Instructor Contact Information

  • Instructor: Amelia Garripoli
  • Office: TEC-210 (Bremerton)
  • Office Hours: Mon 10-11, Tue 1-2 (on-campus or online), or by arrangement
  • Office Phone: (360) 475-7588 (voicemail checked M-Th)
  • Mail: Amelia Garripoli (B&T), 1600 Chester Ave, Bremerton, WA 98337-1699
  • Website: faculty.olympic.edu/agarripoli
  • Skype ID: Prof. Garripoli, in Bremerton, WA
  • Email: agarripoli@olympic.edu
    Send Course questions through the Canvas Inbox.
    Do not send assignments to my email or Canvas Inbox, they will not be accepted for grading. All assignments must be submitted through Canvas. I do not monitor email or Canvas during weekends, holidays, or breaks. Resend if you get no response from me within one school day during the term; your message may not have reached me.

Course Detail

  • Catalog description: Explore the fundamentals of information processing. Topics include: hardware, software, networking, the Internet, programming, and databases.
  • Prerequisites: See Technical Expectations.
  • Credits: 5
  • Class dates: September 25 - December 8, 2017. School holidays: Oct 9 (Mon), Nov 10 (Fri), Nov 15 (Wed), Nov 23-24 (Thu-Fri).
  • Class times: Monday & Wednesday, 11:30-12:50 (except on school holidays)
  • Class format: This is a hybrid class; attendance is required as discussions and activities will be held in class. Viewing provided videos is also required.
  • Location: Class: TEC-111.
  • Final Exam: Dec 11 12-2 TEC-111
  • Text Required: New Perspectives on Computer Concepts 2014, Comprehensive with CD-ROM, by Parsons and Oja, ISBN 9781285570204, published by CENGAGE learning
    The CD-ROM is required and must be used to complete coursework.
    Additional material and resources are identified in the Canvas course shell.
  • Also required: A USB thumb drive, 16 GB or larger; or cloud storage
  • Strongly recommended:a reliable, high speed Internet connection; a home PC or laptop; headphones and webcam
  • Core Abilities: CIS 110 meets the Core Abilities of Thinking and Information Literacy and Technology.
  • Learning Outcomes: Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
    • Explain the major components of information systems, including: hardware, software, operating systems, application programs, computer communication, and computer networks
    • Demonstrate the ability to effectively research and write about computer technology
    • Demonstrate the ability to convert between the decimal, binary, and hexadecimal number systems

Schedule

Visit the course Web site often for current assignments information, due dates, and messages.
The Grades section will show you the work you have submitted and the feedback for it.

See the Canvas Course or your Canvas Calendar for the current schedule of assignments.

All work is to be submitted on Canvas using submissions in Assignments, posts and responses in Discussions, and by submitting Quizzes; these can be found directly in the "Assignment" section of the course Canvas site, or in module context using the "Module" link on the Canvas course navigation to access the modules for this course.

Module Assignment Points Due
Module 0 - Orientation Material in course shell9/25
Course Readiness Review 10 & unlocks modules 1-9 09/26
Module 1 - Computers and Digital Basics Chapter 1 and material in course shell 9/27
Lab 1-1: PC Basics 20 09/27 in class
Issue Research & Discuss 15 post 10/1 & discuss 10/2
Lab 1-2: Binary and Hexademical 20 10/3
Quiz 1 30 10/3
Module 2 - Computer Hardware Chapter 2 10/4
Group Lab: Hardware Inventory 20 10/4 in class
Issue Research & Discuss 15 post 10/10 & discuss 10/11
Lab 2: Benchmarking 20 10/13
Quiz 2 30 10/13
Module 3 - Computer Software Chapter 3 10/16
Issue Research & Discuss 15 post 10/17 & discuss 10/18
Lab 3: Installing and Uninstalling Software 20 10/20
Quiz 3 30 10/20
Module 4 - Operating Systems and File Management Chapter 4 10/23
Group Lab: Backups 20 10/23 in class
Issue Research & Discuss 15 post 10/24 & discuss 10/25
Lab 4: Managing Files 20 10/27
Quiz 4 30 10/27
Module 5 - The Internet Chapter 6 10/30
Issue Research & Discuss 15 post 10/31 & discuss 11/1
Lab 5: Your Connection 20 11/3
Quiz 5 30 11/3
Module 6 - The Web and E-Mail Chapter 7 11/6
Issue Research & Discuss 15 post 11/7 & discuss 11/8
Lab 6: Browser Security Settings 20 11/11
Quiz 6 30 11/11
Module 7 - Digital Media Chapter 8 11/13
Group Lab: Image Processing 20 11/13 in class
Issue Research & Discuss 15 post 11/19 & discuss 11/20
Lab 7: Working with Bitmap Graphics 20 11/22
Quiz 7 30 11/22
Module 8 - Databases Chapter 11 11/27
Issue Research & Discuss 15 post 11/28 & discuss 11/29
Lab 8: Working with Database Software 20 12/1
Quiz 8 30 12/1
Module 9 - Programming Chapter 12 12/4
Group Lab 9: Programming 20 12/4 in class
Issue Research & Discuss 15 post 12/5 & discuss 12/6
Lab 9: Using a Visual Development Environment 20 12/8
Quiz 9 30 12/8
Instructor Take-away * 12/8
Last class day of term 12/6
Total points 695

See the Canvas Course or your Canvas Calendar for the current schedule of assignments. Each module typically spans one week; due to holidays this term, that could be Mon-Fri or Wed-Tue.

In each module there are supplied reading and videos. Onces those are internalized, you are ready for the class activities for the module.

Each module gives you hands-on practice with computers by completing a lab. All labs include a debrief section for your reflection and feedback on the lab activities. Labs are graded on correctness, effort, and completeness; see the rubric provided in the Lab Assignment.

Each module gives you further opportunity for active learning by participating in a discussion on the module's content. You will research and locate an additional soure beyond the textbook, and then discuss the topic and your findings with your peers in class. This provides the opportunity to practice professional communication. Discussion rubrics are provided in the Canvas shell.

Each module will have further opportunity for discussion of the module's technical content. This may include hands-on group activities.

Each module contains a quiz to check on your comprehension of the reading and content of the module. These are auto-graded when they are submitted.

Grading

There are 695 possible points in CIS 110. A minimum of 438 points are required for a grade. Without prior arrangement, I will record a grade of '0.0' if your points are below 432 points. If a student fails the course or is given a NC, WP or WF, the instructor must report a last attended date. It is my understanding that this date can have implications for some sources of funding. In this course the date the student last submitted work accepted for grading will be used as the last attended date.

If you do not complete the first week's activities for the course, you will be administratively withdrawn from the course. Completion of those activities is used to measure initial attendance.

Even with sufficient points, you may be administratively withdrawn from class if you do not demonstrate participation for two or more consecutive modules.

Out of 695 points possible:
Discussions: 135 (20%)
Labs: 280 (40%)
Quizzes: 280 (40%)

See chart below for details.

Letter GPA Points Percent Qualitative Definition
A 4.0 667 96% Superior course outcomes mastery
A- 3.7 646 93%
B+ 3.3 626 90%
B 3.0 605 87% Exceeds acceptable course outcome mastery
B- 2.7 577 83%
C+ 2.3 556 80%
C 2.0 535 77% Acceptable course outcomes mastery
C- 1.7 507 73%
D+ 1.3 487 70%
D 1.0 466 67% Minimum course outcomes mastery
D- 0.7 438 63%
F 0.0 < 438 < 63% Failure to master course outcomes

Points on work submitted on-time are posted as soon as possible, usually within 7 days of the due date. My goal is to give reasonable feedback to as many students as possible in the shortest time possible. If I have a larger than normal grading load or additional activities, I will notify you of any delays in grading. See Policies for information on getting assistance, submitting work, academic honesty and more.

Monitor your course progress and see what you have submitted by clicking on "Grades" on the course navigation on the course website.

Technical Expectations

This course uses computers and the language of computers, it is not an introduction to basic computer literacy. You are expected to be comfortable using a computer, particularly the Windows operating system; a web browser; e-mail; and the Canvas Learning Management System and to be a competent keyboardist (20wpm or better). You will be expected to run programs on the CD-ROM that came with your text book and submit screen shots and other items copied into a Word document. On Canvas you are expected to be able to take quizzes, post to discussions, submit assignments, find course information, view recordings, and use the Canvas messaging system, calendar, and gradebook, and similar skills.

If you do not feel comfortable with these basic skills, it is recommended that you consider taking CIS 150 Survey of Computing prior to taking this class to build computer literacy, BSTEC 110 for keyboarding, and GEN-S 097 for Canvas.

It is expected that you have regular access to a Windows PC with Firefox, Microsoft Word 2007 or newer, and a CD-ROM drive. If you do not, you will need to come to the Bremerton Campus to use the machines in the TEC-212, TEC-205, or TEC-213 labs, where that software and equipment is available.

You will need to schedule sufficient time in the labs or on a PC you have regular access to, to complete the coursework.

You will need to have regular Internet access for completing and submitting coursework. Please develop a plan "B" in case you have issues with your normal Internet access and related software that might affect your ability to participate in this class. Computer or software issues will not change your due date. Computer labs are available at all OC campuses. See Computer Labs on the OC website for their locations and hours. All PC labs have Firefox and Microsoft Word on the machines and CD-ROM drives.

Policies

  1. Ask for help:

    First, if you need help, get help early and often - if you wait it can become too late. Start assignments early and be proactive. The tutors and instructor are all available to help you.

    If you need assistance or are having problems in this class, please visit with me in person or online during office hours so we can discuss your options. I am available outside of office hours as well, by arrangement. The best way to contact me electronically is to use your Canvas Inbox. Canvas' Inbox is where I expect to locate student questions. All other methods will take longer and will not keep a centralized location for all our correspondence to assist with documentation. I monitor Canvas throughout the week during the term, 9am-7pm, less on evenings, weekends and holidays.

    If you do contact me through Canvas for help - please give sufficient detail, for example, by attaching the source code file in question to the message and explaining what is happening. The subject needs to identify the topic or lab it is for; references to past labs will not get prioritized so be sure to use the correct subject line. Stacking multiple messages to me with the same subject line may cause earlier ones to be disregarded, as Canvas displays the most recent one first.

    You can expect a response from me to your Canvas Inbox message within one school day; do not expect a reply on weekends, breaks, or holidays. If you do not get a response, resend your message and check the to: address to ensure it is going to the appropriate person.

    If we need to use email, you must use your Olympic College email account. Email from non-olympic.edu addresses will be ignored per OC policies. More information on OC email student accounts can be found at: https://www.olympic.edu/services/computer-labs/accounts. Please ask for help in an OC lab if you have not been able to access your OC email account.

    If for some reason you have to use email (Canvas is preferred), the subject line of your email must include the class, your name, and the topic, like so: CIS 110 | Jane Jones | Lab not evaluating work correctly. Email messages with that subject line format will be responded to within one school day during the term. Other subject lines may not be noticed until I am catching up on older emails.

    For help with coursework, you may also attend or call in during the CIS Programming Tutor Sessions. Please only contact the tutors during their open lab time. They are students too, and need time for their own studies when not tutoring. For Fall 2017, programming tutoring is being held in TEC-212.

    There are also general CIS tutors available in TEC-205, and Lab Technicians in TEC-213, see their hours posted on their door. They are available on-ground only.

    The role of the tutors is to assist the student during tutor sessions in general approaches to problem solving, internalizing core concepts, and understanding constructs of a particular language. Tutors may review homework only to determine which topics require additional attention or review by the student so that they can be successful. Do not show your work to your classmates. Tutors and other individuals are not allowed to directly provide any part of a solution to a home work assignment. The work must be the student's own. Tutors are required to report students that request help outside of tutoring hours or that request help directly completing a home work exercise to the instructor for the course they are seeking help with.

    If you need help outside of class material, there are a wide variety of resources available to you. See Student Services and also Counseling Services for assistance.

  2. Etiquette/Netiquette: It is expected that both in person and in electronic communication, students and instructors will act in a professional manner. This includes that we all be tolerant of others’ views, be respectful in dealing with others, show common courtesy, and use standard professional English in our communications, both written and verbal. Remember that capitalization and exclamation points are considered yelling, and texting lingo is not professional. Ask first if you are not sure if your note is offensive.

    Be respectful of the opinions of others. Disagreement is fine but do so in a straightforward and polite way. There is nothing to be gained from making rude, insulting or abusive remarks verbally or electronically. You are expected to behave in a professional manner and will be held to a standard of professional etiquette.

    Violations of this policy may result in lowering of an assignment grade or your overall course grade, reporting the violation to student services, or administrative withdrawal from the class. WAC 132C-120-065 specifies particular prohibited student conduct including academic dishonesty, plagiarism, cyber misconduct and other prohibited conduct. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated in the classroom or online; see WAC 132C-120-076.

    For ground classes, refrain from the following during class time: talking over other people, using the computer (except for note-taking on the discussion), cell phones/pagers, gadgets, guests, eating, sleeping, or other disturbances to the class unless an alternative class mode of conduct is in effect.

  3. Effort: Regular attendance and success in this course have a strong correlation. Regular attendance for a hybrid class means:
    • You are logging in to the Canvas classroom at least three times per week.
    • You are completing the reading prior to watching the recording & attending class.
    • You are attending class and actively participating in the discussions and activities there.
    • You have a plan B in place in case your internet access is interrupted, and use it.
    • You make regular progress on the discussions, labs, and quizes each week.
    • You seek assistance promptly from the instructor or tutors when you have questions on the reading, the recordings, or any assignments.

    New concepts tend to build on previous concepts rather than stand on their own. If you have to delay your progress in this course, I suggest you catch up quickly and network with other students to get on track as soon as possible (days, not weeks). Utilize office hours and the tutors to ask for assistance.

    Students are expected to have the Course Textbook and satisfy the Technical Expectations on or before the start of the class. Any requested reading or activity need to be completed before the first class day of the module, so that the student can better participate in discussions and use lab time effectively. Not having a text and not being prepared will not be an acceptable excuse for not being able to participate in class or to turn in assignments on time unless there is a textbook acquisition issue with the OC bookstore (OC Bookstore Web site). If there are no books on the shelf, please consult a staff member. Do not assume the bookstore is out of textbooks.

    By taking this course, you are stating that you will be making appropriate time in your schedule to ensure success and have access to the resources required for this class. Expect to spend about 3 hours per week for each class credit to ensure success. For a 5 credit class this is 15 hours of class work per week. If you review class recordings several times, expect to spend additional time. Being a full-time student is a full-time job, with 15 credits there are easily 40+ hours per week in class and study time.

    I understand that for many community college students, attending college is a part of a very busy life. I know many of you work and have families. When I was a graduate student, I worked full-time. As an undergraduate, I worked 20+ hours a week. I am a single mother with two teenagers. I know things can get busy. Planning is key.

    Remember: You are responsible for your learning. You may be administratively withdrawn from course if you do not demonstrate participation within the first week of the term. Participation in the first week is measured by access to the course shell on Canvas and timely completion of the activities. You need to invest regular, consistent time to succeed in this course.

    Time management is your friend or your foe! Waiting until the evening of the due date to ask a question of an assignment will not provide success in this course. You may not get a response before the due date. That is your responsibility, you alone are responsible for your late start. Start assignments early and be proactive.

    Instructions for assignments must be followed, including identifying information and file names. Failure to follow this policy may result in the deduction of points on the assignment.

    You may be administratively withdrawn from class if you do not demonstrate participation for more than two consecutive weeks. At the end of the day, you need to make the choices to maximize your learning.

  4. Due dates: Assignments are due on time, the date for each is given on the course Canvas site. Online postings are due by 11:58 p.m. of the due date or they will not be accepted. Note, Canvas closes the drop-boxes promptly at 11:59:00 p.m. You can post assignments prior to their due date, however grading is typically done once the due date is past. Please do not wait until the last minute to post your work -- expect connectivity issues with Internet access and plan accordingly. Especially if you are uploading large files, you will need to start the upload early, and leave time for your plan B solution if you should lose internet connectivity during the upload. All assignments must be posted by 11:58pm of the due date listed for a given item using the appropriate posting for a given assignment to be considered as on-time. Any assignment not submitted by that time will be considered late. Do not wait until the last minute to complete or upload your assignments; that will not be excused. Note: Emailed assignments will not be accepted for grading unless specified as part of an assignment or previously approved.

    When assignments are posted at the Web site, using the form provided, Canvas will tell you if it succeeded or failed. I strongly recommend returning to the course page in another browser window to verify that the Discussion Post or File Submission was successfully completed, and put in the correct course and assignment. Since little or no paper is used in the course, your only documentation that you posted an assignment is the successful completion of a submission on Canvas. Please save your files and make screenshots of the successful submission. Keep them safe in the event of a system failure and/or loss of postings at the course Web site. To date, loss of data is extremely rare but can happen since we are using the Internet for transmitting data and software to save it at the far end. It is strongly recommend that you print out all your form confirmations and place them into a confirmation notebook as your backup. If issues do arise, one of the first things I may ask to see is your submission confirmation. Without a submission confirmation for an assignment, in the correct course assignment, you may receive 0 points for an assignment.

    All requirements must be met for your submission to be accepted for grading. Follow the directions provided in the assignment box to ensure all naming conventions, files requested, information requested, and formats requested are provided.

    No late work is accepted in this class.

    If you have a one time event that is a serious illness or accident, or emergency service or active duty for you, your parent, your spouse, or your child, the late policy may be waived. You must make your request through Canvas at least one full day before the assignment is due for a late policy waiver or have verifiable proof of your inability to make the request by that time. Vacations, colds, or other discretionary activities will not be accepted. On-going or pre-existing situations can not be used for reasons for late work as they were known constraints at the start of the course.

    A late waiver is a one-time, one-assignment event, and any excused late work will not transfer to additional assignments. You will need to catch up with the course schedule and continue on time. If for some reason you cannot catch up, you can contact Registration & Records to withdraw; it is not sufficient to tell me that you are withdrawing.

    Accepted late waiver will be graded at the discretion of the instructor both for points as well as to when the assignment will be graded.

    Occasionally I will request that an assignment be redone in whole or in part because it appears that the learning outcomes may not have been met regarding that assignment. If a redo is requested, a notice will posted in the Comments section of the assignment along with the current grade. You need to resend the requested redo assignment within 3 days of the request. However, redo work will not be accepted after the last lecture day of the term. If not submitted in a timely fashion, the redo will not be graded and the original grade in Canvas will stand. Please contact me via Canvas or during our office or lab hours for instructions and support. Please see Redo assignments as a courtesy and not as a right. Redo work will be graded at the discretion of the instructor both for points as well as to when the assignment will be graded.

  5. Withdrawing: If you wish to withdraw from this course, please file the appropriate paperwork with the Office of Registration and Records and then inform me of your decision. If you are still in the gradebook at the end of the term, your computed grade with 0's for unsubmitted work will be used unless you have been in contact with me previously to make other arrangements or you were administratively withdrawn for non-attendance. It is your responsibility to contact Registration and Records, otherwise you remain enrolled in the course.

  6. Academic honesty: No academic dishonesty will be tolerated, see WAC 132C-120-065. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, and facilitating academic dishonesty. Facilitating academic dishonesty includes providing your own work to someone else for their solution; do not put the tutors or your classmates in this situation, they cannot provide you with solutions, only guidance and explanations.

    Evidence of academic dishonesty will result in a forfeiture of points for an assignment and will be reported to student services. Continued violations may result in a student being assigned a WF, 0.0, or administratively withdrawn from this course.

    Unless otherwise noted your assignments are individual assignments and I expect that your work will be your own. At any point during the term, you should be able to explain or duplicate any of your solutions for your assignments. I reserve the right to refuse to accept any assignment if you cannot demonstrate the ability to perform similar work when asked, or if you cannot explain your answer or approach that you have used. I encourage you to talk with one another to internalize and discuss general concepts and approaches, but your work must be your own. You must not show your peers in the class your actual work -- that would permit them to use your work as their own. When you work with the tutors, you cannot ask them to provide you with correct syntax and exact solutions, they can only guide you. You need to develop and internalize the solution yourself.

    Please note: cut and paste of another's words is plagiarism. Quoting in a limited amount with a citation noted on the quote is permissible unless explicitly requested otherwise. Your words must be your own.

    For further information on what not to share with your peers, see the course Programming Policy.

  7. Course Material: All Canvas content and recordings provided for this class through Canvas or Panopto are copyrighted by Olympic College. If you have copied or downloaded any of the content or recordings provided through Canvas, you must delete them once the term completes. Olympic College does not grant permission to retain copies of class material. See the OC Copyright Policy.
  8. Internet Safety: It is your responsibility to be aware of the impact of your actions when using the internet, with respect to managing your privacy, using the information you access, and maintaining machine security. For more information on this topic, see Thinking about Online Safety.
  9. Special requests: All special requests must be requested through Canvas to develop an electronic trail even if we have a face-to-face conversation. After such a conversation, send me a message on Canvas or your OC email right away to document what was discussed and to create an electronic trail of the conversation. It is your responsibility to send that follow-up message through Canvas or OC email.
  10. WAC Regulations: Please review Olympic College's WAC 132C regulations. Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 132C is Washington State law and governs the behavior of the administration, faculty, and students. Laws for student conduct and academic honesty, in 132C-120 WAC: Student Conduct Code, are always followed in this class. Chapter 132C-120-065: Prohibited Student Conduct deals with issues of academic dishonesty, plagiarism, cyber misconduct and other prohibited conduct.

Non-discrimination

Olympic College provides equal opportunity in education, employment and college activities regardless of race, color, national origin, age, perceived or actual physical or mental disability, pregnancy, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veteran or military status, use of a trained guide dog or service animal, or any other unlawful basis. If you witness or encounter any such discrimination, including any sexual misconduct, you are encouraged to report it to the Title IX Coordinator, Cheryl Nuñez (CSC 317A; 360-475-7125; cnunez@olympic.edu) or the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, David Slown, Executive Director for Human Resource Services at dslown@olympic.edu/306-475-7300, who will assist you in connecting with all possible resources. You may also report it online (and anonymously) at Report It, OC! or seek confidential counseling from Counseling Services at 360-475-7530 or at HSS 203. See also http://www.olympic.edu/nondiscrimination-title-ix.

Accommodations

Any student who feels they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability or a medically necessary absence due to pregnancy or childbirth should contact the Access Services office in HSS 205, by email at AccessServices@olympic.edu or by phone at (360) 475-7540. More information may be found on the Access Services website. Access Services must be contacted at least two weeks before the accomodation is needed.

Please contact me via Canvas or see me during office hours concerning your accommodation request(s) after you have submitted them to Access Services, so I can meet your needs in class.

Note that about 10% of all OC students have some type of disability, often invisible (like PTSD or asperger syndrome). As instructors, we cannot disclose a student's disability. The decision to share with others is a choice of the student.

Success

I want you to succeed. This class gives you an opportunity to practice professional skills. I am here to support your efforts. Please contact me and use my office hours if you need help with this course. I also welcome your insights and feedback.

Welcome to CIS 110, I look forward to sharing Information System Concepts with you. ~ Amelia.

Note: Syllabus content, course due dates and assignments may change at any time. Canvas will notify you of any changes during our course.