CSC 105 ONLINE
Section 800
Computing Competencies for College and the Workplace
Spring 2025 Syllabus
Instructor: Amrutha Sethuram
E-mail: sethurama@uncw.edu
Office: FA-150
Instructor’s web page: http://people.uncw.edu/sethurama
Office Hours: By appointment (Zoom)
Requirements:
1. This course requires a subscription to Cengage Unlimited. The subscription will give you access to a product called MindTap which is an online teaching and learning environment you will access through Canvas.
Note: Students may create and use an account with a seven-day grace period before needing to purchase the code. If you have purchased a Cengage Unlimited subscription for another course this semester, you do not need to purchase another one. A single Cengage Unlimited subscription will work for all courses using Cengage material.
This access code from Cengage Learning includes all course material and eBooks. The code is available for purchase online directly from Cengage or at the UNCW bookstore. To purchase an access code directly from Cengage, wait until you have entered the course through Canvas. Once in the course, an option to purchase the code will be available.
2. Microsoft Office 365:
The software is provided to the students free of charge by the university. Please see http://uncw.edu/itsd/help/office365.html for more information. You may also use any campus computer.
3. Reliable access to the Internet
4.
A two-button mouse or track-pad configured to right-click (Mac users see: check how to enable this at http://www.wikihow.com/Right-Click-on-a-Mac or look up what your particular computer needs.)
Must-haves:
1.
Since this is an online course, students should be able to access, navigate the Internet, use e-mail, attach/download files, and work independently.
2.
Please read this: Should I take this course?
Important:
1.
It is the student’s responsibility to read and understand the syllabus, assignment instructions, and all emails sent out.
Not reading or not understanding these documents does not qualify students to make up work.
2.
All assignments and due dates will be found on the course calendar
at http://people.uncw.edu/sethurama/CSC105_Calendar.htm
3.
Any announcements or reminders will be sent to students’ UNCW email,
and a log of all sent email can be found in Canvas
Course Description
Prerequisite: None
College-level computing education for all majors focusing on software skills employers most frequently seek, technology-related social, legal and ethical issues, and foundational understanding of current digital technologies for efficient organization and effective communication. Students will choose one additional topic of interest such as business or graphic design.
Course Learning
Outcomes
At
the end of this course, the student 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 modules. All students complete the first four and then select the fifth from one of three choices described below.
Unit 1: Orientation, Organization, Foundations
Understanding current digital technologies, when to use them, and how to use them optimally; technology-related social, legal, and ethical issues
Unit 2: Features of Current Word Processing Software
Exploration, understanding, and practice; modern word-processors do much more than basic text formatting and spell-checking, this module introduces students to the full set of tools available in workplace-dominant software, currently Microsoft Word
Unit 3: Spreadsheets using Excel
Fundamental skills most employers expect: formulas and functions, proper data formatting; sorting, filtering, using series, controlling chart layouts and printing options, analyzing data
Unit 4: Communicating to a Group: Professional Presentations
As Microsoft Word is a robust word-processor, Microsoft PowerPoint is an equally robust presentation tool, particularly with the new Office Mix features. Students learn the many advanced features of this software application as well as equally robust presentation tool called Adobe Spark through which students will learn about copyright laws. Students will also learn about Adobe's popular PDF format and complete a unit using Adobe Acrobat as part of UNCW's Creative Cloud license.
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 Introduction to Databases: This module introduces students to basic database concepts using Microsoft Access. Important Note: This unit requires Windows OS. Students who do not have access to Windows OS should consider opting for the other 2 options.
5C 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 Acrobat, Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign.
Coursework:
Each unit described above will contain some or all of the following required activities:
1.
Quiz:
A syllabus quiz in Unit 1 with unlimited attempts to make sure you understand how the course works.
2.
Reading/ View Videos:
Read the assigned chapter(s) in the e-text provided with your MindTap access code or view the given video. You do not need to complete any of the e-text exercises and there is no score associated with readings or videos.
3.
Training:
An introduction to the topic. Training is not counted in your final course average. It is recommended (not required) that you complete all training exercises. SAM training is done in a simulated Office 365 environment using a browser. Each training item has three parts: Observe, Practice, and Apply. The observe tab shows you how to complete the task. The Practice tab, guides you through the task step by step. The Apply tab allows you to try the skill on your own. The apply part will be similar to the SAM exam items. You can try the Apply part first, and then go back to observe or practice if needed. Make sure you maximize the training pop-up window after it loads.
4.
SAM Exam:
This is a test to demonstrate you have learned the skills covered in the training. Test questions are completed in a simulated Windows/Microsoft Office 365 environment. It is not required that you have the Office software installed to complete a SAM Exam. 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. Each exam may be retaken one time. The highest score will count. Make sure you maximize the SAM exam pop-up window after it loads.
5.
Capstone Projects:
A Capstone Project will be assigned for each module. 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.
6.
Canvas Assignments: Any other assignments that may be assigned in Canvas
7.
Final Research project: There will be a final research project that will be due on Monday, May 5th (11.59 pm). This will replace the final exam. Assignment details will be made available in Canvas
Grading Scheme:
Calculation of course grades will be subject to following weightage:
| Tasks | Details | Percentage of total |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 (due Friday, 1/31) | Foundations | 10% |
| Unit 2 (due Wednesday, 2/19) | Current Features of Word Processors | 20% |
| Unit 3 (due Wednesday, 3/19) | Spreadsheets | 20% |
| Unit 4 (due Wednesday, 4/9) | Communicating to a Group: Professional Presentations | 20% |
| Unit 5 (due Monday, 4/28) | Specialization (choose one from Business/ Introduction to Databases/ Digital Graphic Design) | 20% |
| Final Project (due Monday 5/5) | Required | 10% |
| Total | 100% |
Scores for Units 2 and 3 will be calculated as follows:
Module scores will be the weighted average of each assignment based on the total number of points in each assignment.
Letter grades will be calculated as below: 93
– 100 A 90
– 92 A- 87
– 89 B+ 83
– 86 B 80
– 82 B- 77
– 79 C+ 70
– 72 C- 73
– 76 C 67
– 69 D+ 63
– 66 D 60
– 62 D- 0
- 59 F 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. Late Policy
Work may be submitted at any time PRIOR to the due date.
You may work ahead on much of the course. If an assignment is open, you may complete it early at your convenience.
In the event that you miss the deadline, you may still complete the assignment through April 30th, 2025, for 15% late penalty. The Final Project has a firm deadline (May 5th, 2025) and will not be available for late submissions. 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. Academic Honor Code 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 https://uncw.edu/about/university-administration/student-affairs/departments/dean-students/honor-code/. 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
. All
Academic dishonesty in any form will NOT be tolerated in this class. This includes using AI agents like ChatGPT to complete work and passing it off as your own, sharing or using previous course materials posted online, using sources without proper citation or plagiarizing another student's work.
Tips for Success ·
Be punctual.
Do not procrastinate until it is too late to complete and submit your work ·
Check your UNCW e-mail account daily for schedule changes,
announcements, clarifications, reminders. ·
This
is probably the most important one: Seek help when you need it and
as soon as you need it. Feel free to send as many emails that you need to get your questions answered.
Please contact me via UNCW e-mail.