WK00 Notes - Online Orientation for the DBMS Course PDF

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Provides an overview of the DBMS course...

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CSCI 5333 Online Orientation Dr. Boetticher (Revised July 25, 2020)

Welcome! Greetings! I recognize that you have many choices in terms of universities, courses, and professors. Thank you for enrolling in this course. To help you get comfortable with this course, I have designed this orientation document. The Fall, 2020 courses will be taught using a Bimodal Synchronized approach. Features of a Bimodal Synchronized approach?  Lectures will be conducted online using Zoom software. Here are the meeting times for the Fall, 2020 semester: o

CSCI 5333 (Database)

– Wednesdays, 4 to 6:50 PM

o

CSCI 5833 (Data Mining) – Wednesdays, 7 to 9:50 PM

o

CSCI 6838 (Capstone)

– Thursdays, 4 to 6:50 PM

Lectures will be recorded so attendance is not mandatory. 

All Course Materials are available via a Google Drive folder. This include course notes, software or software links, and assignments (homework and projects). Course materials are password protected. See details below for attaining the password.



Quizzes will be available on Blackboard.



The midterm and final will be face-to-face on the UHCL campus. Details pending.

All these features are subject to change.

Knowledge is having the right answer. Intelligence is asking the right question. --Unknown Ask lots of questions during this course!

Copyright 2004-2020 by Dr. Gary D. Boetticher

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We will be following the online syllabus very closely. The online syllabus for the Database course is (or will be) available at: http://sce.uhcl.edu/boetticher/courses.html. The online syllabus contains a weekly course schedule with due dates for quizzes and assignment; policies and procedures; specific tasks (what quizzes to take and when); and links to additional resources. The following videos provide an orientation for a Web-Based version of this class. Not everything applies to this class. The video on the right contains a segment on how to do well in this class. I highly recommend watching this portion of the video at least twice. Please note there are 2 YouTube videos for the Online Orientation.

Copyright 2004-2020 by Dr. Gary D. Boetticher

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Accessing course materials – Google Drive Folder The course resources are available in a Google Drive Folder that I set up for the course. The course notes may be found in the Notes folder. Please be aware that the content matter is continuously changing. How to get invited to the password for the course materials? First, email me the following information:    

I already have your first and last names, so that is not needed. A nickname. That is, what do you want me to call you during the class sessions? A Gmail address that I can add to the Google Drive folder. A Cell phone number.

If you want to get a great start for this class, I would recommend sending me this information as soon as possible to [email protected]. In terms of phone numbers, 99% of the time I do not call a student. The primary exception is if a student misses an exam without any prior notification. You may submit one or more email addresses. I recommend you provide at least one Gmail address that you check on a daily basis. Your membership to the Google Drive folder assumes you are using a Gmail address. Also, if your email address changes, then it is your responsibility to provide me with an update. Also, if you need to drop the course, please send me an email, so I may remove your email from my mailing list. Once I receive your email, I will send you the password for the course notes.

Copyright 2004-2020 by Dr. Gary D. Boetticher

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Using Blackboard to take quizzes and see grades What is Blackboard? Blackboard is a Web-based application program for the creation of online courses. It has many features. For this course, we will be using the quiz facility. During the semester I will post midterm, final, course averages, and course grades via Blackboard. How are students registered into Blackboard’s student roster? UHCL’s University Computing Technology (UCT) group has created an automated process for creating student accounts in Blackboard. All courses flagged as Web-based or Blackboard courses are noted in the PeopleSoft registration database. The students are extracted and given a username and password to access Web courses. If you have any problems with their username and/or password please email the UHCL support center at [email protected] or call them at 281-283-2828. Blackboard Orientation An orientation for using Blackboard is available on the Google Docs folder in the notes subfolder. Please read this document carefully prior to taking any quizzes.

Quizzes The CSCI5333 CSCI5833 courses utilize the Blackboard quiz facility. Online quizzes are designed to help you succeed in this class. They are beneficial for several reasons. They allow you to get feedback prior to the midterm and final exams. Also, the quizzes motivate you to keep up with the readings and not procrastinate. By keeping up with the readings you will get more out of this course. Getting more out of this course (and all your other courses) will help you achieve your professional goals. When choosing a quiz, be very careful to select the correct quiz. Once you start a quiz, there is no turning back. Time Limit per Quiz. I estimate that each question requires about 2 minutes per question. So, if a quiz has 10 questions, then you have a total of 20 minutes. Quizzes stop at the end of a given time period. Make sure to pace yourself when taking a quiz. Quiz Availability. Every quiz has a hard deadline regarding when it must be taken. I found that one of the keys to personal and professional success is discipline. Implementing hard deadlines avoids the “last minute cramming” scenario. In order for you to get the most out of this class and learn as much as possible, the deadlines become tighter and tighter as the semester progresses so that you are taking quizzes on assigned materials prior to attending class. This will enable you to know what you don’t know. This approach will enable you to be proactive in your studies. Once you have convinced yourself of the benefit of a proactive approach, I anticipate you will to do the same for your other classes. Make sure that if you do have any questions, that they are answered during the “face-to-face” class (or via email, discussion board, or chat).

Copyright 2004-2020 by Dr. Gary D. Boetticher

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The Online Syllabus This section describes the syllabus layout and policies. Most items in the syllabus are intuitive; I will highlight some key points.

This date helps you determine whether there are any new changes to the online syllabus.

There more than 40 videos available for the DBMS course. I highly recommend that you watch these videos in the order that they are presented.

Copyright 2004-2020 by Dr. Gary D. Boetticher

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Pay very careful attention to your studies/grades. In certain cases your scholarship may depend upon your grades. Therefore, it is important you take responsibility for your efforts/actions in this class. My other motto is: No excuses, only results!

The syllabus contains a weekly schedule. The date refers to the first meeting time for a particular week (if there is a face-to-face section). Each week contains a list of activities that you must complete by a specific time a week later. Usually this corresponds to next class meeting time of the face-to-face section. Pay particular attention to the quizzes. Each quiz has a hard deadline. It is not possible to make up quizzes. Be forewarned, Blackboard may go down for a couple of hours. Somehow it knows when you are about to take a quiz! I find that successful students read all the materials prior to attending class. Based on this observation, at some point during the semester you will need to complete quizzes prior to the class on which the material will be uncovered. This will help you tremendously improve your academic/professional discipline.

Copyright 2004-2020 by Dr. Gary D. Boetticher

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Cell Phones: Off and Away My old cell phone policy was: The ringing, beeping, buzzing of cell phones, watches, and/or pagers during class time is extremely rude and disruptive to your fellow students and to the class flow. Please turn off all cell phones, watches, and pagers prior to the start of class.

This did not seem to be an effective policy. In the Fall, 2013 semester, six different student cell phones went off in the same class. To discourage cell phone ringing and texting during class, I had extended the policy above as follows:

If I see (even if the cell phone is off) or hear a cell phone during class, then 1 point will be deducted for each infraction.

Even with the revised policy, there were three instances where students would send/receive text message during class. Thus, this policy did not discourage texting during class. Below is the latest policy. Please read it very carefully.

The ringing, beeping, buzzing of cell phones, watches, and/or pagers during class time is extremely rude and disruptive to your fellow students and to the class flow. Also, sending and/or receiving text messages during class is extremely rude and disruptive. Please turn off all cell phones, watches, and pagers prior to the start of class. If I see (even if the cell phone is off) or hear a cell phone during class, or see a student texting during class, then 3 points will be deducted for each infraction from your final course average.

Copyright 2004-2020 by Dr. Gary D. Boetticher

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Read through the syllabus very carefully. Each week is carefully outlined in terms of tasks that need to be accomplished. Here are some points to pay attention to on the syllabus  Under the course title you will see, “Updated Month,Day Year.” This represents the last time that I updated the syllabus. When there are significant changes to the syllabus I will send an email to the class regarding any changes.  The syllabus includes my phone number and email. The best way to reach me is via email.  Readings from the textbook are identified as chapters.  Readings from the class notes are called units.  Quizzes have hard deadlines as to when they must be completed. These deadlines are given for each quiz in the syllabus.  Within the syllabus are the homework/project assignments. These documents are either in MS Word or PDF format and can be downloaded and/or printed. Due dates and point values are provided on the online syllabus.  Regarding attendance:  Face-to-face: You are expected to attend every class. If you miss more than 1 class, then your course grade will be reduced by 2 points for each lecture missed. Coming late to class on a regular basis will impact your course participation grade.  Pure Web-based: You do not need to attend any lectures on campus. Also, you do not need to show up in person to take any of the exams. However, you may attend any/all of the face-to-face lectures and/or exams. However, it is my experience that those students who do attend class on a regular basis do better on tests than those that don't. If you will be off-campus during the exams, please make the necessary arrangements with me as soon as possible.  Read the Other Policies section of the syllabus very carefully! Among other things, it describes what is considered cheating for this class. Penalty for cheating will be extremely severe and may result in an F for this course. In the past it has cost students TA and RA positions. It also impacts any academic scholarships you may have. Once you have completed reading this document and reviewing the syllabus, you are ready to take the first quiz. This is a quiz on the syllabus. You may take the syllabus quiz as many times as you wish. However, you must get a 100% on this quiz in order to proceed to the other quizzes. Providing a syllabus quiz helps you to get familiar with Blackboard. You may even want to make some mistakes on the syllabus quiz, just to see what Blackboard does. Note that all other quizzes (after the syllabus quiz) may be taken only one time.

Copyright 2004-2020 by Dr. Gary D. Boetticher

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At the end of the semester I typically get one or two emails like the following:

Ihaveseenthegradepostedine‐servicesandI'mnotsatisfiedwiththegradeIhavereceived.SoIrequestyou topleasereviewmygradesagainanddotheneedful. Grades will be based solely on the distribution listed on the syllabus. No other factors will be considered. Below are some of factors that will not be considered:              

Expected a higher grade Good course participation Good improvement during the semester Have put in extra effort Need to avoid probation Financial needs Loss of scholarship Loss of job opportunity Loss of practical training opportunity Need to graduate Company relocation Immigration status needs Family needs Sickness during the semester

Copyright 2004-2020 by Dr. Gary D. Boetticher

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What type of student are you? I started teaching in 1984 and have worked for several start-up companies along the way. Over my 30 plus years of teaching I have seen two types of students. Those that are only want a degree. This implies they don't care if they learn. And those that driven to learn. Below are characteristics of each type of student. Students that only want a degree and not an education       

They show up to class without having read the notes. They cheat on quizzes. They cheat on projects. They don't ask questions in class. They show no excitement towards the class. They enroll in only easy classes that require little, if any, effort. The only time they contact me (email or stop by my office) is to beg for more points on an exam. My name is XXXX, I have just completed my final semester in my major. I have participated in the graduation ceremony expecting to complete my masters successfully, I have also applied for my Optional Practical Training (OPT) as well. My whole family has pinned many hopes on my completion. I have taken your YYYY course this past semester and unfortunately i secured a "C" grade, sir I have tried to perform to the highest capabilities in this course under your guidance. I have been late to the class couple of times, but I have never missed your class as this course is an area of interest which I would like to pursue my career in, sir my sincere apologies for not adhering to the timings and being late is my fault, I would kindly request you to help me secure a "B-" grade as I had unfortunately received two other "C" grades and getting a "B-" would help me graduate and complete my masters.

Students that are driven to learn     

 

They show up very well prepared to class. It is evident that they have reviewed the notes several times. They are proactive. They place solutions to unit exercises on the board without being asked. They sit near the front of the class. They are very curious in class and ask a lot of questions. They are not afraid of asking a dumb question. They stop by my office to chat. We may talk about what got you into Computer Science or Software Engineering, your career goals, my research. This is an informal talk and there is no telling where it may go. They post articles/comments related to this course on the discussion board. They are very focused on learning as much as you can rather than just getting an A.

To strongly encourage you to be a student "driven to learn," I am implementing the following "class preparation policy" in all face-to-face sections. You start with 2 bonus points added to your final grade. You will lose 1 point during class if I ask a review question that you are unable to answer. Review questions are different from opinion questions or open-ended questions. To make sure you are prepared, review all the course notes at least 5 times prior to coming to class. If one or more students are unable to answer a review question, then the person who does answer the question gets 1 point added to their final grade.

Copyright 2004-2020 by Dr. Gary D. Boetticher

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