AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER STUDIES AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

COSC 1301 Personal Computing

                       

Instructor:                  Jerry L. Garrett, Adjunct Professor

Office Telephone:     1.800.460.4636 Ext. 8462

Web-Site:                   http://www.austincc.edu/jgarret2

Course Description:    A hands-on course for the development of skills needed to use personal computer systems for business, individual, and educational applications. Learn word processing, spreadsheet development, presentation software, database management, and operating system function and utilization. Keyboarding skills are not required, but are helpful. Course may not be applied toward a Computer Science or Computer Information Technology degree.

Pre-requisite:  Reading-R

Approved Course Text:  Microsoft Office 2007 Windows XP Edition, Introductory; Beskeen/Cram/Duffy/Friedrichsen/Reding,  Thomson/Course Technology  ISBN:  1-4188-6047-6

Instructional Methodology: The course will consist of both lecture and lab.

Policy on Cell Phones and Pagers:  The use of cell phones and pagers is strictly prohibited in the classroom.  You are advised to turn your cell phones and pagers off or turn them to silent mode.

Course Rationale: 

This course is a Computer Literacy Skill-based course that prepares students to be proficient in Microsoft Office products.  When mastered, these products should give you the tools in a basic computer literacy toolbox for use in all your other courses or in an office environment.  It serves as a prerequisite to many other courses in the Computer Science department.

Course Objectives/ Learning Outcomes:

COSC 1301 Personal Computing helps you develop automated personal productivity skills in the following applications:

 

TOPIC

SOFTWARE

Operating Systems

Microsoft Windows XP

Word Processing

Microsoft Word 2007

Spreadsheet Development

Microsoft Excel 2007

Database Management

Microsoft Access 2007

Presentation Development

Microsoft PowerPoint 2007

WWW Browsing

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7

 

You will learn how to integrate information across Microsoft Office applications.  You will develop your computer literacy with an increased knowledge of computing concepts and terminology.  You will also develop skills in disk and file management using Microsoft Windows XP.

If you plan to use your own computer to work on the assignments in this course, then you should acquire the Microsoft 2007 Office Suite.  If you do not have this software, you should use the Computer Studies computer lab to do the assignments.

SCANCompetencies:  

Competencies have been identified that are relevant to the level of instruction in the community college environment. These competencies reflect the knowledge and skills employees need to succeed in any occupation. This course will expose the student to the concepts and application of the following competencies:

 

C8

Uses computers to process information.

C19

Applies Technology to Task:  Understands overall intent and proper procedures for setup and operation of equipment.

F5

Listening:  Receives, attends to, interprets, and responds to verbal messages and other cues.

F10

Seeing Things in the Mind’s Eye:  Organizes and processes symbols, pictures, graphs, objects, and other information.

F11

Knowing How to Learn:  Uses efficient learning techniques to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills.

F16

Self-Management:  Assesses self accurately, sets personal goals, monitors progress, and exhibits self-control.

 

Grade Policy:  Grades will be based on your performance on the exams, chapter assignments, and chapter questions.

            Exams (5) will count 200 points each = 1000

            Unit Homework/In-Class Assignments (5) will count 100 points each = 500

            Chapter Questions (21) will count 20 points each = 420

           

            Points Used to Determine Course Grade:
                         1920     Maximum    

             1728         A

                         1536         B

                         1036         C

                         1152         D

            Below  1152         F

 

                                                                                                                                                    

Homework/In-class assignments and Chapter Questions may be submitted early, but they will not be accepted after the due date.  If you don’t submit an assignment by the due date you will receive a zero(0) for that assignment.

If you are late taking an exam you must make up the exam no later than one week from the assigned exam date.  Also, if you take an exam late you will have a reduction of 25 points from the grade.  After one week you can not make up an exam.   NOTE:  The Final Exam can not be taken later than the date specified in the class schedule.

 

Attendance / Withdrawal Policy:  Students are expected to be in the classroom at the beginning of the class period and attend classes.   Students will be held responsible for all material covered in class.  Regular attendance helps ensure satisfactory progress towards completion of the course. The instructor may withdraw students from the class if their absences exceed 10% of the total number of class meetings.  If you wish to withdraw from this class, it is the student’s responsibility to complete a Withdrawal Form in the Admissions Office. It is not the responsibility of the instructor to withdraw the students from their class even though the instructor has the prerogative to do so under the above listed circumstances.

 

Course/Class Policies:

Academic Integrity:  A student is expected to complete his or her own projects and tests.  Students are responsible for observing the policy on academic integrity described in the Current ACC Student Handbook, under  “Student Discipline Policy, Section C”.

 

“Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work.  Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their own thought, research or self-expression.  Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework”. 

The penalty accessed will be in accordance with the current ACC Student Handbook policy. See http://www.austincc.edu/handbook/policies4.htm  for more information.

 

Incomplete:  A student may receive a temporary grade of “I” (Incomplete) at the end of the semester only if ALL of the following conditions           are satisfied:

1.     The student is unable to complete the course during the semester due to circumstances beyond their control.

2.     The student must have earned at least half of the grade points needed for a “C” by the end of the semester.

3.     The request for the grade must be made in person at the instructor’s office and necessary documents completed.

4.     To remove an “I”, the student must complete the course by two weeks before the end of the following semester.  Failure to do so will result in the grade automatically reverting to an “F”.

 

Freedom of  Expression Policy:  It is expected that faculty and students will respect the views of others when
expressed in classroom discussions.

 

Students with Disabilities Policy:

 

“Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities.  Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes.  Students are encouraged to make this request three weeks before the start of the semester.  (Refer to the Current ACC Student Handbook)”