Instructor: Jim Greene

Home Phone: 215-332-9032

e-mail Address: [email protected] or [email protected]

This course will focus on Windows application software and on experiences that familiarize students with advanced instructional applications and personal productivity uses of microcomputers. Advanced word processing, data base management, spreadsheets, graphic tools, communications, and the Internet will be analyzed in terms of their integration applications for business and education. The Microsoft Office software package will be used for this class. Emphasis will be placed on techniques using MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Introduction to Microsoft Access, Outlook and advanced Internet research techniques. Other software packages will be examined if time permits.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Successfully operate a Windows platform computer to perform a variety of advanced techniques.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the use of the advanced and integration features of the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Design a practical Access database (including Tables, Forms, Queries, and Reports) which will be used to record, sort, find, and report records.
• Give a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation on a topic of professional or personal interest.
• Use advanced research techniques to locate, use and store data found on the Internet.
• Keep a learning journal in which you describe your feelings about what you are learning as you go through each class.

Requirements: Attendance/Class Participation -- 20 points; Data base project -- 20 points; Word Processing / Excel report -- 20 points; PowerPoint Presentation -- 20 points; Other Projects -- 20 points

Your grade for this course will be determined by how completely you fulfill the specific criteria of each assignment, both in your assessment and in mine. A grade of A represents a consistently high level of writing, a clear, concise, well organized operational definition of thinking, and a professional and appropriate plan for integrating thinking into each of the projects activity. It also presupposes that your class participation was valuable and that you attended all classes. A grade of A-, which is the next highest possible grade, indicates that, while your work was mostly high quality, one or more assignments did not meet the standards for A work. A grade of B+ indicates that your work is very solid, but does not provide new insights beyond what we have discussed in class. A grade of B indicates that the bulk of your work, while acceptable, did not meet the standards for A work. A grade of C or below indicates passable or marginal work.

I expect you to attend every class, but I am aware that sometimes you must be absent. I am always available to negotiate the situation. It is your responsibility, if you must be absent, to notify me and explain why. (My e-mail address is on this syllabus.) If you do so I will be happy to help you catch up. Any assignments will be due at the next class. If you choose not to notify me, your absence is your problem and will be considered when I evaluate your class participation. If you are responsible for presenting a project in class, be sure to be in class. Incompletes are given for unexpected illness or some dire circumstance that makes it impossible to complete the course work on time. Should you have such a situation it is your responsibility to notify me, and then the registrar. Otherwise all work is due when assigned.

 COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

In this project the student will incorporate a Word document (i.e. proposal, report, etc.) supported by an Excel chart or spreadsheet data. The project should be of professional quality and be appropriate for in a professional business or educational (college level) setting.

Include a readme.txt (one or two paragraphs, text only) file that explains how you went about doing this project, what your challenges were and how you overcame them.

Design a data entry form that will allow a user to key records into a database. Create a database that will support a professional need for information organization. Appropriate field types, field sizes, and record format should be specified. Data of different types should be entered for at least 30 records. The database structure should include at least one primary field. Create a report based on a query created for the database.

Create a Power Point presentation based on a topic of your choice. The presentation should be approx. 15 minutes in length and you are required to answer questions on the content and the creation of the presentation. Include a text file (one or two paragraphs, text only) that explains how you went about doing this project, what your challenges were and how you overcame them.

Design a Resume and Professional Bio Sheet that would help you get the position of your choice with the company with which you would like to work. Write a letter of commendation to the supervisor of someone who has caught your attention for something they have done that is above and beyond the call of duty. Make a copy of the letter and send it to the deserving person.

Learning Journal (due week 4 and week 7)
Two, 100 word, journal entries per week. Please put the most recent entry above the last entry. Use the Insert-Date and Time feature. The journal entries should explain the learning process you are experiencing in this class. Tell your audience what you are learning, what questions you have, and what challenges you are experiencing in this class. Turn in a printed copy of the journal and include an electronic copy (saved as Rich Text Format) on your floppy disk.

All work from the above projects should be turned in on paper (hard copy) and also on a floppy disk (electronic copy). Please label each disk with your name and the name of each project. Please keep a copy of all documents that you turn in. The instructor will retain the copy that you turn in.

* Advanced Topics is a relative term. It might be different for each person in the class. If you are not familiar with the Introductory functions of a particular software program, then you should review them. Advanced topics are those topics covered in the text that are beyond the skills that you now have.

advsyl2.rtf, 4/30/01