are great for learning more about the topics.

Final projects are group projects. Teams or partnerships of students work to prepare the project deliverable. The projects are too big to be done by one person. In the real world, people work in teams or groups most of the time. It is just as important to learn to work in groups as it is to learn facts. More about the final projects later.

Assignments and Grading

Most assignments are structured so that students research and comment on the information discussed in the module media in creative and personally interesting, academically appropriate ways. These assignments allow for each student's answer to be different.

Posting Your Comments

When you are participating in a discussion, each response you post should provide new information which is appropriate to the issue being discussed.


 * Is your comment accurate?
 * Is it relevant to the issue under discussion?
 * Have you taught us anything new?
 * Have you added to the academic atmosphere of this course?

It is OK to respond with non-informative comments. Thank someone for their assistance or simply let them know that you agree with what they have said. Non-academic comments such as these can add valuable social presence to the course, and help to create a sense of collegiality.


 * If you copy/paste information from websites or other sources, you must use quotes and provide the link to the original source.

An excellent comment is accurate, original, relevant, teaches us something new, and is well written. Comments add substantial teaching presence to the course, and stimulate additional thought about the issue under discussion.

There are usually multiple discussions assignments in each lesson.

Online Research

Many of the assignments in this course require you to search the web for articles that discuss issues relating to computers and society. Here are a few suggestions to help you get good results.


 * Google prioritizes the responses. The ones at the top of the list are frequently referenced by other sites. If you don't find something appropriate in the top 20-30, change your search.


 * Do 3 or 4 different searches. Learn to pick search words that will give "good" results.


 * If you are not familiar with a topic, do a search with one or two words. Scan the results to find more words that relate to the subject, then add those in your next search. Learning the vocabulary of the subject will help focus the search results.


 * There are other search engines besides Google.

Transfer Credit

CIS2 is UC transferable. It is a GE course so the exact credit equivalent will depend on the UC. Information about transfer credits is in the DeAnza College Schedule of Classes. heck Assist to see the exact transfer agreement. http://www.assist.org/web-assist/welcome.html (2018-2019 DeAnza UC Transfer Course Agreement)

Good Practice in Undergraduate Education

The goal of undergraduate education should be active, cooperative, challenging.
 * encourage student-faculty contact
 * encourage cooperation among students
 * encourage active/engaged learning
 * give prompt feedback
 * emphasize time on task
 * communicate high expectations
 * respect diverse talents and ways of learning

The course is structured to apply these practices to online learning. If you have questions or comments about the objectives or the implementation, please let me know. I appreciate your feedback. The course is evolving as we discover more about making online teaching and learning better. Thanks for your interest.

..2018.12.24