CMSC 102 INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Catalog Description

Computer terminology and concepts. Introduction to database management systems, spreadsheets, and work processors. Introduction to networks and to the Internet in particular. Importing information from network to local application

Prerequisite:

None.

Required Texts:

Tests:

The Mid-Term Exam will be given during the normal class period. University IDs must be available for inspection on exam day. You may bring ONLY a number 2 pencil and blue pen to your seat on an exam day. You may not leave until the exam period is over. With acceptable documentation of medical excuse a make-up exam will be given at the instructor's convienence. This documentation must be provided at the class session following the exam, or in the case of extended absense due to medical reasons, the class session immediately following the end of the excused period. A medical excuse will need to be documented by your physician or from the University Health Center's Social Services Department in MODULE II of the health center. If a student expects to miss an exam for a university function they are REQUIRED to attend, an explanation from a faculty member will be required IN ADVANCE. As with projects, cheating on exams is PROHIBITED. This includes looking at another student's exam, showing another student your exam, using any notes during the exam. Students caught cheating in any way will receive a zero on the exam and will be reported to the honor council for an academic review.

Projects:

There will be seven projects during the semester. Several of the projects will have multiple parts each of which may have a separate due date. On average, you can expect to have a project due every other week. There will be two papers assigned during the semester. The first will be based on one of the books listed above and will be assigned near mid-semester. It is recommended that you do not begin reading the book until the paper is assigned. That first paper will be due approximately three weeks after it is assigned. The second paper will be a short position paper on an Internet related topic. Projects will be due at class time on the date specified on the syllabus. Projects will not be accepted at a later time without a VALID MEDICAL EXCUSE. NOTE : Since you are given an extended period of time in which to work on a given project, the medical excuse will need to cover an extended period of time as well. A letter from your physician with his/her phone number and the dates for which you were incapacitated WILL be required at a minimum. Even with a valid excuse, you will still be expected to hand in your project, but will be given appropriate time. Any project handed in after class, in my office, at the undergraduate office, in my mailbox, or place other than at the start of class will receive a grade of zero. Projects are to be done INDIVIDUALLY. Working in ANY way with other students will be considered cheating. Cheating is (of course) PROHIBITED. A student found to be cheating on a project will receive a zero for that project and will be reported to the honor council for an academic review.

Grading:

Schedule:

  1. Introduction to Terminology, Introduction to UNIX and to E-Mail.
  2. Introduction to the Pico editor and More E-Mail, Internet Details: network organization and machine identification.
  3. File Systems and related UNIX commands, Telnetting to places/ports.
  4. Transferring Files using FTP, Online Database Concepts: the VICTOR Card Catalog and the Archie Database.
  5. Anonymous FTP, Introduction to browsers: Netscape and Lynx.
  6. Gopher, Introduction to the Web.
  7. World Wide Web (cont).
  8. World Wide Web (cont), Searching for information on the World Wide Web.
  9. Searching (cont), Introduction to HTML.
  10. HTML.
  11. Spreadsheets.
  12. Importing information from the Web into a spreadsheet.
  13. Discussion of issues raised in (Cuckoo's Egg and Wizards)
  14. Spreadsheet wrap up, Book discussion (cont), Advanced HTML.
  15. Advanced HTML (cont), Transferring Web pages to WAM.