Elizabethtown College
CS 120
MICROCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS
Syllabus
(Fall, 2010)

Joseph T. Wunderlich, Ph.D

Associate Professor of Engineering

Computer Engineering Program Coordinator

Robotics and Machine Intelligence Lab Director

Office: Esbenshade 160C, Department of Physics & Engineering
Office Phone: 717-361-1295

Cell Phone: 717-368-9715
Email: wunderjt@etown.edu
Web site: http://users.etown.edu/w/wunderjt

Office Hours: http://users.etown.edu/w/wunderjt/schedules/Schedule Card f10 joe w.htm

Calendar: http://users.etown.edu/w/wunderjt/schedules/CALENDAR3_f10_web.htm

Catalog Description: Provides students with an applied understanding of how software is used to visualize, analyze and exchange business information. The technology layer provides an opportunity to create real-world applications used in different business areas. The course covers the strategic use of information systems and technology in business including the design of spreadsheets for business information analysis, application software to analyze business problems, database software for creating and using information systems, the integration of information from multiple software platforms, and ethical and moral issues in information systems and the Internet

NOTE: This course is not intended for Computer Science or Engineering Majors; however they are welcome if they agree to a customized grading plan compatible with their level of expertise

Course Credit: 4

Contact Hours: 4

Prerequisites and Technical Requirements:

Students should be able to use the version of the Windows Operating System installed in the college computer labs and:

· Navigate and manipulate files and menu items

· Open, move, resize, and work in multiple application windows at one time

· Search, open, rename, and save existing files

· Cut, copy, and paste from one application to another

· Use Microsoft Office applications (Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint) at introductory level

· Use Internet Explorer

· Access Web pages by entering the appropriate URL information

Learning Outcomes:

· Gain understanding of the strategic use of computing technologies in business

· Master the use and design of spreadsheets for business information analysis

· Understand how to use application software to analyse business cases

· Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of decision making processes

· Experience recent versions of software

· Prepare for using software applications in other business courses

· Gain Web design skills

· Learn ethical issues in computing and the Internet

· Learn effective presentation skills

Course Text:

Grauer, Hulett, Krebs, Lockley, Mulbery, Scheeren, “Microsoft Office 2007 Exploring Series Vol 1,” 2010/3rd edition, Pearson Prentice Hall. (ISBN: 9780135062500)

Grading:

· Assignments = 65%

· Comprehensive final exam = 35%

· Computer Science and Engineering Majors must agree customized grading compatible with their level of expertise

COURSE GRADE:
        (60-62)=D-, (63-67)=D, (68-69)=D+, (70-72)=C-, (73-77)=C, (78-79)=C+, (80-82)=B-, (83-87)=B, (88-89)=B+, (90-92)=A-, (93-100)=A
        (with any fractional part rounded to the nearest integer)

Course Content:

HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY

q History of the computer

q History of the Internet

q Economic cycles

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS

q Managing Hardware and Software Assets

q Managing Data Resources

q Project Management of Money, Time, and People

q Telecommunications and Networks

q Internet Hardware and Software Infrastructure

INTEGRATED SOFTWARE FOR BUSINESS

q Advanced MS Word

q MS Excel

q MS PowerPoint

q MS Access

q MS Internet Explorer

q Interaction between MS Office applications

q Microsoft Office Applications and the Internet

BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS

q Electronic Commerce and Electronic Business

q Information and decision support systems

q Specialized systems: Artificial Antelligence, Expert Systems, Virtual Reality, etc.

BUSINESS PROBLEM-SOLVING CASES STUDIES

q Fundamental skills and tools in problem solving

q Displaying data with charts

q Decision making

q Retrieving data for computation, analysis, and reference

q Evaluating the financial impact of loans and investments

q Organizing data for effective analysis

q Using data tables and scenarious for What-If analysis

q Troubleshooting workbooks and creating Excel applications

q Proper web surfing skills for academic and/or corporate research

PRINCIPLES OF WEB DESIGN

q Web design environments

q HTML programming

q Web design styles

q HTTP and FTP protocals

BUSINESS AND SOCIETY

q Information Systems security and control

q Moral and ethical issues in computing

q Various other software products for business applications (time permitting)

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

q Net Present Value theory and implementation

q Economic history in the U.S.

q Financial forecasting

Academic Honesty:

Elizabethtown College Pledge of Integrity: "Elizabethtown College is a community engaged in a living and learning experience, the foundation of which is mutual trust and respect. Therefore, we will strive to behave toward one another with respect for the rights of others, and we promise to represent as our work only that which is indeed our own, refraining from all forms of lying, plagiarizing, and cheating

Disabilities

Elizabethtown College welcomes students with disabilities to participate in all of its courses, programs, and activities. If you have a documented disability and require accommodations to access course material, activities, or requirements, you must: (1) Contact the Director of Learning and Disability Services, Lynne Davies, in the Center for Student Success, BSC 228, by phone (361-1227) or e-mail daviesl@etown.edu; (2) Meet with me, the instructor, within two weeks of receiving a copy of the accommodation letter from Disability Services to discuss your needs and their implementation.