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Frequently Asked Questions

CIS71, all versions - Victoria Austin, Instructor

Can I take all three keyboarding classes, 71a, 71b, and 71c, at one time?

I don't recommend taking all three at once. The three classes are designed to be taken in sequence. Each of the two later classes depend on the student having mastered the work from the previous class. Though it is theoretically possible to take all three at once, most students aren't successful in this attempt. Each class has work due every single week, and you are not ready to attempt the work for the third class in the sequence until you have completed the other two.

The class shows as full - can you add me in?

This class tends to be pretty popular, so it does fill up. Make sure to sign up early. Beginning in Spring 2012, the college  will be using at automated wait list system. Information about how the wait list works is located here. Around the beginning of the term, there are always a few people who decide not to stay in the class for whatever reason, so I can sometimes add a couple of additional people. You can email me to ask at that time, and I'll let you know if I can add you. I will not add additional students after the first two weeks of class.

What is the schedule for turning in work for this class?

There are 15 units in this class. I will grade up to three units each week. So you could complete all 15 units in as little as 6 weeks if you wanted to, though the syllabus is laid out for essentially a complete term. There is no penalty for late work but I only grade three units per week per student, so you can't finish the class if you wait too long to turn in work. A suggested schedule for turning in work appears in the syllabus.

I'm having trouble uploading my keyboarding data to the Web Reporter. What should I do?

It's hard to know why your system may not connect with the online reporting tool that comes with the Keyboarding Pro Deluxe software. If you experience difficulty, you might try contacting technical support for the software publisher, Cengage, located here - please note that the current version of the keyboarding software is called Keyboarding Pro Deluxe on this page; references to Keyboarding Pro 4 are to an older version of the software. If you are still unable to get web reporting working, you can print out reports or screen capture reports and deliver those to me via email.

What happens if I get behind and need to turn in work late?

Studies show that the best way to learn new material is to do smaller amounts of work at one time - you will learn the material more thoroughly and retain it more completely. If you leave all the work until the end of the term, you probably will not have good results in the class. You can only get partial credit, you won't get ongoing feedback from the instructor, and you may not have time to finish all your work if you put off too much of it.

When is homework due?

There are no due dates, but I only will grade three units each week for each student.
 

How do I turn in homework?

Some of your keyboarding work will automatically be updated to a web site called the Web Reporter where I can see your results and assign credit to you. For other work, such handouts on punctuation and spelling, technique evaluations, and projects, homework can be turned in four different ways:

• Hand it to me (not the best choice since this class has no scheduled meetings, but you could give me work at office hours).
• Turn it in via the View/Complete Assignments function in Blackboard.
• Drop in off at the turn-in tray in 803 with your name and my name on it; there are several sections of CIS71 and if you don't put my name on it, it may not get to me for grading.
• Email it to me at . Be sure to put your name on it; I will not attempt to figure out whose work it is based on the email address from which it was sent.

How do I get homework back?

You will get an email response from me or a response in Blackboard if the work was submitted there. You can always check your grade in the Gradebook in Blackboard if you have questions about whether you have received credit for your work.

What should I do if I have trouble figuring out how to load the keyboarding software, or printing reports, or sending you my work?

Distance education support can help you figure out how to do these tasks. They can be reached at 925.424.1142 during any hours when the computer lab is open. Their web page is located at http://www.laspositascollege.edu/onlinelearning/support.php. You can also contact me during my office hour on Wednesday from 9:30-10:30 AM in 803. .

I am having trouble posting in the Discussion Board. What do I do?

Several students have reported to me a problem with uploading their final projects to the Discussion Board. There are two possible fixes - (1) use Firefox  or Chrome web browser instead of Internet Explorer or (2) in Blackboard, when you first log in, choose the My Institution tab, then >Personal Information >Set Visual Text Box Editor Options >Make Visual Text Box Editor unavailable. After you do this, you should be able to post in the Discussion area.

If you are still having trouble, you can send the file to me at the class address and I can post it for you.

I need a Typing Certificate to show how many words per minute I can type to apply for a job. How do I get one?

Typing Certificates can be prepared for any currently enrolled CIS71 student. You need to visit the Computer Lab in 803 and ask any instructional assistant about the typing certification. The test includes two 5 five minute timed writing sections, so be sure to allow some time to complete it. You will need to do the typing in the presence of the Computer Lab staff, and use good typing technique (in other words, no hunt-and-peck typing; you should be using touch typing technique) in your timed writing.