CMSC 102 - Introduction to Information Technology : Fall 1997

Instructor : Evan Golub                    Office : 1115 AVW       405-0180
Teaching Assistant : TBA                   Office : 1151 AVW
Office Hours : TBA and posted on office doors

Course Description : An introduction to computer terminology and
concepts of computing.  Hands on experience with tools available on
the Internet to find information, as well as microcomputer
applications such as a word processor and a spreadsheet package.

Student Goal : To be able to use the tools and information available
on the Internet to gather ideas and facts, and to then organize and
format gathered information (both on and off the net) in a
professional manner using the software packages for the personal
computer.

Required :
        - Nothin' But Net : Beta 2 Edition by Evan Golub & Jandelyn Plane
                   Available at the College Copy & Print Center on Knox Road
        - Blank Diskettes : Four (4) 3.5 inch high density
        - Manila Envelopes : Six (6)
        - A WAM Account (apply for it in room 1400 CSS new wing)
        - A WAM print account (also in 1400)

Also required will be one of :
        - The Cuckoo's Egg by Clifford Stoll
        - Where Wizards Stay Up Late by Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon
        (who needs which book will be discussed in class)

Grading :
        Mid-Term Exam   (25%)
        Projects - 7    (31%)
                Editor and UNIX        (3%)
                Word processor and FTP (4%)
                Gopher                 (4%)
                Web searching          (5%)
                Web page creation      (5%)
                Spreadsheet            (7%)
                Internet research      (3%)
        Papers - 2      (12%)
                "Book report"          (8%)
                "Position paper"       (4%)
        Final Exam      (32%)
                Online                 (7%)
                Written                (25%)

  Projects will be due at class time on the date specified on the
syllabus. Projects will not be accepted at a later time without a
VALID MEDICAL EXCUSE.  NOTE : Since you are given an extended
period of time in which to work on a given project, the medical
excuse will need to cover an extended period of time as well.  A
letter from your physician with his/her phone number and the dates
for which you were incapacitated WILL be required at a minimum.
Even with a valid excuse, you will still be expected to hand in your
project, but will be given appropriate time.  Any project handed in
after class, in my office, at the undergraduate office, in my mailbox,
or place other than at the start of class will receive a grade of zero.
Projects are to be done INDIVIDUALLY.  Working in ANY way with
other students will be considered cheating.  Cheating is (of course)
PROHIBITED.  A student found to be cheating on a project will receive
a zero for that project and will be reported to the honor council for
an academic review.

  The Mid-Term Exam will be given during the normal class period.  University
IDs must be available for inspection on exam day.  You may bring ONLY a
number 2 pencil and blue pen to your seat on an exam day.  You may not leave
until the exam period is over.

  With acceptable documentation of medical excuse a make-up exam will be
given at the instructor's convienence.  This documentation must be provided
at the class session following the exam, or in the case of extended absense
due to medical reasons, the class session immediately following the end of
the excused period. A medical excuse will need to be documented by your
physician or from the University Health Center's Social Services Department
in MODULE II of the health center.  If a student expects to miss an exam for
a university function they are REQUIRED to attend, an explanation from a
faculty member will be required IN ADVANCE.  As with projects, cheating on
exams is PROHIBITED.  This includes looking at another student's exam, showing
another student your exam, using any notes during the exam.  Students caught
cheating in any way will receive a zero on the exam and will be reported to
the honor council for an academic review.


Topics
 Hardware/Software/Operating Systems/Networks : Introduction and Terminology
 Introduction to the Internet
 The UNIX Operating System
 Brief introduction to the PC, Windows and WordPerfect
 Using on-line Resources via Telnet
 Exploration of On-line Library Resources
 Introduction to Database Theory and Some On-line Databases
 The World Wide Web : Accessing, Searching, Creating
 Introduction to Spreadsheets and Quattro Pro
 Some Basic Concepts in Statistics
 Issues in Credibility and Reliability of Sources on the Internet
 Social and Legal Issues Relating to the Internet


Projects & Paper
  There will be seven projects during the semester.  Several of the
projects will have multiple parts each of which may have a separate
due date.  On average, you can expect to have a project due every
other week.

  There will be two papers assigned during the semester.  The first
will be based on one of the books listed above and will be assigned
near mid-semester.  It is recommended that you do not begin reading
the book until the paper is assigned.  That first paper will be due
approximately three weeks after it is assigned.  The second paper will
be a short position paper on an Internet related topic.  It will be
assigned towards the end of November and will be due on the last day
of our class (Dec 11th).


Exams
The (probable) semester mid-term exam date is October 30th.

The written portion of the final exam will be on Thursday Dec 18 at 1:30pm.

There will also be an on-line portion of the final.  The details of this
will be given in class.