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Technology guidelines

NTW2029 website

This website is the primary way I give course information to the class. Please email me if there is something to improve: confusing language, a broken link, a typo, etc.

Canvas

Notifications: set up Canvas notifications so you don’t miss anything important. Use these instructions 🡕 so that you are immediately notified for categories “Course Content”, “Due Date”, “Discussions”, and “Announcement”.

Canvas discussions hides replies by default. It’s important that you see the replies from me and your classmates. Make it a habit to :expand threads when you read the discussions (sadly, this can’t be set as the default).

:x threads

expand threads

Microsoft Teams

For out-of-class communication, we will use :the chat function in Microsoft Teams 🡕. Please download the Teams app for your phone and make sure notifications are on.

NUS creates Teams groups for every course section. You must request to be added, which you should do ASAP.

Course email

Please follow these guidelines for emailing me:

  • Subject line: Put the course code (e.g. NTW2029) in the subject line of EVERY email you send me so it will be filtered into the correct class email folder.
  • Name: Use the name I call you in class in addition to your formal name so I know who you are right away.
  • Tone: If you are writing about a way you might not meet course expectations, don’t send it as an FYI (e.g. “Prof, I’m leaving class an hour early tomorrow because I have an important football game”). That can come across as rude or entitled in a small class like ours because it might affect me or others. Instead, please ask me for permission and gauge my response. Even if you are going to do it regardless of the consequences, this approach is more respectful.
  • Follow-up: I aim to respond to all emails within one business day.If you haven’t heard from me, or if the matter is time-sensitive, feel free to email me again to remind me. I won’t be annoyed. Sometimes an email just gets buried in my inbox.

Digital calendar

  • You must have a calendar with your course due dates on it. If you don’t currently use one, :set it up right away.

:x calendar

Every student I have had who forgot to submit an asssignment was one who didn’t use a calendar. Some relied on memory; others had a to-do list. Your life may have worked just fine without a calendar until now. Now you need one. Set up a calendar, put all assignment due dates on it right at the beginning of the semester, check the calendar daily, and if your calendar is electronic, make sure to set up a default one-day advance reminder for assignment due dates.

:x chat

Teams has many other functions, but we’ll just use it for chat messages.