While I doubt that anyone imagined this situation at the beginning of the semester, I’d like to welcome you to the first online (half-)offering of Comp Sci 364: Databases and Applications! This post provides an overview of what to expect the rest of the semester and the changes as a result of the transition to an online learning modality.

2019-2020 COVID-19 pandemic

Online Learning

I’ve adjusted the course content based on my prior experience teaching online for Johns Hopkins’s Engineering for Professionals program.

The remainder of the semester will follow a paced, asynchronous delivery format. Asynchronous interaction allows you to complete the work for each lesson whenever most convenient for you – there is no requirement (or expectation) for you to be active online during a particular time. This mode minimizes the challenges due to people being in different time zones and operating on different schedules. Nevertheless, the work is paced, and you must complete assignments by their stated due dates. Established due dates ensure that you will complete the course by the end of the semester.1

My role as an instructor significantly changes as a result of this transition. Instead of leading classroom activities (e.g., lecturing and administering assessments), my primary role is to facilitate the learning activities. This difference is most obvious for discussions. For example, I will intentionally allow time for other students to engage on issues and try to limit myself to asking pointed questions rather than providing direct answers (unless it proves necessary to do so for some reason).

Lessons

Because the nature of online courses differs significantly from those taught face-to-face, I’ve made a number of changes to the learning activities for the remainder of the semester. For example, the second graded review (GR) is canceled and will be replaced with discussions and an additional programming exercise. In addition, if you peruse the remaining lessons, you’ll see explicit learning activities that should be completed for each lesson. For example, consider the following instructions for the REST and JSON lesson:

How to Complete this Lesson

  1. Complete W3School’s JSON Tutorial
  2. Watch REST API concepts and examples
  3. Read Understanding and Using REST APIs
  4. Complete the activity

The learning activities for this lesson include an online tutorial, a YouTube video, an article about REST APIs, and a practice exercise to apply the concepts that you’re learning. These activities blend what would have been preparation for a face-to-face class meeting and the content that would have been covered in class. Expect to spend 3 hours each lesson to complete the learning activities – that amount of time is commensurate with a 3 credit-hour course.

You are expected to complete all the assigned learning activities for each lesson.

Due to the rapid transition online, I’ve reused as many resources as possible. For example, many lessons include YouTube videos instead of recordings made specifically for this course. C’est la vie!

I encourage you to take advantage of the asynchronous format and work ahead. For example, you are free to complete all the lessons for the next week during the weekend. You should be aware that I may make changes to the lessons (e.g., adding a video or removing a reading) as I review them in more detail over the next couple of weeks.

Office Hours

While a asynchronous delivery format has its advantages, sometimes the most efficient way to address an issue is synchronously. Consequently, I will hold “office hours” for at least four hours each week. Three hours will correspond with the scheduled class meeting time (M3, M4, and M6); the remaining hour will be scheduled in such a way as not to conflict with other class times, probably during the late afternoon or early evening. I anticipate using Microsoft Teams for these meetings.

Office hours are optional. There is no expectation that you attend them.

You may attend any session of office hours, including those during other sections’ meeting times. If more than one student attends, I will record and post the session so that everyone can review them later, should that be deemed beneficial. If no one attends, then I will cancel them after 15 minutes.

Treat office hours like question and answer sessions. I will be available to answer your questions, and if there are no questions, then we’ll listen to the sound of silence while we work on other tasks.

For issues that are not conducive to discussion as a group, you may schedule an individual meeting with me. Please note, however, that with the exception of grades and personal issues, others typically benefit from hearing your questions, and it maximizes the use of my time to address them with as wide an audience as possible. Should the need arise, I reserve the right to defer general questions until the next session of office hours.

Contact Information

I expect to be available Monday–Friday from 0800–1600 MDT each day. During this time, I will be monitoring email (continue to use @usafa.edu though I’ll probably respond from my Office 365 account) and will be accessible by Microsoft Teams. Expect responses to email within 24 hours. I will also do my best to respond promptly to messages in Microsoft Teams, but maximizing my own productivity requires that I “batch” responses.

While I will make every effort to respond to communication as quickly as possible, please allow one business day to hear back from me. After that time, a follow-up message is appropriate.

If you are having trouble contacting me for any reason or have an urgent issue to discuss (Note: I do not consider an assignment that is due in the next hour to be “urgent” because you’ll have ample lead time to work on assignments), my cell phone number is posted with my contact information on Blackboard.

Microsoft Teams

I’ve created a Comp Sci 364 team in Microsoft Teams. Based on the “soft-start” comms check, everyone has access to it.

I expect the following when using Microsoft Teams:

  • Interactions should be professional, just like in a classroom
  • Use the General channel for questions about course material or the appropriate channel for assignment-specific questions (if one exists)
    • Do not post code or answers for assignments
    • Do answer questions by other cadets – I can find ways to reward good participation
    • Do post additional resources that you find useful
  • Use “Reply” to respond to a post, but “Start a new conversation” if the topic is new

Changes

A synopsis of the major changes to the course are as follows:

  • Schedule
  • Course Material
    • The remaining lessons all include a short synopsis to introduce the material.
    • Each lesson has explicit instructions to complete the learning activities – see “How to Complete this Lesson.”
    • A variety of additional learning activities replace the face-to-face class meeting each lesson, including the creation of 5 discussions and a programming exercise (PEX).
  • The due date for all assignments is now 2300 MDT.

Syllabus

The graded events have been amended to reflect the cancellation of the second graded review (GR). Instead, those 125 points will be based on discussions and an additional programming exercise (PEX).

  1. In contrast, a self-paced course can be completed on your own schedule – e.g., some students might complete the course within a few weeks whereas others might spend a year to complete it. ↩