CpSc 110, Computer Concepts

Syllabus: Fall, 2009

Dr. Conlon

For a printable version of this syllabus, click here.

Catalog Description: A computer literacy course stressing the use of applications software on personal computers. It covers a survey of computers and their impact on society and the use of word processing software. Other application software is also covered, such as spreadsheets and database software, but the particular applications examined may vary from section to section. (3 credits)

Class Meetings:

Section	Days	Period	Time	Room
2	TR	C	11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m.	ATS 129

Office hours: MW 2:00-3:45 p.m., R 3:30-5:00 p.m., or by appointment.

Office hours are for you. Please feel free to visit me to discuss any problems. Do not wait until problems become unmanageable. If I am doing other work during my office hours, I will gladly drop what I am doing to help you. If my office hours are inconvenient, see me before or after class and we will find a better time to meet.

Texts: Introductory Go! Technology in Action, Sixth Edition, by Evans et. al., ISBN #0-13-245261-8, and Go! Office 2003, Third Edition, by Gaskin et. al., ISBN #0-13-505923-2. These books are available shrink-wrapped together under ISBN #0-13-508988-0. Be sure to get the CD-ROM with Go! Office 2003.

Supplies: You will need a USB flash-memory stick for saving files. Be sure to put your name on it!

Grading Policy: To pass you must take all exams, submit all assignments, and earn a passing grade. Late assignments will receive a grade of zero, but nonetheless must be submitted for you to pass. No late assignment will be accepted once the last week of classes has begun. No assignment will be accepted after the last class of the semester. Of course, exceptions will be made in extraordinary circumstances.

Lab Policy: You are expected to use lab time fully. You will be penalized for wasting time in lab. If you finish early, experiment with class software (Windows, Word, Excel, Audacity, and PowerPoint), re-do sections of your workbook which you don't know very well, or do assignments from other courses that require Microsoft Office. If you don't finish your lab assignment during lab time, you are expected to complete it on your own time.

Lab printouts are normally due at the beginning of the subsequent lab class. All projects from a single lab date must be stapled together in numerical order or they will not be accepted. Labs are graded as correct or unacceptable. Unacceptable labs will need to be corrected and resubmitted. There will be a ten-point penalty for each extra day or fraction it takes for you to submit a correct lab. Do not delay printing and stapling your lab until the beginning of class, or you risk a lateness penalty.

Important dates:

	Exam 1	Exam 2	Exam 3	Final
Section 1	Sep 24	Oct 20	Nov 24	Tue, Dec 15, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Grading:

Projects	Lab Work	Class Exams	Final Exam	Attendance, etc.
30%	15%	30%	15%	10%

Email: I will occasionally communicate with the class via electronic mail. Assignments may be announced this way. You are responsible for checking your SRU email regularly.

Attendance, reading, and participation: Please do all assigned reading before the class in which it is covered. You are expected to attend and participate in class, and you must do the reading to participate intelligently. You are expected to learn the material in the texts, much of which will not be covered explicitly in lectures. Do not expect me to reiterate your textbooks. I will take attendance, and you will be penalized for poor attendance. In addition, since exams will contain much material not from the texts, you cannot do well on exams if you miss classes. If you must be absent for an examination, please see me one week in advance to make alternate arrangements to take the exam.

Plagiarism policy: Plagiarizers will receive a failing grade for the course. I encourage cooperation in study and in learning how to do the computer assignments, but ensure that all assignments are ultimately your own work. A computer assignment is "your own work" if you had a major part in creating it, you have typed it completely by yourself, you have learned enough in doing it that you could do a similar project without assistance from other persons, and it is substantially different from other people's projects. If you submit a project which is more-than-typically the same as someone else's project, you will receive an F or WF for the course.

Electronic Devices Policy: No electronic communication, computation, or entertainment devices may be used in exams. Cell phones must be turned off during exams, and placed under your seat or in your backpack. Use of electronic entertainment devices during lecture and lab time is inappropriate.

Course Philosophy: While a large portion of this course is dedicated to training in computer application programs, it is important to realize that training in specific computer applications is of only ephemeral value. Next year, or next month, newer versions of these applications may be released, or competing programs may supersede them in the marketplace, rendering your training largely obsolete. Rather, it is the purpose of this course to teach you the principles of computing, and principles do not change very rapidly. We use the applications somewhat for their immediate utility, but primarily as examples of these general principles. Armed with knowledge of these principles of computing, you will be more able to adapt to the changes in the technology so that what you learned in this course will still be of significant value to you when these applications are a distant memory. Please understand that the material covered in lecture classes is, in the long term, more important than what is covered in lab.

Course Outcomes: This course and its outcomes support the Information Systems Learning Outcomes of Problem Solving and Critical Thinking (PS&CT), Communication and Interpersonal Skills (C&IS), and Ethical and Professional Responsibilities (E&PR). These Information Systems Learning Outcomes are tied directly to the University Wide Outcomes of Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Communication, and Values and Ethics.