Courses Wayne State University College of Lifelong Learning Interdisciplinary Studies Program Computers and Society courses, Winter 2001     ( http://www.cll.wayne.edu/isp/drbowen/casw01) Mondays, 6 - 9:40 PM in 113 Rackham Computers and Society     GST 2710, Section 988, Call Number 95241, 4 credits Computers and Society     AGS 3360, Section 983, Call Number 98319, 4 credits Office hours: Mondays 4 - 6 PM in 113 Rackham	Instructor
	David R. Bowen 2311 A/AB Wayne State University Detroit, MI 48202	Daytime tel: (313) 577-1498 Evening tel: (248) 549-8518 FAX: (313) 577-8585 Home Page:     http://www.cll.wayne.edu/isp/drbowen Email: d.r.bowen@wayne.edu

Last updated: 1/17/01
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GST 2710 Syllabus
Computers and Society
Winter 2001

This class primarily uses Microsoft Office2000 under the Windows NT operating system.

Instructor: David R. Bowen

Office Hours:
* Mondays and Wednesdays 4 to 6 PM in 113 Rackham Lab, on days when classes are in session
   Lab phone: (313) 577-9705
But call or email anytime!

Office Location: 2311 A/AB Building
(ISP offices, 5700 Cass at the northeast corner of Palmer and Cass)
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48202

Work Phone (ISP office): 313-577-1498
ISP FAX: 313-577-8585
Home Phone: 248-549-8518
At Ford: 313-390-2155
E-mail: d.r.bowen@wayne.edu

Course Description and Objectives:

GST 2710 is part of the Undergraduate General Education Program and meets the General Education Computer Literacy (CL) Requirements at Wayne State.

The purpose of this course is to make students computer literate in an interdisciplinary context. Therefore the objectives are not only to provide students with hands-on experience with commonly used applications such as Word-processing, Database, Spreadsheet, Drawing, and Painting programs, but also to introduce the conceptual underpinnings of the digital computer to to enable them to better grasp its strengths and limitations as a tool in solving a variety of problems, to introduce students to its architecture and how it functions as an information processing system through the addition of appropriate peripherals, to introduce students to methods of communication with a variety of information sources, and to examine the impacts of computers on society with particular emphasis on the transformation of values, and the nature of work in the changing culture.

The course will cover three major areas:

1. Computer Concepts and Computer Architecture
   1. Structure of a computer
      1. Binary representation of information
      2. How machines do logic
      3. Interrelationship of the various parts of the computer
      4. Operating Systems
   2. Peripherals (Floppy and Hard Disks, Printers, Monitors, etc.)
   3. Software (Machine Language, Programming Language, and Applications)
   4. Personal/Mainframe Computer communication
   5. Client / Server architecture
   6. Internet and World Wide Web
2. Laboratory work using selected software (Microsoft Works on DOS/Windows)
   1. Word Processing
   2. Spreadsheets
   3. Database Analysis
   4. Charting
   5. Introduction to programming (QBasic)
   6. Internet and World Wide Web applications
3. The Impact of Computers on Society
   1. Artificial Intelligence
   2. Computer Applications - Cars, Electronic Mail, etc.
   3. Intellectual Property
   4. Impact on the Workplace
   5. Impact on the Economy
   6. Impact on Values

For students who wish to fulfill the General Education computer competency requirement in other ways, you may use a course from the Computer Science Department or Business School as an alternative, or take the general Computer Competency exam.

Student Rights and Privileges

Students can appeal grades, assignments or practices that they regard as unfair as follows:

1. Instructor - David Bowen, tel (313) 577-1498
2. Course Coordinator - Thomas Moeller, tel (313) 623-4365 (beeper/cell)
3. Literacy and Critical Thought Coordinator - Andre Furtado, tel (313) 577-4612
4. Director, Interdisciplinary Studies Program - Stuart Henry, tel (313) 577-6566
5. Dean, College of Lifelong Learning - Paula Wood (Interim) tel (313) 577-4675
6. University Ombudsperson (student advocate) - Victoria Anderson, tel (313) 577-3487
7. University President - Irvin D. Reid, tel (313) 577-2230

The Instructor is usually the first step. Those trying to start at the upper levels are usually referred back to the lower levels first.

Materials:

GST 2710 Texts, available at Barnes and Noble Campus Bookstore, Tel. (313) 577-:

1. Microsoft Office 2000 Professional, Course Technology / Thomson Learning ISBN # 0-7600-6961-1
2. Computers, Society and Technology.

Both texts are available at the Wayne State University Barnes and Noble Bookstore (Tel. ).

Other required materials:

1. High Density 3-1/2" Floppy Disk This may be purchased at the University Bookstore, Radio Shack, or any computer store, for about $1.00 before the 2nd class. You may need 2 disks. You will use this disk to store your work between lab sessions. Treat it carefully. You can damage the disk and lose the information on it because of heat, cold, strong electric or magnetic fields, dust or debris in the bottom of a briefcase or handbag, and bending or twisting. Seriously consider buying a diskette carrier. If you buy a formatted floppy diskette, make sure that it is formatted for Windows IBM PCs and compatibles.
2. Wayne State University or other Internet email account. WSU gives students free accounts for Internet access and for Internet email. these accounts are issued to students during their first semester, and are valid for one calendar year after leaving the University. Notification of your AccessID and Password is sent by postcard to your home address listed with the University. If you were a student as of Fall 1997, you were notified at that time. If you entered after Fall 1997, you were notified during your first semester. If you have lost the notification, you can apply in person for a renotification in the C&IT computer center in the Adamany Undergraduate Library (telephone 313-577-4778)
   
   You can also access the Internet free from WSU computer labs, including the 113 Rackham lab, and the computers in the Adamany Undergraduate Library. Other institutions, such as libraries and town halls, provide free Internet access. Free web-based email is available from www.hotmail.com, www.yahoo.com or www.netscape.com, among others.

Dates of Major Evaluations:

• Half hour quiz at start of class every week for the first 5 weeks
• Four hour midterm exam on the ninth class (March 19)
• Half hour Quiz on April 2
• Four hour final exam on April 30

Grading:

There will be weekly homework assignment, regular quizzes, several computer assignments and two examinations. Homework is due the week following the assignment.

The course grade will be constituted as follows:

• Weekly Assignments: 20%
  ( May be reduced if there is a significant difference between quiz and exam performance and homework performance)
• Quizzes 15%
• Attendance 15%
  No missed classes gets averaged in as a 100 (A+)
  The 100 gets lowered by ten points (one grade) for each missed class, to a minimum of 50 (E).
• Midterm Exam 25%
• Final Exam 25%

Grading Scale

The "-" range for a grade is the lower three points, and gets averaged at the middle. For example, A- is 90 to 92 and gets averaged as 91. The "+" for a grade is the top three points, and gets averaged at the middle. For example, B+ is 87 to 89 and gets averaged as 88. A grade of 100 is an A+. Note that the highest grade recognized by the University is A.

Assessment by 4th Week:

The instructor is required to provide the University with a written assessment of your performance in GST 2710 by the end of the 4th week of class. In these sections, the assessment will include performance on quizzes, timely purchase of class texts, completion of homework assignments and attendance, and will include suggestions for improvement which will be routed to a counselor

Incompletes will be given in this course only under very exceptional circumstance, as the student cannot be assured of a a computer station in the subsequent terms if the classes are filled to capacity. Under no circumstances will incompletes be given to students who miss two weeks of class in the first 8 weeks of the 16 week term, unless they meet with the instructor before the second absence. Make-up exams will only be given in exceptional circumstances for officially verified medical reasons. The request must come before the actual exam.

Dropping Classes

Do not just stop attending this or any other WSU class. You will still owe tuition and will get a grade, such as E or X, that you do not want on your record. Always use a Drop form to drop a class. These forms are easily availabel through an Academic Counsellor (call (313) 577-0832 for ISP Academic Counsellors). If you have severe problems during the semester, ask the Instructor for an Incomplete (I) that you can make up afterwards, or less, depending on the Instructor.

(for this course, you can turn in work after the Final to count towards a change of grade. I can turn in a change of grade up to the end of the Winter, 2001 semester. You can turn in work up to two weeks before that time.)

Important Academic Dates:

Other Significant Dates:

Grading for Course withdrawals:

Students who do not officially withdraw from the course before the drop deadline will be given an E. Students who have reasons for withdrawal after the drop-deadline that are compelling enough to warrant an exception to this policy will only be considered for an exception if they meet with the instructor about the issue allowing no more than 2 consecutive absences or a total of 3 absences to elapse before the meeting. A grade of X will be considered in such cases.

Exceptions to grading policy:

• Students who score an A in the midterm and the final exams will obtain an A in the course.
• Students who score a C or D on the quizzes, and midterm and final examinations can have their grade improved significantly if their attendance and homework is steady and demonstrates their understanding of the concepts.

Students who miss a class are required to pick up the assignment for the following week as soon as possible, and turn in their assignments for the subsequent week on time. The major cause of student failure in the past in this class has been poor attendance, and irregular attention to the course. Very few, if any, students who have done their own homework and attended class regularly have failed this computer class. Student with anticipated work related attendance problems should contact the instructor well in advance. Students with special emergencies should call and leave a message as soon as possible.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

You must have the required materials. Those individuals who chose not to have the required materials will be seriously jeopardizing their chances for success in this class!. Please contact your instructor and counselor immediately if this is a problem for you.

Laboratory work will be involved for the second half of the four hour class period every week. Students will be provided a computer that runs DOS/Windows and the required software, to work with in the lab, and will be assigned software on disk. Texts associated with the software will be used to do exercises. As lab time is limited, students should be well prepared at home to attack their lab assignments efficiently. Almost all students need to use a computer outside of class hours to finish their computer assignments. The classroom presentation is a distillation of the assigned readings. Concentration in the classroom represents the most efficient use of the student's time. Students are encouraged to tape the lecture-discussion part of each class to ensure that the concepts are internalized. It is much more difficult to glean them cold from the readings.

Miscellaneous Notices:

WHEN WORKING AT THE ISP LAB, OR ON ANY OTHER COMPUTER, ALWAYS CHECK YOUR FLOPPY DISK FOR VIRUSES BEFORE AND AFTER YOU USE THE COMPUTER!!!!!!

USE THE SAME COMPUTER EACH CLASS.

PLEASE MAKE BACKUP OF ALL YOUR DATA FILES FROM THE HARD DISK TO YOUR FLOPPY DISK BEFORE LEAVING THE LAB. YOU MAY FIND YOUR FILES ON THE HARD DISK DESTROYED ACCIDENTALLY OR DELIBERATELY BY ANOTHER USER.

PLEASE SAVE YOUR WORK FREQUENTLY WHILE IT IS IN PROGRESS (ABOUT EVERY 10 MINUTES) SO IT IS NOT LOST IN A SYSTEM CRASH. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL ABOUT SAVING BEFORE PRINTING.

NO SMOKING IN THE LAB UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. YOU CANNOT BRING EDIBLES OR BEVERAGES TO YOUR STATION. THESE MAY DAMAGE THE COMPUTERS.

APART FROM YOUR OWN FILES, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO LEAVE ALL COMPUTER FILES UNCHANGED BY THE TIME YOU LEAVE THE CLASSROOM. IF YOUR INSTRUCTOR HAS SHOWN YOU HOW TO DO A PARTICULAR FILE OR PROGRAM TRANSFER, PLEASE UNDO THE TRANSFER BEFORE LEAVING SO STUDENTS IN THE NEXT SECTION CAN REPEAT YOUR EXPERIENCE.

PERUSING ANOTHER STUDENT'S PERSONAL FILES IS CONSIDERED AN INVASION OF PRIVACY. DUPLICATION OF ANY FILE OTHER THAN YOUR OWN WITHOUT THE INSTRUCTOR'S PRIOR PERMISSION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE AT LEAST ONE STUDY BUDDY IN THE CLASSROOM. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW ANYONE MAKE YOUR NEIGHBOR IN THE LAB YOUR STUDY BUDDY AND BE SURE TO EXCHANGE PHONE NUMBERS. HAVE YOUR STUDY BUDDY PICK UP MATERIALS FOR YOU IN YOUR ABSENCE.

REGULAR AND PROMPT ATTENDANCE AND ATTENTION TO ASSIGNED READING AND EXERCISES IS ESSENTIAL FOR STUDENT SUCCESS.

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO CLEAN UP YOUR STATION AND SHUT THE COMPUTER DOWN BEFORE LEAVING. DO NOT SIMPLY SHUT THE POWER OFF.

KNOW WHERE YOUR FILES ARE! A MAJOR CAUSE OF LOST WORK AND LOWERED GRADES IN THIS CLASS HAS BEEN SAVING WORK TO THE HARD DRIVE (C:) INSTEAD OF THE FLOPPY DRIVE (A:). THESE HARD DRIVES ARE ERASED IMMEDIATELY AFTER EACH SEMESTER, SO ALL WORK SAVED TO THE C: DRIVE WILL BE LOST WHEN THE HARD DRIVES ARE ERASED.

SHUTTING DOWN A WINDOWS NT COMPUTER

1. MAKE SURE THAT ALL WORK IS SAVED.
2. CLICK ON THE "Start" BUTTON (NORMALLY AT LOWER LEFT CORNER OF SCREEN)
3. MAKE SURE THAT "Shut down the computer?" IS CHECKED, AND THEN CLICK ON the "Yes" BUTTON
4. IF YOU HAVE ANY UNSAVED WORK, YOU WILL BE GIVEN A LAST CHANCE TO SAVE IT AT THIS POINT
5. REMOVE FLOPPY DISKETTE
6. IF NECESSARY, WHEN THE SCREEN ANNOUNCES THAT IT IS NOW SAFE TO SHUT DOWN THE COMPUTER, TURN OFF THE POWER