COMM 1420: Computer Skills

Faculty of Social Science and Humanities

COMM 1420: COMPUTER SKILLS Course outline for FALL 2010

1. Course Details & Important Dates* Term Fall 2010 Section Status Course Type Lecture & Lab Day Friday Time 2:10 pm 5:00 pm

Location* University Building A1 UA3220

CRN #

Classes Start Sep 9, 2010

Classes End

Last Day to Drop Courses

Final Exam Period

COMM 1420

Dec 8, 2010

* for other important dates go to: www.uoit.ca >Current Students >Important Dates Prerequisite(s): None 2. Instructor Contact Information Instructor Name Sanja Kliska, M.A.Sc. Office UA3220 Phone Email Please email your instructor through the WebCT course site.

Office Hours: Friday, 1:00 pm 2:00 pm Students can book an appointment through an email request. Instructor will strive to respond via email communication within a reasonable period of time, normally within 2 weekdays.

3. Course Description This elective course is designed for students with minimal computer skills, and should be taken before the Computer-mediated Communication course. It will consist of lectures and lab sessions designed to enhance skills in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel, as well as the basics in graphics, web design and other technologies.

COMM 1420: Computer Skills

4. Course Outcomes On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Demonstrate computer literacy through the use of basic computing concepts. Demonstrate competency using WebCT resources. Create documents using word processing, spreadsheet and PowerPoint software. Understand the concepts of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Differentiate various computer file types including graphics, audio and video formats. Understand the concepts of various collaboration methods over the Internet. Understand the concepts of social media, blogs, wikis and podcasts. Interact with individuals and groups in a professional manner, using team building principles. Develop critical thinking skills using technology.

5. Course Design The course format and assignments are designed with the primary focus on hands-on computer skills. The course will consist of lectures and computer labs. All lab assignments will be closely integrated with lecture materials. Although a large portion of material will be covered in-class, students are expected to dedicate some time outside of class to complete assigned readings and assignments. Participation Discussions are encouraged, and students are expected to participate in this learning experience. Unwillingness to contribute to discussion, and lack of preparation for the class, will negatively affect your grade. Attendance & Lateness Student attendance in all classes is expected. If you cannot attend class, please inform me in advance by e-mail. Lateness is disruptive and inconsiderate to the rest of the class, and it is not acceptable. Excessive absenteeism and lateness will significantly lower your participation grade.

COMM 1420: Computer Skills

6. Outline of Topics in the Course

Week

Date

Topic Course Introduction: Course Overview Academic Integrity Computer Skills Introduction to WebCT Computer Basics Computer Hardware/Software File Management Security Quiz - Computers Introduction to Internet and WWW Web Browser Internet Searching Productivity Applications Microsoft Word Basics Microsoft Word Workshop Microsoft PowerPoint Basics Microsoft Excel Basics Microsoft Excel Workshop Multimedia Basics Collaboration over the Internet Quiz Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts Social Media Website Basics Website Workshop Final Project Presentations

Lab

10-Sep-2010

WebCT

17-Sep-2010

24-Sep-2010

Internet Searching

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

1-Oct-2010 8-Oct-2010 15-Oct-2010 22-Oct-2010 29-Oct-2010 5-Nov-2010 12-Nov-2010 19-Nov-2010 26-Nov-2010 3-Dec-2010

MS Word MS PowerPoint MS Excel

7. Required Texts/Readings There is no required text for this course. Suggested readings may be posted, as required, on WebCT course site. It is the responsibility of the student to regularly check WebCT site for updates.

COMM 1420: Computer Skills 8. Evaluation Method Student evaluation will be based on the following: Assignments 30% Quizzes 20% Final Project 40% Participation and attendance 10% Assignments Assignments are designed to additionally reinforce the class material through practice. Assignments will be distributed throughout the semester. Quizzes Quizzes will be held during the class, to test the understanding of the material covered in the course. This may include the material from the lectures and workshops, from the suggested readings, or from the assignments. Project A final project must be completed in lieu of final exam. Each student will join a team to complete a course final project. The guidelines for the final project will be posted on WebCT course site. 9. Assignments and Tests Summary of Assessments Assessment Quiz - Computers PowerPoint Presentation Excel Assignment Quiz Multimedia/Collaboration Methods Final Project Participation and Attendance TOTAL % of Final Grade 10% 15% 15% 10% 40% 10% 100% Due Dates/Schedule 24-Sep-2010 22-Oct-2010 8:00 am 5-Nov-2010 8:00 am 12-Nov-2010 3-Dec-2010 Throughout the semester

Marking criteria will be available online on WebCT course site. Late Submission of Course Work Late submissions will only be accepted within 48 hours of their due date and will be penalized 10% of the grade for that assignment per day. It is the responsibility of the student to negotiate alternative arrangements prior to the due date.

COMM 1420: Computer Skills Policy on Missed Tests/Quizzes Students who miss a test/quiz for medical and compassionate ground, and provide supporting documentation, will not be penalized. If a test/quiz is missed without a legitimate reason or the proper documentation is not provided, the student will receive a mark of zero. 10.Accessibility To ensure that disability-related concerns are properly addressed during this course, students with documented disabilities and who may require assistance to participate in this class are encouraged to speak with their instructor as soon as possible. Students who require alternative testing and examination arrangements or other academic accommodations must contact the Centre for Students with Disabilities (B297) as early as possible to ensure that your needs can be met. 11.Academic Integrity Students and faculty at UOIT share an important responsibility to maintain the integrity of the teaching and learning relationship. This relationship is characterized by honesty, fairness and mutual respect for the aim and principles of the pursuit of education. Academic misconduct impedes the activities of the university community and is punishable by appropriate disciplinary action. Students are expected to be familiar with UOITs regulations on Academic Conduct (Section 5.15 of the Academic Calendar) which sets out the kinds of actions that constitute academic misconduct, including plagiarism, copying or allowing ones own work to copied, use of unauthorized aids in examinations and tests, submitting work prepared in collaboration with another student when such collaboration has not been authorized, and other academic offenses. The regulations also describe the procedures for dealing with allegations, and the sanctions for any finding of academic misconduct, which can range from a written reprimand to permanent expulsion from the university. A lack of familiarity with UOITs regulations on academic conduct does not constitute a defense against its application. Further information on academic integrity is available at: www.uoit.ca/EN/academicintegritystudent 12.Turnitin (if applicable) UOIT and faculty members reserve the right to use electronic means to detect and help prevent plagiarism. Students agree that by taking this course all assignments are subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com. Assignments submitted to Turnitin.com will be included as source documents in Turnitin.com's restricted access database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism in such documents for five academic years. The faculty member may require students to submit their assignments electronically to Turnitin.com or the faculty member may submit questionable text on behalf of a student. The terms that apply to UOIT's use of the Turnitin.com service are described on the Turnitin.com website.

At the time the work is assigned, students must inform their professors that they are not giving permission to have their work submitted to Turnitin.com AND sign the

COMM 1420: Computer Skills

Turnitin.com Assignment Cover sheet at: http://www.uoit.ca/assets/Academic~Integrity~Site/Forms/Assignment%20Cover%20sheet.pdf

Further information about Turnitin, under Resrouces on the Academic Integrity link on your laptop. 13.Final Examinations There is no final exam in this course. 14.Course Evaluations Student evaluation of teaching is a highly valued and helpful mechanism for monitoring the quality of UOITs programs and instructional effectiveness. To that end, course evaluations are administered by an external company in an online, anonymous process during the last few weeks of classes. Students are encouraged to participate actively in this process and will be notified of the dates via MyCampus. Last revised: Sep 8, 2010