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 Goals

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. To understand where today's technology originated and prepare for new technologies as they unfold.

Required

- Nothin' But Net: 4^th Edition by Evan Golub & Jandelyn Plane

Available at the University Book Store and Maryland Book Exchange

- Blank Diskettes: Four 3.5 inch high density

- Brown (Manila) Envelopes: Four - 9”x12” size

- A WAM print account [you should already have a WAM login account]

- Leonardo's Laptop by Ben Shneiderman

Unless you have already done a paper on this book, in which case

you need to contact the instructor for further information.

Grading

Semester Exams - 2

Exam 1 (15%)

Exam 2 (15%)

Projects - 7

Editor and UNIX ( 3%)

Word processor and FTP ( 5%)

Library Searching ( 3%)

News and World Wide Web Searching ( 6%)

Web page creation ( 6%)

Internet research ( 3%)

Spreadsheet ( 6%)

Leonardo's Laptop work ( 6%)

Online Skills Exam ( 5%)

Final Exam (27%)

Assignments will be due at the beginning of class time of the section for which you are registered on the date specified in the project descriptions. Assignments 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 assignment, 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 assignment, but will be given appropriate time. Any assignment handed in late, after class, in a class section other than the one for which you are registered, 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. Assignments 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, paper or exam will receive a zero for that project and will be reported to the honor council for an academic review.

The semester exams will be given during the normal class period. The exam will be given at the beginning of the period. The second half of the period may be a class session. University IDs must be available for inspection on exam day. You should bring a blue or black pen with you to your seat on an exam day as well as at least one number 2 pencil with an eraser.

There will be no make-up exams given for the hourly exams. A student with acceptable medical documentation will have their grade for the course based on the two exams that were taken. If more than one exam is missed with acceptable documentation, the instructor reserves the right to give a special exam to substitute the two missed exams. This documentation must be provided at the class session following the exam, or in the case of extended absence due to medical reasons, the class session immediately following the end of the excused period. A medical excuse saying you were incapacitated on the day of the exam will need to be documented by your physician or from the University Health Center's Social Services Department in 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, as well as other similar actions. 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 MS Word

Using on-line Resources via Telnet

Ways to transfer files across the Internet

Exploration of Telnet-Based On-line Library Resources

Introduction to Database Theory and Some On-line Databases

The World Wide Web: Accessing, Searching, Creating

Writing HTML, Installing Java Applets and Writing Java Scripts

Introduction to Spreadsheets

Some Basic Concepts in Statistical Functions

Issues in Credibility and Reliability of Sources on the Internet

Social and Legal Issues Relating to the Internet

Projects & Papers

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. Some projects (or parts) will be submitted in paper form, and others will be submitted completely electronically.

There will be in-class exercises about "Leonardo's Laptop" (dates will be discussed in class) as well as an individual written assignment that will be due later in the semester (exact date will be given in class).

Exams

The (highly probable) semester exam dates are October 15^th and November 19^th.

The final exam will be on Monday December 13^th at 4:00pm.

There will also be an on-line skills exam at the end of the term. The details of this will be given in class.