Plans for Moving CIS 545 Online

As you know, due to COVID-19. Penn is moving instruction online for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester. As a reminder, wherever you are, you should:

• Wash your hands frequently, and
• Practice "social distancing" by maintaining at least a 2m distance between you and any other individuals!

Be safe!

The Remainder of the Semester

We will be making a few adjustments to the logistics for the semester.

1. Spring break was extended by a week, but we will end at the same time, so we have 1 instructional week fewer than originally planned.
2. For fairness to all of our remote students, we are planning to re-allocate the division of points between the final exam (which will be worth fewer points) and the project (which will be worth more points). Please stay tuned!
3. We are giving a bit more time for the Homework 3 deadline, due to all of the challenges many of our students face in relocating.

Above all else, please take a deep breath and remember that our goal is to support your learning in the class. You will be OK!

Lectures

Our current plan is to move lectures to a "hybrid" model. Terms of this offer are subject to change based on student feedback!

1. Each week's modules will be divided into chapters, each with a series of "checkpoint" questions at the end.
2. We'll provide a "live" (aka "synchronous") presentation in the normal lecture slot via Zoom, with the opportunity to ask questions after each checkpoint. [Note that this is likely to include some prerecorded segments, just to maximize quality, with a live instructor who can pause!]
3. We'll provide recorded chapters directly in annotated PPTX with audio, which should be the easiest to download.
4. We'll also upload recordings to Canvas.

Recitations

Recitations, which may have some prepared material but are typically more interaction-driven, will take place over Zoom and will be recorded.

Office Hours

TA office hours will generally involve 1:1 conversations between the TAs and students. For a given office hour, you will register on the QLess queuing system with the topic of your visit and your cell number. You'll also join the Zoom "waiting room". When the TA is available, he or she will ping you and you can chat. Zoom offers screen sharing, video, and a variety of other capabilities that should let the TA help you.

(Professor office hours will work the same, but we all know the TAs are more important!)

Homeworks and Project

We'll continue to use Colab and OpenSubmit for the class homeworks and for the term project.

Final Exam

The final exam will use the "online assessment" capability of GradeScope. Much as with Google Forms, you'll be able to select among multiple-choice answers, type in short answers, type in open-ended answers, etc. You won't need a printer or to do anything handwritten.

For students who received special services in taking the exam with SDS, we will attempt to carry such services through to the online exam.