Course Syllabi – Prof. Chang's Online Courses

Current Semester: Fall 2026

Many new changes have been implemented for our web portal featuring your online courses. This marks the seventh recorded version of the website. In addition to updates in graphics, the logical flow of the web design has been enhanced. Visiting this page is crucial for gathering information about your courses.

Architects write in all caps to differentiate letters, as some lowercase letters resemble uppercase ones. Effective communication and concise information are crucial in the field of architecture. Using uppercase letters is not intended to convey shouting; rather, it emphasizes the significance of the information, so please read carefully.

Chat schedule: Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm. Understand that this chat function adds a human touch to your online course, but email is the preferred method of contact. Since file review is often necessary for assistance, quick answers may be available via chat, but email remains the most effective communication channel.

Prioritize reviewing the following important documents before commencing your class. For any questions, please email. In case of an emergency, contact me immediately.

A reminder to those contemplating earning a grade without effort: this course demands diligent work. In the digital age, detecting undue collaboration or sharing of assignments is easy. All assignments and quizzes require individual effort to avoid cheating. Your assignments significantly contribute to your coursework; hence, the online course should be solely your work, not a group project. Receiving answers from previous semesters is considered cheating and results in a zero for shared assignments. Repeated violations will be reported to the school for potential disciplinary action.

Strict enforcement of the policy regarding last-minute medical or other emergencies will be maintained. The online course policy regarding final projects, especially last-minute health emergencies, will no longer allow extensions. Plan accordingly and submit projects timely, as grades will be released shortly after the due date.

Refer to your course session for specific grade policies.

Please click HERE to download our assignment submission guidelines for your online course. Failure to comply with our guidelines will result in a ZERO grade. Even if you submit your assignment on time, neglecting to provide a proper name, forgetting to submit a screenshot, or providing an incorrect link to your assignment will render it ungradable. I cannot assess your work if I don’t have the necessary information to locate your assignment.

The last-minute final project submission warning! Do not take this warning lightly!

The final day to submit your final project or assignment will be communicated to you via email. While this marks the deadline for submitting your final project, it is not the recommended day for submission. This serves as a cautionary notice for individuals who procrastinate until the last minute to submit their final projects. Be aware of the consequences if you choose to submit your final project at the eleventh hour. A penalty will be imposed for submissions made during this late period, resulting in a reduced grade. If you receive a disappointing grade due to late submission, there is no need to email me for an explanation.

20 points deduction on your final project submission of the last day to submit your final project.

Failure in this class may result from incomplete submission. For instance, if you forget to submit one of the required sheets, accidentally “lock” your folder without releasing permission, or miss a critical component for your final project, your submission will be graded as ZERO or incur a reduced grade.

External factors, such as issues with the web server preventing submission, may result in a ZERO grade without verifiable proof. Similarly, if your computer crashes or your Internet Service Provider (ISP) experiences disruptions, your submission will be graded as ZERO.

As a college student enrolled in a professional degree program, it is expected that you possess the intelligence to find solutions to technical challenges and ensure the successful submission of your diligent work.

There will NOT be an extension beyond this final deadline, and barred from any medical emergency or any emergency. Please do NOT bother with any request based on any health reason or else, because your final project is based on your semester long project. You have sufficient time to complete it, so the last minute emergency of any kind will NOT be granted. I will recommend everyone to submit earlier, so there will be time for me to check your submission. Waiting till the last moment often will hurt your grade, if an accident happens. Late Final Projects will not be accepted barring from medical emergencies or any other emergencies. You are always encouraged to submit your final project early.

Meeting Request

I encourage students to meet with me regularly to discuss questions or concerns that arise during the course. Meetings do not have to be in person; they may be held via Zoom or phone call—whichever format is mutually agreed upon. While I strongly recommend meeting during my scheduled office hours and am always happy to meet at that time, if you are unable to attend, we can arrange an alternative meeting format or time.

Inactivity Suspension

My LMS will suspend anyone with inactivity’s for more than 5 days in Winter, 7 days in Summer, and 10 days in regular semester. Your account will be suspended due to inactivity. This is a security policy to protect our online security, and the procedure to re-activate your account is a process to re-identify your identity. I will encourage you to move on with your course without idling too long. Re-activate your account takes unnecessary procedure on my end, and I am already pretty busy during the semester. I will be deducting points off from your grade to discourage you from idle too long from the course. You will be deducting 10 points after your first offense from your total score. This mean you will be deducted 10 points for your second offense. A red alert warning email with possible points deduction will be served after your first offense.

Late Assignment Submission

Please understand the severity of the lateness of your assignment submission. It is not something to take lightly in an online course environment. In a physical course, your attendance is very important. Your timely assignment submission is very crucial to the success of your learning. Any late submission will be graded ZERO. This ZERO carries a very negative impact on your score. Most likely you are better to withdraw from this course, if you have more than two ZEROs on your record. A ZERO doesn’t mean a numeric zero value in computation. Any late record on your assignment submission will bring a negative impact on your score in any circumstance. It is important for you to start your lesson as soon as possible, and start to do your assignment before the deadline. Last minute assignment submission is not a good practice in online learning. You will be issued a warning, and multiple warning emails can result in a penalty.

Type of Online Courses

“Asynchronous” online courses

Many of my courses are “Asynchronous” online courses. Asynchronous activities require some student autonomy and ability to self-direct, as well as monitoring of progress. Asynchronous learning can help build confidence and competence in our students, helping them take ownership of their learning and become more self-directed learners. This type of learning is found to be very effective for computer software based courses. Asynchronous online learning allows students to view instructional materials each week at any time they choose and does not include a live video lecture component. On the other hand, synchronous online learning means that students are required to log in and participate in class at a specific time each week. The main difference between asynchronous learning and synchronous learning is this live instruction component occurring at a set time. There will be no schedule conflict with any other classes.

Hybrid Online Courses

These courses combine both physical and online learning formats. You are required to attend certain designated in-person classes, and failure to do so will result in penalties. While most sessions are conducted online, some will require your physical presence. Registration will not be permitted if your schedule conflicts with any mandatory in-person classes. The course includes a mix of physical sessions, asynchronous online components, and potentially synchronous online meetings.

In Person Courses

Attendance is mandatory. Two absences will be result in a failure grade. You won’t allow to register, if you have a class schedule conflict.

Quiz

Your quizzes are designed to encourage you to read your lessons, and they are not an indicator on how well you are doing in your class. Your priority is to PASS the quiz, and move on.

In order to encourage you to thoroughly read the online course content. Your first four attempts will be recorded, but diminish 25% after each attempt.

Question: I read the grading policy, and underneath the Quiz section, you said the fourth attempt will be recorded. So does that mean that I will need to attempt the quiz 4 times? I already took one of the quizzes four times and got 100 on all. I was just confused about the attempts needed and you said “minus every attempt you try before the fourth attempt.”

Answer: No! You will have 4 attempts to PASS the quiz, and your quiz score will be recorded- diminish every attempt you try (like 25% less of the total score). After the fourth attempt, your score will NOT be recorded. You will receive a ZERO score after the fourth attempt. This system encourages you to NOT guess the quiz, but rather than thoroughly read through your materials. You should always try your best and pass the quiz for the first time to obtain the highest score. You will get about 10% of the overall grade from your quizzes. Example: First Attempt: 80 (you PASS, and your 80 will be recorded 100%) Second Attempt: 100 (you PASS, and 75 will be recorded) Third Attempt:90 (you PASS, and 45 will be recorded) Fourth Attempt:100 (you PASS, and 25 will be recorded) Fifth Attempt:90 (you PASS, and 0 will be recorded) .

Taking too many times on your quiz will not help you to improve your score. Warning can be served, if you take too many times for FAIL or PASS of your quizzes.