Course Outline - Spring 2012

1/23 – Introduction and Essential Computer Concepts

• Introduction to course
  • Did You Know?
  • A Vision of Students Today
• Class software and book
• Microsoft (software versions)
• Academic software prices (approximate) as of 8/8/2011(Amazon and Journey Ed)

  Product (2010)	Microsoft	Amazon	Academic
  Home & Student Edition	$150	$125	$145
  Home & Business Edition	$280	$210	$260
  Professional	$500	$409
  Professional Academic			$80

• Virtual Computing Lab (VCL)
• Book
  • Cengage/Course Technology (the publisher)
  • Our bookstore
  • O'Reilly.com - excellent books - but not ours

Computer Components

• Software – two basic types
• Hardware – six basic types (map of MC WiFi zones)

A quick history of PCs and Macs

Windows XP/Vista/7

• Brief history of the Windows Operating System
• Windows OS basics (window anatomy and tools)
• File and disk management

Searching the Internet and MC library databases

• Venn diagrams and Boolean Logic
• Google
• MC Library

1/30 - Podcasting and tips for better podcasts

Podcasting Samples from prior semesters

Podcasting Assignment

Camtasia use, tutorials and debugging

Storytelling basics

2/6 - Word - Creating Documents

Default Document Format (Normal template and how to change it)

Exploring the Word window

Correcting errors

Understanding line and paragraph spacing

Previewing and printing a document

Moving text in a document

Homework #1 - Page Wd 48- Case #2 (Pear Tree Investment Services)

2/13 - Word - Editing and Formatting

Changing margins

Aligning text

Working with themes and fonts

Homework #2 - Page Wd 104- Case #2 (Franklin College of the Arts)

2/20 - Word - Working with Long Reports

Organizing information in tables

Setting tab stops

Adding headers and footers

Homework #3 - Page Wd156 - Case #2 (Municiple Wireless Network)

2/27 - Word - Desktop Publishing

Elements of desktop publishing

Inserting graphics

Performing a simple mail merge

Creating a blog post

Homework #4 - Page Wd 209 - Case #2 (Flannery Investments)

3/5 - Midterm Exam

3/12 - Spring Break

3/19 - Excel - Key Concepts

History of spreadsheets (VisiCalc and Lotus)

Dimensions of a spreadsheet (1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns)

Contents of a cell (words, numbers, formulas, functions)

Understanding spreadsheets

Planning a workbook

Working with formulas

Introducing functions

Homework #5 - Page Ex 53- Case #3 (Global Site GPS)

3/26 - Excel - Formatting Worksheets

Formatting data

Formatting worksheet cells

Working with table styles

Introducing conditional formats

Homework #6 - Page Ex113- Case #4 (Life Managers)

4/2 - Excel - Formulas and Functions

Understanding cell references when copying formulas

Understanding function syntax

Working with autofill

Working with logical functions

Working with financial functions

Homework #7 - Page Ex 166 - Case #3 (Eason Financial Services)

4/9 - Excel - Charts and Graphs

Creating charts

Working on chart design

Creating a column chart

Creating a Line chart

Homework #8 - Page Ex 225 - Case #2 (Midwest Tornado Institute)

4/16 - Access - Key Concepts & Creating Tables

Database basics (field, record, table, relationship, database)

Flat file vs. relational database (advantages and disadvantages)

DatabaseStructures.pdf and DatabaseGuidelines.pdf

Creating a database

Creating a table in datasheet view

Entering records

Managing a database

Homework #9 - Page Ac 45- Case #3 (Rossi Recycling Group)

4/23 - Access - Database Objects

Guidelines for setting field properties

Creating a table in design view

Specifying a primary key

Defining table relationships

Creating a form using the form wizard

Creating a report using the report wizard

Homework #10 - Page Ac104- Case #3 (Rossi Recycling Group - continued)

4/30 - PowerPoint - Basics

Suggestions for effective PowerPoint Presentations

Microsoft metaphors (tabs, ribbons, groups, tools)

Switching views and navigating a presentation

Modifying a presentation

Adding a new slide and choosing a layout

Promoting, demoting, and moving outline text

Applying a new theme

Understanding graphics

Creating a table in a slide

Creating a diagram in a slide

5/9 or 5/10 - Final Exam