COURSE SYLLABUS
FALL 2011 CSP 2200
INTRO TO PC TROUBLESHOOTING, UPGRADE, AND REPAIR
1. Instructor Information:
Name Mr. Charles Kwiatkowski
E-mail address charles_kwiatkowski@ivcc.edu
Office
hours Monday 3:45 – 5:15
(Subject to change Tuesday 3:45 – 5:15
With notice) Wednesday 3:45 – 5:15
Thursday 3:45 – 5:15
Other times may be available by appointment. Contact me for availability
Contact information Charles Kwiatkowski
A Building, Room 330
IVCC
815 North Orlando Smith Road
Oglesby, IL 61348
+1 (815) 408 0876
2. Course description
A
hands-on course for new personal computer owners. Covers elementary maintenance
of a personal computer, its peripherals, and its software. Preventative
maintenance and minor repair of hardware, as well as upgrading and installation
of software and hardware, will be discussed. Lecture, two hours per week; lab,
two hours per week.
Credit Hours: 3
3. Course Meeting Times
Section 01
Lecture Monday AND Wednesday 12:00-12:50 D Building, Room 109A
Lab Monday 2:00-3:40 D Building, Room 109B
Section 02
Lecture Monday AND Wednesday 1:00-1:50 D Building, Room 109A
Lab Wednesday 2:00-03:40 D Building, Room 109B
Section 300
Lecture Wednesday 5:30- 7:10PM A Building, Room 208
Lab Wednesday 7:20-9:10PM D Building, Room 109B
4. Expected learning outcomes
· Students will gain a working knowledge of the different components of the PC
hardware, their names, and their functions.
· Students will learn to identify important working environment factors that can affect the operation and life span of a PC and its peripherals.
· Students will learn to perform basic preventative maintenance tasks that can add
to the life and performance of a PC.
· Student will learn how to isolate and repair common PC problems and when to
ask for professional assistance.
· Students will learn how to install and replace basic PC components: memory,
expansion boards, power supplies, hard disk drives, etc.
· Students will be informed of the selection of add-in and add-on hardware
available (displays, memory, drives, input devices, etc.) and when and how each
device should be used.
· Students will be able to disassemble and reassemble a previously unseen PC to proper working order within a fixed amount of time.
5. Disability statement :
You may be eligible for academic accommodations if you have a documented physical, psychiatric (anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, AD/HD, post-traumatic stress, or others) or cognitive disability such as a learning disability. If you have a disability and need more information regarding possible accommodations, please contact Tina Hardy at (tina_hardy@ivcc.edu, 224-0284) or Judy Mika Judy_Mika@ivcc.edu or 224-0350) or stop by office B-204.
Additionally, In an effort to create a classroom environment that maximizes the success of all students, I encourage you to make me aware of any barriers that may inhibit your learning. Feel free to speak to me at any time about concerns or questions you may have about assignments, activities, or exams. The college provides several support services for students who have barriers to learning. They include, but are not limited to: Disability Services Office, Writing Center/Peer Tutoring, Counseling Center, and Project Success. Please see me if you want to learn more about any of these offices.
6. Attendance Policy
Illinois Valley Community College (IVCC) mandates students attend all class meetings. This includes both lecture and lab. Attendance is part of your class grade, typically 4 points per week. Attendance *may* be taken in the form of a pop quiz. These pop quizzes exist primarily to provide me an assessment of how well you are grasping the course material. Quizzes may be given at the start of lecture so be punctual.
You are expected to attend for the full lab period. You may be excused, with permission, when you have completed ALL of your homework (not just the nearest due). I have been known to give a quiz at the end of lab without a prior announcement. You may be marked as absent if you leave with being excused.
If you come in late, remind me that you were late BEFORE we leave class that day, preferably before I leave the podium. This is so I may give you half credit for attendance. Failure to do so will result in you being marked absent for that day. As much as I care about you and your education, I cannot remember whether or not you arrived late after class has ended.
Habitual lateness is RUDE behavior and will be dealt with HARSHLY as such.
We may do assignments during class. If you miss that class, you will NOT be able to make it up.
Note: Two key aspects of attendance are preparation and participation. You are REQUIRED to read the material regarding the lecture topic BEFORE coming to class. You are expected to answer questions reasonably when called upon. "I don't know" may be true, but it is also an excuse. You are REQUIRED to make a reasonable attempt at an answer EVEN IF it is wrong so I may gauge your understanding of the current topic. Answering "I don't know" or such similar response may result in attendance point deduction.
This is your obligation.
7. Assessment of student learning.
Student learning will be assessed by in-class questions, homework, hands-on lab assignments and exams.
8. Grading: The grading of the course will fall into 3 categories:
Homework
This is where you will develop and apply your knowledge relevant to the topic. There shall be about 1 homework per chapter. Homework typically will consist of hands-on work, simulator work, and short answer questions. Each chapter's combined work shall be worth approximately 80 points. Note that short answer questions are intended for exam prep and not for points. Should you fail to complete and submit the short answer questions prior to the due date, you will NOT have an opportunity to make them up, or even examine the questions so MAKE SURE you are diligent! Most people who fail the class do so due to missed work, and especially, failure to prepare for the exams.
Midterm exam
Based on the Homework. It shall be worth 250 points. It will likely cover the first five chapters, maybe 6. You will be informed of the scope of the midterm exam approximately 1 week before the date of the midterm.
Project
Student teams will select the components necessary to build a PC with constraints given by the instructor. The teams will prepare and give a presentation to the class on their choices. This is worth 200 points. As the project is a synthesis of nearly all course topics, failure to complete and present the project will result in a grade of F for the course.
Written Final Exam
Based on the Homework. It shall be worth 100 points.
Hands-On Final Exam
Each individual student will be required to disassemble and successfully reassemble a PC within a given amount of time under instructor observation. It shall be worth 150 points. Make sure during the semester that YOU, not just your partner, are able to successfully disassemble and reassemble a PC to proper working order within 50 minutes. It is wise to practice more than once. You can use lab time to practice once you have completed the hands-on work for the chapter. This will help you prepare for the hands-on exam. Note: Crying during any exam will NOT help your grade.
Final grade by percentage of possible points
90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
< 60% F
Note: Grades are not rounded up or down. Example: if you end up with an overall course grade of 89.99%, you have earned a B.
9. Withdrawal policy
According to IVCC, you may withdraw from this course with instructor permission.
You may withdraw from this course for any reason you like. I shall not shame you nor chide you for dropping the course, but I may inquire why. The only exception for this rule shall be for people who have left their lab partner "hanging". This applies only to classes with labs using lab partners.
Note: Just because you stop showing up for class does not grant you a grade of I (incomplete) or W (withdrawn). You must promptly contact me in order to receive a grade of I or W.
Effective Summer 2011, students have the ability to initiate a withdrawal from classes. By completing the form in the Records Office or through the form located within WebAdvisor, the student is authorizing IVCC to remove him/her from the course. Entering the student ID number serves as the student’s electronic signature. IVCC has the right to rescind a withdrawal in cases of academic dishonesty or at the instructor’s discretion.
Students should be aware of the impact of a withdrawal on full-time status for insurance purposes and for financial aid. It is highly recommended that students meet with their instructor or with a counselor before withdrawing from a class to discuss if a withdrawal is the best course of action for that particular student. More detailed information is available at www.ivcc.edu/admissions and selecting the menu item for Withdrawals on the left side of the page.
Personal advice: Education is not a race. There is no shame in strategic retreat. Drop the class in which you are performing the worst in, not the one you like the least. Always aim to keep your grade point average high as it will take you farther than how long it took you to complete your degree/certificate/program.
10. Cell phone and text messaging policy.
Calculators, Laptop PCs, Cell Phones, iPods, and other electronic devices are not allowed during exams and quizzes unless otherwise specified. Failure to comply with these rules will result in ejection from the exam and a grade of F for the exam.
11. Financial aid statement
Withdrawal from a course can affect financial aid. Students who receive financial aid should see an advisor in the financial Aid Office before withdrawing from a course.
12. Plagiarism statement/academic honesty
Policies regarding cheating may be found under the heading of “Academic Integrity” in the IVCC Student Handbook. Students should become familiar with these policies and are REQUIRED to abide by them.
Furthermore, don't even think about cheating. Cheating is not tolerated at all. Although I encourage you to collaborate and discuss ideas and concepts from this class with others, you are responsible for your own work. A common example of cheating is when several students work together on an assignment, typically short-answer questions, and submit answers as a group without EACH individual working on his/her own individual answer.
Another common example of dishonesty is Googling short-answer questions to find answers. This is not an exercise in learning. It is cheating and laziness, pure and simple. The bulk of the answers may be found in the text. Others you should have from TAKING NOTES during lecture. Be warned that I rewrite questions for the exams in order to catch people who simply Google for answers. You WILL be sorry.
When you cheat, you insult my intelligence.
13. Any classroom rules
Lecture shall begin promptly at the assigned time. I ask that you REFRAIN from asking me questions while I am at the podium before lecture starts, as I am usually setting up and it may delay the start of class. This also ensures that everyone in class has a chance to hear the question and answer after class starts.
Questions about HW assignments and grading should be deferred to lab, if possible. You can expect lecture to last until the assigned end time. Do not immediately begin packing up your belongings before the end of lecture.
PC Usage
If you have a PC in front of you during lecture, it should be used ONLY for one of two things:
1. Following along with the lecture's slides, code, etc.
2. Working on an in-class assignment.
Do not work on homework while I am lecturing. Do NOT "surf", check email, or play games during class. This is rude behavior and you may be asked to leave if caught doing so. If this continues to be a problem, further action may be taken.
Lab (if applicable)
This is where you are expected to work on your homework and labs. Also, this is where I answer questions about your HW. You may expect to need extra time outside of lab to complete your assignments.
Lab is also where I try to get grading done. Often, I like to call you over during grading so you can better understand why your grade is what it is.
You are advised to save your work on your flash drive and backup files on your U: drive.
You are expected to bring your textbook(s) to all class meetings and lab.
You may opt to also work on your homework assignments at home. This is fine, but know that:
1. If you have a question or a problem with the assignment, we may not have time to meet to solve your problem before the assignment is due.
2. You are responsible for the operation of your equipment. This means that you will not be given any special treatment if it your hard drive crashes, printer malfunctions, etc.
3. I do not debug over the phone or via email.
4. You are still expected to attend lab.
5. People who work on their assignments in lab tend to achieve higher grades than those that work at home.
14. Outline of assignments for the semester
There shall be approximately 12 assignments, 1 per chapter.
Each chapter's assignment shall normally contain:
· Short answer (True/False, Multiple Choice, etc.) questions
· Simulation work using the LabSim software
· Hands-On lab, which are normally required to be done IN LAB, not at home.
15. Hints on how to be successful in the course
· Read the book before lecture.
· After reading the book, pay attention during lecture and TAKE NOTES! If you still don't understand, ask a question,
· Do as much work as possible in the lab as possible, because if you have a problem, I am right there to help. This is not true when working from home as it may take me awhile to be able to respond to your question via text or email.
· Start homework early and keep working until 100% complete. It is IMPOSSIBLE to accurately predict how much debugging or troubleshooting is necessary. Waiting to complete an assignment until shortly before the assignment is due is a recipe for failure.
16. Required text and materials
As these materials are required, they should be covered under Financial Aid if you qualify
A+ Guide to Managing & Maintaining Your PC, 7th Edition
Jean Andrews
Publisher: Delmar, Cengage Learning
Copyright year: © 2010 Pages: 1346
ISBN-10 1-4354-9778-3
ISBN-13 978-1-4354-9778-8
A+ Practical Applications Exam
220-702, Testout Corporation aka LabSim software
ISBN 1-935080-36-9
This should be bundled with your text from the IVCC bookstore.
PC Computer Tool Kit-11 Piece. This should be bundled with your text from the IVCC bookstore.
1GB or larger Flash Drive.
17. Additional Resources
Headset (for listening to simulations). You can use your iPod headphones if you like. Or, you may purchase a low cost headset from the IVCC bookstore, typically for under $10.
18. Important Dates
|
August 16 (T) |
In-service for Faculty |
|
August 17 (W) |
CLASSES BEGIN |
|
August 30 (T) |
Last day for refund for 16 week classes |
|
August 31 (W) |
New Student Convocation |
|
September 5 (M) |
Labor Day (College closed) |
|
October 3 (M) |
Deadline to Apply for Fall Graduation |
|
October 7 (F) |
Faculty Development Day (College closed) |
|
October 13 (R) |
MIDTERM (Last day for first 8-week classes) |
|
October 14 (F) |
Fall Break (College closed) |
|
November 1 (T) |
Online registration begins for Spring |
|
November 2 (W) |
In-person registration begins for Spring |
|
November 3 (R) |
Phone/fax/mail registration begins for Spring |
|
November 8 (T) |
Last day for student withdrawal for 16 week classes |
|
November 11 (F) |
Veteran’s Day (College closed) |
|
November 23, 24, 25 (WRF) |
Thanksgiving Break (College closed) |
|
November 28 (M) |
Classes resume |
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December 6, 7, 8, 12 (TWRM) |
Evening Semester Exams |
|
December 12,13,14, 15 (M-R) |
Day Semester Exams |
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December 20 (T) |
Final Grades due in Records Office at 10 am Semester Ends |
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December 16 (F) |
Student Break begins |
|
December 20 (T) |
Faculty Break begins |
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December 22 (R) |
Staff Break begins (College Closes at 4:30 p.m.) |
|
December 23-January 2 |
College Closed |
19. Schedule
This schedule is tentative and subject to change.
Day Sections 01 and 02
|
Date |
Topic(s) |
Date |
Topic(s) |
|
|
Monday, August 15, 2011 |
No Class |
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 |
Syllabus Review |
|
|
Monday, August 22, 2011 |
Chapter 1 |
Wednesday, August 24, 2011 |
Chapter 1 |
|
|
Monday, August 29, 2011 |
Chapter 2 |
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 |
Chapter 2 |
|
|
Monday, September 05, 2011 |
Labor Day |
Wednesday, September 07, 2011 |
Chapter 4 |
|
|
Monday, September 12, 2011 |
Chapter 4 |
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 |
Sick |
|
|
Monday, September 19, 2011 |
Chapter 5 |
Wednesday, September 21, 2011 |
Chapter 5 |
|
|
Monday, September 26, 2011 |
Chapter 6 |
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 |
Chapter 6 |
|
|
Monday, October 03, 2011 |
Catchup + |
Wednesday, October 05, 2011 |
Midterm |
|
|
Monday, October 10, 2011 |
Chapter 7 |
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 |
Chapter 7 |
|
|
Monday, October 17, 2011 |
Chapter 8 |
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 |
Chapter 8 |
|
|
Monday, October 24, 2011 |
Chapter 9 |
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 |
Chapter 9 |
|
|
Monday, October 31, 2011 |
Chapter 10 |
Wednesday, November 02, 2011 |
Chapter 10 |
|
|
Monday, November 07, 2011 |
Project Overview + |
Wednesday, November 09, 2011 |
Project |
|
|
Monday, November 14, 2011 |
Project |
Wednesday, November 16, 2011 |
Project Presentations |
|
|
Monday, November 21, 2011 |
Project Presentations |
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 |
Thanksgiving Break |
|
|
Monday, November 28, 2011 |
Chapter 11 |
Wednesday, November 30, 2011 |
Chapter 11 |
|
|
Monday, December 05, 2011 |
Chapter 21 |
Wednesday, December 07, 2011 |
Chapter 21 |
|
|
Monday, December 12, 2011 |
Day Exams & Hands On Exams |
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 |
Day Exams & Hands On Exams |
Night Section – Section 300
|
Date |
Topic(s) |
|
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 |
Syllabus
Review |
|
Wednesday, August 24, 2011 |
Chapter 1 |
|
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 |
Chapter 2 |
|
Wednesday, September 07, 2011 |
Chapter 4 |
|
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 |
Sick |
|
Wednesday, September 21, 2011 |
Chapter 5 |
|
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 |
Chapter 6 |
|
Wednesday, October 05, 2011 |
Catchup then |
|
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 |
Chapter 7 |
|
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 |
Chapter 8 |
|
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 |
Chapter 9 |
|
Wednesday, November 02, 2011 |
Chapter 10 |
|
Wednesday, November 09, 2011 |
Project
Overview then |
|
Wednesday, November 16, 2011 |
Project Presentations |
|
Wednesday, November 23, 2011 |
Thanksgiving
Break |
|
Wednesday, November 30, 2011 |
Chapter 11 |
|
Wednesday, December 07, 2011 |
Evening Exams & Hands On Exams |
|
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 |
Hands-On Exams |