Revised: August 29, 2018
Northern Virginia Community College - Annandale Campus
This course information sheet is designed to supplement the ITE 170 Common Syllabus.
ITE 170 - Multimedia Software, Fall 2018 (3 credits)
Web Site for Class: www.billpegram.com and www.nvcc.edu/home/wpegram but the latter not updated as often
Software
Text editors such as Notepad or Notepad++ (Windows), Brackets, Atom, or Sublime Text (Windows and Mac) are free downloads and are available on some campus computers.
Here are some alternatives for accessing Adobe CC outside the classroom:
- There are several PC computers and a couple of Mac's in the open lab in CT230 with the CC software. The lab hours are M-T 9am-8:30pm and Friday-Saturday 9:30am-1:30pm.
- There are 7 day free downloads of each Adobe CC program.. You can have a separate 7 day period for each of the programs. See www.adobe.com/creativecloud/catalog/desktop.html?promoid=KRUVM
- Purchase of software - Because you are students, you are eligible to purchase the Creative Cloud suite at greatly reduced prices - currently $19.99/month with a minimum 12-month commitment (https://creative.adobe.com/plans?plan=edu). Alternatively, you can sign up on a month-by-month basis for a single app for $20.99/month or all apps for $52.99/month.
Textbooks
The ITE 170 common syllabus shows the two required and the three recommended textbooks. The NVCC Bookstore pricing for each of the two required books (Dreamweaver and Photoshop) is the same: Rent Used $28.20, Rent New $40.80, Buy Used $45, Buy New $60, Buy Digital $48.00
Homework
Homework assigned will generally be due 8 days later in the Monday and Wednesday sections and 6-8 days later in the Tuesday/Thursday sections. This will permit you to work on the homework during the week, get any questions resolved in the next class, and submit the homework on time. Late homework will not be accepted but your two lowest homework grades will be dropped..
Attendance:
If you miss class, please check the class website for any changes to the schedule, including new assignments. You are welcome to attend class in the other section on an occasional basis, subject to capacity constraints. Which sections discuss the material first will depend on holidays, class cancellations, etc. so check the current version of the schedule pages. I will keep the Monday and Wednesday sections together in terms of content and will keep the Tuesday/Thursday sections together.
Office Hours Schedule
Immediately after the end of class in the CT228 classroom, thus no later than
Monday 5:50-6:50
Tuesday 1:40-2:40
Wednesday 3:10-4:10
Thursday 1:40-2:40Students from another section wishing to attend the office hours for another section should email the instructor before 3PM Monday, 10am Tuesday and Thursday, and 12pm Wednesday to let me know you are coming. The instructor will leave once student assistance is finished.
If these times are not convenient, please email me to arrange a mutually agreeable time
Communication with Instructor:
In addition to office hours, most class periods will have time for one-on-one questions with the instructor. Asking questions in this way is generally more efficient than email.
Required Email Address
I will email you at the email address on my class list which is your VCCS email address unless you specify a different address in Nova Connect. If you do not check this address frequently, I would recommend you set it up for automatic forwarding to an email address you do check more frequently. I will show you how to specify a different address in Nova Connect and to specify a forwarding address. Please remember to include your name and section in all emails to me.
Academic Integrity
On homework assignments and projects, students may ask for and receive some assistance from others, unless otherwise directed by the instructor. Yet those helping a student should avoid "doing the work" for the student.
No assistance is permitted on exams and quizzes and your use of the computer may be monitored. The college policy on student conduct is found at www.nvcc.edu/students/handbook/conduct.html
Cheating may be reported to the Division Dean and the Annandale Judicial Affairs Officer.
Dropping and Withdrawal from the Class:
Tuesday, September 11th is the last day to drop a 16 week class and get a tuition refunds (use NovaConnect) or to switch to audit (which requires my signature). Wednesday, October 31 is the last day to withdraw without grade penalty in a 16 week course. The award of W after the last day to withdraw REQUIRES official documentation and the Dean's signature which is very difficult to get..
Classroom Conduct
Sustained talking during lecture is extremely distracting to the instructor and to other students. During hands on instruction where we are all coding together, it is appropriate to ask me to repeat what I said or briefly ask your neighbor if you don't see where to click, etc. However, if I've moved onto another topic, it's better for everyone concerned if you move on as well, and then deal with the issue later. If you wish to use your computer during class for things other than viewing PowerPoints or following along during in-class coding exercises, please sit in the back row. Do not do homework during lectures.
Student Success Tips
- Books - Buy or rent the two required books.
- Come to class - Although I do not grade on attendance, some of what I say isn't in the texts and it may be easier for you to understand something if you hear me explain it, instead of just relying on other sources.
- When you come to class, pay attention - the class is in a computer classroom so resist the temptation to multitask by looking at Facebook, games, or other material during lectures. If you want to do so, sit in the back row so as to not disturb other students.
- Don't procrastinate - If you are having a problem logging in or transfer files to your website, fix it or email me. Do the homework on time and definitely before the tests. If you need help, ask.
- Keep your files organized in folders - perhaps one folder for each class session or homework assignment. The file and folder structure on your website should be the same as on your computer or flash drive, and uploading files is a good way to back them up. When you are working in the classroom, don't have some files on your flash drive and some on the computer - keep them all in one place. Google Drive would be a good place to put them.
- Pay attention to the dates to drop and withdraw from the class.
- As long as you attend class once or do a single homework assignment, I will not drop you from the class. It is therefore important that you check your email (various methods will be discussed the first day of class) from time to time. If you do poorly on the midterm, you need to decide whether to withdraw from the class before the deadline or to continue in the class. If you continue in the class, you need to continue to come to class, to do homework and to take the final, otherwise you will likely fail the course.