Getting Help (Communication Policies)

in Pages

In an online class, communication is important. For this class, there are multiple mechanisms (Canvas, Piazza, Web, GitHub, Zoom, Email). Students should understand how the class uses all of these mechanisms. These mechanisms are especially important when you need help.

Communication Mechanisms

We will use each of these different tools for different purposes:

  • We will use Canvas announcements as the primary broadcast mechanism. Make sure that you get Canvas announcements for the class!
  • We will use this Course Web to provide information (such as the policy document you are reading). New pages will be announced on Canvas.
  • Student communication (either to the class, or to staff) is via CS559 Piazza
  • Course Discussions will be on CS559 Piazza
  • We will send messages to students via Canvas Messaging
  • Emergency announcements and direct student communication will be made by email.
  • Exams, quizzes and surveys will use Canvas.
  • Students will receive Workbooks via Github Classroom and submit them via GitHub.
  • We will use Zoom for online class meetings and online meetings with course staff.
  • Students may (optionally) meet with the course staff in-person during office hours.
  • The Canvas Calendar is a good source of information about deadlines.

Communication Tips

Announcements via Canvas. The course staff will make announcements using the Canvas announcement system. If something is important, we will announce it on Canvas. You may want to configure Canvas to notify you when there are announcements. You can configure Canvas to send you email when there is an announcement.

Email for emergencies only. We will only send email to the class mailing list (1) at the beginning of the semester while we are getting started, or (2) in the event of something really urgent that we want to make sure everyone sees right away. (We expect some people to get Canvas announcements as part of a daily summary) If you want to send us a message, use Piazza (below).

Course Information on the Course Web. If I want to give you information (like this page), it will be on the course web. If new information is made available, it will be announced on Canvas (so you don’t need to keep checking the course web for new stuff). At the beginning of the semester, there is a large amount to read on the course web.

Staff to Student Messaging via Canvas Messages: We will use Canvas messaging to notify students (for example, about assignment status). Students should use to Piazza to initiate discussions with course staff (since you will get a faster response).

Restricted Information via Canvas Files and Pages. If something is restricted (limited to use by the class), it will be placed on Canvas, not on the open web. Please do not share restricted materials outside of class.

Communicate with the course staff via Piazza. Send us a private message on CS559 Piazza as the preferred way to communicate with us. We prefer this to email. It has the advantage that two of us read it, so you will get a quicker response. (even if it’s because the TA sees the message and alerts the Professor of the urgency). It also helps us, because it logs all class traffic in one place. If something is personal, it is OK to send email.

GitHub Classroom will be used to distribute and turn in workbooks. See the explanation on the Git and GitHub in CS559 page.

Canvas

Canvas announcements are the primary way we will get messages to students once class starts. (before class starts, we are limited in how we can use Canvas)

The Canvas Calendar is a good way to see what is going on in class. We will have calendar events for all deadlines. Because of the way the Canvas calendar works, deadlines may not show the correct times (but they should show the correct days).

We will use Canvas as the mechanism for Quizzes, Surveys and Exams. Students may not turn in Quizzes, Surveys or Exams any other way unless we give specific instructions.

We will give assignment feedback via Canvas. However, Canvas cannot estimate grades (see Parts of Class and Grading).

We will use Canvas Messaging. Unfortunately, these messages are often hidden We recommend setting Canvas to give you notifications. Canvas messaging appears in the “inbox” on the left sidebar. To set up notifications, go to your account profile settings and look for “Conversations” and set something for “Conversation Messages.”

For student initiated messages we recommend Piazza. You will get a faster response since all of the course staff will see it.

Piazza

We will use CS559 Piazza as the primary mechanism for students to send messages. You can send private messages to course staff, or public messages to other students (and course staff).

  1. Search to make sure someone else hasn’t already asked the same question.

  2. When possible, post questions publicly. This way, others can answer. And, the course staff has more incentive to give a good answer (since many students will benefit from it).

  3. Avoid posting code publicly - you do not want to “give away” the answers to the assignments. You might post a tip or trick, but don’t post a part of the assignment.

  4. The course staff may, at its discretion, convert a public post to private, or remove any posting.

  5. The course staff will not change a posting from private to public. However, we might ask you to do so (before we will answer it).

  6. Use CS559 Piazza to discuss topics related to class - even if they aren’t tied to a question. Anything about computer graphics is fair game!

  7. Don’t post large pieces of code - even to course staff. It is difficult to debug someone else’s code when they just give you a snippet in a message.

Some Things You Can Do

If you want clarification on an administrative thing (for example, an assignment isn’t clear)… Make a public posting on Piazza (after checking that no one else has asked the question already). Others may have the same question.

If you have a content question - either something that doesn’t make sense, or something you want more information about… Make a public posting on Piazza (after checking that no one else has asked the question already). Others may have the same question.

If you see something cool or interesting that is related to class, like you find some new tool or see some particularly cool graphics… Make a public posting on Piazza

If you want feedback on your work before it is due, or more info on the feedback we give you afterwards… Make a private message to the course staff on Piazza.

Some Things Not to Do

  1. Do not reply in Canvas grading comments! Canvas grading comments are a way for us to give you feedback. If you post a reply to your feedback, we may not see it.

  2. Do not send the course staff an email when Piazza is more appropriate. Prefer Piazza to email - you are more likely to get a faster response since many of us check it, and if one of us sees it, we can alert the other (if their attention is needed). Email responses may be delayed, and may also say “please ask on Piazza”.

  3. Do not send a private Piazza message for something of interest to the class. If you need a clarification, someone else might be asking the same question. First check to see if someone else already asked on Piazza. Then post it as a public question, so everyone can see our response. If we don’t think your post is appropriate for the whole class, we can make it private before we respond. However, if you send us a private post, we will not make it public (we might respond to you and ask that you make the post public, which will add a delay).

  4. Do not use Canvas direct messages to communicate with the course staff. Prefer Piazza. Things in Canvas direct messages often get missed.

  5. Do not reply to Canvas announcements or anything else in Canvas.

Student Meeting Hours (Office Hours)

The course staff is happy to meet with you. We prefer to do this during “Student Meeting Hours” (which is a new term for “Office Hours”). If you would like to meet with a staff member outside of Meeting Hours, send a note on Piazza.

Professor Gleicher holds office hours in his office (6588 Morgridge Hall) from 2pm-3pm on Wednesdays (check his home page to make sure he is in town). Other times are available by appointment.

The TAs will have consulting hours from 3-6pm on Mondays and Tuesdays and 3-4:30PM on Fridays. They will be available in Room B2532 in Morgridge Hall during those times.

During their in-person hours, the course staff will also monitor the class office hours Zoom Room. However, we may be busy helping “other customers” - send a note on Piazza if you are stuck waiting in the Zoom waiting room.