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# System prepended metadata

title: How the Course will Run Online

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# How the Course will Run Online

**Last updated: March 31, 2:30pm**

This page summarizes how things will work now that we are moving online for the rest of the semester.


### Setting up for Remote Access

The following tools help you continue with your coursework after March 30:

- Zoom, for participating in office hours and problem-solving sessions ([setup instructions](https://ithelp.brown.edu/kb/articles/get-started-with-zoom-web-conferencing))
- FastX, if you want to be able to connect to CS dept machines and work fully from within your CS account (this will not be required, but it might be helpful at times) ([CS Dept setup instructions](https://cs.brown.edu/about/system/connecting/fastx/))
- ssh, if you want to connect to CS for simple terminal tasks (like looking at text files) ([Instructions on Piazza](https://piazza.com/class/k755gneiu995jl?cid=379))

### Lectures Going Forward

Class materials have been reorganized into three parts:
- Prep materials, that you are responsible for looking at before lecture (and answering questions about in Canvas)
- Conceptual overviews, which we will talk through (along with Q&A) in live/zoom sessions (this is much of the content of our former lectures).
- Detailed materials, which will go through implementation details, data structure details, etc. These will be available both as printed notes (as before) and through fragments of last year's lecture-capture videos. (the notes will suffice for those who can't watch video)

In each live/zoom lecture session, we will spent the first few minutes reviewing questions about the previous lecture's detailed materials, then we will discuss the conceptual overview of the next set of materials.

The goal of this organization is to optimize our group time around Q&A, rather than having you all sit on zoom watching each other look at detailed material.

**Live Q&A sessions will run at 11am EST and 4pm EST each of M/W/F** (the original 10pm time has been dropped). You may attend whichever session makes most sense for you. Kathi will run all of the 11am sessions and some of the others (schedule still being finalized). TAs will run the sessions that Kathi does not run.

We will record Kathi's live session and post it as we have done for all lectures this semester. The recording only captures the image of the person speaking, so you will not end up recorded without your knowledge.

We can adjust the 10pm time if we find it necessary for those of you far away from US-Eastern. We chose that time so that Kathi (who doesn't stay up too late) can participate in those sessions sometimes.

Check your email for the zoom meeting ID and the entry password.

#### Study Questions

The detailed notes for each lecture will include a set of Study Questions, which are conceptual questions that review the key ideas of that lecture. You are not required to submit answers to these, but you are welcome/encouraged to use them in your own study groups. We will also offer some dedicated Q&A slots with TAs to discuss study group questions.

Study questions are the kinds of things we might probe on the quizzes that will replace the final (more on that coming by March 30).

### Office Hours

We will be holding both group and 1-on-1 office hours online. We will have some "scheduled" conceptual hours where you know in advance which topics we will be discussing. We will also have times that work for students in different time zones. We are preparing the schedule, and will have one up by March 30.

### Labs

We will **NOT** have mandatory lab sessions like we were having on campus.

Labs were serving two main purposes: practice with programming and required check on concepts outside of homework. We are replacing lab with two different ways to meet these criteria:

- a required Canvas survey due before lecture each MWF. Grading on these is based on having answered them (but we will be looking at answers to see how folks are doing).
- practice programming problems included in some lecture notes that you are encouraged to work on and discuss with others. We are happy to help facilitate group discussion of the problems (including with staff), as you would have gotten in on-campus labs.

### The Final Exam

The final has been turned into 1-2 programming problems that you will have to code on your own (on the scale of one homework) and a set of graded quizzes. Quizzes will start sometime after Search comes due.

### Projects

We have cancelled the third project, and will replace it with two homeworks. These homeworks will have a notion of a design check (on which collaboration will be allowed) followed by an implementation phase. This design will even out the playing field between students who have access to collaborators and those who do not.

### S/NC options

In light of Brown's announcement that students may switch to S/NC grading, new assignment handouts will clearly state what constitutes passing vs graded requirements. We will award S with distinction for those who do A level work while taking the course S/NC.

The staff are working out what constitues passing on Search, and will get that info out to everyone before Monday, March 30. It will almost certainly involve writing the querier. It will not involve implementing PageRank. We're still figuring out where the rest of the project will fall. 

### A Note on Due Times

Classmates are now spread across 15 hours of time zones, meaning any due time we set would be the middle of the night for somebody. To avoid confusion, from here on out, due times on homeworks and projects will be listed as "anywhere on earth". So if we say something is due on "Monday, April 6 (anywhere on earth)"", it means your work will be on time as long as it is still April 6 somewhere in the world (this amounts to 8am the next date for those in US-Eastern).

## Frequent or Anticipated Questions (Answers Updated)

:::spoiler When will the Scala homework be due?
Friday, April 3 (anywhere on earth)
:::

:::spoiler When will Search be due?
Thursday, April 9 (anywhere on earth)
:::

:::spoiler What if we can't continue working with our Search partners?
You are welcome to split up after the design check. **The decision to split should be mutual -- please do NOT strand your partner**. We will allow split partners to join other pairs (forming threesomes) if that helps you get through Search.
:::

:::spoiler Will you help with access to src files for those who can't connect to the department machines?
Yes. We will provide direct links either on assignment handouts or on the website so you can access all files going forward.
:::

:::spoiler Will we still be prepared for subsequent CS classes?
Yes. Kathi has spent most of break going over all of our notes and assignments, separating out what you need for other courses (and job interviews) from what we can relax. We are trimming some old content and adding others to focus in harder on the essential skills coming out of 18.
:::

:::spoiler Will there be enough TA hours?
We still have plenty of TA hours (and many more conceptual/Q&A hours). We will have gear-ups for each assignment. Before March 30, we will also be releasing new guides to help everyone prepare for productive office hours. All of these will help us collectively make office hours work.
:::

:::spoiler What if I (or someone I live with) gets coronavirus?
This situation will be no different than getting an illness on campus. Contact the deans, make sure Kathi gets your dean's note, then we'll adjust deadlines accordingly.
:::

:::spoiler What if I'm struggling with focus, responsibilities, etc?
Get in touch with Kathi or the HTAs so we can figure something out. The S/NC option will help those with workload concerns. Finding ways to collaborate with others should help those feeling isolated. We're going to keep experimenting and are happy to take suggestions.
:::

:::spoiler What if I have problems with internet access?
Everything is being designed to accommodate students who have limited online access. If things aren't working out for you, just get in touch and we'll look for alternatives.
:::

:::spoiler Will the "lecture" sessions be recorded?
That's the intent, though we may run into bumps at first.
:::

:::spoiler Have the midterms been graded?
Not yet. We were supposed to finish that in the week before spring break. We'll get back to that once classes resume.
:::