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Boagworld Podcast 28: Understanding accessibility guidelines

Useful introductory explanation of the WCAG 1 guidelines: Podcast 28: Understanding accessibility guidelines ... Boagworld's a good podcast to subscribe to!

Plagiarism this year

(Apologies -- bad language ahead!)

Sadly we've just wasted a few more hours of valuable time (student+staff) convicting 9 students of plagiarism: They (or the person who did the work for them) copied it off the web.

So 9 students wasted ¼ of the 1^st term of their 2^nd year plus I (in my zeal or refusal to let them get away with it) wasted many hours of my time building cases and wasted several hours for each of 3 other staff members in and after the hearings themselves. Stupid!

Next year? No more bloody coursework!! Sorry, I know that continuous assessment is supposed to cater for diversity but in doing-so opens the door to those too lazy to learn the stuff and too cowardly to admit they don't know it and accept a poor grade (is an honest "F" better than an academic misconduct "Z"?!) So next year the coursework will be assessed using a computer-based test & I apologise in advance to those that are disadvantaged by this ...

Stop press! Some dumbass who was in my class in the 1st term has submitted 2nd term coursework instructions verbatim to rentacoder.com -- including the submission instructions! Cretin.

There was much wailing & gnashing of teeth & moaning & rude, disrespectful behaviour when my colleague announced the paper coursework would be assessed in a computer-based test as a result. Admittedly they'd had a shock but it's weeks before the deadline so lots of time to prepare & no excuse for being rude or disrespectful.

Horrifyingly, I think they don't even care that if we didn't do something about it there'd be a cheat getting an "A" dishonestly when they get whatever grade they deserve ... they just want to pass :-( Increase your self respect! Raise your expectations! Help us to not let the cheating fuckers devalue everyone's degree!

Another PhD in my School :-D

Congratulations to Rosie who (after a long struggle, overcoming lots of obstacles) got her PhD yesterday -- must celebrate in a more prolonged fashion than last night's quick trip to the pub ;-)

Miaow: Students bemoan 'unhip' lecturers

OK, I'm not "hip", cannot say "safe" in a convincing way, dislike the use of "mate" and have no idea what other "modern" slang I'm missing out on (ouch -- I'm mid-thirties and no-longer modern ;-) but this report from the BBC seems a bit sour-grapes: Students bemoan 'unhip' lecturers.

It's pretty funny that the BBC's CMS also brings-up a related article under "See also", now 3 years old, where lecturers were getting image consultants. "Give a firm handshake and look them in the eye" that'll solve all the problems we have with today's students? Well, you let me know how that goes ;-)

Choosing your subject: Avoid facts at all costs!

Stumbled upon this whilst checking-out MIT's amazing open courseware ... jolly nerdy fun :-) Sadly it seems to reflect the apparent trend towards A-Level subjects like Sociology and away from "hard" subjects like Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology!

@media 2006

Thanks to my mate Andy I heard about @media 2006 even before the email went out to those who attended @media 2005 and so I hope to go again this year :-D ... hope to convince the Dean that it's a valuable "curriculum development" opportunity (I learnt loads last year and am teaching a new module on standards-based, accessible web design in the coming term as a result.)

Firefox 1.5

Yippee! Firefox 1.5 supports SVG natively ... at last I'll be able to add SVG to my web technologies module next year (2006/7) :-D

Yes, I appreciate I'm slow off the mark ... it's a busy time of year! As penance, here's a link to a blog post stating that SVG is dead (on the desktop) ... and be sure to read the follow-up article ;-)

No more pathetic excuses...

Sorry, I've had no free time to blog recently :-(

Continuing my rant about unbelievable excuses for late assignment submission, here's the latest story from "the unluckiest student in the world", biggest liar or just plain lazy person:

1. Thursday (after the initial deadline, which was Tuesday)I've been unable to do the work as my parents are getting divorced and it's been very difficult ... I have a note from my mother! (A first for me!) My response: OK, I'll cut you some slack in response to your mother's impassioned plea, you can have an extension until Friday 5PM.
2. Later that day: I lost my USB stick on the way to Uni so will have to start again. Can I have an extension until Tuesday? My response: No, but as the assignment will take less then 2 hours to complete & to cut you some slack, you can have until midnight tomorrow rather than 5PM.
3. The following day (early Saturday):I tried real hard to do the assignment but I had a family party from 6-10PM on Friday and wasn't able to do it. Can I have an extension until Tuesday? My response : No. No more excuses, late penalty is 1%/hour after midnight Friday.
4. On Tuesday: I injured myself in the gym on Saturday & have been to hospital and my doctor's so can I have an extension? My response: If your doctor will write a note explaining that you were unable to work on Saturday and you hand in the work today then I'll apply a 1%/hour penalty minus the incapacitated period.

What a shyster! Always out to negotiate a deal rather than do the work (probably spent more time on the phone calls than on the work.) Why can't they just do the work rather than try to get out of it? (This particular guy is in his fifth year enrolled at this University!) Argh!!!

Is this very funny, or is it just me?

The rather difficult to read Bee-dance GPS by Doctor Fun.