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INSS 510 Computer Concepts
SHAPE -- 2002-2003 Term 2
Class Meetings are from 0900-1700 on the following dates:
Sat, 2 Nov; Sun, 3 Nov; Sat, 16 Nov; Sun, 17 Nov;
Sat, 7 Dec; Sun, 8 Dec; Sun, 15 Dec.
Instructor: Dr. Susan T. Dean
Phone: 06224/929773
sdean@faculty.ed.umuc.edu
Text: Stephen D. Burd, Systems Architecture . (3rd Edition)
Description: This course provides an overview of the basic computer concepts as they apply to MIS professionals. Emphasis is on basic machine architecture including data representation and manipulation; principles of operating systems; software algorithms and programming languages. In addition, the basic concepts of data organization, file structures, and principles of networking are examined. Emerging trends in computer technology and their impact on organizational information systems are also discussed. Students will be required to complete a significant programming project, and two short written papers.
Prerequisites: All undergraduate prerequisites or permission of the instructor. It is particularly important to have satisfied the programming prerequisite prior to taking this course.
Objectives: Upon satisfactory completion of the course,
students should understand:
1. Basic principles of computer architecture.
2. Major operating system concepts.
3. The interrelationships between operating systems
and computer hardware
4. Concepts of programming languages, including machine,
assemble and high-level languages.
Course Requirements and grading:
| Midterm exam | 25% |
| Final exam | 30% |
| Programming project | 15% |
| Project report and presentation | 10% |
| Paper 1 and presentation | 10% |
| Paper 2 and presentation | 10% |
The exams will consist of two parts: an closed-book, in-class component,
and a take-home open-book component given or emailed to you a week before
the exam date and due back to me on the date of the exam. There will
be a major programming project and 2 short research papers, with significant
effort expected outside of class time. Students will be expected
to regularly contribute to the class by researching topics outside of class
and bringing the knowledge gained into the in-class discussions.
Programming may be done in any language, provided it is approved in
advance by the instructor.
Grading Standards:
| 90-99% A | 80-89% B |
| 70-79% C | < 70% F |
Projected Schedule of Topics and Assignments
(All references to Burd, Systems Architecture, 3rd Ed.)
| Date | Topics | Assignment Due |
| Sat, 2 November | Introduction, Computer Technology (Ch. 1),
Intro to Systems Architecture (Ch. 2), Data Representation (Ch. 3) |
|
| Sun, 3 November | Processor Technology and Architecture (Ch. 4),
Data Storage Technology (Ch. 5) |
|
| Sat, 16 November | System Integration and Performance (Ch. 6),
Input/Output Technology (Ch. 7) , Presentation/discussion of Paper #1 topics |
Paper #1 |
| Sun, 17 November | Questions, Midterm Exam **
Data and Network Communication Technology (Ch. 8), Computer Networks (Ch. 9) |
|
| Sat, 7 December | Application Development (Ch. 10), Operating Systems
(Ch. 11)
File Management Systems (Ch. 12), status reports on projects |
|
| Sun, 8 December | Internet and Distributed Application Services (Ch. 13),
System Administration (Ch. 14)
Presentation/discussion of Paper #2 topics |
Paper #2 |
| Sun, 15 December | Questions, Final Exam (cumulative, but heavier emphasis
on chapters since midterm) **
Project Presentations |
Programming Project
and Report * |
* Final Written Report on project, submitted in electronic form. Include
program source and runnable module, and test data, on diskette or other
electronic medium.
** Midterm and Final Exams will have a take-home, open-book component
to be given (or emailed) to you the week before and returned to me on the
day of the exam.
Late Work
My standard rule is that late assignments will be penalized by 10%
for each week that they are late.
Attendance
Students are expected to be in class unless it is unavoidable (e.g.,
TDY, family emergency). If you must miss, you are responsible for getting
information from other students regarding what was covered in class (which
may well not follow the textbook!), and for submitting assigned work according
to the published due dates. If you are not able to be here to participate
by reporting on information researched outside the text, you should share
what you would have brought to the class via the webboard.
Project and Papers
The programming project will be assigned on Saturday, 2 November.
Primary objectives are to increase your proficiency in the use of programming
as a problem-solving tool, and to further your understanding of one or
more course topics by being able to communicate your understanding in the
form of a computer program.
Required components of the programming project are:
1. Source code and compiled, runnable version of
the program, and relevant test data.
2. Written final report on the project, and on the
results it produced.
3. Presentation, with PowerPoint or other visual
aids, to the class on the problem being solved, how your program works,
and the results it produces.
Topics for the papers will also be assigned during the first weekend. In general, you will be assigned specific topics for which to find additional information beyond that contained in the textbook, and to teach the rest of the class (your professor included, most likely!) about further developments in that area. For each of the two papers, you will be expected to do a literature search (online and/or print -- a good place to start is Maryland's online library: http://www.umuc.edu/library/ ). Papers are to be written using the APA style. A power point summary of using references in the APA style can be found at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/pp/APA2.PPT and a more extensive description of the APA style is available at http://owl.english.purdue.edu
Getting help
I will try to check my email every day, and welcome questions via that
mode about your programs.
I prefer to use my UMUC address for all email related to this course:
sdean@faculty.ed.umuc.edu
When you send questions via email, please be as specific as possible
(e.g., don’t just say it doesn’t work, tell me the text of the error messages
or specifically what results you are seeing, from what inputs, that are
incorrect). Also, please attach a copy of the program file(s) and any input
data files that I did not give you.
Plan to check the web board frequently, as I will use it to post information of potential interest to all of you. For example, it is possible that as I help solve a problem that one of you has sent via email, I will realize that there is something that I should tell all of you It is your responsibility to check the web board – I will not notify you when I put information there.
About the Instructor: Susan T. Dean
Dr. Dean earned the BA in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University, and
the MS and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Alabama in Birmingham.
She has worked at various times as a programmer, programmer/analyst, systems
analyst, and project manager in the areas of medical information systems,
small business support, and life insurance. Since 1975, she has been involved
in teaching and curriculum development in computing, most recently at Samford
University in Birmingham, AL. She has served on the Board of Directors
and as President of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges (previously
known as the Consortium for Computing in Small Colleges). She serves on
the Steering Committee of the CCSC Southeastern Conference. Her areas of
interest include curriculum development, database management systems, programming
languages, and operating systems.