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Unit Outline: ITEC104

Semester 2, 2008

Convenor: Susan Bruck

Prerequisites: No Prerequisites

Students should read this unit outline carefully at the start of semester. It contains important information about the unit. If anything in it is unclear, please consult one of the teaching staff in the unit.

About This Unit

The International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) is an internationally recognised qualification in Information Technology. The ITEC104 course is designed as a flexible and practical way of developing a strong foundation in basic computer skills.

ITEC104 emphases the development of problem solving skills by using a range of widely used office software applications. During the semester you will complete seven information technology modules with integrated practical assignments. Modules include: Basic Concepts of Information Technology, Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint.

Teaching Staff

Role Name Email Room Office hours
Convenor, Lecturer Susan Bruck sbruck@ics.mq.edu.au E6A256 Monday 2-3,

All emails related to ITEC104 should be sent to sbruck@ics.mq.edu.au and must include your full name and your student id number.

Classes

Each week you should attend a 2 hour workshop. For details of days, times and rooms consult the timetables webpage.

Note that workshops commence in week 1.

You should attend the workshop you are enrolled in.

Please note that you will be required to attend most (11 out of 13) of the workshops and hand in prepared work each week. Failure to do so may result in you failing the unit.

Required and Recommended Texts

The textbook for ITEC104 this semester is:

This textbook is available as a shrink-wrapped package from the University Co-op Bookshop. Note that this is the book used in ITEC104 International Computer Driving Licence.

There is also a companion website by the publisher at www.softwarepublications.com.au. This site contains links to example codes, review material, on-line quizzes and more.

Additional reading that you may find useful for this unit:

Unit Web Page

The web page for this unit can be found at http://learn.mq.edu.au/pub/ITEC104. Note that the majority of the unit materials are publicly available while some material requires you to log in to CE6 Blackboard to access it.

The unit will make use of discussion boards hosted within CE6 Blackboard. Please post questions there, they will be monitored by the staff on the unit.

Learning Outcomes

A student completing the unit should have:

  1. Improved problem solving skills and enhanced ability to use a range of office applications.
  2. Significant experience with electronic communication such as email.
  3. An understanding of computers, operating systems and software.
  4. An understanding of the concepts of file management.
  5. Awareness of the importance of designing and creating a range of effective and easy to read resources using acquired knowledge of the concepts of the software applications covered in the course .
  6. Familiarity with some basic web browsing skills, and an understanding of the distinction between internet and the World Wide Web.
  7. An understanding of the basics of implementing information technology across a wide range of tasks.
  8. Completed the requirements for award of the International Computer Driving Licence.

In addition to the discipline-based learning objectives, all academic programs at Macquarie seek to develop students' generic skills in a range of areas. One of the aims of this unit is that students develop their skills in the following:

ITEC104 will give students the opportunity to develop:

Teaching and Learning Strategy

ITEC104 is taught by a combination of lecture and workshop sessions in the computer laboratory. You are encouraged to ask questions of the lecturer in workshops and via the Discussion Board on Blackboard CE6 website to clarify anything you might not be sure of. Workshops are small group classes which give you the opportunity to interact with your peers and with a lecturer who has a sound knowledge of the subject. You will be given Conceptual Question problems to solve each week prior to the tutorial; preparing solutions is important because it will allow you to discuss the problems effectively with your tutor and maximise the feedback you get on your work. Workshops give you an opportunity to practice your information technology skills under supervision. Each week you will be given a number of problems to work on; it is important that you keep up to date with these problems as doing so will help you understand the material in the unit and prepare you for the work in assignments and Module Tests. Module Tests will be given during workshops. Each Module Test is 45 minutes. The pass mark is 75%.

Each week you should:

Topic List

Week

Topic

Reading

1

Basic Concepts of IT

Module 1

2

Using the Computer and Managing Files

Module 2

3

The Internet

Module 7

4

Internet

Module 7

5

Word Processing I

Module 3

6

Word Processing II

Module 3

7

Spreadsheets I

Module 4

8

Spreadsheets II

Module 4

9

Database I

Module 5

10

Database II

Module 5

11

Presentation I

Module 6

12

Presentation II

Module 6

13

Class Presentation

Room E6A357

HELP101

100 level tutors are available outside of tutorial hours to answer questions; all tutors schedule time on the HELP101 desk in the 100 level laboratory. If you have a general question, any of the tutors may be able to help you; if your question is specific to an assignment, you might need to find one of the tutors in your unit. A timetable is displayed on the noticeboard next to the HELP101 desk.

  • ITEC104 HELP101 session is Thursday 10:00-11:00am in E6A110.

    • Relationship Between Assessment and Learning Outcomes

    1. Improved problem solving skills and enhanced ability to use office applications: all assessment tasks involve problems solving and analysis and many of the problems include workplace scenario examples.
    2. Significant experience with spreadsheet, database word processing and presentation software.
    3. An understanding of the importance of using appropriate applications for specific usage : these aspects are taken into account in the marking of the four assignments.
    4. An understanding of the concepts of electronic communications.
      6. All assignments involve interpreting a scenario brief and developing and implementing a functional application.
    Task Planned Date Total Marks
    Conceptual Questions Weekly 11%
    Module Tests (7) Weeks 2,3,4,6,8,10,12 49%
    Assignment 1: Due Week 6 10%
    Assignment 2: Due Week 8 10%
    Assignment 3: Due Week 10 10%
    Assignment 4 (Presentation) Week 13 10%

    Your final grade will depend on your performance in each part separately. In particular:

    All assignments should be handed in via the online Blackboard CE6 system at http://learn.mq.edu.au/ by the time specified in the assignment description. Workshop Conceptual Questions should be submitted via CE6 Blackboard before 6:00pm on the Wednesday of each week.

    All work submitted should be readable and well presented.

    Late work will be accepted with a penalty of 10% of the marks for the assignment for each day the work is submitted late. Hence, an assignment submitted five days late will get at most half the marks. If you cannot submit on time because of illness or other circumstances, please contact the lecturer before the due date.

    There is no final exam for ITEC104.

    Examinations

    The university examination period in Second Half year 2008 will be available on the Macquarie Website.

    You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable. The timetable will be available in Draft form approximately eight weeks before the commencement of the examinations and in Final form approximately four weeks before the commencement of examinations.

    You are advised that it is Macquarie University policy not to set early examinations for individuals or groups of students. All students are expected to ensure that they are available until the end of the teaching semester, that is the final day of the official examination period.

    The only exception to not sitting an examination at the designated time is because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption. In these circumstances you may wish to consider applying for Special Consideration. Information about unavoidable disruption and the special consideration process is available on the web (PDF).

    If a Supplementary Examination is granted as a result of the Special Consideration process the examination will be scheduled after the conclusion of the official examination period. For details of the Special Consideration policy specific to the Department of Computing, see the Department's policy page.

    Plagiarism

    Please refer to the Department of Computing Plagiarism Policy for the definition of plagiarism, advice on avoiding it and the penalties in place if you are found to have submitted plagiarised work.

    University Policy on Grading

    Academic Senate has a set of guidelines on the distribution of grades across the range from fail to high distinction. Your final result will include one of these grades plus a standardised numerical grade (SNG).

    On occasion your raw mark for a unit (i.e., the total of your marks for each assessment item) may not be the same as the SNG which you receive. Under the Senate guidelines, results may be scaled to ensure that there is a degree of comparability across the university, so that units with the same past performances of their students should achieve similar results.

    It is important that you realise that the policy does not require that a minimum number of students are to be failed in any unit. In fact it does something like the opposite, in requiring examiners to explain their actions if more than 20% of students fail in a unit.

    Student Support Services

    Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of these services can accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au.

    The Department of Computing provides a First Year Liaison Officer to help deal with non-unit related issues that you might have as a first year student at Macquarie. If you are falling behind in your work or having problems that interfere with your studies, please ask to see the Liaison officer: Ros Ballantyne, email ros at ics.mq.edu.au, telephone 98509513.

    Staff-Student Liaison Committee

    The Department has established a Staff-Student Liaison Committee at each level (100, 200, 300) to provide all students studying a Computing unit the opportunity to discuss related issues or problems with both students and staff.

    For each meeting, an agenda is issued and minutes are taken. These are posted on the web at:

    Details of the regular meeting dates will be posted on the unit home page. Anyone with an interest in Computing units may attend. This includes staff involved in the teaching and administration of the units, and all students currently taking a Computing unit at that level. There are formal Liaison Committee representatives for each unit who attend to present the views of the student body; all students are welcome and are encouraged to attend.

    The meetings are usually held in the Department of Computing Meeting Room, E6A357.

    To forward agenda items or get in touch with your representative, send an email to comp125liaison@ics.mq.edu.au.

    If you have exhausted all other avenues, then you should consult the Director of Teaching (Dr Steve Cassidy) or the Head of Department (Assoc. Prof. Bernard Mans). You are entitled to have your concerns raised, discussed and resolved.

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