CIS 150 – Introduction to Computer Applications - Online Sections
Instructor: Mr. Paul Overstreet
University of South Alabama – Spring 2013
Office: Shelby Hall 1203
Phone: (251) 460-7072 E-Mail Address: cis150@cis.usouthal.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Structure of the Course:
Course Material: The CIS 150 is taught in an online. All course content will be delivered online using the SAKAI tools and the myitlab program. Content will be delivered through assigned textbook reading assignments, weekly quizzes based on the textbook material, and audio PowerPoints covering the content. Students will be assigned weekly lab assignments as well as other class activities.
Open Lab Time: The CIS Lab (Shelby Hall 1300) will be reserved exclusively for CIS 150 students for a minimum of 8 hours per week. This schedule will be posted to the course web site at the beginning of the semester. This lab time will be supervised by the CIS 150 Graduate Assistants. Students may use the labs during this time to work on any of the course requirements.
Important Notice about CSCB Labs: The computers in Shelby Hall 1300, 1302, and 1304 are set up to completely refresh the systems anytime they are restarted and every night. This will cause any files stored by students on these machines to be deleted. Do not leave files on these computers! You must use CDs or USB drives while working on your projects in the lab since if the computer is restarted, you will lose all of your work!
Textbook: The Person Custom Program for CIS – CIS 150 – Introduction to Computer Applications by Robert
T. Grauer with Michelle Hulett, Cynthia Krebs, Maurie Wigman Lockley, Keith Mulbery, and Judy
Scheeren, Pearson Custom Publishing, 2011. - (This is a custom book, created exclusively for the
University of South Alabama, which is significantly cheaper than the previously used book for CIS
150/250. However, you will not be able to sell this book back to the bookstore at the end of the semester). You must use our custom book – you cannot use a custom book created for any other school since chapters will vary based on the institution and textbook.
It is highly recommended that you purchase the NEW textbook package from the USA
Bookstore. This package will come with the textbook and the access code for the training/testing software that is required for this course. If these items are purchased separately, as is the case when you purchase a used textbook, it may end up costing you significantly more than purchasing a new package.
You are required to have a NEW MyITLab Software Package including unopened PIN code as packaged in your textbook purchase. If you do not have a NEW and UNOPENED PIN code you must purchase one from the bookstore or online at www.myitlab.com
. myitlab: Most Hands-On exercises and all exams will be conducted through the on-line training and assessment program, myitlab, at www.myitlab.com
. In order to be able to complete the lab assignments and exams all students must create a myitlab account using the access code provided with your textbook package. This will be covered in the first week’s assignment – students must have their textbooks and access code available when completing this first assignment.

Computer Requirements: This online class requires a Windows-based computer and access to a High
Speed Internet connection. Students whose computers do meet these requirements may complete the course requirements in the CIS Lab (Shelby Hall 1300, 1302, and 1304) during the available open lab times. Students will need to ensure they have access to a reliable Windows-based computer and High
Speed Internet connection for this entire course and for all scheduled exam dates.
You are required to have access to the following software to complete your assignments and projects:

Internet Explorer (v. 7.0 or higher)

Microsoft Windows 7

Microsoft Word 2010

Microsoft Excel 2010

Adobe Acrobat Reader (to view PDF documents posted by the instructor)
 myitlab software package- The access code for this software should have come with your textbook. If it did not (as in the case of a used textbook) you will need to purchase this access code from the USA Bookstore (or www.myitlab.com
) separately.
Note : it is the student's responsibility to obtain all necessary software applications for this course as soon as possible. Extensions cannot be granted for failure to meet these requirements. Lab computers are set up with the required software. If you do not have the necessary software you will need to complete the course requirements in the USA computer labs.
MAC computers are allowed; however, this will require setting the computer up with a dual boot system. Additionally, the training, grader assignments, and exams will follow the instructions for the Windows based version of Microsoft Office. Office for Mac 2011 is NOT the same as the
Office 2010 version for Windows. Any changes or modifications in the software are the responsibility of the student.
Course Description: The USA Bulletin describes: This course is designed to provide a broad based introduction to the use of computers to enhance personal productivity. Topics to be covered are use of a graphical user interface, word processing, spreadsheet analysis, basic image management related to documents and reports and the fundamentals of Internet publishing.
Course Goals and Objectives: At the conclusion of the semester, the students should be able to:
1) Identify and use the various components of the windows desktop
2) Identify and use the components of a window
3) Distinguish between folders and documents, and understand how each functions
4) Explain the basic concepts of Word Processing
5) Perform basic text editing and formatting in a document
6) Include clip-art, images, tables, bulleted lists, numbered lists, and other advanced formatting in a document
7) Define common spreadsheet terminology
8) Create basic Excel worksheets, both from a blank screen and from a template
9) Properly use and create Excel function and formulas to perform calculations within the spreadsheet
10) Build various Excel charts and graphs for inclusion in a spreadsheet
11) Develop an understanding of the Internet
12) Locate topic specific information on the Internet
13) Use computer technology to access, retrieve, process, and communicate information

Grading: Even though this course is on-line, it is not a directive study course. There are set due dates for all assignments, projects, and exams. Assignments and activities are due by the posted due date and time unless otherwise stated by the instructor. Assignments must be submitted via SAKAI or myitlab as directed in the assignment instructions. Assignments cannot be hand delivered or accepted via e-mail.
Lab Assignments and Hands-On Exercises ...10% A normal grading scale will be used:
Grader Assignments .......................................20% A = 90+
Quizzes ...........................................................10%
Exam 1 ...........................................................20%
B = 80 - 89
C = 70 - 79
Exam 2 ...........................................................20%
Final Exam .....................................................20%
D = 60 - 69
F < 60
Assignments will be due by 3:00 pm on Friday of the week they are assigned – unless otherwise specified.
Late Assignments (Lab Assignments, Hands-On Exercises, Grader Assignments, and
Quizzes) can be submitted until 11:59 pm the day prior to the associated exam. No late assignments will be allowed after the exam has been activated. Assignments submitted after this time will not be accepted for credit. At the end of the semester, when calculating grades, 2 Lab
Assignments/Hand-On Exercise grades, 1 Grader Assignment grade and 1 Quiz grade will be dropped from the overall average.
Grader Assignments – Grader assignments are completed through the myitlab. These assignments are automatically graded through the myitlab program. Reports are available through myitlab to indicate what points were deducted on the assignment. These assignments may be corrected and resubmitted as many times as the student wants during the assigned week. Grader assignments will be due by 3:00 pm on Friday of the week they are assigned – unless otherwise noted . Late Assignments (Lab
Assignments, Hands-On Exercises, Grader Assignments, and Quizzes) can be submitted until
11:59 pm the day prior to the associated exam. No late assignments will be allowed after the exam has been activated.
Quizzes – Weekly quizzes will be completed through myitlab. These 10 minute quizzes will be based on the textbook material assigned for that week. The quizzes will consist of 10 multiple choice questions randomly selected from the total pool of questions included for that chapter. Students are able to retake these quizzes as many times as they want during the assigned week. Quizzes will be due by
12:00 noon on Friday of the week they are assigned – unless otherwise specified.
Late
Assignments (Lab Assignments, Hands-On Exercises, Grader Assignments, and Quizzes) can be submitted until 11:59 pm the day prior to the associated exam. No late assignments will be allowed after the exam has been activated. Each time a student takes a quiz it may contain different questions taken from the total pool. The multiple choice questions on each exam will come directly from the questions contained in the quizzes.
Exams – Exams will be given on the specified and assigned exam day . Exams must be taken on the scheduled exam day. No make-up exams will be given without a documented legal or medical excuse.
The exam will be available between 6:00 am – 11:00 pm. Students will have 1 hour to complete the exam. All exams will be scheduled on days with open lab times so students without an appropriate computer system and/or Internet connection will be able to take their exam on the assigned day during an open lab session.

E-Mail: Direct all course e-mails to cis150@cis.usouthal.edu
E-mail can be an effective form of communication between you and your instructor. You are required by the university to maintain (and check) your jaguar1 e-mail account. This is your official student email account and the one that will be used by the instructor for any necessary communication with you.
When sending an e-mail to your instructor, please be sure to include your name, jag number, course and section number in the subject line of your e-mail. Your jaguar1 e-mail address is not enough information for your instructor to know what student sent the e-mail.
Netiquette : The same rules apply online as they do in person. Please be respectful of your instructor and your fellow students. Inappropriate correspondence will not be tolerated. Please take a moment to read the following link concerning "netiquette"
Virginia Shea's Ten Core Rules of Netiquette
HELP:
SAKAI - If you experience any technical problems during your use of SAKAI , please do not hesitate to contact the HELP DESK at (251) 461-1889, (855) 577-2032 or http://tinyurl.com/sakaihelp
MYITLAB : If you have problems with the myitlab software program, please contact their
Technical Support directly– see the “Getting Help in myitlab” section in the SAKAI course.
If, however, you have a course related issue (course content, assignment troubles, etc.) please contact your instructor directly in the "Virtual Office", by phone or by e-mail.
Disability: If you have a disability and need special consideration, you should contact the instructor early in the semester . You are encouraged to register with the Special Student Services Office, located in the Student
Center, Room 270. Phone (251) 460-7212.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, students with bona fide disabilities will be afforded reasonable accommodation. The Office of Special Student Services will certify a disability and advise faculty members of reasonable accommodations.
Changes in Course Requirements: Since all classes do not progress at the same rate, the instructor may wish to modify the above requirements or their timing as circumstances dictate. For example, the instructor may wish to change the number and frequency of exams, or the number and sequence of assignments.
However, the students must be given adequate notification. Moreover, there may be non-typical classes for which these requirements are not strictly applicable in each instance and may need modification. If such modification is needed, it must be in writing and conform to the spirit of this policy statement.
Cheating: The School of Computing Policy on cheating is:
“Unless otherwise stated by your instructor, all work submitted for grading must be your work.
This means that the work you submit for grading must be designed and implemented by one and only one person, and that person must be you. Any deviation from this policy may result in a failing grade for the course for all parties involved. This policy applies to examinations, programming assignments, quizzes, and homework assignments.”
See the attached Student Academic Conduct Policy .

Academic Disruption Policy - Disruptive academic behavior is defined as individual or group conduct that interrupts or interferes with any educational activity or environment, infringes upon the rights and privileges of others, results in or threatens the destruction of property, and/or is otherwise prejudicial to the maintenance of order in an academic environment. An academic environment is defined as a classroom, laboratory, library, study hall, field trip or similar setting in which formal learning is taking place. Though dependent upon the size and nature of the academic setting, disruption refers to behavior a reasonable person would view as substantially or repeatedly interfering with the conduct of an activity.
Disruptive behavior may range from the mildly annoying (which should be tolerated as much as possible) to clearly disruptive, dangerous and/or violent behavior which should never be tolerated.
The University of South Alabama’s policy regarding Academic Disruption is published annually in The
Lowdown, the student handbook: http://www.southalabama.edu/lowdown/academicdisruption.shtml
American Disabilities Act Statement - In accordance with the American Disabilities Act, students with bona fide disabilities will be afforded reasonable accommodation. The Office of Special Student Services
(UC 270, 460-7212) will certify a disability and advise the faculty of reasonable accommodations.
Non-Discrimination Policy - The University of South Alabama and its colleges and subdivisions follow a policy of non-discrimination on the basis of sex, race, and disability in admission policies and practices, educational programs, activities, and employment practices according to Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972. The University of South Alabama provides equal educational opportunities to and is open and accessible to all qualified students without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, sex, or qualified handicap/disability, with respect to all of its programs and activities. The University of
South Alabama does not discriminate on the basis of disability. No otherwise qualified person with a disability, solely on the basis of such disability, will be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in the administration of any educational program or activity including admission or access thereto or in treatment or employment therein by the University of South
Alabama.
Approximate Timetable of Events:
Week 1: PC Components and Concepts, Introduction to Windows 7
Week 2: Internet Concepts
Week 3:
Week 4:
Information Assurance Concepts
Office Fundamentals
Week 5:
Week 6:
Week 7:
Exam 1
Begin Word Processing – Word Chapter 1
Word Concepts – Word Chapter 2
Week 8:
Week 9:
Word Concepts – Word Chapter 3
Word Concepts – Word Chapter 4
Week 10: Exam 2
Week 11: Begin Spreadsheet Concepts – Excel Chapter 1
Week 12: Excel Chapter 2
Week 13: Excel Chapter 3
Week 14/15: Excel Chapter 4
Week 16: Final Exam

Student Academic Conduct Policy
The University strives to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. Any dishonesty related to academic work or student academic records constitutes academic misconduct. Such acts are subject to investigation and disciplinary action through the appropriate University procedures. The procedures for such action and for those relating to the appeal process are outlines in the student handbook titled The Lowdown.
You should familiarize yourself with these procedures. Penalties are left to the discretion of the instructor and may result in a failing grade for the course. All cases of academic misconduct are required to be reported to the
Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. Students will be blocked from dropping a course where there is an instance of academic misconduct. A second occurrence of academic misconduct will result in dismissal from the School of Computing and may result in dismissal from the University of South Alabama.
Guidelines for Submitting Individual Programming Assignments
Unless otherwise stated by your instructor, all material submitted for grading must be your own work. As stated in The Lowdown, “any dishonesty related to academic work or records constitutes academic misconduct, including, but not limited to, activities such as giving or receiving unauthorized aid in tests and examinations, improperly obtaining a copy of an examination, plagiarism, misrepresentation of information, altering transcripts or university records” (2009-2010 ed, page 176)
The following examples should elucidate the guidelines:
Examples of Acceptable Conduct

Discussing general approaches to an assignment, without discussing the algorithm in detail, actual lines of code, user interface design, or program design.

Explaining/clarifying the assignment of specifications for others.
Examples of Unacceptable Conduct (Academic Misconduct)
 Copying, discussing, or viewing all or part of someone else’s solution and submitting it as your own work. This includes but is not limited to code, the user interface, data files, design artifacts, and/or documentation .

Working with another student on an assignment and submitting it as individual work.

Giving someone else your program or design so they can “see” how the program should be written.

Soliciting, or giving, coding assignments from current or previous semesters.

Soliciting assistance from outside sources (e.g. online bulletin boards).
When in doubt about the permissibility of any action – Consult your instructor.
You should receive help with care – even from tutors and lab assistants. Avoid becoming dependent on others for assistance. Utilize other resources such as programming manuals.
You should give assistance with care – you may be subject to, and liable, for cheating. Also, when you help too much, the other student is deprived of a valuable learning experience.
Most importantly, PROTECT YOUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY! Do not leave printouts or disks behind, or leave programs on the lab computer’s hard drives. You are responsible for the security of your assignments.