CSC101--Tools for Computing

Syllabus

Instructor: Rameen Mohammadi
  Office Hours: M-F(8-8:55), and by appointment
  Office: 145 Snygg
  Phone: 341-2689 (office) 564-5911 (home) 341-5424 (fax)
  Email: mohammad@oswego.edu
  WWW: www.cs.oswego.edu/~mohammad

Lab Instructor: Lindsy Ai Luu
  Office Hours: M-F(11:45-12:45) in room 322
  Email: luu@Oswego.EDU

Class Time: M-F 9:00-11:45 Monday, July 26th. 1999 through Friday, August 13th, 1999.
Class Room: 322 Snygg.
Course Description:
Tools for Computing will introduce you to many areas of computing including using e-mail, the WWW, components of the MS Office software suite, the evolution of computers, the inner-workings of computers, and the social impacts of computers. This course assumes no prior experience or knowledge of computers. It is designed for the novice user who will become proficient in the use of computers by the end of the course.

Text Material:
Course Format In a five days a week and almost 3 hours a day format, it is impossible to hold everyone's attention (including mine) for the whole period. The general format for each class meeting will consist of three parts:
  1. An hour and 20 minutes of lecture/demonstration/video presentations.
  2. A 15 minute break.
  3. An hour and 10 minute lab session.
At the conclusion of each class meeting, room 322 will remain open for an hour with the lab instructor present to assist students with problems on assignments.

Lecture Topics: All Chapters will be covered from the textbook (not necessarily in the same order). Additional topics, such as, "Purchasing a Computer" and "Creating a Web Page." will be covered as well. The reading assignments are NOT duplicated in class, you are expected to have read the material before the class meeting discussing them. Refer to the schedule web page for reading assignments.

Labs: This course includes a mandatory lab session each day meeting in the same room as the lectures, room 322 Snygg. Labs will provide hands-on computer use by presenting students with a problem during each lab session. Students will have the entire lab period in which to complete each lab. You will need at least one 3.5" high-density floppy disk for lab work as well as your assignments.

Assignments: Six assignments will be given throughout the course. All assignments are due at the beginning of class time on the specified due date. Assignments handed in on the due date, but after class will receive 10% off. 20% will be taken off for each day the assignment is late.

All assignments will require using a computer. Purchasing a computer is NOT required. In addition to the open times for room 322, there are two ICC labs on campus that are available to students to complete academic work during the Summer. They are located in Snygg and Swetman halls. Please consult ICC's Summer Lab Schedule for the location as well as the hours of operation.

Assignments are expected to be done individually. Copied work will receive a 0 and may be grounds for failure in the course. Please consult the Computer Science department's policy on cheating in addition to the cheating and plagiarism section of the Student Handbook.

Attendance: Attendance will be recorded at the beginning of each class time and is mandatory.

Exams: Each week will end with an exam, thus there will be a total of 3 exams (including the final) for this class. Exams will test learning of lecture material, text book material, and assignments. The first two exams will consist of 50 multiple choice questions, and the comprehensive final exam will consist of 100 multiple choice questions. Make-ups are only given under extenuating circumstances. All make-up exams will be ESSAY EXAMS.

Grading: The following components, with the weights shown, will be the basis of your final grade:

Labs: 25%
Assignments and Quizzes: 35%
Exam 1: 10%
Exam 2: 10%
Comprehensive Final Exam: 20%


The following is a table of the numerical ranges corresponding to each letter grade. There will be NO curves. Grades will be posted regularly.


A = 93-100% A- = 90-92%
B+ = 87-89% B = 83-86% B- = 80-82%
C+ = 77-79% C = 73-76% C- = 70-72%
D+ = 67-69% D = 63-66% D- = 60-62%

E = 0-59%