CSci 2041, Spring 2020
Advanced Programming Principles
Guidelines for the Use of the Discussion Forums

Piazza is an electronic medium for providing support for courses. While it offers a few different services, we will be using it only for conducting course-related discussions outside the classroom. Its usefulness in this context will depend on the enthusiastic participation of each one of us. We should note, however, that we can also inadvertently degrade its utility if we do not pay attention to how we use it. To avoid this possibility, I have put together a few suggestions that you should read before you actually start using Piazza for class discussions. These guidelines elaborate in a way specific to this course on the other information that Piazza provides you, so please do read them even if you think you already understand how to use the medium.

• Clicking on the Piazza link on the course web page will bring you to a place from where you can directly access the discussion forums. On the left side, you should see displayed buttons for a few folders labelled "hw1," "hw2," etc. Clicking on any of these buttons will show you the questions, notes, etc that have been posted to these folders. Actually, there are a few more such folders but the buttons for them will become visible only after some content has been posted to them.

• To post a question or note of your own, you should click the "New Post" button just below the folder buttons.

• To explain the folder choices a bit, I have tried to use them to distinguish between the following kinds of discussions:
  • those that pertain generally to course material, not necessarily linked to homeworks or exams (general);

  • those that concern problems in each of the assignments we will be seeing in the course (hw1, hw2, etc);

  • those pertaining to issues with the way the instruction is proceeding and, more, generally about course quality (feedback);

  • those pertaining to discussions prior to exams (mid1, mid2, finals);

  • those that relate to camaraderie in the class and are not directly related to course content (social); and

  • those pertaining to administrative aspects of the course (admin).

• Pick the folder and also the category, whether a question or a note, for what you post carefully. Make sure to include an informative subject line. Paying attention to these aspects will have an impact on whether or not your posting is seen in a timely manner. It will also have an impact on how easily others can pick out the postings relevant to a particular topic and, hence, on how useful the medium turns out to be.

• Check the other postings before you actually post your own. You may find an answer to a question you have more quickly this way. You may also find similar thoughts and questions and hence would be able to decide the right place to raise the issue you have, whether as a separate thread or as an elaboration to an ongoing discussion, if you read first.

• Participate in discussions actively and enthusiastically. If you have a question, post it with confidence. Remember, questions you ask towards gaining a better understanding will never be held against you by anyone whose opinions we should take seriously. Similarly, if you think you have an answer to a question that has been asked or can add something illuminating to an ongoing discussion, be bold and add your comments: you learn a lot simply by explaining something to or formulating your thoughts for others.

• Of course, you should think as carefully as you can about what you post before you commit it. Thinking about how best to express yourself helps you understand things better and also has an impact on how helpful others can be to you or how helpful you are to others.

• Although you can post anonymously to all the forums that have been set up, I recommend that you identify yourself completely with every post on any forum other than perhaps that for commenting on the course quality. This is part of the idea of being confident about yourself and also helps with the collegiality of the class.

• Feel free, of course, to post anonymously to the feedback forum if this makes it easier for you to express yourself more honestly. We do request, though, that you try to be constructive in your postings even here. The instructional staff are keen on making the experience in this class a valuable and rewarding one while still conveying to you whatever information you need to have by the end of the semester. Your help through comments on this page can be quite useful to our achieving this objective.