Course Expectations and Tentative Syllabus

 

CSC:152                                 Introduction to Computing – Science Applications              Spring 2003

 

Section 01:            Room: 200 Olney Hall                 Time: MWF 12:00-12:50pm 

 

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

                       330 Olney Hall   (215) 951-1096                                                   Th  11:00am-11:50am,

                       redmond@lasalle.edu                                                                                   W  2:00-2:50pm

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

 

Texts:

·         Shelly, G.B., Cashman, T.J., and Vermaat, M.E., Discovering Computers 2000: Concepts for a Digital World, Course Technology, 2002 (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

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

   3 Midterm Exams               40%  (lowest score dropped)             A-    90-91              B-      80-81             C-      70-71

   Final  Exam                         30%                                                                                                                                                        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 paper will be about an issue related to computers’ impact in society. More details will follow later. It will be due on the last day of class (April 30).

 

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.

                                                Students with computers in the dorms can access the software via the campus network.

 

 

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

Jan 13                     Intro to Class,

Jan 15                     Check Computer Accounts, Intro Computers                 DC Chapt 1

Jan 17                     Windows 2K File Management                                         W2K Proj 3, 6

                 

Jan 20                     MLK Jr Birthday – NO CLASS

Jan 22                     Windows 2K Customizing Work Environment               W2K Proj 4, 5

Jan 22                     Windows 2K Assign                          

                               

Jan 27                     Internet and Application Software                                    DC Chapt 2, 3

Jan 29                     Word Pretest

Jan 31                     Word Pretest

 

Feb 3                      Information Literacy                                                           

Feb 5                      Internet Search / Info Literacy Assignment

Feb 7                      Library Search

 

Feb 10                    Article Search Assignment

Feb 12                    TEST 1 – W2K, Info Literacy, Search, DC 1-3

Feb 14                    Word, Equation Editor                                                                       

 

Feb 17                    Word, Mail Merge, as Needed                                          Word Proj 5

Feb 19                    Paper Research

Feb 21                    Paper Research

 

Feb 24                    PowerPoint                                                                            PP Proj 1, 2

Feb 26                    PowerPoint Assignment                                                    

Feb 28                    Computer Hardware                                                             DC Chapt 4, 5

 

Mar 3-7                  SPRING BREAK – NO CLASS

 

Mar 10                    Computer Hardware                                                             DC Chapt 6, 7

Mar 12                    Computer Operating Systems                                            DC Chapt 8

Mar 14                    Catchup

 

Mar 17                    TEST 2 – Word, PowerPoint, DC 4-8

Mar 19                    Excel Basics                                                                          Excel Proj 1

Mar 21                    Excel Basics                                                                          Excel Proj 2

 

Mar 24                    Excel Basics Assignment   

Mar 26                    Excel Charting                                                                       Excel Proj 3

Mar 28                    Excel Charting Assignment

 

Mar 31                    Excel What If                                                                        Excel Proj 3                                           

Apr 2                      Excel Absolute Addressing,                                              Excel Proj 3

Apr 4                      Excel Absolute Addressing, What If Assignment

 

Apr 7                      Excel Ifs, Scenarios, Solver                                 Excel Proj 3

Apr 9                      Excel Ifs, Scenarios, Solver

Apr 11                    Excel Ifs etc Assignment

 

Apr 14                    Excel catchup

Apr 16                    TEST 3 - Excel

Apr 18                    EASTER HOLIDAY – NO CLASS

 

Apr 21                    EASTER HOLIDAY – NO CLASS

Apr 23                    Developing WWW Pages                                                  Word Web Feature

Apr 25                    Developing WWW Pages

 

Final Exam: TBD (between Apr 28-May 2)