Creating Web Documents
Tips for Doing Well in this Course
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Print the syllabus--it contains key
information such as due dates and the URL of course materials
at an alternate Web site.
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Attend class. In class, I present course materials, explain the
assignments, and can answer questions.
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Make sure you can login to a Unix
account by the second day of this course. For security and
administrative reasons, you must use the Unix
account supplied to you by the University. Failure to do
so will result in your assignment not being graded.
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Allocate enough time for this class. Although just one credit,
this class is compressed to five weeks in duration--meaning
that during this time, it demands the same attention as a three
credit class.
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Always
check your mail for a receipt after turning in your
assignment and before the deadline.
If you don't check, and you don't
get a receipt, you've chosen to get a 0
(or late penalty if you get it in before the next day's deadline)
on the
assignment--and there is no extra credit or way to
make this up!! This means you are 100% responsible to
make sure that your assignment got through via email
before the deadline--no excuses!
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Complete each assignment accurately and by the due date and
time listed on the syllabus. Look
at the assignment description as a business contract you need
to fulfill. I've carefully written down exactly what is
required for the assignment, and these assignment descriptions
have been used by many students. Be careful to not assume that
something I may have said in class implies that you can do the
assignment in any way except how it is written. If you don't
understand what is required by the assignment, please ask me
about it.
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Ask questions via email as described on the Asking Questions page.
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Familiarize yourself with the online course information and
read the lessons. Use the links on the navigation bar on any
page of the lessons.
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Review your Unix skills.
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When working on your assignments, arrange your computer desktop
to facilitate your work. Have a Web brower on the screen
showing the assignment description. Have another Web browser on
your screen to look at lessons or reference information. Have a
Unix window running and try out commands in the lessons.
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Get help if you have difficulties. Ask a consultant in the
computer lab if you are having problems getting a machine to
work or logging in to your account.
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Be patient and persistent in working with a computer. Realize
that struggling a bit with hardware and computer commands is a
part of the learning process. These same issues exist in the
"real" world. Develop an attitude of solving problems by trying
different ways to accomplish a task. In most cases, there may
be hundreds of ways to accomplish the same thing. Find one that
works.
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Identify and test out an alternative place to do your work
other than campus or your home.
Use Web-based mail and telnet to accomplish
your assignment from any Internet-connected computer in the
world. Know a branch of a library or a cybercafe that has
publicly-accessible Internet-connected computers. In Milwaukee,
check out this
list of cafes for those that have net access available.
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Test out sending the assignment to yourself before turning it
in.
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Complete the assignments early.
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Pick a topic for your portfolio
early.