Common questions

These questions are meant to provide information about how certain course components will look during the Summer 2021 virtual quarter. While course policies may continue to change as the quarter progresses, we will do our best to be up front and transparent with students about course requirments and expectations. More information about assignments, section, and assessments can be found under the respective tabs on the navigation bar. Still have unanswered questions? Hop on over to the Ed forum and ask! We're happy to help.

How will lectures be delivered? Where can I access the lectures?

All lectures and course content this quarter will be delivered online. We will be hosting all of our lecturers this quarter via Zoom webinars. You can find the Zoom information for each lecture on Canvas, via the course calendar or the Zoom tab of the course page. More information about lecture can be found on the About Lecture page.

Will the lectures be recorded and available to watch online?

Yes, the lecturers will be recorded and made available through Canvas under the Zoom tab, shortly after class ends at 3:00pm PDT. However, we highly encourage you to attend all lectures live if possible, in order to fully participate in class discussions, breakout rooms, polls, etc.

Will there be section this quarter? Is section attendance required?

Yes, we will be having weekly discussion sections this quarter, as we normally would have during an on-campus quarter. Attendance and participation in section will be mandatory for all students. Your section leader will be grading your participation in section on a weekly basis, and these grades will make up 10% of your final grade. If you have concerns about your ability to attend and participate in section, due to any factor (time zone, technological barriers, etc.), please email Trip, and he can work with you to arrange necessary accommodations. More information about section can be found on the About Section page.

How will virtual office hours work? How can I get help in this class?

CS106B is a challenging class and it’s normal to want to and need to get help from time to time. There will be multiple ways to get help. The main resource for conceptual and debugging help will be the LaIR, which is a help center staffed by section leaders – here is the schedule for LaIR help hours. Before signing up for the LaIR using the remote signup link, make sure to read the student LaIR guide. In addition, each of the course staff (Susan and Trip) will have office hours every week. The schedule of these office hours can be found here, as well as information on how to access the office hours remotely. Additionally, you can ask questions and receive help asynchronously using the class forum.

Will there be exams this quarter?

There will be a mid-quarter diagnostic and an end of quarter assessment. You can find much more information about assessments this quarter on the About Assessments page.

How will final grades be calculated?

Final grades for the course will be determined using the following weights:

What sort of flexibility will be offered given the exceptional world circumstances?

We as the course staff are here to support you and help you succeed in these unprecedented times. If there are circumstances that arise in your personal situation that impact your ability to complete the work for this class, please contact us, and we will do the best we can to help you out.

Do you allow auditors?

Unfortunately, we do not allow auditors, but the 10-week offering of CS106B does. You can find that course page here