due on monday

The Discussion Board (DB) is part of the core of online learning. Classroom discussion in an online environment requires the active participation of students and the instructor to create robust interaction and dialogue. Every student is expected to create an original response to the open-ended DB question as well as engage in dialogue by responding to posts created by others throughout the five weeks. At the end of class, DB participation will be assessed based on both level of engagement and the quality of the contribution to the discussion.

At a minimum, each student will be expected to post an original and thoughtful response to the DB question and contribute to the dialogue by responding to at least two other posts from students. The first contribution must be posted before midnight (Central Time) on Friday of each week. Two additional responses are required after Friday. Students are highly encouraged to engage on the Discussion Board early and often, as that is the primary way the university tracks class attendance and participation.

The purpose of the Discussion Board is to allow students to learn through sharing ideas and experiences as they relate to course content and the DB question. Because it is not possible to engage in two-way dialogue after a conversation has ended, no posts to the DB will be accepted after the end of class.

Assignment Details

This Unit 1 Discussion Board assignment has 2 parts.

When posting your questions, specify in the subject line whether your question pertains to the LabSim or to the Group Project activity.

Part 1: LabSim Description and Action Items

Click here to refer to the instructions for the unit 1 lab tasks.

Complete the following for Part 1 of the Discussion Board assignment:

• Explain which layers of the OSI Reference Model would be associated with configuring your TCP/IP network interface.
• Discuss how you would envision the different layers defined in the OSI Reference Model to interact.
• Share with the class any prior knowledge you might have had regarding OSI.
• Pose any questions regarding the use of LabSim.

Part 2: ITCO251 Group Project and Action Items

There are many advantages to group projects. Very interesting and complex work can be divided between the team members. Team members are able to collaborate about the best solution. A solution can be created in a much shorter time frame. Team members learn different perspectives when solving problems. Team members also have the ability to develop communication and organizational skills, problem resolution skills, and many more.

ITCO251 Group Project Overview

The details and phases of the group project are included in the following links. Review the overview and use the Discussion Board thread to pose any questions or comments related to the Group Project requirement for this course.

Teams will be assigned during the beginning of Unit 2. You will be assigned to a project-managed team. A project-managed team is one where you and your team members will be creating and following a specific plan and schedule. The final Group Project deliverable will be due in Unit 4. There will be activities completed during Units 2, 3, and 4. All activities will be conducted in the Small Group area.

Review the following ITCO251 Group Project resources:

• ITCO251 Group Project Description
• ITCO251 Group Project Schedule
• ITCO251 Group Project Grading

Complete the following for Part 2 of this Discussion Board assignment:

• Previous project experience
  • Share your experiences working on teams in the past either on the job or working on special projects.
  • Discuss whether your team experience improved your ability in some way (e.g., reaching consensus, project planning, conflict management, leadership, etc.).
• ITCO251 Group Project
  • Summarize the tasks that you expect will be needed for this project to be successful.
  • Describe how you anticipate contributing to this project? What would you like to achieve from this experience?

In your own words, please post a response to the Discussion Board and comment on at least 2 other postings. You will be graded on the quality of your postings.

For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials.