CONTACT INFORMATION

Instructor: / Laurie Shteir
E-mail: /
Office: / 418 Wachman Hall
Phone: / 215.204.1681
Office Hours: / Tuesday and Thursday from 2 PM to 4 PM
Personal Website: / http://www.temple.edu/laurie

COURSE OBJECTIVE

With the explosion of computer technology, knowledge of computing applications as tools for all disciplines has become a necessary asset. This course will introduce the student to understanding the components of a computer system; the use of the computer to process information; the technology behind computers and networks and how this technology is likely to change; purchasing and maintaining a personal computer system; understanding the technology of the Internet; and social and ethical implications of computing.

The laboratory portion of this class will provide students with hands-on experience to supplement the lecture material. Operating system concepts, a working knowledge of collaborative software and the following applications are covered: advanced features of word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation software and the resources of the Internet including developing a website using sound design techniques to publish course documents and incorporating multi-media components.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Lecture: Discovering Computers 2008 Introductory Edition, Shelly Cashman Series

Lab:
USB flash drive – 128 MB minimum (purchase one without U3 software)

Temple University e-mail account

Optional Lab Book Microsoft Office 2007 – Introductory Concepts and Techniques by Shelly, Cashman and Vermatt

Available for purchase at the University Bookstores and on reserve at the following locations:

Temple University Main Campus, SIC in Tuttleman – 1st Floor Lab, Circulation Reserve

Temple University Ambler Campus, Library Room 29

Temple University Center City (TUCC), Room 404, 15th & Market Streets


COMMUNICATION OUTSIDE OF CLASS


My office hours and email are listed above. Email is typically the easiest way to reach me outside of class or my office hours. You need to check Blackboard and your Temple email regularly during the semester. If you do not use Temple’s email system, make sure that you forward your Temple emails to whichever one you do use.

ATTENDANCE:

If you miss a class, please obtain notes from your fellow classmates. If there is anything that you do not understand I will be happy to help you. All assignments must be turned in on time. I will not give Incompletes except under extraordinary conditions. The university has a strict policy on granting Incompletes. I cannot grant a grade of Incomplete for an inability to keep up with assignments.

MINIMUM LAB REQUIREMENT:

Students must obtain at least 100 points out of a possible 165 lab points to pass CIS 1055. Students who do not obtain at least 100 points from lab cannot pass this class. If you have less than 100 total lab points, you will receive a grade of F for the course independent of your overall average. There will be no exceptions to this rule. Students passing CIS 1055 must demonstrate proficiency in Microsoft office and the resources of the Internet in a standardized environment. Your lab grade counts as 30% of your final grade, so be sure you do your best for the lab portion of this course.

GRADES

Grades will be assigned as follows:

Lab / 30%
Testing (Quizzes/Min Tests (20-30 pts), Exams / 40%
Ethics (Assignments, Group Paper/Presentation) / 20%
Class Participation / 10%


COURSE POLICIES

  • There are no makeup quizzes unless there are unusual and unavoidable circumstances that I believe warrant a retake. If you are not present when the quiz is distributed (late/absent/whatever) you will receive a 0 for that quiz.
  • Students with special needs: Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. You should also contact Disability Resources and Services at 215-204-1280 in 100 Ritter Annex.
  • The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed through the following link: http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=03.70.02.
  • Cell phones and pagers MUST be turned off in my class.
  • You will be responsible for research on various topics. Wikipedia and other similar sites are NOT acceptable sources of information for this course
  • There is one Group research project that consists of a group paper, PowerPoint presentation and class discussion.

ORIGINALITY OF WORK and CITING OF SOURCES
Do not cheat in this class. I take this very seriously as does the university!! This includes plagiarism. If you quote someone else’s material, you MUST cite it properly. This includes all material taken from the Internet. If you copy work from the Internet or another source, and do not cite it properly, you will fail this course. All of your work must be your own…this includes your lab assignments.

Students should also be familiar with the University statement on academic honesty found at the following link:

http://www.temple.edu/bulletin/Responsibilities_rights/responsibilities/responsibilities.shtm.

I also expect you to understand and utilize the proper way to cite sources. There are many sites for proper APA or MLA citing – either is acceptable for this class. If you are not familiar with how to do this, you can get useful information from the Temple Writing Center or at:
http://www.temple.edu/writingctr/student_resources/sr_citation.htm

My personal website has a link to a citation maker

http://citationmachine.net

WITHDRAWAL POLICY

Students may withdraw at any time as long as it meets university guidelines.

FINAL GRADES
Final grades will be assigned as follows.

A / 92-100
A- / 90-91
B+ / 88-89
B / 82-87
B- / 80-81
C+ / 78-79
C / 72-77
C- / 70-71
D+ / 68-69
D / 62-67
D- / 60-61
F / 0-59