Course Expectations and Tentative Syllabus

 

CSC:152                                 Introduction to Computing – Science Applications               Fall 2003

 

Section 02:                 Room: 101 Holroyd Hall         Time: MWF 11:00-11:50am 

 

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

                       330 Olney Hall   (215) 951-1096                                                 MWF 12:00-12:50pm

                       redmond@lasalle.edu                                                                                         TuTh  2:00-2:50pm,

                       http://www.lasalle.edu/~redmond/152                                                            And at other times by appointment

 

Texts:

·         Shelly, G.B., Cashman, T.J., and Vermaat, M.E., Discovering Computers 2004: Concepts for a Digital World, Course Technology, 2003 (Abreviated DC)

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

·         Shelly, G.B., Cashman, T.J., Vermaat, M.E., Microsoft Word 2000, Complete Concepts and Techniques, Course Technology, 2000 (Abreviated Word)

·         Shelly, G.B., Cashman, T.J., Quasney, J. S., Microsoft Excel 2000, Complete Concepts and Techniques, Course Technology, 2000 (Abreviated Excel)

·         Shelly, G.B., Cashman, T.J., Sebok, S.L., Microsoft PowerPoint 2000, Complete Concepts and Techniques, Course Technology, 2000 (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 for science and mathematics including data analysis and regression; introduction to a PC-based Graphical User Interface/ windowed operating system; word processing; design and use of electronic spreadsheets; presentation software; Internet use including electronic mail and the World Wide Web. If time permits, 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

   4 Midterm Exams                       45%  (lowest score dropped)                 A-    90-91            B-      80-81            C-      70-71

   Final  Exam                          25%                                                                                                                                                        F        < 60

 

   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 cumulative, though it will focus more on the (previously untested) final part of the course.

 

    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. 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 in November, but you are encouraged to not leave all of the reading until then.  A second chance test for this material will be available late in the semester.

 

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, e-mail, internet use, research database search, and with word processing, spreadsheet and presentation graphics packages, with a focus on mathematics and science applications.

 

3. Develop problem-solving techniques, e.g. design of a spreadsheet, create and interpret an x-y graph, 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 25                     Intro to Class,

Aug 27                     Check Computer Accounts, Intro Computers                  DC Chapt 1

Aug 29                   Windows 2K File Management                                         W2K Proj 3, 6

                 

Sept 1                     LABOR DAY – NO CLASS

Sept 3                     Windows 2K Customizing Work Environment                W2K Proj 4, 5

Sept 5                     Windows 2K Assign                         

                               

Sept 8                     Word Pretest

Sept 10                   Word Pretest

Sept 12                   PowerPoint                                                                           PP Proj 1, 2

 

Sept 15                   PowerPoint

Sept 17                   PowerPoint Project Time

Sept 19                   Word, Equation Editor

 

Sept 22                   TEST 1 – W2K, PowerPoint

Sept 24                   Word, Mail Merge, as Needed                                  Word Proj 5     

Sept 26                   Information Literacy -                                                                         

 

Sept 29                   Internet Search / Info Literacy Assignment                                         

Oct 1                       Library Search

Oct 3                       Article Search Assignment

 

Oct 6                       Excel Basics                                                                    Excel Proj 1,  PowerPoint Project Due

Oct 8                       TEST 2 – Word, Information Literacy

Oct 10                     Excel Basics                                                                    Excel Proj 2

 

Oct 13                     Excel Basics Assignment         

Oct 15                     Excel Charting                                                                 Excel Proj 3

Oct 17                     Excel Charting Assignment

 

Oct 20                     NO CLASS – FALL BREAK

Oct 22                     Excel What If                                                                  Excel Proj 3

Oct 24                     Excel Absolute Addressing,                                          Excel Proj 3

 

Oct 27                     Excel Absolute Addressing, What If Assignment

Oct 29                     Excel Ifs, Scenarios, Solver                                 Excel Proj 3

Oct 31                     Excel Ifs, Scenarios, Solver

 

Nov 3                     Excel Ifs etc Assignment                                   

Nov 5                     Excel catchup

Nov 7                     Excel catchup

 

Nov 10                   TEST 3 - Excel

Nov 12                   Developing WWW Pages                                                  Word Web Feature

Nov 14                   Developing WWW Pages

 

Nov 17                   TEST 4 – Discovering Computers – Computer Literacy Concepts

Nov 19                   Developing WWW Pages

Nov 21                   Developing WWW Pages Assignment

 

Nov 24                   TEST 4 – Retest for those who want to improve their grade

Nov 26                   THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY – NO CLASS

Nov 28                   THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY – NO CLASS

 

Dec 1                      Developing WWW Pages Assignment

Dec 3                      Catchup OR What is Computer Science All About?

Dec 5                      The Future of Computing  OR Computer Ethics

Final Exam: Fri Dec 12 10:30am