Computer Systems Syllabus
CS 115, Fall 2009

Instructor Information

Name: Dr. Joan Francioni
Office: 108D Watkins Hall
Office Hours: 9:00-9:30, 11:00-12:30, 2:00-3:00 Tuesday; 9:00-1:00 Wednesday; 9:00-9:30, 2:00-3:00 Thursday; and by appointment
Phone: 457-2336
email: jfrancioni "at" winona.edu

Course Information

Course: CS 115
Prerequisite: none
USP Category: Contemporary Citizenship
Computer Technology Minor Course

Course Description

This course provides students with a broad overview of the principles of, and effective strategies for, navigating computer systems, servers and the Internet. Topics include file maintenance; operating systems; general applications (word processors, spread sheets, electronic presentations, databases); web-based applications; security; and multimedia. Emphasis will be placed on navigating systems in safe and effective ways as well as maintaining personal systems (desktops or laptops). Course does not count for major elective credit. No prior programming experience is necessary for this course.

Textbook

Required:

textbook image Technology in Action, Introductory, 6/E
Alan Evans, Kendall Martin, and Mary Anne Poatsy

ISBN-10: 0-13-504624-6
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-504624-1

Publisher: Prentice Hall
Copyright: 2010

Grading Distribution

Class contribution 5%
Labs 24%
Project 20%
Quizzes 24%
Tests 27%

Academic Dishonesty Policy

All projects are individual assignments (unless explicitly specified otherwise). That means that you must do all of the work entirely by yourself. It is considered cheating to copy any portion of the assignment from anyone else or to knowingly permit someone else to copy your assignment. All exams in CS 115 are closed book/closed notes (unless explicitly specified otherwise). It is considered cheating to view your notes or to communicate with or copy from a classmate during an exam. Anyone who is caught cheating in this class will receive a grade of F for the class. Note also that if you are caught cheating then you will not be permitted to withdraw from the class (i.e., the F will go on your permanent transcript).

Attendance Policy

Although there is no attendance policy per se for this class, you are expected to be present for all class meetings. You will be expected to arrive at class with your laptop for classroom use.

Inclusion

WSU recognizes that our individual differences can deepen our understanding of one another and the world around us, rather than divide us. In this class, people of all ethnicities, genders, religions, ages, sexual orientations, disabilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, regions, and nationalities are strongly encouraged to share their rich array of perspectives and experiences. If you feel your differences may in some way isolate you from WSU’s community or if you have a need of any specific accommodations, please speak with the instructor early in the semester about your concerns and what we can do together to help you become an active and engaged member of our class and community. 
WSU Inclusive Excellence Resources.

Course Objectives

The primary objective of this course is to provide each student with enough knowledge to effectively use their laptops in his/her area of academic interest. In particular, the course is designed to help non-CS majors become effective users of computer applications and tools so that they can manage and maintain their computer systems, and to become knowledgeable citizens about how computers impact society and themselves. In doing so, the course will increase students' ability to participate as effective citizens in a democratic, multicultural, and global society that is very much affected by computer technology.

Specifically, the course is designed to meet the following outcomes.

  1. Students will use critical thinking skills to analyze contemporary issues.

    Computers are a contemporary issue. To analyze how it impacts individuals and society, one must be able to understand, at a basic level, how they work. To promote this understanding, students will map a network drive, install and uninstall application software, organize and manage files on their laptops, and create documents and presentations using a variety of software applications. They will evaluate their own as well as other documents and presentations That are created using different application software for effective communication. They will also learn about various security and ethical issues relating to computer systems, and how to go about determining why something is not working correctly.

  2. Students will demonstrate effective oral and/or written communication of ideas, informed opinions, and/or values.

    Students will be presented with different software packages for creating documents and presentations that express their opinions and values. The various uses of multimedia and the limitations of the software tools' impact on one's ability to communicate will be discussed. Students' presentation will be evaluated for a grade.

  3. Students will identify, find, and use tools of information science related to contemporary issues.

    Students will work with tools in two ways in this class. They will work directly with software applications for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. And they will learn how to monitor technological trends and keep up-to-date with changes. In essence, students will learn to become lifelong learners in ever growing technological world.

  4. Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively, independently, and/or in collaborative problem-solving groups.

    Students will work both on their own and in teams during this class. They will usually work in teams during class to understand the basics of each tool/concept. Then they will be given the opportunity to create individual documents and presentations to further develop their understanding of the technology.

  5. Students will participate actively (e.g., class discussion, volunteerism, etc.) in issues significant to citizenship in contemporary society.

    The course will include assignments and in-class discussions regarding the impact of computer technology on our society. This includes discussions of ethical issues, accessibility issues, and global issues. It also includes discussions on how a government can and cannot control access to information by the general public, and its impact to spam, blogs, and social networks.

Topics

This list indicates topics to be covered; it does not necessarily reflect the order in which we will cover them. Also, given the dynamic nature of technology, we will likely add to and subtract from this list as we go!

  1. Systems
    1. File maintenance
      1. Copy/Move/Delete
      2. Permissions, hidden files
      3. File transfer (FTP)
      4. Network drives - mapping, navigation
      5. Client-Server
      6. File organization
      7. Temporary files
      8. Defragmentation
      9. Backup files
      10. File compression - zip, archive
    2. Operating systems
      1. Settings
      2. Control panel
      3. WSU settings - firewall, anti-virus
      4. Passwords
    3. Peripherals
      1. Wi-Fi
      2. Printers
        1. Managing print jobs
        2. Adding/removing a network printer
        3. Conservation of resources
        4. Using a shared printer
      3. Scanners
    4. Gadgets
      1. Cell phones
      2. PDAs
      3. USB - Flash drives, etc.
  2. Applications
    1. Adobe/Macromedia
      1. Dreamweaver
      2. Fireworks
      3. Flash
    2. Microsoft Office
      1. Word
      2. Excel
      3. Powerpoint
      4. Access
  3. Internet
    1. Electronic communication
      1. Mail
      2. Chatrooms
      3. IPhone
      4. Blogs
      5. List-serves
      6. Spam
    2. Security
      1. Updates
      2. Virus, spyware, adware, popups
      3. Personal information
      4. Wired, wireless, VPN
      5. Encryption
      6. Name space, etc.
      7. Firewall
    3. Ethics
      1. Plagiarism
      2. Spying
    4. Web
      1. Navigation
      2. Searching, browsers, search engines
      3. Security issues
        1. Cookies
        2. Trusted sites
        3. Pop-ups
      4. RSS Feeds