This course has three main objectives:
In this course you will learn to use microcomputers running Microsoft Windows and the basics of several popular types of software - word processing, spreadsheet, and database packages.
Because using computers is an essential part of understanding computers, we assign several computer assignments. Many students report spending 6 - 10 hours per week on the computer and another 2 - 4 hours on reading and preparation. If you are not prepared for that level of effort, you should not take this course. You should also avoid this course if you have a low tolerance for frustration or have difficulty working independently. We cannot possibly teach you enough about individual software products to insure that you will not encounter problems. You must be prepared to seek out additional information on your own and deal independently with whatever problems arise.
| Homework assignments | 40% |
| Tests (2) | 44% |
| Final exam | 16% |
Your final letter grade in the course will be assigned by your own instructor after the final exam. Numerical grades for homework assignments and tests for each section will be posted in the classroom or on the Web. However, you should not attempt to compare grades across sections because different instructors will be using different grading criteria, particularly in grading the tests.
Tests will generally consist of essay and short answer questions on issues and concepts related to computer applications. You must attend class on the dates that tests are given. You cannot make up a missed test. The reading assignments for each test are listed on a separate page. Lecture material will generally include everything covered in class since the previous test.
The Final Exam will be multiple-choice and cumulative. More details will be provided later in the semester.
The Final Exam time for each section is the two hour block listed for each section in the Time & Room Schedule. Please be sure to check your Final Exam time before finalizing end-of-semester travel plans!
If you do not complete an assignment on time, you have the option of submitting it up to the beginning of the next regular class meeting. The penalty for submitting a late assignment is 20 points. You may not be allowed to submit assignments which are more than one class period late. After the due date for any assignment, you should not expect any help on that assignment and will have to complete it on your own. Furthermore, no assignment is accepted after the last regular class period. As such, the last assignment (which is due the last class period) must be on time to receive any credit.
Computer viruses can be a serious problem in the computer cluster environment you will be using on campus. There are a variety of methods one can use to protect against loss of data from viruses. In fact, we will discuss several methods in this course. However, the simplest (and perhaps the most effective) method is to regularly make backup copies of your work. So again, before handing in a disk containing your data files, copy those files onto another disk that you retain.
In addition to requirements outlined in the syllabus and course manual, individual instructors may have policies and requirements which apply only to their sections. Make sure you are aware of the policies which apply to your section. An extension for an assignment given by one instructor or a common exam room scheduled for one section, for example, does not necessarily apply to any other section.
If you miss a lecture, make sure you get notes from a fellow student.
It is important for you to understand that the regular CIS attendants on duty in the McConnell, Kingsbury, and MUB clusters may know nothing about the assignments in this course or the software you will be using, and are in fact expressly forbidden to help with CS401 assignments.
If you need assistance with a CS401 assignment, you should contact your instructor for help. This, of course, means that you need to get started on assignments as early as possible, to allow plenty of time to contact your instructor should you need assistance.
Any attempt to pass off another’s work as one’s own is plagiarism. This includes work that was completed as the collaborative effort of two or more individuals.
In this course the penalty for plagiarism is a failing grade in the course for both parties concerned. It is permissible for students to discuss the nature of the assignment or how to use a particular feature of the software. However, not a single keystroke of the work you submit should be done by anyone but you, nor should your work be based on ideas or data supplied by someone else or developed in collaboration with someone else. In other words, you should not sit down and work together with anyone else on the assignments. Nor should you give, receive, or solicit specific information (such as formulas, codes, commands) from other students in this course. Exchange of detailed information about an assignment is cheating and will not be tolerated. If you have any questions about this, please speak with your instructor.