AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER STUDIES AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

Course Syllabus: COSC 1300, Introduction to Computing

Section 39846, Fall 2009

Lecture: RVS 9112       Monday and Wednesday noon - 1:15 pm

Lab: RVS 9138       Wednesday 1:25 pm - 2:15 pm

Instructor: Paul Russell

Office Telephone: 223-4781

Home Telephone:   474-5992

Office: tba

Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 11:00 am - noon

E-mail: prussell12@gmail.com, prussell@austincc.edu

Home page: http://www2.austincc.edu/prussell/

Course Description: A survey course discussing computer terminology, components, programming concepts, and the computer’s integration into business activities. Laboratory experience includes word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software and databases.

Pre-requisite: Reading R.

Approved Course Texts:

(1) Computers: Understanding Technology, Third Edition, by Floyd Fuller and Brian Larson, Paradign Publishing, 2008 (ISBN 978-0-76382-953-3, 978-0-76382-927-8).

(2) Microsoft Office 2007: Essential Concepts and Techniques, by Shelly, Cashman, Vermaat, Course Technology, 2008 (ISBN-13: 978-1-4188-4374-8, ISBN-10: 1-4188-4374-1).

Instructional Methodology: This course will have both lecture and lab each week. If the students are unable to finish the assigned lab work within the lab time, they will need to visit the CIS open labs.

Course Rationale: This course is designed to be an introductory computing concepts course. The intent of the course is to teach the basics of hardware, software, program design, computer ethics, systems software, application software and the role of computing in society today. A software suite is also used in the lab to create documents, spreadsheets, databases and presentations. There is also an internet component that will be taught in the course. This course is included in the following degree plans:

• Associate of Applied Science, Computer Programming
• Associate of Applied Science, Local Area Network Administration
• Associate of Applied Science, Microcomputer Application Support

Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes: After successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Understand and discuss the history and evolution of computers.
2. Understand how hardware and software function in a computer.
3. Identify the different types and sizes of computers.
4. Understand how a computer works.
5. Explain the differences between systems and application software.
6. Understand the function of a network, a network Operating System and identify different types of networks.
7. Understand the different types of application software and their usage.
8. Understand what is a program and the development and use of programming languages.
9. Understand the Information Systems and the System Development Life Cycle.
10. Understand and discuss issues of ethics, privacy, integrity as related to computers and the laws pertaining to these issues

SCANS Competencies:

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:

• Students select relevant goal-related activities, rank them in order of importance, allocate time to these activities, and understand, prepare and follow schedules.
• Students acquire and evaluate information.
• Students organize and maintain information.
• Students interpret and communicate information.
• Students use computers to process information.
• Students know how social, organizational and technological systems work and operate effectively with them.
• Students understand overall intent and proper procedure for setup and operation of equipment.
• Students locate, understand, and interpret written information in prose and in documents such as manuals, graphs, and schedules.
• Students receive, attend to, interpret, and respond to verbal messages and other cues.
• Students specify goals and constraints, generate alternatives, consider risks, and evaluate and chooses best alternative.
• Students recognize problems and devise and implement plan of action.
• Students organize and process symbols, pictures, graphs, objects, and other information.
• Students use efficient learning techniques to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills.
• Students discover a rule or principle underlying the relationship between two or more objects an apply it when solving a problem.
• Students exert a high level of effort and persevere towards goal attainment.
• Students believe in own self-worth and maintain a positive view of self.
• Students demonstrate understanding, friendliness, adaptability, empathy, and politeness in group settings.
• Students assess self accurately, set personal goals, monitor progress, and exhibit self-control.
• Students choose ethical courses of action.

Grade Policy:

Grade will be assigned based both on concepts and practical application. Exams, quizzes, and lab projects will be a part of the grade. An overall grade will be assigned on the following grading scale:

90% - 100% A

80% - 89% B

70% - 79% C

60% - 69% D

0% - 59% F

	Quantity	Total Points	Percentage
EXAMS	3	750	75%
Lab Projects	11	180	18%
Presentation	1	60	6%
Class Participation		10	1%
Final Exam (optional)	1	250 (optional)	25%
TOTAL		1000

There are 3 non-comprehensive exams, 11 lab projects, one presentation and an optional comprehensive final for this course. All lab projects are to be submitted electronically via the ACC Blackboard system by midnight of the assignment day as indicated in the course schedule. Projects received within one week of the due date will receive 80% credit. No credit will be given for projects received after one week. The presentation must be given during the last week of class or a grade of zero will be assigned for the presentation.

Scheduling of computer time outside of regular lab time is the Student’s responsibility. Availability of computers is NOT an excuse for being late with a lab project assignment.

There are no makeup EXAMS in this course. If you miss an exam you will receive a grade of ZERO for that exam. Students may take the optional comprehensive final exam and drop their lowest exam grade (this applies to either one missed exam OR the lowest exam grade if all three exams have been taken).

Students are expected to read and study the assigned material, per the course schedule, BEFORE each class.

Each student will be required to prepare and present a PowerPoint presentation on a computer related topic. This presentation should last approximately 5 minutes and should contain a minimum of 15 slides. The presentation should use sound, animation and run automatically once “slide show” has been selected.

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.

For this course, the penalty for scholastic dishonesty is a grade of F for the course.

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.

Attendance / Withdrawal

Students are expected to attend classes and will be held responsible for all material covered in class. Regular attendance helps ensure satisfactorily progression towards completion of the course.

It is the student’s responsibility to complete a Withdrawal Form in the Admissions Office if they wish to withdraw from this class. The instructor may withdraw students from this class if their absences exceed 10% of the total number of class meetings or if the student fails to attempt four graded assignments by the last date to receive credit. The last date to withdraw for this semester is April 23, 2007. 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.

Student Files Privacy

The information that a student stores in his/her student volume in the Computer Studies Labs may be viewed by their instructor for educational and academic reasons.

Students with Disabilities

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).

Communication

The ACC online Blackboard system http://acconline.austincc.edu/ will be used as the official communication system during this semester. Lecture notes, handouts, changes to course schedule or assignments and your grades will be posted on this system. All students are expected to check this system on a regular basis. A brief orientation will be provided during the first class laboratory period. For information on how to log onto Blackboard 6.0 pleased visit the following site http://itdl.austincc.edu/blackboard/stlogin.htm.

Holidays

ACC does NOT observe the same holidays and days off as AISD, RRISD, etc. High schools get many days off during the semester that ACC does NOT observe. If your high school is closed and ACC is not, you still have to come to your ACC class and you are still responsible for due dates. If it is necessary for the school to close due to inclement weather or for other reasons, ACC will make the announcements on the typical radio and TV stations and the ACC website. It is important to note the following:

        1. Closure of AISD, RRISD, does not mean ACC is closed.

        2. There are night and day classes at ACC and one or the other but not both may be canceled so listen to the announcement fully.

        3. ACC has a tendency to close campuses and not the whole system so again listen to the announcement fully.

        4. At the current time, there is no campus-wide announcement system for emergency closures. This means if you are already in class and the campus closes, you will not know about it. Watch your professor.

Introduction to Computing

Course Schedule - Wednesday Lab

Late lab assignments are accepted for one week, with a grade penalty of 20%

Week Num	Date	Lec/ Lab	Topic	Assignment
1	8/24 8/26	Lec	Course Introduction Digital World	Chapter 1
	8/26	Lab	Lab Orientation
2	8/31 9/2	Lec	Input and Processing	Chapter 2 Chapter 2
	9/2	Lab	Word 2007	WD 5 - 62
3	9/7 9/9	Lec	LABOR DAY HOLIDAY Output and Storage	Chapter 3
	9/9	Lab	Word 2007	Lab 1, WD 67 - 68
4	9/14 9/16	Lec	System Software	Chapter 4 Chapter 4
	9/16	Lab	Word 2007	Lab2, WD 69 - 70
5	9/21 9/23	Lec	Application Software	Chapter 5 Chapter 5
	9/23	Lab	Word 2007	Lab3, WD 70 - 71
6	9/28 9/30	Lec	Review for EXAM I EXAM I	(Chapters 1 - 5)
	9/30	Lab	Excel 2007	EX 6 - 69
7	10/5 10/7	Lec	Telecommunications and Networks	Chapter 6 Chapter 6
	10/7	Lab	Excel 2007	Lab 1, EX 74 - 75
8	10/12 10/14	Lec	Internet and World Wide Web	Chapter 7 Chapter 7
	10/14	Lab	Excel 2007	Lab2, EX 75 - 77
9	10/19 10/21	Lec	Security Issues and Strategies	Chapter 8 Chapter 8
	10/21	Lab	Excel 2007	Lab 3, EX 77 - 79
10	10/26 10/28	Lec	Database and Information Management	Chapter 9 Chapter 9
	10/28	Lab	Access 2007	AC 12 - 64
11	11/2 11/4	Lec	Review for EXAM 2 EXAM II	(Chapters 6 – 9)
	11/4	Lab	Access 2007	Lab 1, AC 67 - 68
12	11/9 11/11	Lec	Information Systems Electronic Commerce	Chapter 10 Chapter 11
	11/11	Lab	PowerPoint 2007	PPT 5 - 65
13	11/16 11/18	Lec	Programming Concepts/Languages	Chapter 12 Chapter 12
	11/18	Lab	PowerPoint 2007	Lab1, PPT 69 - 71
14	11/23 11/25	Lec	Multimedia, Artificial Intelligence Computer Ethics	Chapter 13 Chapter 14
	11/25	Lab	PowerPoint	Lab2, PPT 71 - 73
15	11/30 12/2	Lec	Review for EXAM III EXAM III	(Chapters 10 - 14)
	12/2	Lab	PowerPoint	Saving Presentation as Web Page, Work on Presentations
16	12/7 12/9	Lec	Work on Presentations FINAL EXAM (Optional)
	12/9	Lab	Presentations	Individual Presentations

Note: The instructor has the prerogative to change the course schedule as required.