CIS 146 • Microcomputer Applications

Jefferson State Community College • Shelby-Hoover Campus • Spring 2018

Instructor: Mr. Tommy Battles
Office Health Sciences Building Room 427
Office Hours See Weekly Schedule
E-mail tbattles (at mark) @jeffersonstate.edu

Catalog Course Description This course is an introduction to the most common microcomputer software applications. These software packages should include typical features of applications, such as word processing, spreadsheets, database management, and presentation software. Upon completion, students will be able to utilize selected features of these packages.

Prerequisite None (keyboarding skills recommended). However, students who are extremely uncomfortable or unfamiliar with computers should consider enrolling in an introductory keyboarding or computer navigation class, both of which are offered by the Office Administration (OAD) department at Jefferson State. Students wanting a deeper understanding of computer concepts along with basic coverage of application software should take CIS 130 (Introduction to Information Systems) instead.

Required Materials The textbook for this course is required. If you cannot purchase the textbook within a reasonable amount of time from the beginning of the semester, you will not succeed in the course. Bring the textbook to each class meeting, as you will work on assignments from the textbook during most class meetings. In-class textbook sharing is prohibited.

Microsoft Office 2016: Introductory by Freund, Hoisington, Last, Pratt, Sebok, and Vermaat (SAM 2016 is not used in this section of CIS 146). ISBN-10: 1-305-87001-8 (softcover), 1-305-87004-2 (spiral-bound), or 1-337-25103-8 (loose-leaf).

Please consult with your instructor should you wish to buy a variation on the textbook other than those listed above. Previous editions of this textbook contain different assignments and cannot be used with this course.

Bring a USB flash drive to each class meeting to save your work there; it can be a new flash drive dedicated to the course, or it can be one you've had for several years that contains files for other purposes. Occasionally your instructor will tell you to use the Documents folder instead of a flash drive, but this is rare. Do not share your flash drive with another student under any circumstance.

Software This course focuses on using four programs from Microsoft Office 2016 (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Access) in Windows (depending on the laboratory, you may be using either Windows 7 or Windows 10; the figures in the textbook demonstrate Windows 10). Office 2016 is installed in your CIS 146 classroom as well as in the open computer laboratory (room 451). Jefferson State students have access to install Office 365 (currently Office 2016) on multiple computers and devices: after signing into myJSCC, click the link for Office 365 under Unread Messages; log in using your full Jefferson State e-mail address; in the upper-right corner, click the gear symbol for Settings; under Your App Settings, click Office 365; and on the left, click Install Status. Note that your access to Office 365 continues only as long as you are actively enrolled; for long-term access, currently-enrolled students can purchase a four-year subscription to Office 365 University at a discounted price.

You may be able to complete most of the instructions using another recent version of Microsoft Office (2007, 2010, or 2013 for Windows; 2008 or 2011 for Mac), but you may need to use a computer with Office 2016 to earn full credit for each assignment. Note that Office Online contains feature-limited versions of the programs and may not match the figures in the textbook. Students are discouraged from attempting these assignments using earlier versions of Microsoft Office or any other office application suite.

Students enrolled in CIS courses at Jefferson State may obtain additional Microsoft software titles free-of-charge through Microsoft Imagine (formerly DreamSpark), although this software is intended more for CIS majors.

Course Content This course will deal with general terminology of computers and specific application areas as well as the tools provided in Microsoft Office 2016 for each area. Assignments and examinations may emphasize concepts and / or the ability to accomplish specific tasks with an application. Some class meetings will be devoted to demonstration of the tools used to complete assignments; others will allow students to work individually on assignments.

Schedule The following is a tentative schedule of lectures (see the calendar for other dates, including deadlines):

Grades Refer to the following tables for the contribution of each course item to your grade.

Item Number / Points Total Pts.
Exams 5 @ 150 pts. each, 1 drop 600
Item Number / Points Total Pts.
Windows 2 @ 10 pts. each (bonus) 0
Classwork 10 @ 15 pts. each 150
Homework 10 @ 25 pts. each 250
Non-Exam Total 400

See the syllabus addendum for details on how your final grade is determined as well as other bonus opportunities.

Windows Assignments The first two assignments will focus on computer terminology and the elements of Windows 7. These assignments will also give you an opportunity to practice organizing files and submitting assignments on Blackboard. Both count as bonus.

Classwork Assignments Each of the application-oriented chapters includes a classwork assignment that your instructor will go over step by step during class. Although your instructor will do his best to allow every student time to complete each step before moving on, some students may find it more beneficial to watch during the lecture and then complete the assignment individually after class. If one of your classmates has difficulty completing one of the steps in a classwork assignment, you may point to the relevant details on the screen or in the textbook.

Homework Assignments After each of the classwork assignments, your instructor will assign one of several assignments at the end of the chapter to reinforce the material covered in the classwork assignment. The instructions for these assignments are more abbreviated than the classwork instructions, so you may need to return to classwork instructions earlier in the chapter to review the details of specific tasks.

General Assignment Guidelines Some assignments require the use of existing files; these will be provided via links on each assignment's page on Blackboard. You may not use another student's file to continue work on an assignment. Your instructor will provide additional instructions on Blackboard detailing any differences between what the textbook requests and what he requires (e.g., sections or steps to skip).

Your grades on these assignments will be based on how closely you follow the instructions, with more important instructions weighted more heavily than those that are trivial.

Assignments are due at 9:59 p.m. on the date of the deadline. Any submission after this deadline will be accepted for half credit per the policy in the syllabus addendum.

Examinations The first examination will require knowledge of computer terminology and the ability to complete tasks in Windows; questions may be multiple-choice, true / false, and / or matching. The other examinations will focus on specific programs in Microsoft Office and the ability to follow instructions to generate or modify files. Unless otherwise specified, examinations are closed-book and closed-note; you may not use your flash drive during an examination, and you must use a laboratory computer (not your personal notebook computer).

These are the tentative examination dates:

Your lowest examination score will be dropped. If you miss an examination, that will be your dropped score. If you miss more than one examination, you must contact your instructor to determine if, and how, you will be able to recover the points for the other missed examination(s).

Academic Honesty Students are expected to complete their own work regardless of circumstances. The following activities are violations of the Academic Honesty Code for this course:

Under no circumstances should you post any portion of your solution to any assignment, even in progress, on a public discussion board, forum, or newsgroup. Making such information available on the Internet will be considered academic misconduct.

During an examination, all hats, caps, visors, headphones, and earbuds must be removed unless required for ADA accommodations; additionally, no portable electronic devices (cell phones, media players, etc.) may be used unless required for ADA accommodations.

Your instructor will follow the procedures outlined in the Academic Honesty Code section of the Catalog and Student Handbook should he perceive a violation of the Code. Unless there is evidence that the violation was not due to any action on the part of a specific student, each student involved in the violation will be penalized.