CSC
105 – Computing Competencies for College and the Workplace
MODIFIED Course Syllabus Fall 2018
Instructor: Ralph L.
Bradley II Office: Bear 249
Phone:
(910)-962-4260
Home
Page: http:/www.uncw.edu/people/bradleyr E-Mail:
bradleyr@uncw.edu
Office Hours: MWF 10-11, 12-1, 2-3, and By
Appointment
Course
Catalog Description
A
modern approach to college-level computing education for all majors. Software
skills employers most frequently seek; technology-related social, legal and
ethical issues fostering sound decision-making; foundational understanding of current
digital technologies for efficient organization and effective communication;
students will choose one additional skill-track for specialization: business,
graphic design, or programming.
Requirements:
Pre-requisites:
Course
Learning Outcomes
At the
end of this course, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate
efficient organization of digital material using current technologies for
storing and sharing work and differentiate among the choices.
2. Discuss
technology-related social, legal and ethical issues.
3. Select
the correct technological tool(s) to apply to a given problem by discerning
various functionalities of each.
4. Demonstrate
proficiency with a selection of typical college and workplace computer
applications by effectively disseminating information relevant to that
application.
5. Develop
an ability to evaluate feedback and apply it appropriately to one’s own work
through a series of submit/revise cycles.
Course
Topics
This
course consists of five units. All students complete the first four and then
select the fifth from one of three choices described below.
Unit
1: Orientation, Organization, Foundations
Lectures,
Paths and Projects
Unit
2: Features of Current Word Processing Software
Paths
and Projects
Unit
3: Spreadsheets
Paths
and Projects
Unit
4: PowerPoint
Paths
and Projects
Unit
5: Specialization (choose one)
·
5A Business: This module covers
advanced topics in Excel including Macros, advanced functions, organizing and
preparing data, array functions, statistical analysis, and interactive
dashboards. Students will also cover basic database operations
·
5B Digital Graphic
Design: This
module introduces students to the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, which is now provided to university students at no cost.
Applications include Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat Pro DC, and others as time
permits
·
5C Programming: An introduction the Python programming language.
Final
Project
Demonstrate
the use of SPARK. This project will
counted as the final exam.
Description
Each
unit described above will contain some or all of
the following required activities. Be sure to check with your instructor for
specific requirements.
·
Tests:
There
will be two tests covering the concepts as presented in class.
·
Assignments:
There
will be short assignments presented each Monday in the lecture. You will have to respond by the following
Wednesday in Blackboard. There are no
wrong answers.
·
SAM Paths: A
SAM Path is a learning environment customized for each student. A SAM Path
determines what skills, if any, you already understand. A customized training is then created for any or all of the skills you need to
work on. You then take a test to demonstrate you have learned those skills. A
SAM Path consists of three parts described below:
1.
Pre-Test: At
the beginning of each unit, a pre-test will be available for students
to determine which skills, if any, they are able to perform accurately and
which skills require better understanding. Pre-test questions are completed in a simulated Windows/Microsoft Office
365/2016 environment. It is not required that you have the Office software
installed to complete a SAM Path. Each task or question has three attempts
available. 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. Note: Try not to think of this part as a test. There is no
expectation that students score high or even above zero. These merely determine
what training skills each student needs on an individual basis. A low score on
a pre-test does not mean a low score for the unit! If you are happy with your grade on the pre-test,
you do not need to do the training or post-test.
2.
Training: For
any pre-test questions the student misses, a training lesson will be available.
3.
Post-Test: A
post-test will be available based on the questions missed on the pretest. The
score for the SAM Path will be the sum
of the questions answered correctly in the pre-test and the post-test together.
·
Capstone Projects (Word, Excel,
SPARK, and PowerPoint): These
include instruction files and one or more downloadable files that the student
uses in the actual application
to create the described final product. Students then upload the finished
project and submit it for grading. Each student’s submission will be graded and
returned with a report containing feedback for any incorrect items. Students
then have four additional opportunities to evaluate the feedback, revise the
project and resubmit it for grading. (Five attempts total.) The highest grade will be used in the calculation of the student’s final
grade. Please be aware that the SAM
Project grading 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. Leaving a file available for others to access,
even inadvertently, can result in a zero for the project.
Late
policy
All the Paths and
Projects are due the last day of class.
There is no make up for work not completed by that date. Tests and weekly assignments are
scheduled. There is no make up for those
unless prior arrangements are made. The
Final Project is due on Final Exam day and must be completed
by the due time.
Grades
Do not try to calculate your grade by using the
Total Points values in Blackboard or MindTap. Course grades will be calculated using the
following weights:
|
Paths |
20% |
|
|
Projects |
20% |
|
|
Tests |
|
25% |
|
Assignments |
|
5% |
|
Specialization |
20% |
|
|
Final Project |
|
10% |
|
TOTAL |
100% |
Letter
grades will then be determined using the scale below:
|
93
– 100 |
A |
|
70
– 72 |
C- |
|
90
– 92 |
A- |
|
73
– 76 |
C |
|
87
– 89 |
B+ |
|
67
– 69 |
D+ |
|
83
– 86 |
B |
|
63
– 66 |
D |
|
80
– 82 |
B- |
|
60
– 62 |
D- |
|
77
– 79 |
C+ |
|
0 - 59 |
F |