Southern State Community College
Curriculum Committee – March 2015
CSCI 1135 – Help Desk Concepts
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I.
COURSE TITLE:
Help Desk Concepts
COURSE NUMBER: 1135
CATALOG PREFIX:
II.
PREREQUISITES: None
III.
CREDIT HOURS: 3
LABORATORY HOURS: 1 (2 contact hours)
IV.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
CSCI
LECTURE HOURS: 2
OBSERVATION HOURS: 0
The goal of this class is to introduce students to the broad range of topics that an entry-level
user support specialist is expected to know. Armed with the foundation of these topics,
students entering the support industry will be better prepared to meet employer expectations.
V.
GRADING:
A = 90 - 100
B = 80 - 89
C = 70 - 79
D = 60 - 69
F = 0 - 59
VI.
ADOPTED TEXT(S):
A Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support Specialists
6th edition
Fred Beisse
Course Technology/Cengage Learning
ISBN: # 1-285-85268-0
VII.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
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Introduce students to the Computer User Support Role
Describe the communication and customer services skills user support staff need
Discuss standard tools and methods troubleshooters use to solve computer problems
Apply problem-solving strategies to examples of real-life situations
Provide an overview of the features of help desk software packages
Provide tools to help support staff analyze and assess user needs for computer
hardware, software and network products and services
Explain how to prepare training materials and how to present, evaluate and improve
training for end users
CSCI 1135 – Help Desk Concepts
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VIII. COURSE METHODOLOGY:
May include but not limited to: lecture, independent and group programming projects, inclass and at-home assignments, tests and quizzes
IX.
COURSE OUTLINE/SAMPLE COURSE CALENDAR:
Chapter 1
Introduction to Computer User Support - Week 1 and 2
a. Historical Changes in Computer Use
b. Problems End-Users Experience
c. How Organizations Provide a User Support Function
d. User Support Services
e. Alternative Career Paths for User Support Workers
Chapter 2
Customer Service Skills for User Support Agents –Week 3
a. Communication and Customer Service Skills
b. Developing an Effective Personal Communication Style
c. Strategies for Working With Difficult Clients and Incidents
Chapter 3
Writing for End Users – Week 4
a. Types of User Documentation
b. How Technical Writing Differs from Other Writing
c. Document Planning
d. The Technical Writing Process
e. Technical Writing Strategies
Chapter 4
Skills for Troubleshooting Computer Problems – Week 5
a. What is Troubleshooting?
b. Tools Troubleshooters Use
c. Developing Your Own Approach to Problem Solving
Chapter 5
Common Support Problems - Week 6
a. Common End-User Problems
b. Problem-Solving Processes Applied to Typical End-User Problems
Chapter 6
Help Desk Operation – Week 7 and 8
a. What is Help Desk?
b. Incident Management Process
c. Best Practice for Help Desk Operations
d. Job Stress in Help Desk Work
e. Trends in Help Desk Operation
CSCI 1135 – Help Desk Concepts
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Chapter 7
User Support Management – Week 9
a. Managerial Concerns: Mission. Budgets, Staffing, Training and Performance
b. User Support as a Profession
Chapter 8
Product Evaluation Strategies and Support Standards - Week 10
a. Methods for Evaluating and Selecting Technology Products
b. Product Support Standards
Chapter 9
End-User Needs Assessment Projects - Week 11
a. User Needs Analysis Steps and Tasks
b. Needs Analysis and Assessment Tools
c. Managing a User Support Project
Chapter 10 Installing and Managing End-User Computers - Week 12 and 13
a. Installation Overview
b. Hardware Installation Tools
c. Common Hardware Installation Steps
d. Typical Operating System and Network Installation Steps
e. Typical Steps to Install Application Software
f. Typical Installation Wrap-Up Tasks
Chapter 11 Technology Training for Computer Users - Week 14
a. The Training Process: Plan, Prepare, Present
b. Progress Toward Higher-Quality User Training
Chapter 12 A User Support Utility Tool Kit - Week 15
a. Introduction to Utility Software and Resources
b. Categories of Utility Software Tools
** Instructor reserves the right to organize work to meet the objectives of the course
X.
OTHER REQUIRED TEXTS, SOFTWARE AND MATERIALS:
None
CSCI 1135 – Help Desk Concepts
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XI.
EVALUATION:
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Instructor will specify which criteria apply to a particular assignment.
Students will complete multiple exercises.
Other assignments, projects, and exercises may be assigned and graded at the discretion
of the instructor.
Sample Evaluation
Class Work and Group Assignments:
Lab Project
Tests
Midterm Test
Final Exam
Class Participation
20% as assigned
20%
20% (10% each)
15 %
20% comprehensive exam
95%
5%
100% Total
XII. SPECIFIC MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS:
None
XIII. OTHER INFORMATION:
FERPA: Students need to understand that your work may be seen by others. Others may
see your work when being distributed, during group project work, or if it is chosen for
demonstration purposes.
Students also need to know that there is a strong possibility that your work may be
submitted to other entities for the purpose of plagiarism checks.
DISABILITIES: Students with disabilities may contact the Disabilities Service Office,
Central Campus, at 800-628-7722 or 937-393-3431.