Ground Rules for Classes in the CWRL
1. Be prepared. Always bring your disks, any assigned reading, a notebook
or paper, and a pen or pencil. Have assignments completed on time and be
prepared to discuss them. Come to class on time, and stay until the class
is dismissed. Then:
[Sigma] Check to be sure you have not left any disks, personal belongings,
or
trash behind.
[Sigma] Log out
[Sigma] Leave the classroom promptly so that you will not disrupt the next
class.
2. Show respect for the instructor and for your classmates. When the
instructor is talking, pay attention and take notes. Important information
may be provided that you will need later, and it may not be available at
other times or places. Do not check email, browse the web, or do other work
on the computer while the instructor is talking. Listen respectfully when
other students are talking.
3. Use your time wisely. Class time is limited, so be sure you take full
advantage of it. When you are in class, work on material related to class
only. Do not use the computers for other class work or for personal use
during class time. If you have spare time, work on your ongoing projects,
reading, or other preparations for this class. It's very evident in the
quality of the work when students have not used in-class time effectively.
4. Invest time in your own education. Expect to spend at least 5 hours each
week outside of class working on class assignments, perhaps more as
deadlines approach. You may do this work on any computer available to you,
or you may come into the lab during open hours to work on class
assignments.
5. Some students in CWRL classes have more technical expertise than others.
If you are experienced with computers, you may feel that discussions of
computer "basics" do not involve you. However, you can make a real
contribution to the class by providing assistance to students who are less
experienced or adding to the information provided by the instructor. This
will have a positive impact on how you are evaluated in the class. Please
don't distract other students by expressions of boredom, impatience, and
disinterest during these discussions. You'll have plenty of opportunities
to show off your expertise through your work in class.
6. On the other hand, if you are inexperienced with computers, make sure
that you ask questions and get help with any aspect of the class which
confuses you. Don't assume that you will look foolish because "everyone
else already knows." We can't know what isn't clear to students until they
ask. Here are some of the resources available to help you figure out what
you need to know: Ask questions in class (there's a good chance other
students share your confusion), post questions to the class email list
(again, other students might benefit from the answers you receive), use the
class forum on the web site, visit the instructor during office hours (yes!
we do want to talk to you!), spend time in the CWRL during lab open hours,
visit the Undergraduate Writing Center, browse the CWRL web site
(http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu), attend workshops given at the library by the
computation center, ask other classmates.
7. Lab open hours are for students enrolled in classes taught in CWRL
classrooms. The labs are staffed by instructors who are also teaching CWRL
classes. Lab staff can provide some technical assistance with the use of
the computers and the software in the lab, but they will not help you
compose work for your assignments. That is your responsibility; if you have
questions about the assignment, ask your instructor. Always, always be
courteous and respectful to lab staff; they are doing their best to assist
you. If you abuse the use of the labs, you may lose the privilege of
working in them. You will certainly lose the goodwill of the lab community.