Syllabus - CIS 120 Computer Concepts

Description

This is an introductory computer course for both majors and non-majors. This course is designed for learning computer and Internet basics. At the successful completion of the course, the student will have sufficient Internet and digital literacy skills to enter current job markets or begin higher education programs. At the completion of this course, the student will...

1. understand computer hardware, software and operating systems to enable him/her to make informed purchasing decisions and perform simple trouble shooting.
2. use key software applications such as email, spreadsheets, and word processors to process and communicate information.
3. use the Internet effectively to gather, process, and communicate information.

Recommended prerequisite: keyboarding skills, CIS 70 Introduction to Computers, or equivalent computer-use ability.

You can gauge your own computer-use ability by completing the "Are You Ready?" skills checklist--available at http://cis.cocc.edu/are_you_ready/.

Prerequisite Skills

• start-up, reboot, and shut down a computer.
• operate a computer keyboard and know about the basic use of the Alt, Control, and Shift keys.
• operate a mouse and be able to determine when clicking, double-clicking, and right-clicking are appropriate courses of action.
• save files to disk (portable storage) and retrieve/open files that have been previously saved.
• create folders and sub-folders within the My Documents folder and portable storage devices.
• launch a web browser and navigate to a specific web page.
• use copy/paste features from one program to another.
• comfortably switch back and forth between multiple open applications.

Meeting Time/Location

This course will be conducted entirely online and has no scheduled face-to-face meetings.

Although this class is online, it is not a self-paced course. Quizzes and Exams will be available for a 3-day period on specific dates and must be taken within that time frame. Any student that wishes to complete the course early can take and pass the IC3 certification exams to test out of a portion or all of CIS 120.

Exams

This course has two mid-term exams and a final exam. The exams correspond to the three major units of the IC³ objectives and certification. The final exam is cumulative and will assess understanding and skills practiced throughout the entire course.

Taking Exams

Exams for this online course are taken online. Exams will be available for a specified date range (see topics schedule) and timed. If an exam is missed, the student will need to take the corresponding IC³ test sometime before the end of the term.

Instructor

Ralph R Phillips, Assistant Professor

My e-mail address is rrphillips [at] cocc.edu. Please use descriptive subjects when sending an e-mail. "Problem changing page orientation for one page" is a better subject line than "Help!". E-mails without a subject are filtered to get automatically trashed. See http://rrphillips.cocc.edu for more contact information.

Course Text and Supplies

Computer Literacy for IC3, by Preston
    Unit 1: Computing Fundamentals
    Unit 2: Using Productivity Software
    Unit 3: Living Online

There are three books used for this course (Units 1, 2, and 3) and they are required. All three will be used for graded activities including quiz and exam preparation. This course will also make use of resources online:

• Ralph Phillips web site: http://rrphillips.cocc.edu

• The CIS 120 YouTube playlist: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=976416333A6736E5

• Blackboard Login: http://bb.cocc.edu/

For the greatest convenience, students should use a portable USB drive for file management and portable applications. Portable USB drives are readily available for under $10 at office supply and electronics/computer stores.

Course Topics and Activities Schedule

Unless stated otherwise, activities listed in the 'Activities Due' column are due by 11:59pm on the date in the next row. So, an activity listed in row 6 is due the night of the date listed in row 7.

Calculating Your Grade

Activities completed will be worth a certain amount of points depending on the activity category. A student will know their current standing in class by dividing the total number of points earned by the points possible up that time. So, if by week seven a student has earned 550 points and 720 points have been possible, then that student would have 76.4% (550/720) at week seven. A course will have approximately 1,000 points possible.

By keeping track of the number of points earned a student will know their percentage grade by dividing points earned by points possible. With percentage grade known, the letter grades will be...

^*CIS students must earn a C or higher for the credits in that course to count as part of their degree. For courses that offer a pass/fail, a C or higher must be earned in order to be considered a pass.

Late or Incomplete Assignments/Activities

• Only two homework assignments can be turned in late during the term. The late assignment(s) must be turned in by the Friday before the final exam.
  
• Quizzes cannot be turned in late.
• In-class assignments cannot be turned in late.
  
• Exams that are scheduled for specific days or class meetings that are missed will earn a zero grade unless the reason for the missed activity was reasonable and notification was made to the instructor prior to or very soon after the activity.

Students that miss a class are responsible double-checking the topics schedule and for getting notes from classmates and reviewing class recordings/handouts (if available). Asking "what did I miss in the last class?" will get a needle poked into the voodoo doll likeness I keep of every student.

Incomplete Course Grades

Getting an Incomplete for a course grade is very rare. To be considered for an incomplete grade, students must...

• have earned 70% of the possible points from assignments and quizzes.
• have scored 70% or higher on the mid-term exam.
• have experienced a significant hardship in the last three weeks of the term.

Students who haven't shown they were on track to earn a C or higher should withdraw from the course prior to the eighth week.

Commitment

Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing. -- Thomas Edison

Success in any class depends greatly on the student's commitment. A full-term, 4-credit course requires approximately 12-15 hours of work, each week, away from class. This includes reading the text, working on assignments/projects, and practicing the skills demonstrated in class or online. Students seeking exceptional grades often need to put forth exceptional effort, working for more than 12 hours in a week for a particular class.

• Online classes tend to be more challenging for students' time management, so more time per week is often needed.
• Summer classes tend to be more challenging as the same amount of material is compressed within fewer weeks.
• Keep your instructor posted on problems you're having with the school work early on so that small problems do not turn into big problems. Visit during office hours and homework labs.

Disability Accommodations

Students with documented disabilities who may need accommodations, who have any emergency medical information the instructor should know of, or who need special arrangements in the event of evacuation, should make an appointment with the instructor as early as possible, no later than the first week of the term. Students any also wish to contact the COCC Disabilities Services Office in Boyle Education Center, extension 7583.

Personal Counseling, to help with time management, stress, depression and the many other personal situations affecting students. Call the CAP Center at 383-7200 to schedule an appointment.

Insurance

Students are not covered by medical insurance while on campus or involved in college classes and activities. Students are responsible for their own medical and dental insurance coverage. Information on student insurance coverage can be obtained at the student health center in Grandview or at the cashier in the Boyle Education Center. If you have specific questions or concerns regarding student insurance coverage you should discuss them with the Program Coordinator or Department Chairperson.

Plagiarism

All students are expected to practice the highest standards of academic honesty. Cheating on assignments, quizzes or exams or plagiarizing other people's work is unacceptable and may lead to a failing grade. Plagiarism is using, borrowing or stealing someone else's words or ideas without giving appropriate credit to the original author. This includes copying definitions and sentences from textbooks, other student's papers, the Internet or any other source. Students are expected to complete all assignments independently, unless it is a designated group project. In addition to traditional forms of cheating, cheating in a computer class includes:

• copying content or images from a web site without credit to the source
• using page kits or similar design templates without permission
• sharing files or using another file found on the computer
• working together to produce identical or very similar outcomes
• Communicating with others while taking online assessments

When in doubt, ask.

Equal Opportunity Policy

COCC has a continuing commitment to programs of equal opportunity and affirmative action to extend community services and educational, employment and promotional opportunities to all legally protected classes.

COCC does not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status. The College complies with all federal legislation and civil rights laws of the State of Oregon.