Catalog Course DescriptionThis course is an introduction to computers that reviews computer hardware and software concepts such as equipment, operations, communications, programming and their past, present and future impact on society. Topics include computer hardware, various types of computer software, communication technologies and program development using computers to execute software packages and/or to write simple programs. Upon completion, students should be able to describe and use the major components of selected computer software and hardware.
PrerequisiteNone.
TextbooksPay careful attention to instructions as to which textbook you need in class on a given day. In-class textbook sharing is prohibited.
Discovering Computers Fundamentals: Your Interactive Guide to the Digital World, 8th Edition (2012), by Gary B. Shelly and Misty E. Vermaat. ISBN-10: 1-111-53045-9; ISBN-13: 978-1-111-53045-7. The 2010 and 2011 editions of this textbook should also suffice for this course.
New Perspectives on Microsoft® Office 2010: Brief, published by Cengage Course Technology. ISBN-10: 0-538-74308-5; ISBN-13: 978-0-538-74308-2. Do not purchase the Office 2007 textbook in this series, as the content will differ significantly.
These textbooks may be available in different bindings and / or with different ISBNs. Please consult with your instructor should you wish to buy such a variation on the textbook.
SoftwareThis course focuses on using Microsoft Windows 7 and three programs from Microsoft Office 2010 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) in the Windows 7 environment. This software is installed in your CIS 130 classroom as well as the open computer laboratory (room 451). Students enrolled in CIS courses at Jefferson State may obtain some Microsoft software titles free-of-charge through the MSDN Academic Alliance; be looking for an e-mail message in your Pipeline account with your login information. For this course, Windows 7 is available through this program; Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are not. Microsoft Office 2010 is available at a discounted price for currently-enrolled students. Microsoft Office 2007 and Office for Mac 2008 and 2011 may suffice for portions of assignments in this course, but these programs may be missing some features needed to complete the assignments. Students are discouraged from attempting these assignments using earlier versions of Microsoft Office or any other office application suite.
Course ContentThe course will be divided between conceptual information on computers in general and practical work with specific applications. The three main application areas are as follows:
GradesRefer to the following table for the contributions of each course item to your grade.
| Item | Number / Points | Total Pts. |
|---|---|---|
| Assignments | 22 @ 10 to 30 pts. each | 400 |
| Exams | 6 @ 100 pts. each | 600 |
| Total Points | 1000 | |
AssignmentsTo relate to the material in the Discovering Computers textbook, you will complete simple exercises encouraging you to explore various facets of computers and the Internet. You may be required to submit these as simple text documents or as discussion board postings. Additionally, your New Perspectives textbook contains several exercises to introduce you to the applications in Microsoft Office 2010. Your instructor will assign a subset of these exercises for you to complete. You may be able to complete some of these in class, but you may have to spend some time outside of class to finish them.
ExaminationsOn each of three examination dates (including the final exam), you will complete two exams. One will focus on specific chapters from the Discovering Computers textbook, testing your knowledge of terminology, history, and general functionality. The other will focus more on your ability to complete specific tasks with one of the three applications; you may be required to create a document from scratch, or you may be given a "draft" document to modify in specific ways. Unless otherwise specified, examinations are closed-book and closed-note.