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Catalog Information
| Course |
CON 251 - Fall 2008 |
| SLN |
72847 ,
72848 and
72849 |
| Credit |
3 |
| Prerequisite |
MAT
170 |
| Meeting
Time |
9:15-10:30 MW (72847 ), 10:40-11:55 MW
(72848 ) and 3:15 - 4:30 MW (72849 ) |
| Room |
USE
108 |
| Audience |
Construction
core requirement; common to all
options |
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Contact Information
Instructor: Dr. Avi Wiezel
Office: USE 128
Phone 965 - 4121
Email: con251@asu.edu
Office Hours: by appointment
Teaching Assistants: Marcel Maghiar and Saleel Kudchadker
Office: USE 101
E-mail: con251@asu.edu
Office Hours: MW 13:00 – 15:00 (no need for appointment) -
appointments accepted for other hours |
Meeting Time: MW 9:15 - 10:30
MW 10:40 – 11:55
MW 3:15 – 4:30 pm
Room: USE 108 |
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Course Description and Pre-requisites:
The course provides a framework for the effective application of
computers in support of construction activities. Student will have the
opportunity to learn how to create effective applications of computers in
support of construction management, administration, and technical aspects of
the construction industry - uses of the computer as a problem-solving tool,
including multimedia software, information management, and spreadsheet
applications in construction environment. Prerequisites: MAT 170. |
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Student Outcomes The course provides a framework for the effective
application of computers in support of construction activities.
On successful completion of this course, the student will be familiar
with the following concepts:
- The information flow in construction industry
- Use of distributed information systems for construction projects
(Internet and Intranet)
- Selection of computer hardware and software
- Efficient information presentation and communication using:
- written documents (Word)
- hypertext (World Wide Web)
- still images (PowerPoint)
- multimedia
- Solving constructability problems
- Customization of computer applications for constructability
(Advanced features in Excel)
- Project responsibilities and teamwork
- Activity based costing
- Creation of construction applications using database management
systems (Access)
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Class Schedule and Attendance
The class is based on lectures, individual
homework and team projects.
Grading will reflect the individual
effort and knowledge. The individual activity is measured by the professor
through quizzes and homework. Part of the activity is performed in teams.
Team activity is part of the required individual effort and will be
considered in the final grade. The team activity is evaluated by peers.
Each team member evaluates the activity of all other members in her/his
team. Students do not evaluate their own activity.Class
attendance will be in accordance with the schedule shown below. Should it be
necessary for the student to miss a class, he/she is fully responsible for
the lesson assignment and any supplemental material that may have been
issued or graded material assigned that day. The instructor reserves the
right to adjust the schedule during the semester and will issue revised
schedules as appropriate. |
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Texts and References:
- None. Books will be recommended specifically to each student
to achieve the required level of knowledge for each application that
will be used in class. All the applications used in class have help
facilities and students should learn how to use them as well. The best
way to figure things out is to keep trying.
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Assignments
Homework assignments will be given periodically as
supported by the lecture.
- Homework assignments are due one on the day of the lecture following
the date they were assigned.
Homework assigned on Monday is due on Wednesday.
Homework
assigned on Wednesday is due next Monday.
- The homework should be submitted at least one minute prior to the
start of the lecture on the due day.
- No late homework will be accepted.
- Independent work is expected on all individual assignments,
although students are allowed to discuss purely computer-oriented
technical difficulties (i.e., solving programming or system bugs). Once
underway, however, the homework should be original.
- Grading will in part be based on the
professional standards of the work presented (neatness,
completeness, organization, references, etc.) as well as on the
correctness of answers.
- All files will be in MS Office format under the name (First five
letters of last name)_(Assignment#).(the right
extension).
Example: The third homework of Avi
Wiezel will be an Excel file called WIEZE_3.XLS.
- If instructions given by the students prove to be incomplete, or the
application does not perform the way it is described, the homework is
considered to be wrong and graded accordingly.
- Grade contestation window: 14 days after posing of the grade on
BlackBoard. Grade becomes final if not contested within 14 days after
posting.
- All students must use the software (programs and
versions) provided in the lab of the Del E. Webb School of
Construction.
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Quizzes
Short quizzes will be administered to check students'
competency and preparedness. During the quizzes students are allowed to
use any personal material (notes, books, calculators, etc.) However
sharing of calculators, books, etc., during the quizzes is not allowed.
Quizzes will last no more than 10 minutes. There will be no makeup
quizzes. |
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Projects
There are three projects to be completed during the semester.
- Crane positioning program (individual)
- Crane selection program (team project)
- Construction direct cost breakdown (individual)
The grade received by each student for the team project will be the
grade of the project altered by the results of peer
evaluation. The individual grade will be calculated based on the group grade
and the contribution of each team member. The instructors will grade the
overall group project. To calculate each member’s contribution, each
group member will distribute 100 points to the other team members. |
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Grading
Scale
| Category |
Weight |
| Individual Homework |
50% |
| Short Quizzes |
5% |
| Crane positioning |
15% |
| Crane selection |
10% |
| Class Attendance |
5% |
| Direct cost breakdown |
15% |
Basis of grading
A+ >100; A>=90%; B>=80%;
C>=70%; D>=60%; E<60%
Note: 100 is A, 89.9 is
B |
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Final Exam
The final exam will be held in the Computer Lab (USE
108) on Friday, Dec. 12:
| SLN & Meeting Time (During the Semester) |
Final Exam |
| All sections |
12:10 - 2:10 PM |
| The
final exam will be based on the
computer
literacy test. Before attending the final exam download the
computer
literacy test on your USB drive, open the file, mark the topics
you know then close the file. The
computer
literacy test is an Access file and your markings are saved
automatically every time you make a selection, i.e. there is no need
to "Save" the file in order to keep your selections. Bring the USB
drive to the final exam.
The exam starts by the examiner opening your
computer
literacy test file and pressing the "Select Topics" button (you
can do this at home in preparation for the final exam). The
computer
literacy test will present the final examination form (called
Competency Test). The form has four parts:
Part 1: Shows the total number of topics the student marked as
known. This number is referred to as "claimed knowledge". Only
topics that have been taught in class and were marked as known are
counted. In other words a topic that was known to the class before
CON 251 is not counted, even if it was marked as known. Topics known
by the student that were not covered in this class (such as Java
Script for instance) are not counted either.
Part 2: Shows the Minimum number of counted topics required for a
specific letter grade. This lets the student know what is the level
of "claimed knowledge" in CON 251.
Part 3: Shows a list of 10 topics randomly selected from among
the topics that were taught and marked as known by the student.
Part 4: contains the following language:
I understand that by taking this competency test I hereby
renounce the grade I have obtained during the semester in CON
251 and my grade will be the one proved by this competency test.
I also understand that I can take this test only once. The grade
obtained in this test will be my final grade in CON 251
"Microcomputer applications for Constructors".
PROCEDURE:
The examiner may press the "Select Topics" button several times
until he/she is satisfied with the combination of topics. Note that
each selection contains only topics specifically marked as "known"
by the student. When the examiner is satisfied with the combination
of topics the examination form is printed out and presented to the
student. After reading the topics the student makes the decision of
whether to take the final examination or not. If the student decides
to take the examination he/she will sign part 4 of the form and in
effect renounce the grade obtained during the semester.
The expectation is that the student will be able to show
proficiency in each of the 10 topics on the examination form.
Proficiency is proven to the examiner either verbally or by
performing specific tasks on the computer. For instance, suppose
that the following topic was selected on the computer literacy test
"What is the meaning of control source in Excel?" After the student
explains verbally the meaning of "control source" , the instructor
may ask the student to create a User Form, add a TextBox to it and
show how the control source works.
GRADING
The maximum grade the student can receive in the final
examination is the one pointed to by the "Claimed Knowledge" as
shown by Part 1 and Part 2 of the examination form. Since the
examination topics are selected only form among topics marked as
known by the student, the expectation is that the student will prove
proficiency in all 10 randomly selected topics. Failure to prove
proficiency in any of the 10 selected topics reduces the final grade
by one letter grade.
As every other project and quiz in this class, he final exam is
open book, open computer, open notes. There is a time limit of 1h.
50 min. for the whole examination. |
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Classroom Procedures There will be no food or drink
consumed, or hats worn in classroom.
Cell phones usage in class is not allowed out of respect to other students.
The general rules of the behavior in the
USE
108 Computer lab apply (follow
hyperlink)
- The lectures are built to help you assimilate the material in the
most efficient manner. Missing even a single lecture may set you back
for a couple of weeks. The pace of the course is set to challenge your
intellectual capacity.
- Despite the high pace of the course, achieving a high grade in this
class is not complicated. There is an amount of work. Do it, you will
get a good grade. Skip it, you won't. It's up to you.
- Don't procrastinate! Do your homework or project as soon as
possible. Computers seem to have a special tendency to crash when you
need them most.
- It is my experience that the words "The computer doesn't work" are
essentially always spoken by people who don't know what they are doing.
Don't use those words.
- Back up your work every 10-15 minutes or whenever you made a major
progress in the work. Have at least two backups (in addition to the
original files).
- You can't hurt the computer or yourself by trying many different
approaches until you hit one that works. The best way to figure thing
out is just to keep trying.
- My own experience taught me that the best way to learn computer
applications is trying to help others to solve their problems. This way
you are exposed to problems you didn't even think they exist. It also
makes you feel good to know that you helped a colleague. Be pro-active
in trying to help others.
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Academic Integrity
While discussions between students are encouraged, cheating will not be
tolerated. Any student found cheating on a project, a quiz, or assignment
may be given a failing grade for the course and flagrant violations can
result in additional consequences. You are cheating if you represent someone
else's work as your own or if someone else represents your work as
theirs. All graded work (projects, homework assignments, as well as any
quizzes) in this class must represent your own individual work only.
Students may discuss the conceptual aspects of an assignment, but students
must turn in their own, independently developed solutions. By
registration in this class, you are assumed to have read, understand and
agreed to this policy, as well as to the procedures conveyed at the web
sites below.
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Professional Responsibilities
The
responsibility for learning rests with the student. I, and the teaching
assistants, will assist you by making the classroom environment one
conducive to learning but your preparation is essential. This course is
designed for 2 hours outside work for every 1 hour in class. Read the
announcements published on BlackBoard, the assignments, do the problems, and
seek assistance if you need it. First see the TAs, then come during office
hours or make an appointment. The TAs will answer any questions related to
the material and will assist those in need. For an appointment see either
Marcel or Saleel in their office, or email to
con251@asu.edu and seek assistance to
your specific problem. |
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...
and a word of wisdom
on winners and losers:
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A
winner |
A
loser |
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- says: “I’m
good, but not as good as I want to be.”
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- says: “I’m
not as bad as a lot of people.”
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- just waits
until it’s his turn to talk.
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