SSD2
Course Syllabus
Class: SSD2 – Introduction
to Computer Systems
Section: SSD2/Tokyo
Meeting Days/Times: W/F 5 – 7PM
Course
Login URL: http://www.icarnegie.com/
This course provides an introduction to some of the most important features
of present-day computer systems. You will learn how computers work and how they
are used to solve problems. Students will be required to do a class team
project in the course in which they plan and present a proposal for a new networking
system for a large school based on certain hardware and software
specifications.
In this course, a Microsoft Windows-based computers will be used as the
primary system platform. This course is organized into six units, with
each unit containing information in the form of textbook readings, Web notes
readings, and learning exercises designed to help you understand the material.
Each unit also has several quizzes and a homework exercise, which allow you to
demonstrate your knowledge of the material. There are three exams, one
occurring after every two units. In the course Help pages, you can read about
how to work through the quizzes, exercises, and exams. Please note that several
of the pages in this course contain links to Web sites outside the iCarnegie site, and from time to time one or another of
these sites become temporarily unavailable, causing the course links to them to
fail.
Required Textbook:
New
Perspectives on Computer Concepts 7th Edition—Comprehensive
Authors: June J. Parsons and Dan Oja
ISBN:
0-619-24361-9
Suggested Supplementary Textbook:
Acing the A+ Certification Exam
Author: Patrick Regan
Published By: Prentice Hall; Bk&CD-Rom edition (
ISBN: 0131121596
In-class activities and discussion play an important role in facilitating effective learning; therefore, class attendance is STRONGLY encouraged. Furthermore, students who do not attend class regularly will not receive individualized assistance from the instructors after class hours.
Cheating will not be tolerated. Within the context of this course, cheating is defined as giving or receiving assistance on a quiz or exam. Students caught cheating will be dismissed from class immediately and receive a "0" on the exam or quiz.
Quizzes, exercises, and exams all count towards the student's final course grade. The weight of each graded component is as follows:
|
Multiple-choice quizzes (x 7) |
21% each |
|
Practical quizzes (x 7) |
21% each |
|
Exercises (x 7) |
21% each |
|
Regular Exams (x 3) |
16% each |
|
Certification Exam |
20% each |
|
Total |
100% |
The grading scale is as follows:
|
A |
90 - 100% |
|
B |
80 - 89% |
|
C |
70 - 79% |
|
D |
60 - 69% |
|
F |
59 % and below |
Unless specified otherwise, all homework assigns are due the session after they are assigned. Homework assignments that are turned in late may be subject to a penalty of 5-points per day late. However, for homework assignments to be worth any credit at all, they must be turned in no later than the final deadline established for their corresponding unit. These unit-wide deadlines are noted on the schedule below.
iCarnegie offers a single certification exam that can be taken at the end of a semester so that students can acquire an iCarnegie certificate in the course material. An iCarnegie certificate demonstrates that a student has achieved a professional level of competency in that subject area. That is, a certification exam is designed to test for the proficiency expected of professional programmers with respect to the skills and knowledge that are taught in the corresponding course. The exam, which consists of a multiple-choice component as well as a practical component will cover the course's entire content. There will be a multiple-choice part and a practical part. Here are some things about the exam you should be aware of well in advance of taking it:
(Note: This is a tentative, flexible plan that is subject to change as circumstances dictate.)
|
Class Date |
Class |
Homework |
|
Wednesday Sept. 29th |
Class 1 Unit 1 Presentation - Computer Systems |
Required
Optional
reading:
Assignments: ·
HW:
iCarnegie Unit 1.1 Multiple Choice
Quiz |
|
Friday Oct. 1st |
Class 2 In class work time |
Required
Optional
reading:
Assignments:
|
|
Wednesday Oct 6th |
Class 3 Unit 2 Presentation - Hardware Systems |
Required ·
Unit 2.1 iCarnegie
online ·
Section 2B ·
Tech Talk: "How a
Microprocessor Executes Instructions" in
Chapter 2 Optional
reading:
Assignments:
|
|
Friday Oct. 8th |
Class 4 In class work time |
Required
Optional reading:
Assignments:
|
|
Wednesday Oct. 13th |
Class 5 Review Unit 1 & 2 Review Materials Class Project Work time |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Friday Oct. 15th |
Class 6 (TEST) Unit 1 Multiple Choice Test Unit 1 Practical Exam |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Wednesday Oct. 20th |
Class 7 Unit 3 Presentation – Operating System Software |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Friday Oct. 22nd |
Class 8 Project Classroom work Review of various project Deliverables |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Wednesday Oct. 27th |
Class 9 Unit 4 Presentation – Application Software |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Friday Oct. 29th |
Class 10 In class work time |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Wednesday Nov. 3rd |
Class 11 Unit 3 & 4 Review |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Friday Nov. 5th |
Class 12 (TEST)
Unit 2 Practical Exams |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Wednesday Nov. 10th |
Class 13 |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Friday Nov. 12th |
Class 14 Class Time/Review Project review, work time |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Wednesday Nov. 17th |
Class 15 Class Work time |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Friday Nov. 19th |
Class 16 |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Wednesday Nov. 24th |
Class 17 Unit 6 Presentation – Computer Security |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Friday Nov. 26th |
Class 18 |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Wednesday Dec. 1st |
Class 19 |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Friday Dec. 3rd |
Class 20 Unit 5 & 6 Review |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Wednesday Dec. 8th |
Class 21 (TEST) Unit 3 Multiple Choice Exam Unit 3 Practical Exam |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Friday Dec. 10th |
Class
22 Class Project Presentations |
Required
Assignments:
|
|
Wednesday Dec. 15th |
Class 23 (TEST) Final Multiple Choice
Certification Exam |
Required
|
|
Friday Dec. 17th |
Class 24 Class Review
& Course Makeup Day |
|