Syllabus - ITEC 100 Spring 2007 Sections 01/02

Instructor: Don Braffitt
Office: B46 Davis Hall
E-mail: dbraffitt@radford.edu
Phone: 540.831.5072 Fax: 540.831.6706
Office hours: Mon 3-4, Wed 11-12, Thu 1-2, Fri 10-11, and by appointment
Course information page: http://www.radford.edu/dbraffitt/itec100/2007/spring/

ITEC 100 introduces students to the fundamental concepts in information technology that provide the technical foundation for state-of-the-art computer applications. A perspective on the range of information technology is presented through lectures, discussions, and lab assignments. Historical developments and social implications in information technology form an integral part of the course. Widely used computer applications, including word processors, presentation software, spreadsheets, databases, computer communications, and networking are used to supplement the IT concepts introduced in the course. Students who have received credit for INSY 181, CPSC 106, or CPSC 106P may not receive credit for ITEC 100. ITEC 100 qualifies as a General Education Requirement (3 credit hours) in the Mathematical Sciences.

Course Sections

• ITEC 100-01 - Lecture Mon 8-9:50 (211 Young); Lab Wed 8-9:50 (222 Whitt); Final Exam Mon 30-Apr 8-9:50 (222 Whitt)
• ITEC 100-02 - Lecture Mon 8-9:50 (211 Young); Lab Fri 8-9:50 (222 Whitt); Final Exam Thu 03-May 11-12:50 (222 Whitt)

Texts and Online and Optional Materials

• Succeeding with Technology, 2nd Edition (ISBN: 1418839280/9781418839284 - new or used)
• New Perspectives Microsoft Office 2003, First Course, Premium Edition (ISBN: 141886076X/9781418860769 - new or used) - includes SAM 2003 CD
• SAM 2003 Assessment and Training 3.1 (ISBN: 1423912608/9781423912606 - new only)
• WebCT / Blackboard course name: _Spring 2007-IT - ITEC100-Braffitt (All Sections) - INTR TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
• Other online materials from publisher and textbook authors - see course information page
• SAM 2003 3.1 Quick Reference Card (optional)
• USB drive (optional)
• Office 2003/2004 (optional for use on student computer systems)

Goals and Objectives

Having successfully completed the course, the student will be able to:

• Understand the foundation and historical significance of information technology, including influential leaders in the development of computers
• Understand how a computer system operates, including the integration of its hardware, software, and peripheral devices
• Understand binary data representation, including comparison of analog and digital devices
• Understand elementary mathematical and digital concepts for software and computer programming
• Understand a network infrastructure, communication protocols, internet/intranet architecture, and the World Wide Web
• Understand various digital media including digital audio and digital video
• Understand decision support systems, management information systems, and various special purpose systems and concepts including artificial intelligence
• Understand the systems development life cycle
• Understand basic concepts in database systems and e-commerce systems
• Understand issues in computer crime and information security
• Understand the ethical responsibilities and legal issues surrounding information technology, its social impact, and future implications
• Recognize and use appropriate application software, specifically demonstrating skills in document production, presentation development, spreadsheet creation, and database management

Assignments and Quizzes

Assignments and quizzes will be delivered via WebCT. Students are expected to submit their own work for all assignments and quizzes by the due date. Assignments are based on Case Problem 1 from the Office 2003 Tutorials as detailed in the schedule below. For example, Word 3-1 is Word Tutorial 3 Case Problem 1.

All quizzes are open-book and open-notes and must be completed in lab. There are no makeups for quizzes. Assignments are due Fridays at NOON. Partial credit will be granted for any assignment submitted late up until the date of the next exam.

At the end of the semester, the lowest two assignment grades and the lowest two quiz grades will be dropped. There will be a total of 12 quizzes, one a week on non-exam weeks, on the computer concepts material. The 10 highest quiz grades each count 2% of the final grade. There will be a total of 14 assignments, one a week, based on the Office 2003 material. The 12 highest assignment grades each count 2% of the final grade. Thus the assignments and quizzes given throughout the course will be worth 44% of the final grade. Assignments and quizzes will also help prepare students for exams. Late assignments will be graded for partial credit up until the next exam date.

Exams

Exams will be delivered via SAM 2003 A&T 3.1. Students are expected to submit their own work for all exams. There will be two 100 minute in-lab exams given during the semester in addition to a 100 minute in-lab final exam. Each exam will be worth 15% of the final grade.

Exams are closed-book and closed-notes except for one 8.5x11 inch piece of paper on which each student may include typed or handwritten notes (front and back).

Student Responsibilities

Students are responsible for the information that is included in the assigned readings, lectures, discussions, assignments, quizzes, lab projects, and any additional information discussed in class or posted in WebCT. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the instructor's office hours, peer instructors in the labs, and the online supplementary materials provided by the textbook publisher and the textbook authors. The best preparation for exams is to complete readings, assignments, quizzes, and lab projects and to participate in class and via WebCT by asking questions and participating in discussions.

In the case of an emergency, illness, religious holiday, or RU-sponsored travel that may cause a student to miss an exam or class, the student must notify the instructor prior to the exam or class. Students who fail to notify the instructor prior to an exam will not be allowed to make up that exam. There are no makeups for missed quizzes.

Assessment

The assessment will be weighted as follows:

• 24% Assignments (2% each for best 12 of 14 weekly assignments)
• 20% Quizzes (2% each for best 10 of 12 weekly quizzes)
• 11% Participation
• 15% Exam 1 (concepts Chapters 1-4; File Management and Word)
• 15% Exam 2 (concepts Chapters 5-6, 9-10; PowerPoint and Excel)
• 15% Exam 3 / Final Exam (concepts Chapters 7-8, 11-12; Access, and Integration of Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint)

The final average based on this weighting will be rounded to the next higher integer.

The assessment will be according to the following scale:

• A = 90% to 100%
• B = 80% to 89%
• C = 70% to 79%
• D = 60% to 69%
• F = 59% and below

During the semester, grades will be provided to students via WebCT.

Attendance, Participation, and Extra Credit

Class attendance (both lecture and lab) is expected and strongly recommended. Absences do not excuse students from the responsibility for subject matter missed or assignments, quizzes, lab projects, or online discussions to be completed. If you must miss a class, or if you expect to be late to class or need to leave class early, please notify the instructor via email prior to that class.

The 11% participation portion of the student grade is based on effort and consists of three parts:

• Class attendance for at least 10 of 13 Monday class sessions starting 22-Jan
• On-time participation via WebCT in at least 10 of 12 online discussions
• On-time submission via WebCT of at least 10 of 12 lab projects starting the 2nd week of class

The full 11% participation portion of the student grade may be obtained by completing all three parts. Partial participation credit may be granted if a student completes two of the three parts depending on the effort expended completing the third part.

Class attendance for Monday class sessions will be recorded via attendance cards which each student completes at the end of each Monday class session. At the end of each of the 14 Monday class essions (08-Jan included), each student puts the date on his or her attendance card, initials the card, and writes at least two brief sentences describing something learned that class session and something confusing that class session. If a student is in a class session less than an hour for whatever reason, the student must indicate on the attendance card the class times actually present. A student who initials an attendance date with no times is indicating that he or she was present in class at least one hour that Monday class session. If you contact the instructor prior to class via email, some absences may be considered excused (see Student Responsibilities above).

Online class discussion postings (one per concepts text chapter) must be completed via WebCT each Friday by NOON for the chapter corresponding to the weekly quiz.

Starting with week 3 in lab, any student may propose an alternate sequence of lab projects (other than the 14 required Case Problem 1 assignments) from the Office 2003 text. No matter which sequence of lab projects each student completes (subject to instructor approval), all students must complete the same group of 14 required Case Problem 1 assignments as detailed in the schedule below. This flexibility in lab projects allows each student to tailor a portion of the course work to emphasize particular Office 2003 skills. For example, a student already very familiar with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint may instead choose to complete additional Microsoft Excel and Access lab projects to substitute for the recommended lab projects as detailed in the schedule below.

Any student obtaining the full 11% participation as detailed above (i.e., all three parts completed) is eligible for extra credit as follows:

• 1% for each Monday class attended starting 22-Jan beyond the required 10 up to a maximum of 3%
• 1% for each online discussion completed beyond the required 10 up to a maximum of 2%
• 1% for each lab project completed starting the 2nd week beyond the required 10 up to a maximum of 2%

Thus, a student can potentially earn 7% extra credit over the course of the semester provided the full 11% participation credit has been earned.

Class Courtesy Policy

Please set cell phones, pagers, and notebook computers to silent during class (lecture and lab). Computers should primarily be used for work relevant to ITEC 100 during ITEC 100 classes. Please refrain from any activities while in class that would be disruptive to the class.

Honor Code

By accepting admission to Radford University, each student makes a commitment to understand, support, and abide by the University Honor Code without compromise or exception. Violations of this academic integrity will not be tolerated. Refer to your Student Handbook for details. Each of these classes will be conducted in strict observance of the Honor Code.

Students With Disabilities

A student seeking classroom accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act is required to register with the Disability Resource Office (DRO). The DRO is located on the first floor of Tyler Hall, phone number 540.831.6350. To receive academic accommodations for this class, a student should obtain the proper DRO forms and meet with the instructor at the beginning of the semester.

Changes to Course Syllabus or Class Schedule

All changes to either the course syllabus or the class schedule will be announced in class and posted in WebCT. Students are responsible for any announced changes even if absent or tardy when the announcements are made. Sometimes changes will be posted in WebCT prior to a class announcement (e.g., schedule adjustments if the unversity closes due to inclement weather).

Tentative Schedule

	Concepts	Text	Skills	Lab Project	Assignments (due Fri NOON)	Quizzes       (in lab)	Exams        (in lab)
Week 1 08-Jan	Syllabus; Introduction	Chapter 1 pp. 2-20	WebCT; H: drive File Management	Tutorial 1
Week 2 15-Jan	Introduction (no class 15-Jan)	Chapter 1 pp. 21-55	SAM 2003 Word	Tutorial 1	FM 1-1	Chapter 1
Week 3 22-Jan	Hardware	Chapter 2 pp. 56-109	SAM 2003 A&T 3.1 Word	Tutorial 2	Word 1-1	Chapter 2
Week 4 29-Jan	Software	Chapter 3 pp. 110-173	Word	Tutorial 3	Word 2-1	Chapter 3
Week 5 05-Feb	The Internet and World Wide Web	Chapter 4 pp. 174-229	Word	Tutorial 4	Word 3-1	Chapter 4
Week 6 12-Feb	Review				Word 4-1		Exam 1
Week 7 19-Feb	Networks	Chapter 5 pp. 230-281	PowerPoint	Tutorials 1/2	PPT 1-1	Chapter 5
Week 8 26-Feb	Digital Media	Chapter 6 pp. 282-339	Excel	Tutorial 1	PPT 2-1	Chapter 6
Week 9 05-Mar	Special Purpose Systems	Chapter 9 pp. 436-475	Excel	Tutorial 2	Excel 1-1	Chapter 9
Week 10 12-Mar	Spring Break
Week 11 19-Mar	Systems Development	Chapter 10 pp. 476-523	Excel	Tutorials 3/4	Excel 2-1	Chapter 10
Week 12 26-Mar	Review				Excel 3-1		Exam 2
Week 13 02-Apr	Database Systems	Chapter 7 pp. 340-387	Access	Tutorials 1/2	Access 1-1	Chapter 7
Week 14 09-Apr	E-Commerce	Chapter 8 pp. 388-435	Access	Tutorial 3	Access 2-1	Chapter 8
Week 15 16-Apr	Computer Crime and Information Security	Chapter 11 pp. 524-579	Access	Tutorial 4	Access 3-1	Chapter 11
Week 16 23-Apr	Digital Society, Ethics, and Globalization	Chapter 12 pp. 580-623	Integration	Tutorials 1/2/3	INT 1-1	Chapter 12
Week 17 30-Apr							Exam 3 / Final Exam

Revised: 04-Jan-2007   Don Braffitt Home   ITEC 100 Home   ITEC Home   CIST Home   RU Home