This course introduces terminology and gives an overview of the computer and …
This course introduces terminology and gives an overview of the computer and information science. It focuses on the basic concepts of computer hardware and software systems, software applications, online inquiry, and evaluation of materials including ethical decisions. It also includes concepts reinforced in a laboratory environment. Through specific hands-on experience you will gather, evaluate, and solve real-world problems and form decisions based upon critical examination of today's technology.
This class is designed to teach you how to use a computer running a Windows Operating System. If you do not have access to a Windows computer or have problems doing assessments, please contact your Navigator to discuss your options.
Course Outcomes: 1. Identify current and future trends in computing and recognize various computing devices and their uses. 2. Identify the parts of a computer and their features and functions and recognize the advantages and limitations of important peripheral devices. 3. Identify and describe the features of desktop and specialized computer operating systems and understand the importance of system utilities, backups, and file management. 4. Explain why the web is important in today's society and why fluency in the tools and language of the Internet is necessary to be an educated consumer, a better student, an informed citizen, and a valuable employee. 5. Understand what a computer network is, identify different types of networks, and recognize threats to security and privacy. 6. Demonstrate the proper use of basic word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software features.
This course is designed as a survey course to familiarize students with …
This course is designed as a survey course to familiarize students with computer concepts including software and hardware, software applications, and living online leading towards digital computer literacy. Instruction in this course is provided through demonstration and discussion. Class time will be provided for practicing concepts as well as working through assignments; however, additional time outside of class will be essential to improve skills and complete the assignments.
This course presents an overview of the Microsoft Windows Operating System (OS), …
This course presents an overview of the Microsoft Windows Operating System (OS), with emphasis on the OS design, configuration, operations, and applications. This course will also cover PowerShell scripting and includes researching, documenting, and presenting a key OS function.
This is the first of two courses in the administration of Microsoft …
This is the first of two courses in the administration of Microsoft Windows® client/server networked operating systems. The courses CS 240A and CS 240B are laboratory-intensive courses that provide hands-on experience in the planning, installation, and administration of Microsoft Windows® client/server networks. The two courses provide partial preparation for the MCSA® and MCSE® exams.
This is the second of two courses in the administration of Microsoft …
This is the second of two courses in the administration of Microsoft Windows® client/server networked operating systems. The courses CS 240A and CS 240B are laboratory-intensive courses that provide hands-on experience in the planning, installation, and administration of Microsoft Windows® client/server networks. The two courses provide partial preparation for the MCSA® and MCSE® exams.
This course in an introduction to project management. The art and science …
This course in an introduction to project management. The art and science of project management has evolved much over the last 1-2 decades. At this point, 2017, all small, medium and large companies use structured project management methodologies and guidelines to run their internal and external projects. My objective is not to teach you how to become a project manager, that will require many courses and hands-on experience, but to teach you how to become an effective team player on a structured project.|A practice-oriented course with examples, applications and proven techniques that demonstrate systems analysis and design. Actual organization, business settings, and project management software are used to show how systems concepts can apply to many different types of enterprises. Project lifecycle as well as project management software, terminology and concepts are discussed.
In this lesson, students go further into the collection and interpretation of …
In this lesson, students go further into the collection and interpretation of data, including cleaning and visualizing data. Students first look at the how presenting data in different ways can help people to understand it better, and they then create visualizations of their own data. Using a the results of a preferred pizza topping survey, students must decide what to do with data that does not easily fit into the visualization scheme that they have chosen. Finally, students look at which parts of this process can be automated by a computer and which need a human to make decisions.
In this lesson students get practice making decisions with data based on …
In this lesson students get practice making decisions with data based on some problems designed to be familiar to middle school students. Students work in groups discussing how they would use the data presented to make a decision before the class discusses their final choices. Not all questions have right answers and in some cases students can and should decide that they should collect more data. The lesson concludes with a discussion of how different people could draw different conclusions from the same data, or how collecting different data might have affected the decisions they made.
Students begin the lesson by looking at a cake preference survey that …
Students begin the lesson by looking at a cake preference survey that allows respondents to specify both a cake and an icing flavor. They discuss how knowing the relationship between cake and icing preference helps them better decide which combination to recommend. They are then introduced to cross tabulation, which allows them to graph relationships to different preferences. They use this technique to find relationships in a preference survey, then brainstorm the different types of problems that this process could help solve.
In this lesson students look at a simple example of how a …
In this lesson students look at a simple example of how a computer could be used to complete the decision making step of the data problem solving process. Students are given the task of creating an algorithm that could suggest a vacation spot. Students then create rules, or an algorithm, that a computer could use to make this decision automatically. Students share their rules and what choices their rules would make with the class data. They then use their rules on data from their classmates to test whether their rules would make the same decision that a person would. The lesson concludes with a discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of using computers to automate the data problem solving process.
To conclude this unit, students design a recommendation engine based on data …
To conclude this unit, students design a recommendation engine based on data that they collect and analyze from their classmates. After looking at an example of a recommendation app, students follow a project guide to complete this multi-day activity. In the first several steps, students choose what choice they want to help the user to make, what data they need to give the recommendation, create a survey, and collect information about their classmates' choices. They then interpret the data and use what they have learned to create the recommendation algorithm. Last, they use their algorithms to make recommendations to a few classmates. Students perform a peer review and make any necessary updates to their projects before preparing a presentation to the class.
In this lesson, students look at how data is collected and used …
In this lesson, students look at how data is collected and used by organizations to solve problems in the real world. The lesson begins with a quick review of the data problem solving process they explored in the last lesson. Then students are presented three scenarios that could be solved using data and brainstorm the types of data they would want to solve them and how they could collect the data. Each problem is designed to reflect a real-world service that exists. After brainstorming, students watch a video about a real-world service and record notes about what data is collected by the real-world service and how it is used. At the end of the lesson, students record whether data was provided actively by a user, was recorded passively, or is collected by sensors.
In the first lesson of the data unit, students get an overview …
In the first lesson of the data unit, students get an overview of what data is and how it is used to solve problems. Students start off with a brief discussion to come to a common understanding of data. They then split into groups and use a data set to make a series of meal recommendations for people with various criteria. Each group has the choices of meal represented in a different way (pictures, recipes, menu, nutrition) that gives an advantage for one of the recommendations. Afterwards, groups compare their responses and discuss how the different representations of the meal data affected how the students were able to solve the different problems.
In this lesson students create their own system for representing information. They …
In this lesson students create their own system for representing information. They begin by brainstorming all the different systems they already use to represent yes-no responses. They then work in small groups to create a system that can represent any letter in the alphabet using only a single stack of cards. The cards used have one of 6 different possible drawings (6 animals, 6 colors, etc.) and so to represent the entire alphabet students will need to use patterns of multiple cards to represent each letter. Students create messages with their systems and exchange with other groups to ensure the system worked as intended. In the wrap-up discussion the class reviews any pros and cons of the different systems. They discuss commonalities between working systems and recognize that there are many possible solutions to this problem and what's important is that everyone use the same arbitrary system to communicate.
In this lesson students learn to use their first binary system for …
In this lesson students learn to use their first binary system for encoding information, the ASCII system for representing letters and other characters. At the beginning of the lesson the teacher introduces the fact that computers must represent information using either "on" or "off". Then students are introduced to the ASCII system for representing text using binary symbols. Students practice using this system before encoding their own message using ASCII. At the end of the lesson a debrief conversation helps synthesize the key learning objectives of the activity.
In this lesson students learn how computers represent images. To begin the …
In this lesson students learn how computers represent images. To begin the lesson they consider the challenge of turning all the complexity of vision into a binary pattern. Through a series of images showing how this transformation is made students are introduced to the concept of splitting images into squares or "pixels" which can then be turned on or off individually to make the entire image. Students then do a short set of challenges using the Pixelation Widget in order to draw black and white images. Puzzles are designed to call out some of the challenges of representing images in this way. In the wrap up students make connections between the system for representing images and the system for representing text they learned in the previous lesson.
In this lesson, students learn about the binary number system. With a …
In this lesson, students learn about the binary number system. With a set of cards that represent the place values in a binary (base-2) number system by a collection of dots, students turn bits "on" or "off" by turning cards face up and face down, then observe the numbers that result from these different patterns. Eventually, students extend the pattern to a generic 4-bit system.
Students have a discussion on the different levels of security they would …
Students have a discussion on the different levels of security they would like for personal data. Once the class has developed an understanding of the importance of privacy, they learn about the process of encrypting information by enciphering a note for a partner and deciphering the partner's note. The class concludes with a discussion about the importance of both physical and digital security.
In this lesson, students use all three types of binary representation systems …
In this lesson, students use all three types of binary representation systems (ASCII characters, binary number, and images) to decode information in a record. After seeing a series of bits and being asked to decode them, students are introduced to the idea that in order to understand binary information, they must understand both the system that is being used and the meaning of the information encoded. They then decode a record representing a pet based on a given structure.
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