Frequently Asked Questions About MANGT 366

I frequently get questions from students at the first of the semester regarding how MANGT 366 is set up and how everything works. The following FAQs and their answers hopefully will let you better understand MANGT 366. Simply find the question that you would like to know more about, and then click on the link. If you scroll down further, you can see all of the FAQ questions and answers.

  1. I hear that this class takes up lots of time. It that really true or are you just trying to scare us?
  2. Is the lab class required? Is the lecture required?
  3. Are assignments given during the lab class, or is the lab time just to complete assignments that are given during the lecture?
  4. Another instructor teaches lab and lecture sessions in MANGT 366. Can I attend one of the sessions taught by the other instructor, or do I have to attend one of the sessions that you teach?
  5. Can I complete assignments on my own home computer? Do I have to use the Calvin Hall computer labs?
  6. Can I use a Mac in this class?
  7. I already know everything that you cover in MANGT 366. Can I test out of the class or lab or lecture?
  8. You require way too much work for a 300 level class. This class is MANGT 366. What does the course number 366 signify? I always thought the course number signified how easy or hard a class was supposed to be.
  9. You say MANGT366 is a principles class. Does principles mean this is going to be an easy class?
  10. Is MANGT 366 just a software class? We cover Excel and Access in lab?
  11. Do you REALLY retest material on exams and quizzes?
  12. I arrived late for a lab session and you did not let me stay. You told me I would need to attend another lab session during this lab week. What is up with that?
  13. My friends have warned me that you are a VERY PICKY grader. Is that true?
  14. Do you REALLY expect us to hand in our assignments early (before the due date and time)?
  15. You seem really busy right before and after each lab session. Can you tell me what is going on?
  16. Your stated office hours also say "Any time that I am in my office." What does that mean?
  17. You give attendance points for both lab and lecture.  How important is attendance to my grade and my success in the course?
  18. How is the IDEA framework used in this class?
  19. I need to miss class today. Are we covering anything important?
  20. How can I make my life easier while taking this class?  What strategies do I need to follow in order to be successful?
  1. I hear that this class takes up lots of time. It that really true or are you just trying to scare us?
    MANGT 366 is not a hard class, but it is very time consuming. You need to plan on spending a minimum of 1 hour each day studying for this course, which translates to at least 7-9 hours per week for the entire semester. (1 hour x 7 days in a week, plus a couple of extra hours). 7-9 hours per week is an average amount of time. There are times in the semester where you might spend more or less than 7-9 hours per week on this course, but by the end of the semester, 7-9 hours for each of our 16 weeks of class is a good time estimate.

    MANGT366 is a project-oriented class and the projects usually take several hours to complete. For instance, we have three Excel projects, and each one progressively takes longer to complete than the prior project. Most students typically spend a minimum of 10 hours to complete their web page project. Yes, this class is VERY TIME CONSUMING. Good time management skills are very important.
  2. Is the lab class required? Is the lecture required?
    Lab in MANGT 366 is not like lab in some of the other classes that you might have already taken. MANGT 366 is a 3 credit hour class that meets 2 hours each week in the large lecture room and each student gets their other hour by attending the lab session that they enrolled in. Both the lab and lecture sessions are actual TEACHING TIMES, not work on assignment times. Certain teaching topics are covered in lecture, while other teaching topics are covered in the lab sessions where you can work with the computer hands-on while I am making my presentations. The lab sessions are interactive teaching sessions. Both lab and lecture are required in the class. You cannot be waived out of one or the other. Both lab and lecture are given attendance points, which are part of your total class grade.
  3. Are assignments given during the lab class, or is the lab time just to complete assignments that are given during the lecture?
    Assignments are not given during the lab sessions, and students are not given time to work on assignments during lab sessions. Labs are interactive teaching sessions, just another hour of class, although this time with a computer in front of you. All assignments are completed outside of class.
  4. Another instructor teaches lab and lecture sessions in MANGT 366. Can I attend one of the sessions taught by the other instructor, or do I have to attend one of the sessions that you teach?
    My sections and sections taught by other instructors are totally independent of each other. We do our thing, they do their thing. At the beginning of the semester, we have coordinated ourselves to some degree, but as the semester unfolds, that coordination begins to unravel as well. In the end, section A and section B are totally independent of each other. You cannot move back and forth between my sections and his sections. A student either needs to enroll in one of my sections, or one of his sections.
  5. Can I complete assignments on my own home computer? Do I have to use the Calvin Hall computer labs?
    Students can complete all assignments from home, if they have the right software on their computers (Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Notepad, FTP software, word processing software, web browsing software). To submit assignments to the KSU Online dropboxes, you must have Internet access.
  6. Can I use a Mac in this class?
    You can use a Mac as long as you are able to accomplish all of the required assignment steps and as long as you save your file in a format that I can read/view.  Please be aware that there are differences in the different software versions.  If you encounter difficulties or problems, then you will either need to work in the CBA lab or one of the other on-campus labs.  Even though you use a Mac, you will still be expected to be able to perform all of the steps with the PCs that we use in lab, especially when it is lab quiz time.  You might find that how you accomplish a task using your Mac and using the PCs in Calvin Hall is quite a bit different, and you need to be prepared for that.  In the end, I don't care what software that you use, as long as you are able to accomplish the given tasks (and as long as you are able to take the lab quizzes using the lab software) and you also need to make sure that your files are saved in a format that I can easily open and view (using current software available in the Calvin Hall computer labs).
  7. I already know everything that you cover in MANGT 366. Can I test out of the class or lab or lecture?
    The Management department does not have a testing out program. The closest thing we have to "testing out of MANGT 366" is for students to enroll in Dr. McHaney's distance learning version of MANGT 366, which is totally independent of the on-campus class. Students enrolled in the distance learning version of MANGT 366 can complete all assignments/activities/tests at their own pace (or an accelerated pace).
  8. "You require way too much work for a 300 level class." This class is MANGT 366. What does the course number 366 signify? I always thought the course number signified how easy or hard a class was supposed to be.
    The class number designates who is supposed to be taking the class, not its difficulty level or amount of work. A course with a low class number can be really difficult, while classes with higher numbers can be really easy. ACTG 231 and 241 are not considered to be easy classes, and neither are the 100,200, and 300 level Biology classes. In fact, when I was getting my MBA, I took an 800 level Finance class that was the easiest class I have ever taken, and we were required to do ZERO work and we had NO tests. It was a Finance class in investments, and we talked about and developed our own investment strategies, and we all got A's.

    The class number designates what grade level is supposed to take the class, not its level of difficulty. 366 is more of a sophomore or first-semester junior level class.
  9. You say MANGT366 is a principles class. Does principles mean this is going to be an easy class?
    This is not like Introduction to Math or Introduction to Music Appreciation. You can think of it more like Introduction to Biology, Introduction to Chemistry and Physics or Principles of Finance. Principles does not mean "easy class." Instead, principles classes try to cover all of the topics that make up a subject area, in a comprehensive and somewhat thorough manner. Our goal is to cover all of the areas that make up the information technology for business area.  There are many areas, and most are pretty complex and technical. No, this will not be an "easy" class. This class will require lots of study and effort on your part. Please see the next question to get a better idea regarding the different topics that make up this course.
  10. Is MANGT 366 just a software class? We cover Excel and Access in lab?
    While we do cover the above-listed topics in lab, MANGT 366 is much more than "just a software class." Software is covered in our lab sessions in a "hands-on" fashion, but we also cover such topics as Business Decision Making Systems, Business Intelligence, Decision Support Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Database Theory, Electronic Commerce, the Internet, Networking, Management Issues related to Information Technology, and other types of information systems used in business. A majority of the time in MANGT 366 is spent covering the types of systems and theoretical concepts that make up the Management Information Systems area.
  11. Do you REALLY retest material on exams and quizzes?
    Yes, material not appropriately comprehended on one exam or quiz can show up on future exams and quizzes. The final exam is comprehensive. Mastery of course material is vital. "Learn a topic and then forget it once a test or quiz is over" will not work in MANGT 366.
  12. I arrived late for a lab session and you did not let me stay. You told me I would need to attend another lab session during this lab week. What is up with that?
    All lab sessions that I have during a given week must cover the same amount of material during a given week in order to be able to complete the next assignment that is due. If I have to stop a lab session to get a student who came in late all caught up, that means the other members of the class are losing out of valuable instruction time, and the whole class may get out late as a result. As a courtesy to the students who were not late, I will not let students who were late disrupt the flow of class. Since I do not allow students who arrive late to stay, those students are then allowed (encouraged) to attend another lab session during that lab week. While this policy sounds harsh, it is BEST FOR ALL STUDENTS and it has worked well in the past.
  13. My friends have warned me that you are a VERY PICKY grader. Is that true?
    Yes, I am a very picky grader. I PERSONALLY look at everything very closely. I grade for correct answers, but I also grade spelling, formatting, and the overall presentation of the assignment package. Much of my time each semester is spent grading assignments. It is important to look at your work in a very detailed manner, because every little detail is part of your course/assignment grade. One student in the past told me "I tried to get things past you (small errors, mistakes, etc.), but it NEVER worked. You always found each thing that I tried to slip by."
  14. Do you REALLY expect us to hand in our assignments early (before the due date and time)?
    Yes. I expect that all students are practicing good time management skills and NOT WORKING ON THEIR ASSIGNMENTS AT THE LAST MOMENT. Your goal should be to hand in all assignments 1-2 days before the deadline. Then, if something unexpected happens, you still have 1-2 days to get help or make the necessary corrections. In the world of computers, you have to prepare for the unexpected. You never know when something is not going to work right, and as a result, you need to give yourself a safety buffer. Since I expect that all students are working ahead (and since most assignments are due approximately 1 week after I cover the necessary material in lab), I do not give any extensions for late assignments. If you are trying to hand in your work 1-2 days early, you should never be caught by surprise when something unexpected happens.
  15. You seem really busy right before and after each lab session. Can you tell me what is going on?
    I usually try to get into the room 15 minutes before the start of a lab session to get everything all set up (machines up and ready to go, computer configuration needed for class ready). When dealing with computers, you have to be ready for surprises, and I need to have enough time to deal with those surprises. Once the room is ready for class, then I will gladly answer questions. After each lab session, I am usually busy resetting the configuration for the next lab session (which starts only 10 minutes later) or I am needing to get everything ready for the class that follows our class. I will answer questions if/when I can, but there is still work for me to do, even though a class period is "officially" over.
  16. Your stated office hours also say "Any time that I am in my office." What does that mean?
    Each semester, I have set office hours, but that does not mean those times are the only time that I am in my office or available for help. I am basically in the building all day (all the time), and if I am not busy getting ready for class or helping another student, I am more than willing to answer student questions. Any time that I am in my office lets students ask questions outside of normal office hours.

  17. You give attendance points for both lab and lecture.  How important is attendance to my grade and my success in the course?
    A student is not going to be successful in this course, or any course for that matter, if the student does not attend class on a daily basis.  How can you expect to have a better understanding of the course material/content if you are not present when it is covered?  You just can’t expect to do well with course material just by reading the book.  Sure, reading the book is important.  You need to read about the topics covered in class prior to their presentation in class (or right afterwards, at the very latest) and then you need to make sure you are in class when that same material is being presented.

    In looking at the final grades for the last 4 semesters using pivot table analysis,
    students who received a final course grade of an “A” were present in lecture an average of 99.24% of the time.
    students who received a final course grade of a “B” were present in lecture an average of 87.10% of the time.
    students who received a final course grade of a “C” were present in lecture an average of 69.43% of the time.
    students who received a final course grade of a “D” were present in lecture an average of 54.09% of the time.
    students who received an “F” in the course were present in lecture even less than that.

    Obviously, it is important to attend ALL course sessions.  

  18. How is the IDEA framework used in this class?
    I use the IDEA framework as a roadmap to indicate how course content should be studied as students read the text, review their notes, work on assignments and prepare for exams.  It helps students focus their study efforts in the right areas and it also helps students determine the level at which they need to study course materials.

    Identify is knowing basic terms and concepts (knowing the definition of a particular term).  While this is a component of the course, it should be considered a minor component since no more than 25% of each exam will fall into this category (probably less).  Don’t just memorize terms and definitions.

    Describe is being able to understand and describe something in context and knowing conceptual steps.  It requires knowing more than just knowing definitions.  Describe is a major emphasis of the course and it makes up at least 37.5% of each exam.  Make sure that you know the material at a level where you can describe something and indicate how  it fits in with the other concepts that surround it.  If you are able to describe something, you know and understand something at a greater level of detail than what is seen at the Identify level.

    Evaluate is a component of critical thinking and it includes being able to understand and evaluate something’s advantages and disadvantages through comparison.  In the business world, this is extremely important, and thus a major emphasis of the course.  Evaluate makes up at least 37.5% of each exam..  If you are able to evaluate something, you understand something at a greater level of detail than what is seen at the Describe level.

    Apply is being able to design, build and implement something successfully.  This is 100% of the emphasis of your software assignments.

  19. I need to miss class today. Are we covering anything important?
    Every day that we have class, something important is covered. If we are not covering something important, I will not waste your time or my time having class.

  20. How can I make my life easier while taking this class?  What strategies do I need to follow in order to be successful?
    That is a good question.  Here is what I recommend:

Return to the MANGT 366 Homepage.