Readings: this will be a reading heavy (by CS standards) class. The readings really are important.
All of the readings will be available online. (although some will be in the protected reader)
Some of the readings are optional. You will get more out of the class if you read more than the minimum.
Many of the readings will have associated “writing” assignments (things you do on Canvas). We will use these as a way of checking that you are doing the readings: if you don’t do the assignment, we’ll assume that you haven’t done the reading.
Some of the readings will have choices (you can read some subset of the list) – the writing will generally ask you to say which ones you’ve read.
Readings will be scheduled in two ways:
Read ahead readings: these readings will be due before a class where the material in them will be used. The deadline for them is strict (you need to read them, and do the writing as well) in advance of when you need them.
Read behind readings: these readings will take a topic discussed in class, and expand upon it. Often the deadlines for these will be to read it in time for some other activity.
Sometimes there will be online discussions associated with a reading. (see the Discussion assignment type). Sometimes, the initial posting for the discussion will be the check of the reading. Remember, when you submit to a discussion, only submit to the discussion that you are assigned to (since we need to divide the class into small enough units)
Some readings will be “838 Discussion Readings.” These are optional for 638 students. Often there will be an online discussion connected to it. Instructions on what to do with this will be given with the readings.
Some of the readings will be “838 Extra Readings.” These readings are optional, even for 838 students. However, they are only semi-optional for 838 students: over the course of the semester, you need to do “enough” of these, and participate in “enough” of the discussion of these extra topics.
Other assignment types:
- Online Discussions
- Readings
- Seek and Find
