Course Syllabus

Fall 2024 | CIS-1100-VO04 - Introduction to Computer Science

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Tyler Whitney
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Deb Grant

General Education Requirements

VSCS Digital and Technical Literacy

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course is designed to give a broad-based introduction to all aspects of computing. Students focus on core aspects of the discipline including hardware, networking, the Internet, programming logic, ethics, and the history and future of industry. The goal of this course is to give students a working knowledge of the computer industry and provide a solid foundation of knowledge to begin technical training. Students have the opportunity to take the CompTIA IT Fundamentals certification exam in this course.

Essential Objectives

1. Discuss computing history and driving forces of change in the computer industry.
2. Explain the systems of inequality in computing history and the impacts and opportunities for social change.
3. Describe the use of system and application software.
4. Determine appropriate hardware and software to complete a variety of tasks.
5. Define the role of databases in applications.
6. Compare computer hardware architecture including RAM, CPU, storage, and busses.
7. Compose a basic program in a high level language, demonstrating algorithmic thinking to solve programming problems.
8. Explore the scope and diversity of career opportunities in the field of computer science and information technology through assignments such as informational interviews, job shadows, or other career-exploration activities.
9. Demonstrate safe, ethical, and accurate communication of information, thoughts, and ideas.
10. Discuss software systems development as an engineering discipline.
11. Explore the foundations of networking, operating systems, and data security.
12. Demonstrate appropriate prompt engineering when working with generative AI applications for text and media.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

*** This is a no cost textbook or resource class. ***

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

Methods

• online forum discussions
• interactive labs
• multimedia presentations and resources
• readings, writing, and inquiry-based research

Evaluation Criteria

• Reading (activities): 11% [110 points]
• Quizzes (reading checks): 22% [220 points]
• Discussions: 21% [210 points]
• Labs (assignments): 36% [360 points]
• Final Project: 10% [100 points]

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Students are expected to complete the assignments each week. Posts in the discussion forums should be created mid week to give a chance for fellow students to respond. At least one response to a fellow student is expected for full discussion credit.

Missing & Late Work Policy

The late policy for this course is a 10% penalty on assignments per day late, unless extenuating circumstances or contact ahead of time to negotiate an extension.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity