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Abbreviated Syllabus
AST 236 Specialized Software Applications (16 weeks)
COURSE INFORMATION
Course No.: AST 236
Semester: Fall 2013
Course Title: Specialized Software Applications
Credits: 3
Course Hours: Mondays online; Wednesdays in class 9:30–10:45 a.m.
Instructor: Prof. Diane D. Mickey
Office Hours: Tuesdays 8 – 11 a.m.
Email: dmickey@nvcc.edu
Office: 302E
Phone: (703) 878-5631
Course Description
Teaches specialized integrated software applications on the microcomputer. Emphasizes
document production to meet business and industry standards. Lecture 1.5 hours Online 1.5
(Hybrid Course)
General Course Description
This is a course designed to help the student understand the expanding area of computer concepts
and applications utilizing Microsoft Office and XHTML to create a webpage.
Course Prerequisites/Co-requisites
AST 101 or equivalent and student must be able to read and write at a college level.
Course Objectives
Upon completing the course, the student should be able to:
 Describe the typical components of a microcomputer.
 Identify and discuss the functions of computer hardware: input, processing output, and
storage.
 Identify important categories of microcomputer software (word processing, spreadsheet,
database management, presentation graphics, XHTML) and explain what they do and
how they work in general terms.
 Use the operating system to perform disk management operations such as formatting and
copying.
 Use the operating system to perform file management operations such as copying,
moving, renaming, deleting, and subdirectory organization.
 Identify and discuss the basic activities involved in working with a spreadsheet.
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All in One
 Use a spreadsheet program to: create, edit, manipulate, format, execute, and save.
Retrieve and print a worksheet.
 Identify and discuss the basic activities involved in working with a database.
 Use a database management program to: create the structure and contents of a database;
modify and sequence the database, perform queries, create and run reports.
 Identify and discuss the basic activities involved in working with presentation software.
 Use presentation software to: create a slide show; input text and graphics on slides, edit,
save, retrieve, print, and view a slide show.
 Identify and discuss the basic activities involved in using the Internet to access resources
searching using key words, and evaluate resources.
 Create a Web site with XHTML tags and post to a Web server.
TEXT AND MATERIALS
Go! All In One Computer Concepts and Applications, Gaskin, Graviett, LaBerta, Pearson
Publishing, 2013. ISBN 0-13-284412-5
ATTENDANCE
(You are allowed no more than 3 absences. Your final course score will be lowered 5 points for
each absence after 3. Regular attendance is expected and an attendance record will be
maintained for each class. Students who fail to attend class by the Census Date of the course
will be administratively withdrawn from the course by the instructor for failure to attend and
make satisfactory progress in the course.
EVALUATION AND GRADING
GRADE SCALE
900 – 1000 = A
800 – 899 = B
700 – 799 = C
600 – 699 = D
Less than 600 = F
EXAMS = 60% of your course grade
PROJECTS = 40% of your course grade
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