Computing Environments, Spring 2008
Stephen J. Hartley, office 3rd floor Robinson,
phone 256-4500 ext. 3895
E-mail: hartley@elvis.rowan.edu
Home page: http://elvis.rowan.edu/~hartley/index.html
AOL Instant Messenger: PrfHartley
CS 01.200, Computing Environments.
During the spring 2008 semester, my formal office hours are
If you need to make an appointment, or if you have a question, you can reach me by telephone at extension 3895 and by electronic mail at hartley@elvis.rowan.edu. My AOL Instant Messenger name is PrfHartley and you are welcome to try contacting me that way with questions instead of through e-mail or telephone. If you cannot connect, send e-mail to hartley@elvis.rowan.edu to remind me to start the AIM program (I use Linux gaim).
Two (2) or more flash (jump, keychain, thumb, USB) drives at least 128 megabytes in size each. You will be turning in all exams and projects on one of your USB drives. The other one is for keeping a backup copy of whatever you turn in. Write your name on a label and glue it to the outside of each of your flash drives.
Several writable data CDs (CD-R or CD-RW) in case you need to burn another copy of the Linux Live CD. Write your name on each of your CDs.
The following books are for all sections of Computing Environments. This information was copied from the Rowan bookstore Web site on January 8, 2008.
COMPUTER ENVIRONMENT 3/BOOKS, METZ
Class Web pages start here:
http://elvis.rowan.edu/~hartley/Courses/ComputingEnvironments/2008/Spring/index.html
Class Announcements Web page:
http://elvis.rowan.edu/~hartley/Courses/ComputingEnvironments/2008/Spring/announcements.html
You need to check this page regularly!
Announcements, corrections to assignments,
adjustments to the syllabus, etc.,
will be made there.
Class notes. Please read these as we go along.
http://elvis.rowan.edu/~hartley/Courses/ComputingEnvironments/Notes/index.html
CS 01.100 (Computing Literacy) or Computer Competency Exam 70.
From the Rowan Undergraduate Catalog: (CS 01.200, Computing Environments, 3 s.h.) Students will be exposed to a variety of computing environments. The course will include extensive hands-on use of a variety of software applications. Topics covered will include user tools, user programming techniques, application packages, and networking communications. Students will gain an understanding of the principles of computing which will enable them to adapt to future technological developments. A solid and fundamental understanding of computers and current operating systems, word processing and spreadsheet software are essential to this course.
We will be looking at the following software, platforms, and environments this semester.
My primary goal is for you to learn something useful, some software package, environment, or platform that you can use during the rest of your stay at Rowan and in your career after graduation.
By reading the textbooks, using various software environments in class, and doing projects outside of class, you will gain skill and experience with various proprietary and open-source software packages, platforms, and environments.
Your progress in attaining these goals will be measured by three in-class hour exams, a comprehensive final exam, five outside-class projects, one office visit, and a written ``last'' assignment (URL below).
The office visit occurs in my office on the 3rd floor of Robinson building. It lasts 5--15 minutes and is not painful. Schedule an appointment if formal office hours are not convenient.
You must also fill out and hand in the questionnaire (found in the class Web pages) at the time of your office visit. Note the requirement to put a portrait (head-shot) picture of yourself in a file named exactly picture.jpg in the public.www folder of your Rowan H: drive.
You may answer the questions on a separate sheet of paper and turn that in at the time of your visit, or you may print out the questionnaire and answer the questions on it, using the back if needed.
Your office visit will earn you points according to the following timetable.
The course grade will be determined as follows:
| Item | Up to this many points each | |
|---|---|---|
| Office visit | 100 | |
| Three in-class hour exams | 100 | |
| Five outside-class projects | 100 | |
| Written ``last assignment'' | 100 | |
| Comprehensive final exam | 200 |
Your points earned on each item will be totaled. If your total exceeds 1100, your total will become 1100. Your semester average avg will be computed as your total divided by 1100.
Final letter grades for the semester will be based on the usual 10-point scale where avg is your semester average calculated using the above scheme.
93 1/3 ≤ avg < 100 A 90 ≤ avg < 93 1/3 A- 86 2/3 ≤ avg < 90 B+ 83 1/3 ≤ avg < 86 2/3 B 80 ≤ avg < 83 1/3 B- 76 2/3 ≤ avg < 80 C+ 73 1/3 ≤ avg < 76 2/3 C 70 ≤ avg < 73 1/3 C- 66 2/3 ≤ avg < 70 D+ 63 1/3 ≤ avg < 66 2/3 D 60 ≤ avg < 63 1/3 D- avg < 60 F
An ``incomplete'' grade will be assigned only under extremely unusual exceptional circumstances, as determined by the instructor.
See http://elvis.rowan.edu/~hartley/Courses/lastHW.html for more information on the written ``last'' assignment.
Regular attendance in class is required. Please inform the instructor in advance, preferably by e-mail, if you must be absent from a class.
All in-class hour exams and the comprehensive final exam must be attended to earn any points. No makeups will be given! Repeat after me, ....
Students who are absent continuously for two weeks will be reported to the Dean of Students. Also a continuous two-week absence without contacting me (before the end of the continuous two-week absence) will result in an automatic F for the semester final letter grade.
Projects are done primarily outside of class and turned in on a flash (thumb, USB) drive on a specified due date for grading. Some class time will be allocated to work on projects, particularly on the day they are due. No late projects will be accepted! Repeat after me, .... No USB drives will be accepted without a readable external label containing your name! Repeat after me, ....
The three in-class hour exams and the comprehensive final exam are not written in nature, but will be primarily ``practical,'' that is, done on the computer using whatever software we have recently used in class. Some questions might require written answers. No makeups will be given.
At the end of the exam period you will turn in a flash (USB) drive containing your work to be graded and handed back. No USB drives will be accepted without a readable external label containing your name.
The eight outside-class projects and in-class hour exams are graded on the basis of 100 points total each. Your scores on the office visit, in-class exams, outside-class projects, last assignment, and final exam will be added together, with a maximum total of 1100. Thus, you can totally mess up an exam or project without trashing your final letter grade for the semester.
The three in-class hour exams will cover (not necessarily in this order)
Drop/add ends Monday, January 28, 2008. Until then, you can easily drop and add courses (assuming there is room) to adjust your course schedule. A dropped course will not show up on your transcript.
During the first half of the semester (through March 10, 2008), a student may withdraw from a class by filling out the appropriate form and obtaining the instructor's signature. A grade of ``W'' is received on your transcript.
The Department of Computer Science policy on withdrawing after that date is that it will be approved only in extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the student, such as serious illness. In addition, after March 10, 2008, the department chair must also sign the withdrawal form. A grade of ``WP'' or ``WF,'' as determined by the instructor, is received on your transcript.
No withdrawal forms will be signed after April 14, 2008, except for extremely unusual exceptional circumstances, as determined by the instructor. In addition, after April 14, 2008, the department chair and dean must also both sign the withdrawal form. A grade of ``WP'' or ``WF'' is received, as determined by the instructor.
Rowan has two policies about acceptable use of its computers and networks, one for everybody and another specifically for students. By registering for and taking this course, you are agreeing explicitly to abide by them.
Your academic success is important. If you have a documented disability that may have an impact upon your work in this class, please contact me. Students must provide documentation of their disability to the Academic Success Center in order to receive official University services and accommodations. The Academic Success Center can be reached at 856-256-4234. The Center is located on the 3rd floor of Savitz Hall. The staff is available to answer questions regarding accommodations or assist you in your pursuit of accommodations. We look forward to working with you to meet your learning goals.
Anything you turn in with your name on it must be your own work, that is, written or programmed by you and not copied from anyone or anywhere else. You must do anything you turn in with your name on it individually. For outside-class projects (that is, not exams), you may consult with other students and the course instructor to clarify points of confusion and share ideas. However, everything you turn in with your name on it must be your own work. Copying from others is expressly forbidden. Allowing others to copy from you is expressly forbidden.
Plagiarism and academic honesty guidelines: Each student does his/her own project although you may ask other students and/or me about clarifying the project or for ideas about how to approach doing something in the project. You will do all the computer work yourself (including typing and mousing) and not allow another student to copy your work and not yourself turn in work copied from someone else. You will not ``dictate'' mousing and typing to another student nor be ``dictated'' to yourself.
Penalties for violation of this will range from a grade of zero on the assignment to a grade of F for the course, effective immediately, and a letter to the Office of the Dean. By registering in this course, each one of you is explicitly agreeing to abide by and adhere to the above statements on academic integrity.
If you use materials that you've obtained on the Internet, from a book, etc., you must include an appropriate reference. To use such materials without proper attribution is a form of plagiarism.
Be on time. Do not eat in class. Do your best to remain in the room during class. Turn off or put into vibrate mode cell phones, PDAs, and pagers. You will receive a warning the first time your cell phone, PDA, or pager goes off in class or lab. If it happens again, you will be asked to leave for the rest of that class meeting.
This schedule is approximate only. Please see the announcements page for when each exam is scheduled and each project is due and for what each will cover.
Section 4:
| Topic | Week # | Date | Deliverables |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Matters: syllabus | 1 | Jan 22 | |
| Linux Live CD | Jan 24 | ||
| Linux OpenOffice writer, impress, calc | 2 | Jan 29 | |
| retirement FV PV PMT | Jan 31 | ||
| V/HLOOPUP COUNTIF/SUMIF COUNT/SUM | 3 | Feb 5 | |
| FREQUENCY pivot tables | Feb 7 | ||
| 4 | Feb 12 | ||
| Feb 14 | Project 1 due in class (Excel, OpenOffice) | ||
| 5 | Feb 19 | ||
| Feb 21 | in-class hour exam 1 (Excel) | ||
| Mozilla/Seamonkey Web page design | 6 | Feb 26 | |
| Feb 28 | |||
| Microsoft Access | 7 | Mar 4 | |
| Mar 6 | Project 2 due in class (Web page design) | ||
| Linux OpenOffice base | 8 | Mar 11 | |
| Mar 13 | Project 3 due in class (Access, OpenOffice) | ||
| Spring Break! | Mar 17--21 | ||
| more Microsoft Access | 9 | Mar 25 | |
| Mar 27 | in-class hour exam 2 (Access Excel) | ||
| more Linux OpenOffice base | 10 | Apr 1 | |
| Apr 3 | |||
| Linux OpenOffice draw | 11 | Apr 8 | |
| Apr 10 | Project 4 due (more Access, OpenOffice) | ||
| Linux gimp, scribus | 12 | Apr 15 | |
| Apr 17 | in-class hour exam 3 (more Access) | ||
| Microsoft Word drawing | 13 | Apr 22 | |
| Apr 24 | Project 5 due (Linux) | ||
| 14 | Apr 29 | Project 5 due (Word drawing, more Access) | |
| May 1 | Last Assignment due | ||
| Comprehensive Final Exam: Wednesday, May 7, 2008, 8:00--10:00 am |
It is very useful to have contact information for some of the other people in the class if you miss a class or can't figure something out.
Please enter the names, phones, and e-mails of two class members below:
Name ______________________________________ Phone ___________________ E-Mail _______________
Name ______________________________________ Phone ___________________ E-Mail _______________
home page:
http://elvis.rowan.edu/~hartley/index.html
e-mail:
hartley@elvis.rowan.edu