The goal of this mini-assignment is to introduce you to the course website and information about the course itself. Once you have completed the assignment instructions, go to the Moodle page for the class and take the short quiz.
Part 1: Course Schedule
The main course web page lists the topics we will cover in class and the expected dates of those topics. It also lists any readings in the book, practice exercises that will help you understand the material, and example programs that you can run and modify.
At the top of the page you see a menu that say "Schedule", "Assignments", "Exams", "Resources", "Course Syllabus", and "Moodle". We will explore each of these in the next sections. From here, if you click on "Schedule", you will remain on the schedule page.
Right now, at the start of the semester, there are only lecture numbers, dates and topics on the schedule page. (And, of course, a link to this assignment.) As the semester progresses, I will add additional material, so keep checking the website. This will be the main place you look for the materials you need for class.
Read through the information on this page to get familiar with what will be covered this semester.
Part 2: Assignments Page
Click on the menu link at the top that says "Assignments". This brings you to the page that lists all of the assignments. It also lists the due dates, and at the bottom of the page, gives you general information about late policies on assignment submission and working with a friend (or not).
Note that all of the assignments are just listed, but they don't link to an actual assignment yet. As I post assignments, the link will go "live", and you'll be able to click the link to get the full description of that assignment.
Read through the information on this page, and get familiar with the policies about lab assignments, and the topics of the assignments.
Part 3: Exam Page
Click on the menu link at the page that says "Exams". This page gives you examples of some past exams. You can use these to study for exams in the class, but be aware that material may have been presented in a different order in previous classes, so it is unlikely that a single exam will be very similar to our exams. Still, there are good questions on these exams, and they can help you study.
Part 4: Resources Page
Click on the menu link at the top of the page that says "Resources". The information on this page is designed to give you, well, resource information. From here, once we have the fall tutoring schedule finalized, you can click on the "TA hours" link to find out when our TAs, or others who can help you if you have questions, will be in the Museum Lab.
If you want to work on your own computer rather than the lab computers, this page tells you how to install the Java Development Kit (jdk) and the Eclipse IDE on your computer. It also tells you how to work on the command line, a topic we won't address until later in the semester. Finally, it gives you links to previous versions of this course if you would like to see earlier slides that might give you a different perspective on course topics.
Browse through the topics to get an idea of what resources are available.
Part 5: Syllabus
Click on the menu link at the top of the page that says "Course Syllabus". This is the official syllabus for the course. It goes over the catalog course description, instructor and textbook information, how grades are calculated, and some policies.
Toward the bottom of the syllabus are course expectations. This is what we expect you to know before you start the course. Notice that we don't expect you to know how to program. You will learn how to do that in this course. The course outcomes tell you what we expect you to know once you complete the course.
Read through all the information on this page to get familiar with the course information and policies.
Part 6: Moodle
Finally, you can click on the menu item at the top that says "Moodle". If you are not already logged in to MyMTech, it will ask you to log in. If you don't yet have an account, you need to sign up by going to the Montana Tech website (www.mtech.edu), clicking on MYMTECH at the top of the page, and then, on the upper right of the next page, clicking on the "New User?" button. This will allow you to create a user login to get to Moodle and other Montana Tech resources.
If you do have an account, sign in using your user name and password, and that will bring you to the Moodle page for our class. You may also have a Moodle page for the lab section of this class, but we will always use the lecture section (Section 01) for communication and submitting homework.
Once you get to the Moodle page for this class, you will see a quiz listed that is due on Friday, 8/25. You can click on that item and take the quiz when you are ready. The quiz covers the material you should have just read on the course website. If you don't know an answer, it is ok to open a new browser tab and go back to the course website to find the answer. In other words, this is not a test, I just want to make sure that you have reviewed all of the information and are comfortable navigating the course website.
