COSC 101-009: Microbased Computer Literacy Syllabus
Instructor:
Semester:
Lectures:
Dr. Waleed Farag
Spring 2006
T/Th 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Office:
339 Stright Hall
Phone:
(724)357-7995
E-mail: farag@iup.edu
Web Page: www.people.iup.edu/farag
Office Hours:
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Room 320/327
9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
I. Course Description
An introductory course designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of computers. The
course familiarizes students with the interaction of computer hardware and software. Emphasis is placed on
the application of microcomputers, the use of productivity software (word processing, spreadsheet
management, file and database management, presentation graphics), and the social and ethical aspects of
the impact of computers on society, including use of the Internet and Electronic Mail. This course meets the
requirements as a Liberal Studies Elective.
II. Course Objectives
A. To provide instruction on the components of a microcomputer system.
B. To provide laboratory and theoretical instruction on how to use software in the categories of
operating systems, word processing, spreadsheet, database management, presentation graphics,
and the enhancement of learning.
C. To be able to use e-mail and the Internet to communicate and locate information.
D. To develop an understanding of historical, current, and future trends in computing that will enable
one to comprehend better and react to new applications and technologies as they evolve in the
coming years.
E. To develop an understanding of the value of computing as an intellectual skill whose concepts
have inherent value analogous to those of mathematical and logical reasoning, and to those of
language itself.
F. To develop an awareness of issues in computing as they relate to ethical, social, psychological,
political, and economic implications.
III. Detailed Course Outline
A. Introduction to Computing Systems
1. History of Computer Development
2. Components of Computer Systems
3. Classification of Computer Systems
B. Microcomputer Hardware
1. Microprocessors
2. Primary and Secondary Storage
3. Input/Output Components
C. Microcomputer Operating Systems
1. Single-user, Multiuser, and Multitasking Operating Systems
2. System Software: Language Translators & Utility Programs
3. Advanced Features of Operating Systems
2 hours
4 hours
2 hours
2 hours
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D. Major Applications
1. Word Processing
a) Fundamental Concepts
b) Basic Applications
2. Electronic Spreadsheets
a) Fundamental Concepts
b) Basic Applications
3. Record and File Management Systems
a) Fundamental Concepts
b) Basic Applications
4. Database Management Systems
a) Fundamental Concepts
b) Basic Applications
5. Presentation Graphics Applications and Integrated Software
a) Fundamental Concepts
b) Basic Applications
6. Use of the Internet for Information Retrieval and Communications
a) Fundamental Concepts
b) Basic Applications
E. Other Personal Use Applications Software
1. Personal Financial Management
2. Management Information Systems/Decision Support Systems
3. Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems (Basic ideas)
F. Data Communications
1. Components of Data Communications Systems
2. Diversity of Networks, LAN, WAN, MAN, WLAN
3. Electronic Library Catalogs and other Public Database Systems
G. Impact of Computers on Society
1. Computers in Business, Education, Government, Arts and Sciences
2. Computer Security, Privacy, Piracy, and Ethical considerations
6 hours
4 hours
1 hour
3 hours
3 hours
3 hours
1 hours
2 hours
3 hours
IV. Textbooks and supplies
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

"Technology in Action, Go!" by Alan Evan, Kendall Martin, and Mary Anne Poatsy, Second
Edition, 2006, Prentice Hall, ISBN #0-13-148904-6.
"Go! with Microsoft, Office 2003 Brief" by Gaskin, Preston, Preston, Ferrett, Foster-Turpen and
Vargas, 2005, Prentice Hall, ISBN #0-13-185997-8.
General Reading: The Cuckoo’s Egg, by Clifford Stoll, Published by Pocket Books, Copyright
1990. ISBN: 0-671-72688-9. A novel is required in this course.
Course handouts: will be distributed as needed.
GRADING
Course Grade
Points
% of Grade
Two Examinations (Midterm and Final)
300 (100+200)
37.5
Three Quizzes
100 (40+30+30)
12.5
Homework and Laboratory exercises
300
37.5
Participation and attendance
100
12.5
Extra credit
50
Point System: 800 total assigned points; 850 total possible points with extra credit.
2
A>= 720
B>= 640
C>= 560
D>= 480
F < 480
COURSE POLICIES
Examination and Quiz Policy
Two examinations and three quizzes will be given. No make-up exams will be allowed without prior
arrangements being made. Make-up exams must be taken when scheduled. Quizzes are usually given at
the beginning of a lecture. Students who arrive late will not be permitted to take the quiz.
Preparing for Examinations: Attend lecture and read the chapters. At least 95% of the questions are taken
directly from the reading material. Review the Summary and Key Terms sections at the end of the chapters
on which you are being tested.
In Case You Are Late or Absent: It is your responsibility to get the course notes, handouts, and laboratory
assignments should you miss class or be late. In many case, lecture notes will be available on my Web Site.
Extra Credit
You may complete any one of the Lab exercises found at the end of each chapter of the Office 2003 book
that are not assigned for 5 points each, up to a maximum of 50 points. Each of the Lab exercises must come
from a different chapter. Extra credit should be submitted by the deadline of the associated assignment(s)
and will NOT be accepted late.
Attendance Policy
Students must attend classes and labs. After 3 unexcused absences, each three classes missed will result in
the loss of a letter grade. To obtain an excused absence, students must present a request in writing
preferably before the event. (Funerals of relatives: one class only. Illness –written excuse from the Health
Center. School activities-letter from faculty member. Religious observances-letter from your pastor.)
Student Conduct In Class Policy
Any acts of class room disruption that go beyond the normal rights of students to question and discuss with
instructors the educational process relative to subject content will not be tolerated, in accordance with the
Academic Code of Conduct described in the Student Handbook.
Children In Class Policy
Only in extreme cases are children allowed in classroom or laboratory facilities, and then only with
approval of the instructor prior to class.
Electronic Devices In Class Policy
Cellular phones, pagers, CD players, radios, and similar devices are prohibited in the classroom and
laboratory facilities. They must be turned off at all times. You may not leave the room to take a call.
Calculators and computers are prohibited during examinations and quizzes, unless specified. Reasonable
laptop-size computers may be used in lecture for the purpose of taking notes.
Appeals Policy
To appeal a grade, send an e-mail to your instructor's e-mail address within two weeks of the grade having
been received stating the problem. You may be called upon to produce the assignment in question so keep a
copy. You must inform the instructor immediately if your graded work is not returned with the other
assignments. KEEP A COPY OF ALL WORK TURNED IN. Overdue appeals will not be considered.
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Incomplete Policy
Students will not be given an incomplete grade in the course without sound reason and documented
evidence as described in the Student Handbook. In any case, for a student to receive an incomplete, he or
she must be passing and must have completed a significant portion of the course.
Cheating Policy
Students are expected to uphold the school’s standard of conduct relating to academic honesty. Students
assume full responsibility for the content and integrity of the academic work they submit. The guiding
principle of academic integrity shall be that a student's submitted work, examinations, reports, and projects
must be that of the student's own work. Students shall be guilty of violating the honor code if they:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Represent the work of others as their own.
Use or obtain unauthorized assistance in any academic work.
Give unauthorized assistance to other students.
Modify, without instructor approval, an examination, paper, record, or report for the purpose
of obtaining additional credit.
5. Misrepresent the content of submitted work.
6. Submit work done in other classes.
The penalty for violating the honor code is severe. Any student violating the honor code is subject to
receive a failing grade for the course and will be reported to the Office of Student Affairs. If a student is
unclear about whether a particular situation may constitute an honor code violation, the student should meet
with the instructor to discuss the situation. For this class, it is permissible to assist classmates in general
discussions of computing techniques. General advice and interaction are encouraged. Each person,
however, must develop his or her own solutions to the assigned home work and laboratory exercises.
Students may not "work together" on graded assignments. Such collaboration constitutes cheating, unless it
is a grouped assignment. A student may not use or copy (by any means) another's work (or portions of it)
and represent it as his/her own. If you need help on an assignment, contact your instructor or the tutors in
the Learning Center, not other classmates.
Disabilities Policy
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all qualified students enrolled in this
course are entitled to “reasonable accommodations.” Please notify the instructor during the first week of
class of any accommodations needed for the course.
Laboratory Policy
You are required to attend the labs and to bring with you both books. In some cases, you must obtain my
signature on your work during the lab session to demonstrate to me that you are making progress in
mastering the specific skills being taught.
TUTOR ASSISTANCE
Tutors employed by the learning Center are available. You may go there for help. Their schedules should
be available by the second week of the semester.
CONSULTANT ASSISTANCE
Consultants in the open lab are on duty to assist you with hardware and software problems. If your
computer malfunctions or your printer is out of paper, go to the main desk and ask a consultant for help.
The consultants are not laboratory assistants and, therefore, are not responsible for answering specific
homework/laboratory questions. For all technical assistances, email “student-helpdesk@iup.edu”
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VIEWING YOUR GRADES
Grades will be posted in WebCT. I will do my best to ensure that work is graded and returned in a timely
fashion. It is your responsibility to check grades throughout the semester and report any grade
discrepancies to your instructor.
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You are expected to read each assigned chapter prior to the lecture.
Plan to spend approximately six to eight hours each week on reading, homework, and
laboratory assignments.
ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION
Homework and laboratory assignments must be submitted to me during the class on or before the
announced deadline of each assignment. Assignments handed after that time are considered late. These late
assignments should be given to me with an acceptable excuse.
No assignments will be accepted more than two days late. Late assignments are penalized 50%.
*Very Important:
Each assignment should have a cover page that has Your Section Number, Your Full Name,
Student ID, and Exercise Number (in that order) in the upper-left corner of all work turned in. If
an exercise has multiple sheets, then staple them together. Do not staple different assignments
together. Disorganized assignments (pages out of order, mislabeled, unreadable, etc.) or hand
written ones will receive a grade of ZERO. If there are multiple sheets to be handed in, then
sequence them according to the order you were told to print them in the exercise.
Course Schedule:
 We will spend one day as a class lecture then the next day in the lab and so on.
 The lectures will cover the chapters from Technology in Action book. So you need
to bring that book with you to the class.
 The lab will cover almost all the lab projects in the Office 2003 book. So you need
to bring that book with you to the lab.
 Assignments will be announced in class and will be posted in my Web Site
www.people.iup.edu/farag in a regular basis.
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Computer Concepts Textbooks
Discovering Computers2003: Concepts for a Digital World, Web and XP Enhanced, Introductory Edition
by Shelly Cashman Vermaat. ISBN: 0-7895-6513-7.
Microsoft Office XP: Introductory Concepts and Techniques. By Shelly, Cashman, Vermaat. ISBN: 07895-6289-8.
Discovering Computers2001 Concepts for a Connected World Brief Edition, Gary B. Shelly, Thomas J.
Cashman, Misty E.Vermaat - Course Technology Publishing, Copyright March, 2000 ISBN: 0-7895-59382.
Discovering Computers2001 Concepts for a Connected World, Gary B. Shelly, Thomas J. Cashman, Misty
E. Vermaat -Course Technology Publishing, Copyright, March, 2000 ISBN: 0-7895-5937-4.
New Perspectives on Computer Concepts Fourth Edition, Comprehensive, June Jamrich Parsons, Dan Oja,
Course Technology Publishing, Copyright, March, 2000 ISBN: 0-7600-6499-7.
Computer Essentials Brief,1999-2000, Timothy J. O’Leary &Linda I.O’Leary, McGraw-Hill Publishing,
Copyright, 1999, ISBN: 0-07-365555-4.
Computer Essentials, 1999-2000Edition, Eleventh Edition, Timothy J.O’Leary &Linday I O’Leary,
McGraw Hill Publishing, Copyright 1999, ISBN: 0-07-365556-2.
Computers: Tools for an Information Age, Brief Edition, H. L. Capron, Prentice Hall Publishing, Copyright
2000, ISBN: 0-201-47660-6.
Computers in the Future, Marilyn Meyer, Roberto Baber, Bryan Pfaffenberger, Prentice Hall Publishing,
Copyright 1999, ISBN: 1-58076-085-6.
Computers, Information Technology in Perspective (9 th edition).Long, L. and Long, N. Prentice-Hall,
ISBN: 0-13-092980-0.
Software Packages Used:
The current software packages are supported by the university. However, the course is not limited to
teaching just these packages, we teach concepts of the applications. Currently the university supports:
The Office XP suite:
Word Processing: Microsoft Word XP.
Spreadsheets: Microsoft Excel XP.
Database Management: Microsoft Access XP.
Presentation Graphics: Microsoft PowerPoint XP.
Electronic E-Mail: University Web Mail
Internet Browser: Internet Explorer
Other alternatives for email and browsing are Microsoft Outlook and Netscape Communicator.
Software Package Textbooks
New Perspectives on Microsoft Word 2000 – Brief, S. Scott Zimmerman, Beverly B. Zimmerman, Ann
Shaffer, Course Technology Publishing, Copyright, July, 1999, ISBN: 0-7600-6991-3.
New Perspectives on Microsoft PowerPoint2000 –Introductory, Beverly B. Zimmerman, S Scott
Zimmerman, Course Technology Publishing, Copyright, August, 1999, ISBN: 0-7600-7092-X.
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New Perspectives on Microsoft Excel 2000 –Introductory, June Jamrich Parsons, Dan Oja, Roy Ageloff,
Patrick Carey, Course Technology Publishing,Copyright,1999, ISBN: 0-7600-7087-3.
New Perspectives on Microsoft Access 2000 -Introductory, Joseph J. Adamski, Kathy Finnegan, Charles T.
Hommel, Course Technology Publishing, Copyright 1999, ISBN: 0-7600-7089-X.
Microsoft Office 2000 Introductory Concepts and Techniques, McGraw-Hill Company, Timothy J.
O’Leary &Linda I. O’Leary, Copyright, 2000. ISBN: 0-07-233474-8.
General Reading Books
Cyberpunk, Outlaws and Hackers on the Computer Frontier, Katie Hafner & John Markoff, Published by
Simon&Schuster,Copyright,1995, ISBN: 0-684-81862-0.
Weaving the Web, by Tim Berners-Lee with Mark Fischetti, Harper San Francisco Publishing, Copyright,
1999, ISBN: 0-06-251586-1.
SiliconSnake Oil, by Clifford Stoll, Published by Anchor Books, Copyright, 1995, ISBN: 0-385-41994-5.
Digital Mythologies, by Thomas Valovic, Rutgers University Press, Copyright, 2000, ISBN: 0-8135-27546.
StationX, Decoding Nazi Secrets, by Michael Smith, Published by TV Books, New York, Copyright, 1999,
ISBN: 1-57500-094-6.
Take Down, The Pursuit and Capture of Kevin Mitnick, America’s Most Wanted Computer Out law—By
the Man Who Did It, written by Tsutomu Shimomura with John Markoff, Copyright 1996, Hyperion, New
York, ISBN: 0-7868-8913-6.
Computers in Society (8th edition).Schellenberg, K. (2000). Guilford, CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.
Video Resources
Criminals in Cyberspace, 20thCentury with Mike Wallace. An A&E Home Video. Copyright 1996.
Approximately 50 minutes, VHS Documentary, Cat No. AAE-21507.
Understanding Computing, Discovery Channel School, Approximately 51minutes/2 segments, Copyright
1997 Discovery Communications, Inc. ISBN1-56331-629-3.
Special Resource Requirements
The student is expected to purchase their own floppy diskettes for this course.
Bibliography
In addition to the above texts, following is a current list of magazine resources used in preparation for this
course material.
PCMagazine
PCWorld
InternetWorld
Yahoo!
Wired
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