ITM105 - Spreadsheet Topics Instructors: Lab Instructors: Semester: Office Hours: Phone: E-mail: Susan Fry and Tim Perry Whitney, Aaron, Shannon and Cameron Fall, 2011 1 st 8 Weeks Susan Fry M-W-F B308K 9:00-9:30 AM, 11:30 AM 12:30 PM Susan Fry 426-4384 (Office) ITM105@boisestate.edu Important notes about Email and Homework for this Course: 1. Update your Bronco Web preferred email address. The default is your Boise State email. If this is not the email you use, go to Bronco Web and change the preferred email to the email you use on a regular basis. If you have trouble doing this, see me during my office hours for assistance. Email from this course will be sent through Bronco Web. You are responsible for reading all emails. 2. Set your email address to identify you by your name, or include in the subject line your name and all other required information. All emails that do not identify you by name, either in the address or the subject line, will be deleted immediately. In others words, if I receive an email from happyme@msn.com, or something similar, which does not identify who you are or your name is not in the subject line, this email will be deleted without being read. 3. Include a subject line that tells me why you are sending the email. Subject lines should give the recipient an idea as to why the email is being sent. Many people will not open emails if the subject line does not identify the purpose of the email. Any e-mail without a subject line will be deleted without being read. 4. All homework must be completed by the due date or you will not receive credit. 5. Go into your Profile on Myitlab and make sure the time zone setting is MST not EST. If you have any trouble understanding any of the previous five steps, you need to see me immediately, or come to B209 during the posted lab times and discuss with one of the TAs or B308k during posted office hours. This is an 8-week class so get everything straight in your mind during the first week to enjoy successful completion of this course.
Course Description This hybrid course is an application of microcomputers using current productivity software. Particular attention is devoted to problem solving with spreadsheets. Students will learn to use one of the most commonly used spreadsheet software - Microsoft Excel 2010. In addition to hands-on experience, students will learn computer concepts related to the operating system, utility programs and file management; understanding and assessing hardware; networking and security; and mobile computing. Myitlab You will be learning Excel through step-by-step instructions in the e-book GO! Excel 2010 Comprehensive and Myitlab, a self-paced tutorial. Myitlab is a training and testing software package that has been developed by Prentice Hall for Office 2010. Before accessing your course content in Myitlab, you will need to register during the first day of class (which means you must have your books purchased by the first day of class) using: 1. Continuing from, or tested out of ITM104 Enroll in another course using the Course ID listed in Step 4 2. New Student - A student Access code, which is included in your Myitlab package that is part of your package purchased at the bookstore 3. Your email address 4. The Myitlab Course ID for this course which is CRSABXR-66447 5. The e-book Course ID is Fry000470229eb Please follow the instructions given in class to register for the Myitlab course. If you find that you are having problems with the program, which the lab instructors cannot resolve, you will need to contact Tech Support for Myitlab, found on the homepage of Myitlab.com. All assignments will be listed in Myitlab by week. For example, you will need to click on Week 1 in your Myitlab account and do everything listed there. Deadline time for ALL assignments: Everything required in the weekly folder will be due by 2:30 PM MST on the Saturday of the week that it is due. After we get through the first three weeks and everyone is comfortable with MyITLab we will make the remaining weeks available so if you want to work ahead you will be able to do that. Once the due date is reached, the folder will disappear from your view. This means you can Work Ahead but not Work Behind. Types of homework that will be listed in Myitlab: 1. Tech in Action homework A link to Study Guide questions. Read the chapter prior to going to this link. Answer all questions and then click FINISH: Submit for Grading. A message will pop up on the screen to confirm your request. Click Finish to submit. Your grade will automatically be calculated and entered into your grades.
2. Exploring Excel 2010 homework. (a) Listed in Myitlab are PowerPoint s and Student Videos for each chapter. These are optional but if you choose to go through them, you should complete this before doing the Excel Chapter Skill-Based Training. (b) The training is a tutorial that enables you to continue to learn the material at your own pace. The Excel Chapter Skill-Based Training is part of Myitlab so the scores are submitted automatically. Because the training is showing you how to perform a task but not necessarily explaining why you are doing it, I suggest that you use your e-book in conjunction with the training to help you understand the why of what you are doing and not just the how. This will help you understand the concept of the tasks rather than just the pointing and clicking steps. (c) The Grader Project is an actual project that you will download from MyITLab, complete in Excel 2010 and then upload to MyITLab for automatic grading. You will select the link in MyITLab and it will have three steps for you to follow. You will download at least one Excel file and one instruction file. Do not open the file directly from MyITLab. You must choose Save from the pop-up box. If you are using the computers in the lab or sharing a computer at your home with someone else who is also in this class, you must use your own storage device. You must save the solution files using the exact name given in the instructions. You cannot add initials or anything else to the file name. If you save the file on the computers in the lab or a common computer and someone else uploads your file, this will show up as an integrity violation and you and the other student will both receive 0 s on this assignment. You will then go into Excel and follow the steps in the instructions. After you have completed and saved and closed your file you will return to MyITLab and upload your file into the grader assignment and then submit it for grading (be sure to click upload and wait for it to complete and give you a confirmation message). Then, make sure you hit Finish and Submit for Grading. The system will grade your assignment and give you a score. This score will display in your MyITLab grade book. You will be allowed two attempts on this grader project. After the first attempt you may look at several different reports to determine what you did wrong. You can then go back to the file you have saved on your storage device and correct your mistakes and upload the file again in MyITLab. Your highest score will be recorded in the grade book. COURSE INFORMATION This course is a hybrid course, as listed in the Schedule of Classes. You will meet with an instructor once during the 1 st week of class (August 22-27, mandatory with no exceptions), take the Technology in Action exam between September 19-24 and the Excel exam between October 10-15. These are the only required attendance days. However, if you need assignment specific questions, you will need to visit the lab during the lab hours provided below and speak with a lab instructor onsite. Office hours are listed above. Additional lab assistance hours are listed below. If you are fairly new to computers or feel somewhat uncomfortable with a hybrid format, be sure to utilize these resources to ensure your success.
General communication after the first class will be through Bronco Web e-mail and Myitlab Announcements. Please make sure that you have a current e-mail address in Bronco Web that is not full. (See Step 1 above in the first section). If you fail to receive e-mails because your e-mail account is full or is not one that you check regularly, or do not check announcement regularly, this does not relieve you from any information provided in that e-mail or Myitlab. There will be weekly assignments, which include two quizzes (timed for 25 minutes) throughout the course to ensure you are current with the subject matter. These are listed in weekly folders. TEXTBOOK Technology in Action Complete, 8th Edition, Evans, Martin and Poatsy, Prentice Hall, 2012. Access Code for Myitlab. e-book in MyITLab for GO! Excel 2010 Comprehensive LAB ASSISTANCE Day Time Lab Instructor Monday 11:40 AM 1:30 PM Shannon Tuesday 12:40 PM 2:30 PM Aaron Wednesday 12:40 PM 2:30 PM Cameron Thursday 4:40 PM 6:30 PM Aaron Friday 11:40 PM 12:30 PM 12:40 PM 2:30 PM Shannon Whitney Saturday 12:40 PM 2:30 PM Whitney GRADING Point System: Total assigned points; 450 total possible points. Final Excel Exam - 200 points Final Technology in Action Exam - 40 points Myitlab Excel Quizzes 10 points - 2 quizzes at 5 points each Myitlab Excel 2010 Skill-Based Training - 90 points Exploring Excel 2010 Grader Projects - 90 points Technology in Action Study Guides - 20 points - 4 study guides at 5 points each Syllabus Quiz 15 Extra Credit Points GRADING SCALE This class is a Pass/Fail Class. If you have a 70% or better you will receive a Pass; if not, you will receive a Fail. Examination Policy
There are two examinations (one for the Technology in Action portion of the class and one for the Excel 2010 portion of the class). Final Exam 1: The Technology in Action exam will be taken in the Business Building (B209) between September 19-24. This exam is password protected so must be taken in B209. This is 25 multiple choice and True/False questions so it usually only takes about 15-20 minutes. You will be required to show your student ID in order to be admitted into the exam room. Final Exam 2: The Excel 2010 exam will be taken in the Business Building (B209) between October 10-15. As you are taking this exam, if you do not know how to complete a specific task, you may skip this task and return to it later. Further, always hit the reset button when you are marked incorrect action, so it starts that section clean again. Otherwise, Myitlab will count the steps you have already performed. You will be required to show your student ID in order to be admitted into the exam room. Preparing for Examinations 1. Read the GO! Excel 2010 and Technology in Action books. Do all assignments. Complete all assigned training on Myitlab and take the two quizzes offered. 2. Use the Summary, Key Terms, Buzz Words, and Critical Thinking Questions at the end of each chapter of the Technology in Action book as a recap to prepare for the concepts examination. Review all study guides assigned. 3. Complete the Exam review activities available just before the exams. Academic Honesty Students are expected to uphold the school's Code of Conduct relating to academic honesty (see p. 22 of the 2010-2011 Boise State University Undergraduate Catalog). Students assume full responsibility for the content and integrity of the academic work they submit. The guiding principle of academic integrity shall be that a student's submitted quizzes, examinations, Myitlab reports, and Excel 2010 projects must be that of the student's own work. Any violations may result in disciplinary action. The penalty for violating the honor code is severe. Any student violating the honor code may, at the discretion of the instructor, receive a failing grade on the assignment, may receive a failing grade for the course and/or may be suspended or expelled from the university. If a student is unclear about whether a particular situation may constitute an honor code violation, the student should meet with the instructor to discuss the situation. For this class, it is permissible to assist classmates in general discussions of computing techniques. Each person, however, must develop their own solutions to the assigned projects, quizzes, exams, assignments, and tasks. In other words, students may not "work together" on graded assignments. This means you will not sit at the same machine and do the work together and submit the same assignment. Such collaboration constitutes cheating. Each student must do their own computer work. A student may not use or copy (by any means) another's work (or portions of it) and represent it as his/her own. If you need help on an assignment, contact your instructor or attend a lab session and get help from a TA, not other classmates.
COURSE POLICIES Learning Objectives: Students who successfully complete this course with a grade of C or better should be able to: 1. Understand about systems software and operating systems. 2. Know what the main desktop and windows features are. 3. Understand what utility programs are included in system software and what they do. 4. Know how to tell whether you should upgrade your current system or buy a new computer. 5. Understand the internal components of a personal computer and how to evaluate what will meet your needs. 6. Understand how to ensure the reliability of your system. 7. Understand what a network is and the advantages of setting one up. 8. Understand the difference between a client/server network and a peer-to-peer network. 9. Understand the different types of networks and how they are created. 10. Learn how to protect yourself from hackers and viruses. 11. Know the advantages and limitations of mobile computing. 12. Learn how to synchronize your mobile devices with your desktop computer. 13. Understand the power of laptops and how they compare to desktop computers. 14. Be able to use Excel to manipulate data, format worksheets, insert objects and charts, use macros, use formulas and functions, manage workbooks, work with lists and pivot tables, and use what-if analysis. Students in this class will learn or practice the following COBE Core Curriculum concepts, methods, and skills: 1. Understand and apply analytical and disciplinary concepts and methods related to business and economics: 1.5. Information Technology Management 2.1. Communicate effectively: Write messages and documents that are clear, concise, and compelling 2.2. Communicate effectively: Give oral presentations that use effective content, organization, and delivery 3. Solve problems, including unstructured problems, related to business and economics 4. Use effective teamwork and collaboration skills 5. Resolve ethical issues related to business and economics
The Qualifying Exam If you feel you have already acquired good skills using Microsoft Excel 2010, you may be able to test out of ITM105. In order to do this, you need to take the ITM105 Qualifying Exam. The schedule of this exam is posted at the ITSCM Department and posted on the ITSCM homepage. This exam gives no academic credit, but a passing grade allows you to satisfy the ITM105 prerequisite. In order to take the qualifying exam, you may not have taken ITM105 (previously CIS105) for credit or audit in the past. This will nullify any test results. If you are currently enrolled in ITM105 and successfully complete the placement exam, then you must drop the class by August 26 so you will not receive a W on your transcript. If you successfully complete the Qualifying Exam, and you do not drop the class by September 12, you will receive a grade of F for this course.