bioinformatics

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Will Terzaghi's Homepage

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GENERAL INFORMATION : SPRING 2003

OFFICE: SLC 363 PHONE: (570) 408-4762 EMAIL: terzaghi@wilkes.edu WEBPAGE: http://online.wilkes.edu/bioinformatics OFFICE HOURS: MTWRF 10-11

GRADING: 14 homework assignments: 5 points each

Two projects worth 15 points each

SCALE: 4.0 = 90-100

3.5 = 85-89.9

3.0 = 80-84.9

2.5 = 75-79.9

2.0 = 70-74.9

1.5 = 65-69.9

1.0 = 60-64.9

0 = <60

Homework assignments are designed to familiarize you with ideas and techniques discussed in lecture. They will consist of exercises in which you use computer applications to analyze sequences or solve other problems that I assign to you.

Projects are designed to get you to use bioinformatics to solve a specific biological problem. The biggest difference will be that you will identify a problem rather than having it assigned to you, but the scope will also be larger than for homework assignments.

Late assignments lose 1 point/day unless excused.

I have taught this course twice in lecture format, so I have that experience to draw on, but this is the first time it will be offered online so it will be a learning experience for everyone involved.

My tentative plan is to post a weekly homework assignment, a weekly ≥lecture≈ which provides the information needed to complete the assignment, and a weekly list of websites relevant to the material and/or needed to complete the homework assignment. All of these materials will be posted on the course website: http://online.wilkes.edu/bioinformatics/ However, if you find this is too much information to handle at one time I can break it into three ≥lectures≈ per week.

I believe that you were provided with instructions for logging on the course website in a recent letter from Dr. Bellucci; if not, or if you encounter any problems don≠t hesitate to contact me by phone at x4762 or by email at terzaghi@wilkes.edu.

There is no textbook, because I found in previous years that I assembled over half of the lectures from scratch. Instead, the course will be framed around the weekly homework assignments. In these assignments I will guide you through various procedures, then we will discuss problems we are experiencing on the course discussion board and see what solutions we are coming up with (I'm hoping that you will help each other out).

The course will be evaluated entirely on homework assignments and projects. I am tentatively planning 14 homework assignments worth 5 points each, and two projects worth 15 points each. Again, this is open to discussion. Projects will be similar to the homework assignments, except that you will use the skills that you have learned to solve a problem on your own.

I will keep a close eye on my email and on the discussion board, and you can stop by my office or call me up if you have any questions.

You will find that some sites work better with Internet Explorer, and others work better with Netscape. In particular, certain functions at the National Institute of Health site (which we will be visiting a lot) only work with Netscape. Therefore, if you encounter problems at certain sites the first thing to do will be to try another browser. There are also times when some sites or applications work better on Macintoshes or PCs. I use Macs, and I check everything out before I post them, but sometimes my instructions don≠t work properly on PCs. You all have permission to use SLC349 which has Macintoshes that have all the software needed for bioinformatics installed, and once the card reader is installed I will see to it that you are all granted access to it.

I am presently working on the first ≥lecture≈ and homework assignment, and I hope to post them by Friday afternoon.

Your first task is to go to the discussion board and state whether you would like to meet as a group during the first week of class to talk things over, or whether we can handle things entirely electronically. I would also like you to state whether you prefer one ≥lecture≈ per week or three. Thirdly, please state whether you prefer to have homeowrk due on friday or on the following Monday. Finally, I would like you to state whether you would like me to hold ≥virtual office hours≈ using Instant Messenger, or whether email, discussion boards and telephone are adequate.

Welcome Aboard!

Will Terzaghi