Course
Description (in Nora's words)
The purpose of this class
is to teach you how to use the basic office spreadsheets and database
as a tool to analyze data for management-level decisions. The
reason it's called "Computer Modeling" is that you will
use the software to show (model) information about real life scenarios.
In this class the assignments and activities in this class will be "models" of
what happens in real organizations. Two goals in this class are 1) to prepare you for the next level of computer classes for your major, esp. Business Administration, 2) to teach spreadsheet and database skills for your professional work.
The main skill areas
covered will be 1) designing and using spreadsheets with Microsoft
Excel and 2) designing and using relational database with Microsoft
Access.
Prerequisites
From the catalog: "Prereq.,
previous computer experience and Math 100 or equiv. score on math
placement test, or consent of instr."
Plain
English version: To be successful in this class,
you will need to come to class with basic computer skills,
including how to use Windows, how to save and retrieve files,
how to create, send and manage emails, etc. and basic
math and algebra skills, especially related to creating
formulas. If you do not have these skills, it would be in
your best interest to learn those skills first and take this
course later. I will be delighted
to help you with the material covered by this class, but
there isn't time to teach the prerequisite skills as part of the course. If
you are new
to computers and are still determined to take this course,
I recommend that you work with a tutor on basic computer skills.
Text
Exploring Microsoft Office 2007 by Grauer, Hulett, Krebs, Lockley, Mulbery, Scheeren. (This is the custom edition for University of Montana) ISBN# 013-235-6686. You should receive a bundled package, which includes a CD.
Grade
|
Total %
|
A
|
93 - 100
|
A-
|
90 - 92
|
B+
|
87 - 89
|
B
|
83 - 86
|
B-
|
80 - 82
|
C+
|
77 - 79
|
C
|
73 - 76
|
C-
|
70 - 72
|
D+
|
67 - 69
|
D
|
63 - 66
|
D-
|
60 - 62
|
F
|
0 - 59
|
Grading
You
will be graded on (TBD) homework assignments, two presentations,
and a
final exam. Extra
credit will be available at specific times. Note: the presentations
take the place of exams and are the way that you demonstrate that you have mastered the course material.
If you would like to take this
class as Pass/Not Pass, a C or above is considered passing.
Presentations:25%
Homework: 50%
Final: 25%
Final points will be rounded.
These numbers are the minimum. That
means that if you have that %, your minimum grade will be the one
given. I reserve the right to award students
a higher grade based on more than average effort. Although class
attendance is not included in the minimum grades, class attendance
and participation is one way to demostrate effort. Also, note that
since the presentations are be based on the work of a team for presentations, if I note
that someone is not doing their share of the work or causing the team to
lose points, that person may receive a lower grade.
If you have concerns
about your grade, please come to my office hours during the semester.
I will keep everything archived. I don't mind going over your
work and grades within reason, but I will give time priority
to students who need help with coursework and other timely work.
Do not expect to come to me at the end of the semester to make
everything up. If you don't keep up with the work throughout
the semester, it's your responsibility.
If you choose to
take this class Pass/Not Pass, you must have at least a C to
pass, as is recommended by the dean of the CS department.
Group
Presentations (Midterm tests)
In your professional life you
will have to: 1) work with other people - some of whom will drop the ball on you, 2) make presentations or persuade someone
that you need something (sales, business loans, etc.) This course
will "model" this situation by using two class presentations as your midterm exams.
Your teammates and classmates
will be determining part of your grade. So, if you shirk your part
of the group project, you will see it reflected in your grade.
See the schedule for more specifics on the presentations.
Homework
The homework assignments for this class will be based on modifications of the Capstone Exercises at the end of the chapters in your text. The first assignment will be an email where you describe your organization. I recommend that you choose an organization related
to your major, somewhere you've worked, or something you'd
actually enjoy managing.
The text for this course has step-by-step exercises for the skills covered in this course. I recommend that you do these exercises. The actual homework assignments are designed to show that you have learned these skills and can use them in new situations.
I will cover almost
every aspect of the assignments during class and lab time. However, you may find that these skills are completely new. If you find yourself pulling frustrated, don't
spend hours fighting the programs - COME
TO OFFICE HOURS FOR HELP! The purpose for
my office hours is to be available for help. If I don't see you
throughout the semester, I will assume you are doing fine.
I also recommend
that you form study groups to help each other. Anyone who has
enough personal experience with the material covered to lead
a small group will be allowed to trade time for an assignment.
You will learn as much from helping someone as from doing the
assignment. Please contact me if you are interested in further
details.
If you want top
grades for your homework, I expect to see more than the minimal
or average amount of work to fulfill the homework requirements.
All of you will be entering a competitive environment when you
graduate. You will need creativity, perseverance and professionalism.
That's what it will take to earn top grades in this class. You
won't be able to do your assignments in the last few minutes before
the due date.
Back
everything up! Keep everything until your final grade
is confirmed. Every semester, I have students lose their
work because of disk failure. It's not my responsibility
to do your backups. If a disk you turn in is your only
copy, and it's bad, it's your problem, not mine. If you have
a computer failure, I will be happy to send you a copy of
any assignments I have stored.
Due dates will
be posted with each assignment. Late assignments will be accepted, but 10% of the earned points will be deducted per late day,
except in documentable emergencies. That means I'd better have
a pieces of paper or something I can verify to prove you really
did have an emergency. You can, however, turn in an incomplete
assignment for partial credit.
Since your assignments will be turned in digitally, you may want to have a way to be sure that your assignment was received successfully. Backing up with a paper copy is a common way to do that. I will accept and file a paper copy of your homework the class after the assignment was due. If there are problems with your submission, this paper copy will verify that you did the assignment and buy you consideration!
About submitting your homework:
- Because of several weeks of issues with Blackboard, Fall 2008 assignments will be submitted to cs172homework@thecomputergal.com. Hopefully, the issues with Blackboard will be resolved.
- Homework submitted to other email accounts will not be graded.
- The Subject Line for each assignment will be included in the assignment. Emails with different Subject Lines will not be opened. This is very important to avoid spam problems.
- All Excel spreadsheet assignments will be added to the same file. There will be occassional supplementary files that you will include in your submission. That means that your Excel file will change over time. Each time you send the file, there should be changes from that assignment.
Due dates:
1) only assignments specifically requested as emails will be accepted as emails,
these assignments are due at midnight on the stated date;
2) hand-in assignments are due by 5:00 of the date given on the assignment
- these can be put in my box in the CS office. The CS office phone number is 243-2830.
3) if there should be an extension of an assignment due date, the assignment
will be due at the end of either your lab time or lecture time of the extended
date.
4) presentation materials are due at the end of your presentation. Late materials
will be accepted for 1 week with a 10% grade cut.
Extra
Credit
Everyone has busy schedules and unexpected
situations. There will be various extra credit opportunities during
the semester. None of these will involve cramming a semester's
worth of work in at the end of the semester. Extra credit will
be given for extra effort during the course of the semester.
Attendance
You
are responsible for all material covered and announcements
made in class, including schedule and class changes. Since almost all assignments and information
required for exams will be covered in class, it will probably
be a good use of your time to attend. Not knowing about something discussed in class, is not an excuse for anything.
*From UM Student Policies: "Students are expected to attend all class meetings and complete all assignments for courses in which they are enrolled."
Copying/Cheating
In this class, working
together and getting ideas from outside sources is not considered cheating,
as long as you create the work you turn in for credit and can show that your
own ideas are an integral part of your work. Please make reference to your
sources at the bottom of your homework. If any question about
the possibilities of cheating arise, the references to your sources,
and your ability to explain the details of your work, will be your defense. If
it is determined that you have cheated or abused the conditions of
either assignments or exams, you will receive a 0% grade for that test
or assignment.
Incompletes
Campus
policy on Incompletes can be
found on this page.
Obscenity/Profanity
Please treat this course as a professional
situation. I will assume that the same rules of conduct that would
apply in any office or professional setting apply in this class.
Please keep all profanity and obscenity out of submitted work and
communication, both with me, as with your fellow students. The Computer
Science Department has written obscenity/profanity rules or guidelines.
If you have any questions, please check with the Computer Science
office - 4th floor of the Social Sciences building.
Students
with Disabilities
If you have a
physical disability that will affect your performance in this class,
please notify the instructor at the beginning of the semester so
that reasonable accommodation can be made.
Please note that
your instructor has a hearing loss on the right side. If there
is a great deal of noise in the class, I won't be able to distinguish
speech or I may not be able to tell who is speaking. I will ask
that, during class time, non-essential noise be kept to a minimum.
Please be considerate to the learning evironment and do not talk
to your neighbor during lectures or question and answer time. If
this becomes a problem, I may have to ask you to leave the class
for your conversation. Thanks!
Examples of Lame Excuses - names withheld to protect those who should be embarrassed. |