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Dr. David R.Berman
E-mail: bermand@uncw.edu
Office hours (CI 2039, 962-3247): MW 10:00-11:00, TR 11:00-12:30. Drop-ins and appointments are welcome.
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
CSC 105. Introduction to Computing and Computer Applications (3) Basic computer concepts for non-CSC majors. Elements of computing systems and organization; computer communications including the Internet; applications such as word processing; spreadsheets, data base management, and the rudiments of programming in a current programming language. Social and technical issues including legal, ethical, and security considerations. Students who have passed MIS 105 may not enroll in CSC 105.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the course, each student will be able to:
Skills that Communication Studies Faculty want their students to know
RESOURCES REQUIRED
The UNCW Bookstore sells the textbook for $128.65 new or $96.50 used. To save money you may buy the book at Amazon.com for $19.99 new or $8.75 used. To save even more you may use the Computing Essentials Complete 2008 also available at Amazon.com for $.01 used (plus shipping). The two editions are very similar. Another website you might check out for buying textbooks is Chegg.com. Additionally there will be at least 3 copies of the new edition of Computing Essentials on reserve in the library. Also, it is available as an eText through coursesmart.com. Note that you will need the Complete edition and not the Basic one.
Go to the web site and click the button "I Want to Buy Online Now" in the lower right corner. Follow the directions and select my class SP 13 Berman Section 009. Purchase SimNet for Office 2010 Office Suite $65.00.
RESOURCES RECOMMENDED
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING CRITERIA
There are two basic parts of the course: application modules and conceptual topics. Each part is described in detail below and will count 50% of your course grade.
We will cover the following application modules, and each will count 10% of your course grade.
A SimNet account is required to access lessons and testing for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. HTML is not covered in SimNet, so separate resources will be used. The lessons are available on SimNet by selecting the Self Study tab and then the SimNet Materials tab. Lessons are always available. Tests will be available only for a limited time. See the course schedule for times. It is required that you come to class to take the tests. In the event that an emergency arises and you are unable to come to class, please contact Dr. Berman at your earliest convenience.
Each of the application modules, except for HTML, will begin with a SimNet pretest held during class. If you are satisfied with your score on the pretest, then you can take that score as your overall grade for that module and you do not need to come to class to do lab exercises, do the project, or take the posttest for that module. Please let Dr. Berman know your intention after each pretest. Everyone will be required to do the lab exercises, project, and posttest for the HTML module. For each module your score will be either
Pretest 100% (except for HTML) OR Lab Exercises 10% Project 50% Posttest 40%
If you do not test out of a module, then it is expected that you will come to class amd work on lab exercises (i.e., SimNet lessons) or the assigned project. Lab exercises for HTML will come from other sources and everyone is required to come to class for these.
Projects are designed to demonstrate the skills you learn in the labs. Submission procedures for each project will be included in the assignment. Each student is expected to turn in his or her own work. You may assist your fellow students or seek assistance with class concepts or to clarify the nature of a project, but you are expected to do all work yourself. Turning in an altered version of someone else's work is a violation of the Honor Code and may lead to disciplinary action. I reserve the right to ask a student to demonstrate to me how to accomplish the steps of the projects before receiving credit.
The pretest and posttest for each module cover the same concepts. The name simply refers to whether you take the test before or after doing the lab exercises and project. The tests are to be done on SimNet in the classroom on the designated day for that module.
In addition to the five application modules, this course will cover various conceptual topics, including computer components, software, networks, databases, information systems, programming, and ethics. This material will come from the text Computing Essentials Complete. No lectures will be given in class, and it is your responsibility to read the book and study the material. PowerPoint slides are also available on the course links page.
There will be three exams covering the conceptual material. Each exam is scheduled for a class period, and tentative dates are given in the course schedule. You are required to take each exam. Before each exam a sample exam will be posted on the course schedule and Dr. Berman will email everyone a study guide. Each exam will count 12.5% of your course grade. If you miss one exam, the grade on the final exam will substitute for it. If you do not miss any exams, the final will substitute for the lowest exam grade (if the final is higher). If you have already missed an exam, subsequent missed exams will result in zeroes. In the event that an emergency arises and you are unable to come to class, please contact Dr. Berman at your earliest convenience.
The final exam will be comprehensive (conceptual material only) and counts either 12.5% of your course grade if the final exam grade is lower than your lowest exam, or 25% of your course grade if the final replaces your lowest exam grade.
Numeric Score Letter Grade Quality Points
====================================================
93.3 - 100 A 4.00
90.0 - 93.2 A- 3.67
86.7 - 89.9 B+ 3.33
83.3 - 86.6 B 3.00
80.0 - 83.2 B- 2.67
76.7 - 79.9 C+ 2.33
73.3 - 76.6 C 2.00
70.0 - 73.2 C- 1.67
66.7 - 69.9 D+ 1.33
63.3 - 66.6 D 1.00
60.0 - 63.2 D- 0.67
00.0 - 59.9 F 0.00
HONOR CODE
It is the responsibility of every student to follow
the UNCW Academic Honor Code.
You violate the Honor Code when you claim someone else's work as your own. Copying of work is prohibited and will result in disciplinary action. Copying includes digital copies and hand copies, as well as representing a slight modification of someone else's work as your own work.
UNCW practices a zero-tolerance policy for violence and harassment of any kind. For emergencies contact UNCW CARE at 962-CARE, Campus Police at 962-2222, or Wilmington Police at 911. For University or community resources visit http://www.uncw.edu/wsrc/crisis.html.
LEARNING STRATEGIES
You are expected to take an active role in your learning in this
course. This includes regular attendance, paying attention
in class, reading the textbook, and completing all course
requirements. You are encouraged to study with your classmates
outside of class. Tutoring for the course may be available through the UNCW Learning Center: uncw.edu/stuaff/uls. Our classroom CI 2006 will be open as a lab Sunday-Thursday evening 7:00-10:00. It will be staffed with graduate teaching assistants during those hours.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you have a disability and need reasonable accommodation in
this course, you should inform Dr. Berman of this fact
in writing within the first week of class or as soon as possible.
If you have not already done so, you must register with the Office
of Disability Services: uncw.edu/stuaff/disability, and
obtain a copy of your Accommodation Letter. You should then meet
with Dr. Berman to make mutually agreeable arrangements
based on the recommendations of the Accommodation Letter.