If you have any condition, such as a physical or mental disability, which will make it difficult for you to carry out the work of the course or which will require extra time on examinations, please notify the professor in the first two weeks of the course so that we can make appropriate arrangements. We learn by doing, and we learn best when we are in charge of our own learning and are self-motivated. The active learning method of instruction used in this course encourages you to take charge of your own learning experience. The professor's main role is to step you through the material and guide you in the learning process, and also serve as a reservoir of knowledge and enthusiasm. Another non-traditional aspect of the course is a heavy emphasis on groupwork.
Groups are ubiquitous in today's highly interconnected society and workplace.
You will almost certainly work in a group, especially if you become a programmer or a systems analyst. Groups can also make learning more fun and relaxed. Studies show that students tend to have higher anxiety about performance if they are asked to complete a complex or unfamiliar task on their own, while those same persons working in a group display much more confidence. People in a group can teach and encourage each other, as well as learn how to get along with all kinds of people. The drawback to groupwork is an occasional overreliance on others and diminution of personal effort.