CPSC 1105
Summer 2010
51478

Course Syllabus
CPSC 1105 Introduction to Information Technology
Online
Revised: May 31, 2010
Course ID: CRSABIT-428212

This syllabus is subject to change prior to the start of the course.

Instructor

Wayne Summers
E-mail: summers_wayne@ColumbusState.edu
Office: CCT 453
Office Hours:  MTWRF 10am -12 pm, by appointment, via email
Contacting Me: For issues related to this course, please email me within MyITlab. If you need to discuss something with me personally but cannot do so during my posted office hours, please feel free to contact me to arrange a more appropriate time.
Office Phone: (706) 565-5037
Department Phone: (706) 568-2410

Department Fax: (706) 565-3529
Web Site: http://csc.ColumbusState.edu/summers

Required Textbook

Course Description

Prerequisites – none.

This course provides an introduction to computer and information technologies. It discusses the nature of information, computer hardware, software, communications technology, and computer-based information systems. The theory is complemented by practical work aimed at gaining basic proficiency with different types of widely used application software.

Course Objective

Upon completion of this course, students will demonstrate an appreciation of the role of information technology in modern society. They will be familiar with the principal components of computer hardware and the functions of different types of software that make computers useful in daily life. They will demonstrate a basic understanding of the processes involved in the development of software for problem solving, and the life cycle of information systems. Students will be introduced to modern data communication technology including the Internet and the World Wide Web. They will be aware of various issues related to computer security and privacy. Students will obtain basic practical skills necessary for manipulating and presenting information in a productive way. Software packages used will deal with word processing, spreadsheets, presentation graphics, databases and Web page creation.

Course Outcomes

The following are this course's outcomes:

• Students will demonstrate an understanding of the role of information technology.

• Strategies and Actions used to produce the outcome:

• Study the application of information technology in everyday life.
• Class discussion about what an information system is, and aspects of information technology.
• Assessment Methods: Written and Practical Assignments, Quizzes, and Exams.
• Students will demonstrate knowledge of the main components of a computer system.
• Strategies and Actions used to produce the outcome:
• Study different types of hardware components such as the CPU, memory and input/output devices.
• Class discussion of how different hardware components work together and, with system software, make a computer system operational.
• Assessment Methods: Written and Practical Assignments, Quizzes, and Exams.
• Students will demonstrate familiarity with and basic proficiency in popular application packages such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access and Expression Web.
• Strategies and Actions used to produce the outcome:
• Study the application of different types of software applications
• Supervised laboratory sessions for gaining hands-on experience with using common application packages.
• Assessment Methods: Written and Practical Assignments, Quizzes, and Exams.
• Students will demonstrate knowledge of the use of programming languages and the process of software development.
• Strategies and Actions used to produce the outcome:
• Study of the concepts of computer programming and the use of programming languages, algorithms, compilers.
• Classroom discussion and hands-on experience of computer programming using a user-friendly programming environment.
• Assessment Methods: Written and Practical Assignments, Quizzes, and Exams.
• Students will be familiar with the concepts and technology used in modern computer networks including the Internet.
• Strategies and Actions used to produce the outcome:
• Study concepts of data communication technology.
• Classroom discussion of how computer networks are constructed and how they enable communication of information.
• Assessment Methods: Written and Practical Assignments, Quizzes, and Exams.
• Students will demonstrate awareness of possible threats to computer security and how information can be protected.
• Strategies and Actions used to produce the outcome:
• Study various types of security threats and protection mechanisms.
• Classroom discussion of computer security and relevant tools.
• Assessment Methods: Written and Practical Assignments, Quizzes, and Exams.

Online Course Access

This course is being provided through the use of MyITLab. You can access MyITLab at:

http://www.myitlab.com

To access this course through MyITLab, you will need three things:

1. A valid email address
2. The course ID (to be provided below)
3. Your student access code (from the course textbook)

You can use any valid email address although using your CSU email address will probably be more reliable. The course ID for this course is available at http://cs.ColumbusState.edu/1105_student_info.aspx

CRSABIT-428212

Your student access code comes with the course textbook. If you purchase a textbook that does not have a student access code, you can purchase the student access code separately from the http://www.myitab.com site (look in the left menu under the LOGIN for "Don't have an access code").

For additional information concerning access to MyITLab, please review the following:

MyITLab Student Registration Enrollment

or download and view the following PowerPoint:

myitlab_StudentRegistrationEnrollment.ppt

If you still have issues accessing MyITLab, please contact me.
 

Assessment Methods

Grades in this course will be based on the following assessments:

• Responses to weekly discussions - (240 pts) [6 @ 40 pts. each]
• Comments to other students' responses to weekly discussions - (60 pts) [6 @ 10 pts. each]
• Assignments (200 pts.)  [8 @ 25 pts. each]
• Microsoft Applications Skill-Based Exams (100 pts) [4 @ 25 pts. each]
• End-of-chapter self-tests (100 pts.)  [13 @ 10 pts. each; drop lowest 3]
• One midterm test (100 pts.)
• One comprehensive FINAL EXAM (200 pts)

Final grades will be assigned according to the following schedule:

Percentage	Grade
90 – 100	A
80 – 89	B
70 – 79	C
60 – 69	D
<60	F

A (90-100): The student fulfills or exceeds all of the assigned content requirements. The student’s knowledge of the subject is accurate throughout. The student exhibits convincing range and quality of knowledge, having done appropriate research, if applicable.

B (80-89): The student fulfills all of the important assigned content requirements. The student’s knowledge of the subject is accurate throughout except in minor details. The student seems informed on the subject, having done appropriate research, if applicable

C (70-79): The student fulfills most of the important assigned content requirements. The student’s knowledge of the subject is generally accurate, though flawed. The student exhibits limited range or quality of knowledge, having done limited appropriate research, if applicable.

D (60-69): The student fulfills some of the important assigned content requirements. The student’s knowledge of the subject is generally accurate, though flawed. The student exhibits limited range or quality of knowledge, having done minimal appropriate research, if applicable.

F (0-59): The student fails to address the important requirements of the course.
The student’s knowledge of the subject is generally inaccurate. The student’s knowledge of the subject lacks range or quality

How This Course Will Work

This course will consist of readings, non-graded assignments, and graded assignments. The readings will comprise of chapters from the Technology in Action textbook and other posted material. The non-graded assignments will consist of various multimedia designed to enhance your understanding of the material in the Technology in Action textbook and Microsoft Office training. The graded assignments will consist of:

• “Classroom” discussions
• Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access expert exams
• Assignments related to using information technology
• Technology in Action end-of-chapter tests
• A midterm and final exam

The first few days of the course, you will need to read the welcome announcement, review the course syllabus, be sure your system is MyITLab ready, and begin the readings in the textbook. You'll also need to respond to the introductory discussion question by introducing yourself and becoming acquainted with the other members of the class. Thereafter, on a weekly basis, you will need to:

1. complete the weekly readings (approx. two-four hours per week);
2. complete the non-graded assignments (approx. four-eight hours per week);
3. complete the graded assignments (approx. four-eight hours per week); and
4. submit responses to weekly discussion questions and comment on other students' responses (approx. one-two hours per week).

Expected workload: 11-22 hours per week.

Information concerning how to navigate the MyITLab system will be available in the welcome announcement posted in the MyITLab system. You will see this announcement when you first log into the MyITLab system
 

Grading Criteria

The Microsoft Office expert exams, Technology in Action end-of-chapter tests, midterm, and final exam will be graded automatically by the MyITLab system. You will be able to take the Technology in Action end-of-chapter tests as many times as you wish. The highest score will count. You will be able to take the Microsoft Office expert exams up to three times. Again, your highest score for each exam will count. You will be able to take the final exam only once.

The grades you earn for the assignments related to using information technology will be based on the quality of your responses. Grading rubrics associated with how these assignments will be graded will be available in the MyITLab system.

The grades you earn for responses to the discussion questions will also be based on the quality of your responses. Responses that generally address the requirements of the discussion question will earn a grade of 8 out of 10. Responses that go above and beyond a typical response will earn higher scores.

The grades you earn for comments to other students' responses to the discussion questions will also be based on the quality of your posts. Comments that generally add value to the discussion will earn a grade of 8 out of 10. Comments that go above and beyond a typical comment will earn higher scores.

Student Responsibilities

As a student in this course, you are responsible to:

• manage your time and maintain the discipline required to meet the course requirements;
• complete reading assignments;
• actively participate in online discussions at least once a week;
• complete assignments by their due dates; and
• read any e-mail sent by the instructor and respond accordingly.

“I didn’t know” is not an acceptable excuse for failing to meet the course requirements. If you fail to meet your responsibilities, you do so at your own risk.
 

Instructor Responsibilities

As your instructor in this course, I am responsible to:

• prepare weekly lessons that demonstrate and help students understand the course material,
• prepare exams that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge of the course material,
• grade exams and assignments, and post scores within one week of the end of the week in which they are submitted; and
• read any e-mail sent by students and respond accordingly within 48 hours.

Within the discussion area, although I will read every posted discussion question and response, I will not necessarily respond to every post.  

Attendance Policy

Actively engaging in class discussions and assignments regularly is important to your success in this course. If you do not “attend” class, you may be dropped from the course. Actively engaging in class discussions and assignments regularly is important to your success in this course. If you do not post a response to the Intro Discussion, you may be dropped from the course. If you do not post a response to the weekly discussion question two weeks in a row, you may receive a WF. If an emergency prevents you from turning in an assignment or taking an exam as scheduled, please contact me to make alternative arrangements.  

Tentative Schedule

The following is the tentative schedule for the course. It is subject to change. Detailed assignment requirements will be provided in MyITLab divided by week. To access this content within MyITLab, click on Course Content in the main MyITLab menu.

Discussion Etiquette

CSU is committed to open, frank, and insightful dialogue in all of its courses. Diversity has many manifestations, including diversity of thought, opinion, and values. Students are encouraged to be respectful of that diversity and to refrain from inappropriate commentary. Should such inappropriate comments occur, I will intervene as I monitor the dialogue in the discussions. I will request that inappropriate content be removed from the discussion and will recommend University disciplinary action if deemed appropriate. Students as well as faculty should be guided by common sense and basic etiquette. The following are good guidelines to follow:

• Never post, transmit, promote, or distribute content that is known to be illegal.
• Never post harassing, threatening, or embarrassing comments.
• If you disagree with someone, respond to the subject, not the person.
• Never post content that is harmful, abusive; racially, ethnically, or religiously offensive; vulgar; sexually explicit; or otherwise potentially offensive.

In addition to the above, a positive attitude is essential to a healthy learning environment. Not only should your posts be respectful and insightful, but they should also be positive in order to benefit the entire class. In addition, all posts should be grammatically correct and should be spell-checked prior to posting to avoid confusion.

Assignment Due Dates and Times

All assignments (non-graded and graded) are due no later than 11:59 PM (23:59) (Eastern Time) on the Friday of the week in which they are assigned. Graded assignment due dates will be posted in the MyITLab calendar. Clicking on any given day in the calendar will provide a list of the assignments due by that day. 

Late Assignments

If circumstances prevent the timely posting of assignments, please notify me by email within MyITLab. If the MyITLab system is down, please email me at my CSU email address: summers_wayne@ColumbusState.edu. If you cannot email me, please call my office or cell phone. Unless you make prior arrangements with me, any assignment submitted after its assigned due date will be considered late, will not be accepted for grading and will be assessed a grade of zero (0).  

Extra Credit

There are no provisions for extra credit in this course.

Incompletes

If unusual circumstances preclude you from completing the course and you have satisfactorily completed all the other course requirements up until that point, I will award you a grade of "Incomplete" provided you contact me regarding the unusual circumstances and you agree to certain conditions for removal of the "Incomplete." You must, however, contact me and arrange for the Incomplete as soon as you are aware that you will be unable to complete the course and before the last day of class.

Corrections to Grades

To see your grades for individual assignments, click on Grades within MyITLab. If you believe a posted grade is incorrect, please email me within MYITLab.

Software and Technology Requirements

To participate in this course, you must have (or have access to) a computer that meets CSU's online course minimum computer hardware requirements as outlined at:

http://academics.ColumbusState.edu/classes/cptr_req.asp

In addition, you must have (or have access to) Internet connectivity and the computer you use for the course must be equipped with either the Internet Explorer 6 or the Internet Explorer 7 Web browser (note that the MyITLab system is not compatible with any other browser). 

Although this course covers the the use of Microsoft Office 2007 (Word 2007, Excel 2007, PowerPoint 2007, and Access 2007), this software is not required for this course. Any assignments you complete in this course that cover any of the Microsoft Office software will be completed through the use of a simulated Microsoft Office environment within MyITLab. Access to the actual software is, however, recommended in order to make the most of your learning experience. If you have access to the CSU campus, the Microsoft Office 2007 software is available in the main computer lab in the first floor of the CCT building or in the Computer Science lab in CCT 450.

Getting Help

During each week of the course, I will provide a discussion area within MyITLab entitled "Question about Week X?" where X will be the given week. If you have a question about an assignment or need help with an assignment in any given week, please post your question in that discussion area.

Student assistants in the Computer Center and in the open lab on campus can help you with basic computer-related problems (such as logging onto the network, saving your work, etc.), but they are not obligated and may not possess the necessary skills to help you with your assignments. Tutors in the Department of Computer Science tutoring lab (CCT 450) can help you with the assignments. Their schedule is typically posted in the Computer Science departmental office. Do not ask the tutors to do assignments for you. They are instructed to assist you in understanding concepts only.

For other general computer related problems or questions, please contact the CINS computer help desk at 706-507-2910 or email helpdesk@ColumbusState.edu.

For help with MyITLab, please contact the MyITLab Student Technical Support:

http://www.myitlab.com/support_student.asp

For other information related CSU, please see the Student Resources section of the CSU Online Web site:

http://online.ColumbusState.edu/student_resources.asp

Academic Honesty/
Plagiarism Policy

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, activities such as cheating and plagiarism (http://aa.ColumbusState.edu/advising/a.asp#AcademicDishonestyAcademicMisconduct). It is a basis for disciplinary action. Any work turned in for individual credit must be entirely the work of the student submitting the work. All work must be your own. For group projects, the work must be done only by members of the group. You may share ideas but submitting identical assignments (for example) will be considered cheating. You may discuss the material in the course and help one another with debugging; however, any work you hand in for a grade must be your own. A simple way to avoid inadvertent plagiarism is to talk about the assignments, but don't read each other's work or write solutions together unless otherwise directed by me. For your own protection, keep scratch paper and old versions of assignments to establish ownership until after the assignment has been graded and returned to you. If you have any questions about this, please contact me immediately. For assignments, access to notes, the course textbooks, books and other publications is allowed. All work that is not your own, MUST be properly cited. This includes any material found on the Internet. Stealing or giving or receiving any code, diagrams, drawings, text or designs from another person (CSU or non-CSU, including the Internet) is not allowed. Having access to another person’s work on the computer system or giving access to your work to another person is not allowed. It is your responsibility to prevent others from having unauthorized access to your work.

No cheating in any form will be tolerated. Penalties for academic dishonesty may include a zero grade on the assignment or exam/quiz, a failing grade for the course, suspension from the Computer Science program, and dismissal from the program. All instances of cheating will be documented in writing with a copy placed in the Department’s files. Students will be expected to discuss the academic misconduct with the faculty member and the chairperson. For more details see the Student Handbook: http://studentlife.ColumbusState.edu/handbook.asp.

Confidentially of Information Shared by Students

CSU does not guarantee the confidentiality of information shared by students in the course environment. Therefore, students should not share any confidential information from employers unless explicitly released for public use.

ADA Accommodation Notice

If you have a documented disability as described by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 933-112 Section 504) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and would like to request academic and/or physical accommodations please contact Joy Norman at the Office of Disability Services in the Center for Academic Support and Student Retention, Tucker Hall (706) 568-2330, as soon as possible. Course requirements will not be waived but reasonable accommodations may be provided as appropriate.