Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change. The Instructor will notify students of any changes and students will be responsible for abiding by them. Even if you print this syllabus, please check the online version often.

Description

IST 295A: Distributed Team Project (3 credits) - This course offers a web-based distributed project that simulates an internship of a student in a company. This project has a faculty mentor with an additional client/company mentor. The majority of communication within the group and with the mentors is to be via the internet. This course gives a true experience in information project development. Students will be graded as a team by the faculty mentor on the quality of the project. An individual written report detailing the work accomplished during the course is required from all team members. The grade of the individual reports, peer evaluations and the team project grade form a basis for student evaluation.

Prerequisites

• IST 110
  
• Recommended, but not required: IST 250

Objectives

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Understand the importance of teamwork, project management, and oral/written communication skills
• Demonstrate familiarity with the virtual workplace
• Complete a variety of technology-related tasks

Instructor

•  TBD

Materials

• None required

Assignments & Grading

In an online course, regular "attendance" and meaningful, cooperative participation is required. Participation is graded through journal postings, group progress reports and peer evaluations. Due dates are clearly posted and points will be lost for submitting late work. Engagement in the online classroom is critical to ensure the course objectives are met. Online courses require commitment. Stay on schedule in order to complete the work by the due dates. Please contact instructor immediately if there are circumstances that prevent you from staying on schedule. 

Course Grading Scale

The following are minimum cutoffs for each grade:

• 93.00% = A
• 90.00% = A-
• 87.00% = B+
• 83.00% = B
• 80.00% = B-
• 77.00% = C+
• 70.00% = C
• 60.00% = D
• less than 60.00% = F

Course Policies and Expectations 

• Logging into Canvas - Students are expected to login regularly to check for course updates, announcements, emails, discussions, etc.
• Emailing through Canvas - Students are expected to use Canvas for all course email communication.
• Attending virtual meetings - Students are expected to use specified virtual meeting tool(s) for collaboration, meetings, presentations, etc., as needed.

Technical Requirements

Standard World Campus computer technical specifications are assumed for this course. Please test your computer for requirements. In addition, a webcam and a headset with a microphone are REQUIRED for the course. These may be used for virtual meetings, virtual office hours, interactions with classmates and your instructor, and team presentations - which are all conducted with virtual meeting tools. No special software is required.

Resources

Find extensive information and links to many Penn State and IST resources (including the Penn State libraries, video conferencing tools, technology and software, writing and research, and much more) on the Resources page.

University Policies

Review current information regarding Penn State policies (including academic integrity, copyrights, counseling and psychological services, disability accommodations, discrimination and harassment, emergencies, military accommodations, trade names, etc.) on the University Policies page.

Schedule

The following schedule outlines the topics covered in this course, along with the associated time frames, readings, activities, and assignments. All due dates reflect Eastern Time (ET). Specifying the time zone ensures that all students have the same deadlines, regardless of where they live.