IST 110 - Introduction to Information Sciences and Technology 

Fall 2001 - Section 3

6:30 - 7:45 PM  T,  Th, - GCC110 

8:00 - 9:50 PM Th  - D114                                                                                  

Instructor: Alan Peslak Ph.D. (A.B.D.)

Office Hours: By appointment only.

E-mail: arp14@psu.edu

COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course provides an introduction to information and computer information systems, including its social and ethical implications.  Students will develop an understanding of the basic concepts relating to the creation, organization, analysis, evaluation, storage, retrieval, transmission and communication of information.  The instruction will incorporate collaborative and action-learning experiences wherever appropriate.  This course will expose students to personal productivity tools such as word processors, spreadsheets, email, databases and presentation graphics.  Emphasis will be placed on the development and practice of writing and speaking skills through application of the concepts that define the course.  

This course has two components:  a general survey of computers and information systems today, and a practical introduction to microcomputers and microcomputer software (Office XP and Windows 2000).  The methods of instruction will include lecture, class discussion, class presentation, and lab and homework exercises.  There is a base body of knowledge that is required in the course and this must be assimilated.  However, IT is best learned by doing and active participation of the student will allow for the greatest learning experience.    

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS:

·       Computer Concepts, 4^th Edition.  Parsons and Oja, Course Technology, 2000.

·       Office XP: Introductory Concepts and Techniques.  Shelly, Cashman and Vermaat, Course Technology, 2002.

·         Several blank floppy disks, One 100MB Zip Disk.

·         The desire to learn and have fun.  

COURSE CONTENT AND ATTENDANCE:

You are expected to read all chapter material prior to the scheduled class.  For testing, you will be responsible for all material covered in class as well all presentations and assigned text chapters.  It is imperative that you attend all scheduled classes.  If you must miss a class, you should obtain material from a fellow classmate.  Absences in excess of 2 without permission of the instructor will result in a loss of 5% on the final grade for every class missed.  Scheduled tests cannot be retaken if you are absent.  Exceptions to this policy will only be made in extreme emergencies and only with approval of the instructor.  Please note that all material in the texts is also fair game for testing.  If material in the text has not been directly covered in class, it still may appear on a test.  If material is to be excluded, it will be specifically noted by the instructor. 

GROUP PRESENTATIONS

Groups will be assigned during the term and 2 group projects will be studied and presented. Further information will be provided.  These projects and presentations will represent 10% of your grade.

DISCUSSION ACTIVITIES

Each week we will spend a portion of class with discussion activities.  These may take the form of in-class assignments and/or presentations.  Some may involve individual activities and some may be group activities.  These are required and will be included in the class participation grade.

HOT TOPICS

In order to recognize the changing nature of the Information Technology field and to keep current on new technology, each week we will spend a portion of the classes reviewing current topics in information technology.  Reading of current periodicals to discuss current IT issues is encouraged. You will also be required to prepare a 10 minute presentation of a topic based on the two (minimum) sources after which we will discuss the topic in class.  Order of presentations will be selected by the instructor and topics must be discussed and approved by the instructor in advance.  Personal communications or e-mail to the instructor should be used.  Presentations will begin August 28. This individual presentation will represent 10% of your grade. Topics can be selected from the technology Quickstudies page of Computerworld   http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/quickstudy/0,1070,NAV47-68-85-1950,00.html  and must include one other source.  A good starting point for other sources in to type in the topic in a common search engine.  I recommend all the web. http://www.alltheweb.com  Articles can also be found by searching the following sites

http://www.idg.net

http://www.informationweek.com

http://www.zdnet.com

CLASS RULES

Class participation is encouraged and required.  Mutual respect and courtesy is expected both in and out of the classroom. Academic integrity is required. 

GRADING

EXAM #1 and #2:

Exams #1 and #2 are given during the semester and cover specified chapter concepts (see class schedule for dates of the exams and the selected chapters for each exam).  These exams will be a combination of multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, short answer and/or discussion questions. 

FINAL EXAM:

The final exam, given according to the University schedule for final exam week is not cumulative. Approximately 75% of the exam will come from concepts in Chapters 11-15 and 25% from concepts introduced in Chapters 1-10.  The final exam will follow the same format as the previous exams.

END-OF-CHAPTER ASSIGNMENTS:

Upon completion of chapter concepts, students will be assigned Projects, Labs or InfoWeb exercises from the course text or supplemental source.  All assignments that are not submitted by the specified due date will receive a grade of zero.

LAB ASSIGNMENTS AND PROJECTS:

Each week you will receive a lab assignment to complete and submit at the start of next lab meeting.  These weekly lab assignments will represent 25% of your grade.  During the last five weeks of the semester, each student will be responsible for completing one or more lab project(s).  These projects will integrate concepts from the previous labs and course lectures. 

COURSE GRADING:

The purpose of a grade is to give students feedback on the degree of their success in assimilating course content.  In IST110, we have adopted a grading scale that will hopefully provide each student with the opportunity for a good grade.  The following grading structure is based on the required plus/minus system of the University.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

All students are expected to act with civility, personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts.  An environment of academic integrity is requisite to respect for self and others and a civil community.

Academic integrity includes a commitment to not engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception.  Such acts of dishonesty include cheating or copying, plagiarizing, submitting another person's work as one's own, using Internet sources without citation, fabricating field data or citations, "ghosting" (taking an exam for another student or having another student take an exam for you), stealing examinations, tampering with the academic work of another student, facilitating other students' act of academic dishonesty, etc.

Academic dishonesty violates the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and comprises the worth of work completed by others.  A student should avoid academic dishonesty when preparing work for any class.  If charged with academic dishonesty, students will receive written or oral notice of the charge by the instructor.  Students who contest the charge should first seek resolution through discussion with the faculty member or the campus Director of Academic Affairs.  If the matter is not resolved, the student may request a hearing with the Commonwealth College Committee on Academic Integrity at the campus.

Sanctions for breaches of academic integrity may range (depending on the severity of the offense) from F for the assignment to F for the course.  In severe cases of academic dishonesty, including, but not limited to stealing or "ghosting" an exam, students may receive a grade of XF, a formal University disciplinary sanction that indicates on the student's transcript that failure in the course was due to a serious act of academic dishonesty.  The University's statement on Academic Integrity from which the above statement was drawn is available at: http://www.psu.edu/dept/oue/aappm/G-9.html

TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE:

NOTE:  THE COURSE SCHEDULE AND CONCEPTS ARE TENTATIVE AND CAN BE MODIFIED BY THE INSTRUCTOR AT ANY TIME.