Platforms

Microsoft Teams

We will be using Microsoft Teams as our primary forum for course communications, including announcements, questions, and private team chat. Be sure to pay attention to the Announcements channel for announcements from course personnel.

If you have a question, ask on Teams first.

  • You can ask your question in the public Questions channel. The TAs and I will be checking the Questions channel several times a week. If you see a question that has not yet been answered and you know the answer, please “reply” and share your knowledge with your classmates.
  • Your team will be provided with a private team channel, which the instructors and your project TA will also have access to. You can ask your question in your private team channel, especially if it relates to your team’s project.
  • You can ask private questions to a specific TA or instructor by direct messaging them. You can also send an email to cs445@uwaterloo.ca.
  • To book a 15-minute Teams meeting with the instructor or your project team’s TA ouside of your team’s normal Tuesday meetings, email us or DM us on Teams to set up a meeting time that works for everyone.

While online chat tools like Teams provide a convenient way for students to reach TAs/instructors and fellow students, do not expect instanteous answers. Also, Teams does not lend itself to long messages. Keep your questions clear/concise and your comments professional.

Online etiquette is important. I am committed to creating an inclusive learning environment. I ask that all students work with me and the TAs to create a class culture (and Teams culture) based on open communication, mutual respect, and inclusion. As a class we will approach all discussions with respect and civility. Disagreements (e.g. among teammates) may arise, but personal attacks are never OK and will not be tolerated. If I or the TAs err in this regard, please don’t hesitate to reach out and talk with me. We are all learning together.

LEARN

We will use LEARN for submitting deliverables, but that’s about all. Course content will be on this web site.