Syllabus

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course serves as an introduction to computers with attention to computing concepts, practical applications of technology theory, and emphasis on the historical and societal impacts of technological innovations. Topics feature integrated coverage of management information systems, networking, e-mail, and the Internet. The course is applicable to computer concepts for personal or business use.

3 units (2 units lecture, 1 unit laboratory)

COURSE DETAILS

Computers are all around us, and they are changing our lives—sometimes in ways that are not always pleasant. Many people find computers to be confusing, even impenetrable. More and more people use them every day, but without having the slightest idea how they work—which is not a comfortable sensation. What's more, trying to get a handle on the world of computing is like trying to change a tire on a moving truck. Each day seems to bring news of some new type of computer, or a new way to apply the computer to jobs people previously did without the computer's assistance. We're pelted with advertising that tries to persuade us to buy the latest computer gizmo, but we don't understand what the gizmo is for, let alone why it's supposed to be so great. Then there is the Internet, which sometimes strikes even the experts as unfathomably too complex.

When you are lost and confused, as many people feel when they confront the world of computing, it is smart to look for a map. That is just what you will find in this course. It introduces the world of computing, piece by piece, in small, manageable chunks. You will begin by understanding what computers are and how they work—concepts that, incredible as it might seem, are actually quite easy to understand. You will then learn how to parcel out the various aspects of computing in an orderly way, including hardware (the computer's physical components) and software (the programs that tell the computer what to do). Next, you will examine computer networks, and you will learn how to fit the Internet into the picture.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

Name the different components of a computer system and their function;

Use computer applications for office productivity; and,

Get relevant information from the World Wide Web.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Internet Exercises................ 25%

Software Exercises.................25%

Online Quizzes ................... 25%

Attendance........................ 10%

Participation .................... 15%

TEACHING STRATEGY

Supervised classroom activity with maximum student involvement will be used to achieve the learning objectives. This strategy requires that you READ IN ADVANCE the textual material, PowerPoint presentation and Internet exercises. You are expected to participate actively and intelligently in classroom discussions in a way that demonstrates depth of understanding and grasp of the topic being discussed.

Depending on the level of your computer skill, you might find that the one hour and thirty minutes given you to work on the Internet Exercises and Online Study Guide is not enough for you to finish them. In this case, you need to work on the Internet Exercises and Online Study Guide outside of class hours before they are due in class.

The following time schedule and duration of activities shall be observed during the class meetings:

Class starts

PART I

PowerPoint Presentation....... 60 min

Computer Skill Building....... 60 min

B R E A K .................... 30 min

Internet Exercises............ 60 min

Online Quizzes................ 30 min

Class Ends

HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR CLASS

Read the text chapter for the upcoming class.
Review objectives from the chapter.
Make note of any questions you might want to pose during class or via e-mail.
Visit the companion Web site to complete Web research, complete online study guide quizzes, and review other material.
Optional: browse the online PowerPoint presentation for class.

GRADING POLICY

Individual total points for group work will be computed by taking into consideration the contribution rating received from other group members at the end of the semester.

STUDY GROUPS

The class will form seven (7) study groups. If the class size is greater than 14, you will form groups of 2-3 members. If the class size is greater than 21, form groups of 3-4 members. Nevertheless, the number of groups should equal seven (7) exactly, no more no less. Enter your group name and members in a form provided for this purpose at the CMS website.

On the last day of class, all students will individually fill out the Group Evaluation Form (attached at the end of this course outline) where they will rate each other's (and their own) contribution to group activities. This is intended to ensure that group members accept a fair proportion of group work. Study group members who have done less than their fair share of the work will find their group marks reduced accordingly.

THE COMPANION WEBSITE

Pearson Prentice-Hall’s My Companion Website is an essential and important learning resource for this course. The URL of the site is http://wps.prenhall.com/bp_pfaffenberger_ciyf_6.

EMAIL ADDRESS

If you do not have an email address, get one first before proceeding. I recommend that you subscribe for free web mail from Yahoo Mail. It gives you unlimited storage space and allows you to send up to 10 MB of email attachments. Click on the Yahoo Mail New Account to go there now.

POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

Each group will be given opportunity to present a chapter topic to the class using the PowerPoint shows included in the Companion Website or the resource CDR. Feel free to select the topic that interests you which, however, is limited to chapters 1-7. The order of presentation of topics will follow the book’s chapter sequence. Enter your choice of topic in a form provided for this purpose at the CMS website. Since the group that makes the first choice gets the topic, you might want to go there now.

You are expected to arranged ahead of time for the use of a projector for your presentation. If none is available, you will stand in front and present from a computer monitor. Your audience will follow your presentation from their own monitor. You will say, "Next slide please" when you are ready to move to the next slide. The class is encouraged to ask questions at any point during the presentation.

COMPUTER SKILLS BUILDING

Every now and then, especially when there is spare time, skills-building topics will be presented by your instructor. These topics are listed under Learning Activities specifically Computer Skills Building. Many of these topics, however, are about MS Windows or MS Office applications, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, FrontPage and Access and require that your computer runs on Windows and has MS Office suite. If your computer runs on Linux, it should have Open Office suite installed which has applications equivalent to MS Office. The order in which these skills-building topics are taken up may be changed by your instructor when deemed to your advantage.

ONLINE QUIZZES

Everyone will answer and submit seven (7) quizzes for the entire term. You will take the quiz for a topic one week after the topic is presented. This is not a group activity and must be done without help from anyone. Also, avoid supplying answers to your classmates. Remember, you can be kicked out of UP for only three reasons: academic delinquency, cheating and joining fraternities in your first year at UP. Asking help from or offering help to a classmate is cheating.

CLASS MANAGER

All groups will be assigned a block of days to act as class manager. As class manager, your duty is to (1) check the attendance upon the start of class and before class ends; (2) present the chapter with a brief introduction of the learning objectives; (3) monitor the class and keep everyone awake and alert through energizers, jokes, and breaks; (3) ensure that everyone gets back inside the classroom on time after a break; (4) strictly observe schedules and impose time limits, if any, in order that presentations, skills-building and quizzes are finished on time; and (5) serve as class manager for the entire duration of the class. Should you want to give energizers and fun games, make sure it doesn’t require more than thirty (30) minutes. For great game ideas go to this site.

As class manager, observe this sequence of activities during a class meeting: opening prayer, brief welcome to set the tone and allow everyone to settle down, call the PowerPoint presenter, declare start of Computer Skills Building, declare the start (and end) of lab work on the Internet Exercise and on the Online Study Guide, brief recap and announcement (to include next meeting’s activities and assigned groups) and closing prayer.

To be absent when your turn comes to be Class Manager is a fatal mistake. It will reduce your chance of passing the course. This is because your role is crucial to the successful achievement of the learning goals for the class during that particular class meeting.

DO'S & DON'TS IN THE COMPUTER LAB

Please observe the following while inside the computer lab:

Do not bring food inside the computer lab.
Power down the computer always before switching off the UPS.
Check that the UPS and computer are off before you stand and leave.
You are free to check your email or Friendster; but, when there is a lecture or presentation going on you are to log-off from your email or Friendster.
Playing computer games is not allowed.
You are free to surf the Net but preparing for the quizzes is your responsibility.

ATTENDANCE

You are not allowed to be absent from class more than 80% of total class hours without excuse. Doing so will result in your being dropped from the course. Not all absences are excusable. Only the following reasons are acceptable as excuse for an absence:

Illness or hospitalization; requires doctor's certificate or hospitalization certificate. If you failed to visit the school clinic before being absent due to illness, do so immediately upon coming back and get a doctor's certificate.
Wedding, family reunion, or death in the family; limited to one-day absence only and requires documentary or photo evidence. The evidence must prove you were a vital participant in these family events.
Official school-approved or school-sponsored events, trainings and conferences; requires letter-request from the faculty adviser or chaperone for you to be excused, or alternatively, documentary evidence that you are a vital participant in the event, training or conference.

TARDINESS

The class managers record when you are more than 10 minutes late or when you leave class early. Being tardy three times or leaving class early three times constitutes an unexcused absence.

COURSE OUTLINE

Introduction to course, contents, the information revolution in business and management, the emerging digital firm, electronic book overview, unique features of the electronic text for the student, and instructional support materials

Becoming Fluent with Computers. Chap. 1

Learning Objectives

Explain the importance of computer fluency.
Define the word computer and name the four basic operations in the information processing cycle.
Give an example of the information processing cycle in action.
Explain why responsible computer usage always involves ethical considerations.
Provide examples of hardware devices that handle input, processing, output, and storage tasks.
Explain the difference between system software and application software.
List the most popular Internet services.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: E-Mail
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide

Inside the System Unit. Chap. 2

Learning Objectives

Define the terminology that’s used to describe how much data computers can transfer or store.
List the components found inside the system unit and explain their use.
List the components found on the computer’s motherboard and explain the role they play in the functioning of the computer’s systems.
Discuss (in general terms) how a computer’s central processing unit (CPU) processes data.
Explain the characteristics that determine a microprocessor’s performance.
List the various types of memory found in a computer system and explain the purpose of each.
Describe the various physical connectors on the exterior of the system unit and explain their use.
Differentiate between analog and digital methods of representing data and explain the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: Working with Windows XP
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide

Input and Output: Data In, Information Out. Chap. 3

Learning Objectives

List the four types of input and explain the purpose of each.
List the characteristics of a computer keyboard.
Explain the purpose of the special keys on the computer’s keyboard.
List the most frequently used pointing devices and explain why users sometimes prefer alternatives to the mouse.
Describe the benefits and drawbacks of speech recognition as an alternative to keyboard use.
List devices that are used to get sound, video, and images into the computer.
Identify the two major types of output and give examples of each.
Explain how the characteristics of a computer’s video adapter determine the overall quality of the image displayed on the monitor.
List the various types of monitors, and indicate the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Identify the two major types of printers, and indicate the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: Windows XP Features
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide

Storage: The Electronic Filing Cabinet. Chap. 4

Learning Objectives

Distinguish between memory and storage.
Discuss how storage media are categorized.
List two ways to measure a storage device’s performance.
Explain how data is stored.
Explain the uses of removable disks.
List the performance characteristics of hard drives.
List and compare the various optical storage media available for personal computers.
Identify the types of new storage technologies, such as FMD-ROM discs, solid state storage devices, and enterprise storage systems.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: File Management
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide

System Software: The Operating Environment. Chap. 5

Learning Objectives

List the two major components of a computer’s operating system software.
Explain why a computer isn’t useful without an operating system.
List the five major functions of an operating system.
Explain what happens when you turn on a computer.
List the three major types of user interfaces.
Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the most popular operating systems.
List the six system utilities that are considered essential.
Discuss data backup procedures.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: System Utilities
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide

Application Software: Tools for Productivity. Chap. 6

Learning Objectives

Differentiate between horizontal and vertical applications.
List the most popular types of horizontal applications.
Differentiate between commercial software, shareware, freeware, and public domain software.
Explain the concept of software versions.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of standalone programs, integrated programs, and suites.
Describe the essential concepts and skills of using application software, including installing applications, launching applications, understanding and using application windows, getting on-screen help, using menus and toolbars, and working with documents.
Discuss the advantages of Web integration.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: MS Office Common Elements & MS Word
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide

Networks: Sharing Resources and Communicating. Chap. 7.

Learning Objectives

List the three main types of computer networks.
Discuss the ways that connecting computers increases the value of an organization’s information technology investment.
Explain the importance of protocols in a computer network.
Contrast circuit switching and packet switching networks and explain their respective strengths and weaknesses.
Distinguish between peer-to-peer and client/server LANs.
Name the most widely used LAN protocol and discuss its benefits.
Identify three business applications of WANs.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: MS Word
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide

The Internet: The Network of Networks. Chap. 8

Learning Objectives

Define the Internet and discuss why it’s so popular.
Differentiate the Internet from online services and the Web.
Explain the difference between client and server software.
List the most popular Internet services and explain what they do.
Define the elements of Internet addresses, including domain names.
Discuss the use of Internet-based networks within large organizations.
List the initiatives underway to improve the Internet’s performance.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: Internet
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide

The World Wide Web and Electronic Commerce. Chap. 9

Learning Objectives

Explain the concept of hypertext.
Contrast Web browsers and Web servers.
Explain the parts of a URL.
Name the browser navigation buttons and their functions.
Contrast Web subject guides and search engines.
Explain how search operators can improve Web search results.
Evaluate the reliability of information on a Web page.
Define business-to-business e-commerce and explain why it’s moving to the Internet.
List the fastest growing public e-commerce applications and explain why customers like them.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: Web Search Techniques
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide

Telecommunications: Exchanging Data Via the Telephone System. Chap. 10

Learning Objectives

Explain the limitations of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) for sending and receiving computer data.
Discuss how modems transform digital computer signals into the analog tones suited for the telephone system.
Define bandwidth and discuss the bandwidth needs of typical users.
List two digital telephony standards that can bring digital connections into homes and offices using existing wiring.
Provide examples of how convergence is blurring the boundaries among popular communication devices, including phones, computers, and TVs.
Discuss the prospects for telephony through the Internet.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: HTML Tutorial
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide

Computer Crime and Security. Chap. 11

Learning Objectives

Explain how attackers and intruders can gain entry to computer systems and harm or destroy data.
List ways you can help system administrators keep a computer system safe from unauthorized access and computer viruses.
Identify the stereotypes of people who are most likely to attack or harm computer systems, and explain their motives.
List the types of losses caused by computer system intrusions and attacks.
List and explain the tools and techniques used to defend computer systems against intruders and attackers.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: MS FrontPage
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide

Privacy and Encryption. Chap. 12

Learning Objectives

Explain the threat to privacy posed by the sale of sensitive personal information on the Internet.
Define anonymity and discuss how it can be abused.
Describe how technological developments are eroding privacy and anonymity.
Explain the reasons why many employers feel that they need to monitor their employees’ computer usage.
State why U.S. security officials believe public key encryption poses a threat to U.S. security, both foreign and domestic.
Describe the U.S. government’s proposed key recovery plan, and explain why it threatens the growth of Internet commerce.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: MS Excel
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide

Databases and Information Systems. Chap. 13

Learning Objectives

Recognize the potential uses of a database program.
Describe the basic components of a database.
Describe the basic capabilities of a good database program.
Distinguish between flat file and relational database programs and explain the advantages and disadvantages of each.
List the three basic characteristics of a computerized information system.
List the four functions of managers.
Identify the characteristics of valuable information.
Describe the major types of computerized information systems used in today’s organizations.
Describe how the retail sector is taking advantage of computer databases to increase sales and gain a competitive edge.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: MS Access
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide

Systems Analysis and Design. Chap. 14

Learning Objectives

Explain what systems analysts do.
Discuss the reasons for the widespread use of the systems development life cycle (SDLC).
List the SDLC’s five phases.
Describe the classic mistakes of failed information systems development projects.
Discuss the activities in each of the SDLC’s five phases.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: MS Access
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide

Programming Languages and Program Development. Chap. 15

Learning Objectives

Explain what a programming language is.
Contrast machine language and assembly language.
Discuss the benefits of a high-level programming language.
List the measures taken to improve third-generation languages.
Identify the shortcomings of early languages and explain how object-oriented languages attempt to remedy these shortcomings.
List several popular programming languages and explain their advantages and disadvantages.
List the six phases of the program development life cycle (PDLC) and explain why the PDLC is needed.
Explain why top-down programming makes programs easier to debug and maintain.
List the three basic types of control structures.
Differentiate between syntax errors and logic errors in programs.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: Programming
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide

Careers and Certification. Chap. 16

Learning Objectives

Describe the traditional information technology (IT) career paths.
Compare and contrast computer science (CS), systems engineering, and computer information science (CIS) curricula in colleges and universities.
Describe two settings in which most IT workers find employment.
List at least three typical job titles in information systems (IS) departments and vendor companies.
Identify the business skills IS managers want in new IT workers.
List the technical skills currently in high demand.
Discuss the positive and negative aspects of certification.

Learning Activities

Opening Introduction
PowerPoint Presentation
Computer Skills Building: PowerPoint
Internet Exercise
Online Study Guide