Below you’ll find answers to questions students asked in their get to know you forms.
FAQ
FAQ
- Q: Will we be writing a historical novel or creating a video game?
-A: No, your teams will write research reports that include background information that would allow someone to write a historical novel or video game.
- Q: The learning goals talk about stopping sometime from the thirteenth through seventeenth centuries, but the syllabus says we stop in 1400: which is it?
-A: We stop in 1400 CE. That learning goal was agreed to by all MinnState history departments. Our course is more specific than the general goal.
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Q: Can I use a tablet for this class?
-A: Maybe. My experience is that the Safari browser does not work well with Microsoft products. So having multiple browsers or being willing to download an app will help if you primary browser isn’t working. -
Q: Is someone in my group uses Ai, will my grade be lower?
-A: That depends. We’ll talk about standards for shared group work. In general, yes, it’s your team, and your team is responsible for turning in work that demonstrates academic integrity. I will engage students whose work appears to include Ai to first understand what I see, before drawing conclusions. I do not use Ai checkers. -
Q: Will we need to use Zoom for our group projects?
-A: Meeting in your teams will be important, but how you do it and with what platform is up to you. MS Teams and Zoom are free to use as Normandale students. Online only students will need to find times to meet with each other synchronously, though it will only be with your teams, not the whole class. -
Q: Are the * Quotations in the syllabus from books you’ve read?
-A: I’ve read The Killing Moon and N.K. Jemison is one of my favorite authors. -
Q: There is not late work?
-A: Correct. For some assignments, I score the highest 12 out of 14 entries and your lowest two scores are not counted. For group projects, if you contributed to the project but didn’t like the grade, you can revise it on your own for a regrade. -
Q: How will groups work?
-A: I’ll ask you to rank your preferred project and then use your preferences to form groups that are balanced. -
Q: How to I join the class Discord?
-A: I included this erroneously in the syllabus and have removed that mention. In previous classes I ran a discord server. -
Q: Will I have to find my sources for this class or will you provide them?
-A: Your weekly readings I provide. For your team projects, there’s a mix of sources I provide, and the opportunity for you to find sources you find interesting. -
Q: Why are you putting team projects in Teams?
-A: Working on a shared document can be tricky. Emailing around a file or sharing a document that only one person is the administrator on can lead to une Qual access to shared work. By having your groups document live inside MS Teams, everyone has e Qual access to it, and I can see you progress and better support you. -
Q: Can I use spellcheck?
-A: Yes, MS Word spellcheck and grammar check are good uses of algorithms to ensure clear communication. -
Q: Do I have to work in a team as an online student?
-A: Yes, that’s how I designed the course. -
Q: How many students are in a group for our teams?
-A: I prefer fewer that 8 with one project manager. Too few member means too much work for everyone, but too many members makes coordination difficulty. -
Q: Are there tests in this class?
-A: No, only projects and weekly writings. -
Q: Will we be reading 75 pages every week?
-A: No, that is the maximum number of pages you’ll read in a week. Most weeks you’ll read about 40 pages for the week.
