4/24/2024: Exam #2 Dates
The second exam will be available to take from Monday 4/29/2024 through Wednesday 5/1/2024. You will get ninety continuous minutes to work on the exam. It will cover multiple applications, similar to HW #5. Most people tend to get done early, so you shouldn't feel as constrained for time as with the previous exam. Information should be emailed to you on the morning the exam period starts.
4/1/2024: Homework #5 Available
The final HW assignment is now posted on our course webpage. Note this assignment will result in four completed files (one for each Office application we cover in this course). These need to be submitted separately, as opposed to all at once in a ZIP file.
3/1/2024: CS101 Learning Center
If you ever need a little extra help with an assignment, check out the CS101 Learning Center! More information is available on this page.
2/19/2024: Exam #1 Information Sent
An email for taking exam #1 was emailed to you at 2/19/2024 at 3:49AM. The email provides login instructions and rules for taking the exam.
2/12/2024: Exam #1 Coming Soon!
On Mon/Tue (2/19-20/2024) our first exam will be given. I will email exam instructions to you shortly before the exam opens. The exam can be taken anytime between 9AM ET Monday and 11:59PM ET Tuesday (it needs to be finished and submitted by 11:59PM ET Tuesday).
You will get 50 continuous minutes to work on the exam. Note this time period includes any break you may take. Think of it as being in a normal classroom where there is no extra time given beyond the end of class. Every semester there are cases where someone takes too long on an exam. Please be aware this is very easy to detect and you will be penalized points (best case) and possibly lose all credit for the exam (worst case for a first offense).
As you'll find, exams are very similar to HW assignments - you'll be given a set of instructions to follow, probably some data to import and will create a finished project to submit (on our course website, just as you submit HW files). Exams are closed book, closed notes, etc. The only help you can use is the Help function within the application at hand (Excel in this case).
One commonly missed fundamental part of Excel is using different cell reference types. Please be sure you review the different type (relative, absolute, mixed) before the exam. Here is a brief refresher:
This is a relative reference: C5
This is an absolute reference: $C$5
This is a column absolute mixed (note $ in front of only the column letter): $C5
This is a row absolute mixed (note the $ in front of only the row number): C$5
Just remember that "absolute" means "$". That "$" tells that column letter or row number "stay put and don't shift around if I copy you to other cells".
If you have any questions about the exam, please let me know.
2/7/2024: Homework #2 Available
Our 2nd homework assignment is now posted. Note that HW #1 is the only one for the semester that will have a sample solution file posted with it.
1/31/2024: Homework #1 Available
Homework #1 is now available under the Assignments link. Note that each homework assignment also has an associated Help Video. Watching a similar assignment get completed in that video should greatly help with completing our assignment.
One thing unique to this assignment is that you're given a sample PDF file of what your solution should look like. This is just to make sure you're on the right track as you get used to how these assignments are designed. Always be sure to right-click and save each HW file provided, instead of just opening them.
As you'll find, all HW assignments and exams are just like this - you're given a file with a set of instructions to follow, usually some data to import to start out with and you follow these instructions to end up with a completed project file (or files, later on). Once you're done, submit your file via the Assignment Submission Tool on our site.
Some assignments have a lot of individual but easy directions.. "format this like this", "set this size equal to that", etc.. I always advise printing it out and just checking off what you've done to be sure you don't miss any minor details that may cost you points. Also, always work top to bottom. You'll find that one step may be dependent on a previous step done properly.
1/8/2024: MyLab IT Registration is Ready
Focus on Registering for MyLab IT
By now, you should have purchased MyLab IT and the book (either the paper copy or the electronic copy). If you haven't, please do. The materials you need are listed here: http://cs101.wvu.edu/materials/requirements/
Registration instructions are located here and our Course ID is powell61988.
Please take a look at the schedule to see what I think you should be reading and working on today. Refer to the schedule each day and try to keep up with the suggested readings.
1/8/2024: We do not use eCampus or the attendance system
CS101 does not use eCampus. Please be sure to check your WVU e-mail and visit the CS101 website on a daily basis.
Our online section also does not use the attendance system.
1/8/2024: Using a Mac
If you own a Mac, you have two methods to use for completing assignments in this course:
1. Windows Virtual Desktop: Using this method, there is nothing to install locally but you must have reliable internet access while you use it. Details about this are available from this page. This is the easier/preferred method to use for most students.
2. Downloading/installing a virtual machine: This allows you to run Windows and Office to do your assignments in this class. Please see this Help Page for more details.
1/8/2024: Assignment Availability
Assignments in this class will be configured well ahead of time to give you plenty of time to work on them. I encourage working ahead!
- MyLab required and bonus assignments are all available from the first day of class. Due dates are available on the assignments page as well as our Section Schedule.
- Homework assignments will be made available about 2-3 weeks before they are due. Due dates will be available on the assignments page as well as our Section Schedule. Note these assignment all have a Help video associated with them, to make working through the assignment easier.
- Participation Projects will be made available about 5-7 days before they are due. Due dates will be available on the assignments page. Note these assignment all have a Help video associated with them, to make working through the assignment much easier. Due dates are not shown on the section schedule.
- Each of our three exams will be available only on the days they are shown on our Section Schedule, however, each will have an exam review video published about a week before the exam.
1/8/2024: Grade Availability
You can expect to look for your grades according to these guidelines:
- I generally grade HW assignments and Exams within three days after the due date. You should see your grades and feedback posted by then.
- I will update Participation grades usually after two or three have been due. I don't give feedback on these, you will just see your grade adjusted if you did the assignment(s).
- MyLab grades are computed automatically. The course coordinator will import these into the CS101 gradebook periodically throughout the semester, usually after each assignment is due, if we have data available from the MyLab team.
- Grades and detailed feedback are posted to the CS101 View Grades page. You should review grades as soon as they are posted. Grades may be appealed within 7 calendar days of when they are posted, except for any assignments at the very end of the semester. After this time, grades are final. All grades for MyLab Bonus Projects are final and may not be appealed.