•   Project links:

•   Instructions for Practice Project.
•   Instructions for ISP Search Project (#1).
•   Instructions for Search Engines Project (#2).
•   Instructions for Using Resources Project (#3).
•   Instructions for Images Project (#4).
•   Instructions for Web Site Concept Project (#5).
•   Instructions for Scavenger Hunt Project (#6).
•   Instructions for Web Site Project (#7).
• Extra Credit Project:
    Instructions for Social Networking Project.

Why is orientation required?  (From HCC Absence Study)

If you miss the required orientation you must contact your instructor as soon as possible thereafter, or you will be dropped from the class.  There may be a make-up orientation available early the following week.

HCC bookstore on-line

Note!  If you order your book online, you should pay for overnight or second day shipping, not standard shipping which could take more than a week; you shouldn't wait that long!  (Amazon.com has (or had, last time I checked) free second day shipping for textbooks, for students.  However you must opt-out of the deal before one year has passed, or you'll be charged around $80.00.)

This course is an on-line, distance learning course.  Students are expected to be on campus for the first day orientation.  There are no other required face-to-face meetings.

This course uses the hccfl.Blackboard.com (Blackboard.com) online learning management system, known as MyHCC.  Students are expected to use this system for course information, email, discussion groups, receiving and submitting assignments, taking tests, retrieving grades, and using other class resources.  If you need help using the system, see the MyHCC login directions (PDF).  (Your password is your NetID password; see Facilities below for details.)

Students not attending the mandatory distance learning orientation class meeting will be withdrawn from the course as a No Show, unless prior arrangements are made with the instructor.  While the day, time, and location of the orientation meeting don't appear on a student's schedule, you can find this when you use WebAdvisor to search for sections.  (Click on the course link that appears, to view the course description including the orientation meeting information.)

1. describe the Internet, and navigate the World Wide Web using web browsers
2. use email professionally and safely, and describe email issues such as spam and privacy
3. find and evaluate information and other on-line resources
4. understand Internet and wireless networking security, and use the Internet safely
5. create HTML (hypertext markup language) documents
6. understand and use various Internet protocols and tools
7. understand and use various Internet communication tools, including mailing lists, RSS feeds, podcasts, instant messenger, on-line chat, and newsgroups
8. understand and use social networking tools
9. describe guidelines for conduct on the Internet”

This term the college is using a new on-line course system.  The Online@HCC system has been replaced with MyHCC, hosted at hccfl.Blackboard.com.  You can find tutorials for using the system from the link on the login page, and some additional MyHCC help links, below.

Student web sites for this class may be found at

and can be viewed using the class index at:

Students may need USB flash drives to save projects or submit them from HCC.

In order to use computers on campus, you will need your HCC student ID and password.  These can be obtained from HawkNet.  You can use HawkNet (WebAdvisor) or FACTS.org to obtain your final grade for the course.

HCC DM Open Lab
Computers are located in the computer science department open lab in DTEC–462.  Lab hours are:

SMARTHINKING
is an Internet Tutorial center.  It provides students with qualified tutors and study resources, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for many basic subjects including math, science, and English.  Students can access tutors and resources at home, school, or anywhere else they have an Internet connection, whenever they need help.  Getting started with Smarthinking.com is very quick and easy.  HCC has already paid for the services; therefore it is free for students.  For more information visit Smarthinking on our website at www.hccfl.edu/Distance-learning.aspx.  (Click Smarthinking link under Student Resources.) 

Grading scale:  A=387-445,   B=344-386,   C=301-343,   D=279-300,   F=0-278
(Or you can elect to audit the class during the add/drop period.)

• The on-campus orientation is required.  If you miss this, you will be dropped from the class.  There will be a make-up orientation offered the following Tuesday, by appointment only; you must contact the instructor prior to that if you wish to attend the make-up orientation.  In a very few exceptional cases, students may be allowed to remain in the class without attending orientation.
• No makeup quizzes or exams will be offered without the prior approval of the instructor.  Quiz and exam due dates appear in the course weekly schedule.
• Due to limitations of the on-line testing system, to enable a make-up exam for one student may require extending the cut-off date for that exam, for all students.  In such cases, the test will appear open from the BlackBoard.com Exams tool, but will require a password to take the exam after the original cut-off date.  Only students who have been given permission to take the exam late will be given the password.  (Students are advised to use the weekly schedule in this syllabus to determine exam cut-off dates, and not rely on the dates shown in the Exams tool.)
• Exams (one per chapter) will be 25 question open book multiple choice exams.  While examss are non-cumulative, each does build upon knowledge acquired earlier.  Exams are based upon assigned readings and from other on-line resources.  All exams are taken using the MyHCC system.  You should have plenty of time to complete all exams.
• These exams should be taken only after completing projects and readings by their due dates.
• The optional final exam is longer and cumulative for all chapters listed on the schedule.  You don't have to take it but if you do, it will replace your lowest test score.  Taking this test cannot hurt your grade, it can only help.
• If you don't have access to the Internet from off campus, you can go to the open computer lab anytime they are open to take exams or submit assignments.  Be sure you should leave yourself sufficient time to complete exams.  (So don't show up at 9:50 PM when the lab closes at 10:00 PM!)
• All tests are open book exams.  (We aren't trying to test your memory here!)  However it is considered cheating to get help from another person or by searching the Internet while taking tests.
• While the publishers do a good job, they aren't perfect and you will see occasionally a bad question on a test.  Such questions might be vague, ambiguous, impossible to understand, missing graphics, for the wrong chapter, or just plain wrong.  Also the order of answers and questions is randomized for each student, so you might see a question with an Either A or B, or a None of the above choice, where that choice is not last!

  When you get a bad question, review your exam carefully to make sure it really is a bad question.  Then send me an email stating which test, which question, and why you think it is bad.  If I agree, I will adjust your score and fix the question.

• Attendance is required for the first class session (the orientation session), except with the permission of the instructor.
• All phones, pagers, and beepers must be turned off during class time, except with prior permission of the instructor.  No food or drink is permitted in HCC classrooms.  Attendance will be taken within 15 minutes of the start of class. 
• You must login into the MyHCC server and visit (open) our course at least twice a week to verify your continued enrollment in this class.  Students receiving federal financial aid may have to return some or all funds if they fail to follow this policy!
• Students are expected to check the class website regularly.  Any syllabus changes or project updates are posted to the website.  You are expected to read all postings made on the MyHCC class discussion boards.  Additionally, changes will be announced via the class RSS feed.
• This class discussion board is a place to post questions or comments relating to our course.  Please keep the postings related to our course, the Internet, and current events that relate to the subject matter of our course.  Any student can post here, or reply to a question or any other post.  The more postings, the better the course is!  But please, don't post off-topic material, or personal questions such as questions about your grades.  Also while you can post questions about projects, don't post answers to questions from tests, or even your answers to some project; send such questions as email to your instructor instead.  Finally, follow the Netiquette guidelines when posting.
• A student shall not, without my express authorization, make or receive any recording, including but not limited to audio and video recordings, of any class, co-curricular meeting, organizational meeting, or meeting with me.  Further you do not have my permission to post on the web or otherwise distribute my class lectures and other course materials.  (You can distribute freely any materials I make publicly available from the HCC (or the wpollock.com) website, without asking permission, provided you give me credit for the work and don't alter it.  Any other use will require expressly given permission.)
• Working together on individual assignments is considered as cheating!  Turning in someone else's work without giving them credit is also considered cheating (plagiarism).  Cheating will result in an automatic F (zero) for the project for all parties.  It is okay to ask a fellow student for help in understanding the text or material given to the class (e.g., using MyHCC or understanding sample web pages on the class website).
• You must follow the academic honesty policy for HCC.  A second cheating offence will result in an F for the course, and your name will be turned over to the Dean for further handling.  I take these matters very seriously.  You have been warned!
• MyHCC is not always available, especially on the weekends.  You must allow for this and submit your work well before the deadlines.  Some resources and links may not be working properly.  When problems are noted, please contact your instructor as soon as possible during office hours or with email so such problems can be quickly addressed.  Should any such problems arise that prevent project, quiz, or exam completion by the due dates posted, extra time will be granted or grades adjusted as deemed appropriate by your instructor.
• Communications Policy:  I will respond to your emails within 48 hours or two business days.  Please send email only using MyHCC email.  HCC policy is that grades can only be discussed in person or via email only if you use your assigned HCC HawkNet or MyHCC email account.
• If you are having difficulty with some project please feel free to ask me about it (well before the due date).  You can send emails of questions and/or your work-in-progress, to receive feedback and suggestions.  Or you can stop by my posted office hours without any appointment.  (Note:  Due to faculty meetings or other work I may have to cancel or postpone some office hours on short notice.  Before driving to campus for my office hours, you can send an email the day before to verify I still plan to be there!)

  If you have any questions on any part of the assigned reading (from the text or from on-line resources), please feel free to ask me via on-line chat, instant messenger, email, phone calls, or office hour visits.  However the preferred way to get this sort of help is by posting your questions on the class WebCT discussion board.  This discussion board should be used the way you might raise your hand to ask a question in a traditional class.

• No appointment is necessary to see me during my scheduled, on-campus office hours.  You can just walk-in.  You can make appointments for other times as long as I'm available. 
• Occasionally my office hours will be canceled on short (or no) notice, for example if the dean calls me for a meeting.  Before driving out to campus just for my office hours, you can contact me the night before to make sure I still plan to be there.
• Late Policies:  Late assignments (projects or exams) generally will not be accepted.  An assignment is late if not turned in by the due date and time shown in the course weekly schedule (and also in the drop-boxes).  Don't wait until the last minute to submit an assignment or project; if a problem arises you may miss the due date.

  Late assignments will be accepted late only if you obtain the instructor's permission prior to the due date of the assignment, or for a documented serious medical reason.  All late assignments are subject to a late penalty of at least one letter grade (10%) regardless of the reason for the delay.

  Projects and quizzes later than one week will receive a more severe late penalty; very late assignments without adequate excuses will receive a grade of F (0).  However if you have a very good reason your instructor may waive any or all of the late penalty.  (Examples of good reasons include extended illness that prevents working, being out of town for work, or military service.  Remember documentation will be required.)

• The danger of spreading flu or other disease requires some changes to normal policies.  HCC is implementing the recommendations for institutions of higher learning of the CDC.  (See www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/ and www.flu.gov/ for guidance from the CDC.)  You won't need documentation if you miss class due to the flu.  (But if you think you have the flu, you should see a doctor as soon as you can.)  In the unlikely event of a school closure due to the flu, some plan to make up the missed work will be made.

  If you think you have the flu, stay home.  Do not come to HCC until 48 hours after your fever has broken.  People are infectious to others for a day or so before they have any symptoms.  Flu is spread by touching doorknobs, computer keyboards, railings on stairs, etc., that were touched by someone with the flu.  Avoid shaking hands; use the fist shake (touching of fists) if you must use a physical greeting.  The most effective way to prevent catching the flu is to wash your hands frequently, especially after touching something that was touched by others.  Avoid unnecessary touching of eyes, nose and mouth.  While not as good as properly washing hands, hand sanitizers have been installed throughout the campus; use them often.

Feedback comments are sometimes given by your instructor in addition to a grade.  You should always check for a comment from your instructor if your grade is not what you expect.  Note comments can only be seen from the Assignments tool.  If the project status says Graded, click on that to view the comments.

Projects are not graded when you submit them!  They are graded sometime after the project deadline has passed (usually the next weekend).  Every effort will be make to grade projects within a week of the due date, or as soon thereafter as possible.

Once submitted, you can't make changes to your project, and the link for the project will disappear from the Assignments tool's inbox tab.  You will see the project in the submitted tab, until I grade it or return it.  (I will return, or unsubmit, a project on request if the deadline hasn't passed, or if I can see a serious problem that would result in a near-zero grade.  In such cases, the project link will reappear in your inbox tab.  You should read the comment posted to see why it was returned.)