Introduction to Computers and Computer Applications
CSC 105 Online Sections 001, 002 & 006
Fall 2011 Syllabus
Instructor: Jack Tompkins
E-mail: tompkinsj@uncw.edu
Office: CI 2034
Phone: 962-7013
Instructor’s web page: http://people.uncw.edu/tompkinsj
Course-work web page: http://www.myitlab.com/
Office Hours: TR 9:30-11:00 and by appointment
Requirements:
· MyITLab Registration Code available at the UNCW bookstore or online. (Click here for online purchasing instructions.) The registration code includes full access to the four e-texts below. You do not need to purchase these books; they are included in your MyITLab course. There is a print option available in your MyITLab course content if you would like to purchase printed copies at a discounted rate.
o Technology in Action, Complete 8th Edition, Evans, Martin, Poatsey, Prentice Hall, 2012.
o GO! with Microsoft Word 2010, Comprehensive, 1st Edition, Gaskin, Ferrett, Martin, Prentice Hall, 2011.
o GO! with Microsoft Excel 2010, Comprehensive, 1st Edition, Gaskin, Vargas, Marks, Prentice Hall, 2011.
o GO! with Microsoft PowerPoint 2010, Comprehensive, 1st Edition, Gaskin, Vargas, Madsen & Marucco, Prentice Hall, 2011.
What is NOT required?
× SimNet
× Computing Essentials Text
× Office 2010 (If you don’t have this, you may access it via TealWare: http://uncw.edu/ITSD/help/tealware.html )
× PCs/Windows (Mac users will have access via a Virtual Windows Desktop (Details to come.)
× Blackboard Learn
Pre-requisites:
· Students should be able to access and navigate the Internet, use e-mail, attach/download files, and work independently.
· It is advisable to learn how to use the Timmy server to save your work. See http://uncw.edu/ITSD/learning/TimmyFileStorage.html for details.
· Please also see “Who Should or Should Not Take This Course?”
Course Description:
Computer literacy in the digital age: conceptual topics including elements of computing systems and organization; computer communications including the Internet; connecting and managing digital devices; social and technical issues including legal, ethical, and security considerations; and hands-on skills development of common computer applications including advanced word processing, utilizing spreadsheets, creating effective presentations, basic Web pages.
Course Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, the student should be able to:
Explain the importance of computer fluency and how technology impacts our society.
Demonstrate the successful use of basic commands, navigation, and file organization on a computer.
Understand the connection process of a computer to the Internet and how to explore the Internet competently and safely.
Be able to discuss features of both hardware and software as they relate to consumers and average users.
Demonstrate competent usage of computer applications including word processing, spreadsheets, hypermedia, and telecommunications.
Explore advanced features of word processing and spreadsheet software.
Develop an awareness of some of the social and technical issues raised by computers and technology.
Coursework:
Your final grade consists of the following units described below:
I. Computer Concepts: Technology in Action (TIA), 3 Units:
TIA Unit 1: Chapters 1-3 and IT Ethics
TIA Unit 2: Chapters 4-6 and Computing Alternatives
TIA Unit 3: Chapters 7-9, & 13
Each of these units includes the following required activities:
· Reading: study the e-text pages assigned on the calendar. Note that with an e-text there are many interactive components: look for videos (‘Watch this’ icon), Sound Bytes (key concepts demonstrated through various multimedia, and notes from the instructor (look for the push-pin icons.)
· Chapter Quizzes: untimed, multiple-choice self-tests. These are open and available at the beginning of each unit and must be completed by the due date. Students have two tries for each quiz. Your highest grade will be used. Correct answers will be available after the due date. Chapter quizzes open when the unit begins. Since there is ample time to complete quizzes, no make-ups will be available.
· Discussions: Each unit includes two required discussion responses. The topic for each discussion will be found in MyITLab. There may also be some questions to prompt your response. To receive full credit, responses must be a minimum of 6 sentences. Additionally, each response must use proper English, spelling, and grammar, and be appropriate. Text-message style writing, with no capitalization or punctuation will not receive full credit. You may respond to the questions given in the topic or to a particular student’s reply. It is assumed that students will respect the opinions of others and treat this forum with professionalism. You will receive full credit for fulfilling these requirements as described. You will not be graded on the opinion you present. Submissions involving inappropriate language or disrespectful comments, or submissions that are too short will receive no credit. Discussion topics open when the unit begins. Since there is ample time to complete discussions, no make-ups will be available.
· Unit Tests: 100 question multiple-choice tests covering the 4 chapters in the units. Tests will be open for 48 hours and must be completed within the designated time limit (2 hours). Additionally, it cannot be stopped and restarted. Make-up tests will only be given if the student contacts the instructor prior to the closing date with a valid and verifiable reason.
There are also several helpful and fun features students will find in their MyITLab Course Content. These are completely optional:
· Active Help Desk quizzes: Try to pick the correct response to simulated caller helpdesk questions.
· Audio PowerPoint slides (also available without audio)
· Companion Website with interactive study guides, extra practice material, etc.
Each of these 3 TIA units will have a unit average calculated as follows:
|
Chapter quiz average: |
15% |
|
Discussion average: |
15% |
|
Unit test: |
70% |
II. Software Applications:
Students will be expected to demonstrate proficiency in the following computer applications:
· Microsoft Word 2010: beginning to advanced skills (Word units 1, 2 & 3)
· Microsoft Excel 2010: beginning and intermediate skills (Excel units 1 & 2)
· Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 (one unit)
Each of these units includes the following required activities:
· Reading: study the e-text pages assigned on the calendar. There are activities described in the e-text which are not required but which may help you understand more challenging skills. Student data files for these activities can be found in MyITLab course content.
· Pre-Tests: at the beginning of each unit, a pre-test will be available for students to determine which skills they are able to perform accurately and which skills require better understanding. Pre-test questions are completed in a simulated Windows/Microsoft Office 2010 environment. It is not required that you have the Office software installed. Each task or question allows for three attempts. If the student can’t perform the task accurately in three attempts, the task is marked incorrect. Students may skip questions and return to them later, but the three attempts will not be reset.
· Training: for any pre-test questions the student misses, a training lesson will be available. Students who complete all of the training tasks assigned to them by the due date will receive 100% for this section regardless of how many questions were missed on the pre-test.
· Concepts quiz: untimed, multiple-choice self-tests. These are open and available at the beginning of each unit and must be completed by the due date. Students have two tries for each quiz. Correct answers will be available after the due date. These quizzes open when the unit begins. Since there is ample time to complete quizzes, no make-ups will be available.
· Projects: each application unit will have one or two projects assigned depending on the complexity of the project. These include instruction files and one or more downloadable files that the student edits in the actual application according to the instructions. Students then upload the finished file and submit it for grading. MyITLab will grade the student submission and will provide feedback on any incorrect items. Students then have a second opportunity to correct the file and resubmit for grading. Please be aware that the MyITLab system encodes the downloadable files and compares the submitted work with the original. If the encoding does not match, the software flags the submission as a possible integrity violation. Both parties are identified even if students are in different sections, courses, or even schools. In such a case, both parties will receive a grade of zero. “Borrowing a friend’s computer” and accidently submitting your friend’s project file instead of your own is not an excuse. You and your friend will both receive grades of zero. It is valuable for students to realize the necessity of protecting their work. Leaving it available for others to access, even inadvertently, can result in a zero for the project. If you don’t have the 2010 version of the Microsoft Office application, you may access it via TealWare.
· Post-Tests: similar to the pre-tests with each question allowing three attempts before marking the task incorrect. As with the TIA unit tests, these post-tests will only be available for 48 hours and must be completed within the designated time limit (2 or 3 hours). Additionally, post-tests cannot be stopped and restarted, so please designate a block of time in which you can complete these tests. Make-up tests will only be given if the student contacts the instructor prior to the closing date with a valid and verifiable reason. There will be one cumulative post-test each for Word, Excel, and PPT.
As with the Technology in Action text, there are several optional but helpful features students will find in their MyITLab Course Content to help with understanding this material. There are PowerPoint slides, student videos, a companion website with interactive study guides, extra practice material, etc. These features are free and optional.
Grades for the software applications part of the course will be calculated as follows:
Word units 1, 2, 3, Excel units 1 & 2, and the PowerPoint unit will each receive a weighted average as follows (exclusive of the post-tests):
|
Pre-Test and Training |
15% |
|
Concepts Quiz |
15% |
|
Project(s) |
70% |
During Week 2 of the course, there is a short unit called Office Common Features which consists of a pre-test with training, a concepts quiz, and a post-test. There is no project associated with this brief unit, so the weighted average will be:
|
Pre-Test and Training |
30% |
|
Concepts Quiz |
30% |
|
Post-Test |
40% |
III. The final grade calculation will be made as follows by using the unit averages described earlier:
|
|
% of final grade each unit |
|
|
Technology in Action Unit 1: |
10% |
|
|
Technology in Action Unit 2: |
10% |
|
|
Technology in Action Unit 3: |
10% |
|
|
Common Features unit: |
1% |
|
|
Word unit 1: |
9% |
|
|
Word unit 2 |
9% |
|
|
Word unit 3: |
9% |
|
|
Word post-test: |
7.5% |
|
|
Excel unit 1: |
9% |
|
|
Excel unit 2: |
9% |
|
|
Excel post-test: |
5% |
|
|
PPT Unit: |
9% |
|
|
PPT post-test: |
2.5% |
|
|
TOTAL: |
100% |
|
IV. Letter grades will then be determined using the scale below:
|
93 – 100 |
A |
|
90 – 92 |
A- |
|
87 – 89 |
B+ |
|
83 – 86 |
B |
|
80 – 82 |
B- |
|
77 – 79 |
C+ |
|
73 – 76 |
C |
|
70 – 72 |
C- |
|
67 – 69 |
D+ |
|
63 – 66 |
D |
|
60 – 62 |
D- |
|
0 - 59 |
F |
Late policies
All assignments are due at 11:59pm on the due date. With the exception of tests, work may be submitted at any time prior to the due date, so you may work ahead on much of the course. Many assignments, especially the Office pre-tests and trainings, are lengthy. If you wait until 11:00pm on the due date to begin, it is unlikely that you will finish. Lack of planning, lack of Internet connectivity, hard drive crashes, family emergencies, car trouble, etc., etc., etc., will not be accepted as excuses to submit work late. This includes second attempts on quizzes and projects. Due dates are firm and final. Plan for disasters, and plan ahead. If you tend to procrastinate or lose track of deadlines, you should not take this course online. As with gainful employment, you are expected to meet commitments in this course without excuses. Failing to meet your commitments in this course, or on the job, carry meaningful consequences. There are no extra credit assignments. Assignments submitted late will receive no credit, although you should complete any past due assignments in order to develop the skills needed for subsequent work.
Incomplete grades are given rarely and only in very specific situations. First, the student must be passing. Next, the student must be able to complete the work of the course entirely on his or her own. Finally, the student must be prevented from completing the course by verified, unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of the student. These conditions must be documented and verified before an incomplete grade may be given.
Calendar
It is the student’s responsibility to check the online calendar (which is subject to change) and to complete the assignments as indicated. Failure to check the calendar daily is not an acceptable excuse for missing a due date.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability and need reasonable accommodation in this course, you should inform the instructor 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 at the Office of Disability Services in Westside Hall (ext. 3746) and obtain a copy of your Accommodation Letter. You should then arrange a meeting to make mutually agreeable arrangements based on the recommendations of the Accommodation Letter.
Expectations
All work submitted must be your own. The UNCW Honor Code applies to all work, and it is assumed that all students have committed to the Honor Pledge both of which are described at http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/odos/honorcode/about.html. The University’s policy on the responsible use of electronic resources also applies to all work for this course. See http://uncw.edu/policies/documents/07.100_Resp_Use_of_Elec_Resources0807.pdf .
Tips for Success
· Plan ahead. Don’t wait until the last minute to begin an assignment.
· Check your UNCW e-mail account daily for schedule changes, announcements, clarifications, reminders.
· Seek help when you need it and as soon as you need it. I am happy to answer questions and lend assistance on any and all of the coursework, if you ask. I have no way of knowing you are confused if you don’t contact me.
· Don’t worry about sending me too many e-mails: it is important to get your questions answered, no matter how many there are.
· I can help you most quickly via e-mail, which I check several times a day, but I am also happy to schedule a time to meet with you in person if you prefer.
· OK, you get it now. Just remember: Plan ahead. Don’t wait until the last minute to begin an assignment.