# How the Course will Run Online

**Last updated: March 28, 8:30pm**

This page will be updated as we go with logistical and policy decisions resulting from Brown's move to online classes.

### Setting up for Remote Access

Zoom will be used for participating in office hours and problem-solving sessions.

- [Setup instructions](https://ithelp.brown.edu/kb/articles/get-started-with-zoom-web-conferencing)
- [Using zoom for this class](https://hackmd.io/@cs111/HJ5drDyPI)

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.
- 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 9am EST, and 1pm EST each of M/W/F**. You may attend whichever session makes most sense for you. Kathi will run these sessions.

We will record Kathi’s 9am 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 reconsider the second time if we find it necessary for those of you far away from US-Eastern.

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.

### Project 2

The project will be due on Thursday, April 9. For those just trying to finish it with a passing grade, look for the "minimum functionality" requirements in the project handout.

### Project 3

We are breaking the third project up into 2-3 homeworks to make it more manageable. Aspects will allow collaboration, while others will be individual. More details will be available after we finish project 2.

### 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 project 2 handout already had a breakdown of minimum, mid-tier, and full functionality. These will roughly correspond to letter grades (C, B, A, respectively), so meeting the minimum functionality requirements will earn a pass on the project.

### 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

:::spoiler When will Project 2 be due?
Thursday, April 9 (anywhere on earth)
:::

:::spoiler How will we set up Python from off-campus?
Details coming soon.
:::

:::spoiler What if we can't continue working with our Project 2 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 the project.
:::

:::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, making sure that our modifications will leave you prepared.
:::

:::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.
:::