Course Expectations and Tentative Syllabus

 

CSC:151                                             Introduction to Computing – Packages                                Fall 2004

 

Section 22:                         Room: 129 Olney Hall                                                   Time: TR 9:30-10:45am 

 

Professor:                          Dr Redmond                                                                    Office Hours:     W 10:00am-12:50pm

                                             330 Olney Hall   (215) 951-1096                                                               TuTh  2:00-2:50pm

                                            redmond@lasalle.edu                                                                                   Th 3:00-3:50pm

                                              http://www.lasalle.edu/~redmond/151                                                       And at other times by appointment

 

Texts:

·        Shelly, G.B., Cashman, T.J., and Vermaat, M.E., Discovering Computers 2005: A Gateway to Information, Course Technology, 2004 (Abreviated DC)

·        Shelly, G.B., Cashman, T.J., Forsythe, S.G., Microsoft Windows 2000: Brief Concepts and Techniques, Course Technology, 2000 (Abreviated W2K)

·        Shelly, G.B., Cashman, T.J., Vermaat, M.E., Microsoft Word 2003, Introductory Concepts and Techniques, Course Technology, 2004 (Abreviated Word)

·        Shelly, G.B., Cashman, T.J., Quasney, J. S., Microsoft Excel 2003, Introductory Concepts and Techniques, Course Technology, 2004 (Abreviated Excel)

·        Shelly, G.B., Cashman, T.J., Sebok, S.L., Microsoft PowerPoint 2003, Introductory Concepts and Techniques, Course Technology, 2004 (Abreviated PP)

 

Materials:

You will need several 3 1/2 inch floppy disks. Most assignments will require you to submit your disk. Thus, it is your responsibility to:

                   1. label your disks with your name. (I do not have extra labels).

                   2. ensure that the disk you submit contains the relevant file(s)

                   3. ensure that the disk and files that you submit do not contain viruses

                   4. ensure it is as clear as possible which file you intend for me to grade

                   5. ensure that the disk does not contain your only copy of a file you need (for this or any other class) while the disk is out of your possession. (It can frequently take a week elapsed time for grading).

You should keep copies of all of your assignments at least until you receive your grade for the assignment (and don’t have any questions about it)..

In addition, you should get into the habit of saving often, and saving backup copies of important files. (You should know its name and location. If you save a file in a space that is not allocated to you (such as the C: drive of a lab computer), you risk losing it.). Missing or destroyed diskettes or files are not acceptable excuses for incomplete assignments.

 

Course Description:

               Survey of computers and computer systems; problem solving and computer applications ; PC-based Graphical User Interface/ windowed operating system; word processing; design and use of electronic spreadsheets; presentation software; Information literacy, including informed use of library search and the World Wide Web. Creation of WWW pages.

               This course is about using the computer as a tool (“computer fluency”). It is also about basic knowledge of computers (“computer literacy”). It is also concerned with making use of information (“information literacy”). It is really about surviving in the 21st Century!

               All class periods will be in the lab. There will, however be times when class time will involve lecture or discussion. Do NOT use the computers as a distraction from class when we are not using them (i.e. no game playing, instant messaging, private e-mail). There will be some in-class time for working on most assignments. In your own time, it is expected that you will do reading, further hands-on learning, and complete assignments when not finished in lab.

Sometimes we will shuffle material around so the attached tentative course plan is tentative.

              

Prerequisite: None

 

Grading:                                                                              Final Grades:

   Assignments                                   20%                                                                                  B+     88-89         C+     78-79         D+     68-69

   PowerPoint Project        10%                                                    A     92-100          B       82-87          C       72-77          D       60-67

   Research Project             10%                                                    A-    90-91           B-      80-81         C-      70-71

   3 Midterm Exams            40%  (lowest score dropped)                                                                                                     F        < 60

   Final  Exam                      20%                                                                                                                                             

 

   Late Assignments  -20% per weekday (NOTE - NOT per CLASS)

      UNLESS SPECIFIED OTHERWISE ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS

      -10% if handed in after start of class and before I leave for the day.

 

   Makeup exams only by advance arrangements or for documented real emergencies, such as medical problems. Makeup may involve substituting your final exam score for the missing midterm.

 

   The Final Exam is non-cumulative; it will focus on the (previously untested) final part of the course (probably mostly or all Excel).

 

    The PowerPoint project will be an active learning exercise in which you create a PowerPoint presentation about one of the chapters (assigned to you) of the Discovering Computers book, and present it in class. You will work in a group of two or three people. More details will follow later.  Besides being graded, your presentation will be available as a resource for other students.  The test on Discovering Computers will be approximately a week after the last presentation. 

 

               The research project will involve researching a topic related to computers’ impact on society (some suggestions will be offered).  Research should make use of your “information literacy” skills. The end result will be a paper AND a WWW page that you create.

 

Cheating:

Claiming another's work as your own is cheating. A student caught cheating will receive a score of zero for the assignment. Asking another for help on a step or two in a many-step homework or lab assignment is acceptable; handing in duplicate or nearly duplicate work is not. Finally, openly allowing your work to be copied is also cheating. Plagairism, be it from a book, a web site or a fellow student, will be considered cheating.

 

Open Lab Location:         Wister Building basement lab is available. Last semester the hours were:

Mon-Thu: 8am-11pm

                                                                           Fri: 8am-7pm

                                                                           Sat: 9am-7pm

                                                                           Sun: 12pm-11pm

                                             There are other labs on campus with varying availability.

 

 

Objectives

 

1. Understand and appreciate the power and use of computers and information in our society.

 

2. Develop competency in file management,  internet use, research database search, and with word processing, spreadsheet and presentation graphics packages.

 

3. Develop problem-solving techniques, e.g. design of a spreadsheet, perform statistical analysis, locate needed information electronically.

 

4. Develop ability to evaluate credibility and usefulness of information resources (“information literacy”).

 

5. Understand how a computer works.

         

6. Understand computer-related terminology.

         

7. Understand and adhere to the University computing policy.

         

8. Understand some of the ethical issues involved in processing and using information.

 

 

Tentative Course Plan:

Date                      Material                                                                            Reading, Labs

Aug 31                  Intro to Class,

Sept 2                   Windows 2K File Management                                      W2K Proj 2         Assign 1 Assigned?

 

Sept 7                   PowerPoint                                                                      PP Proj 1,2

Sept 9                   PowerPoint

 

Sept 14                 PowerPoint Assignment                                                                               Assign 2 Assigned?

Sept 16                 PowerPoint Project Time

 

Sept 21                 TEST 1 – W2K, PowerPoint

Sept 23                 DC Chapt 1 & 2 Presentations                                       DC Chapt 1 & 2

 

Sept 28                 DC Chapt 3 & 4 Presentations                                       DC Chapt 3 & 4

Sept 30                 DC Chapt 5 & 6 Presentations                                       DC Chapt 5 & 6

 

Oct 5                     DC Chapt 7 & 8 Presentations                                       DC Chapt 7 & 8

Oct 7                     Information Literacy

 

Oct 12                  TEST 2 – Discovering Computers – Computer Literacy Concepts        

Oct 14                  Library Search

 

Oct 19                  Internet Search / Info Literacy Assignment                                                Assign 3 Assigned?

Oct 21                  Word Evaluation                                                                                            Assign 4 Assigned|?

 

Oct 26                  FALL BREAK _ NO CLASS

Oct 28                  Word Catch Up Topics

 

Nov 2                    Developing WWW Pages                                               Word Web Feature

Nov 4                    Developing WWW Pages

 

Nov 9                    Developing WWW Pages                                                                             Assign 5 Assigned?

Nov 11                  TEST 3 – Word, Information Literacy                                                                                     

 

Nov 16                  Excel Basics                                                                    Excel Proj 1

Nov 18                  Excel Basics                                                                                                  Assign 6 Assigned?

 

Nov 23                  Excel Basics                                                                    Excel Proj 2

Nov 25                  THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY – NO CLASS

 

Nov 30                  Excel Charting                                                                 Excel Proj 3         Assign 7 Assigned?

Dec 2                    Excel What If                                                                   Excel Proj 3         Research Project Due

 

Dec 7                    Excel Absolute Addressing, What If Assignment                                      Assign 8 Assigned?

Dec 9                    Excel Ifs, Scenarios, Solver                                           Excel Proj 3

 

 

Final Exam: Tue Dec 14 8:30-10:20am