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Getting Started with CS100
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Getting Started with CS100 |
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Welcome to CS100, a Virtual University course offering by the Computer Science department at UMKC.
My name is Mike Strong, and I'm the Instructor for the course.
This lecture provides an introduction to the course and explains how to get started.
At the end of this lecture I will summarize the most important points with my
list of things to know about CS100.
I guess the first place to start is...
What is a Virtual University course?
In general the term is used to describe a course that uses technology to enhance the learner's experience. With the growing popularity and capabilities of the Internet it usually means a course offered over the Internet. Here are the characteristics that make CS100 a Virtual University course:
- CS100 is available on the Internet in its entirety.
- You can take the course from any computer that is connected to the Internet that meets the hardware and software requirements (Requirements are listed on the home page for the course. More about this shortly.)
- Assignments are submitted over the Internet.
- Exams are taken in a proctored exam room on campus.
- There are lots of ways to get help or personal assistance:
- Email - Email is the fastest way to get answers to your questions. I would estimate that 80% of email questions are answered within a couple of hours, 95% within 12 hours, and all within 24 hours.
- Phone
- Open Labs - Open labs are set times when a lab on campus is reserved and a CS100 staff member is available to answer your questions. (This is also the time and place where exams are given.)
- (Caveat!) After the first few orientation sessions, there are no scheduled meeting times. We also don't set a schedule for completing exams and assignments. You set your own schedule for completing exams and assignments. This is a shift in responsibility. The caveat is, if you don't set and follow a schedule you won't finish on time.
What does CS100 cover?
The primary focus of this course is on the big three office automation tools:
- Word processing (including graphics)
- Spreadsheets
- Databases
To a lesser extent the course also covers:
- General computer concepts
- The Internet
- PowerPoint (office automation tool for creating presentations)
A discussion of general computer concepts is included because it will help you assimilate specific computer skills and concepts. This course teaches Microsoft Office 97. I hate to break the bad news to you but in 3 years you probably won't be using Office 97. In 6 years you might not be typing at a keyboard. Specific skills have a short half-life. The concepts you learn will last a long time.
A discussion of the Internet is included because of its expanding role in our personal and professional lives. The fact that you are taking this course over the Internet is just one example of it's expanding role.
Another topic that is only introduced in this course is PowerPoint. The PowerPoint module will provide you with the information you need to create a simple presentation.
How is this web site organized?
Figure 1 below shows the home page for the CS100 course. (Note: You might be tempted to try and click on one of the links in Figure 1, but they don't work. It's just an image of the actual CS100 home page.)
Figure 1. CS100 Home Page
On the left-hand side of the page with a dark blue background are the navigational aids. These navigational aids are almost always available.
Here is a brief explanation of each button on the left-hand side.
The
icon at the top is a hyperlink to the home page for the course. If you ever get lost, click on this icon to return to the top-level (or first page) of the course.
The
button takes you to the course syllabus. Here you will find all of the information you would expect to find in any course syllabus–grading policy, recommended textbooks, contact information for the instructor, etc.
The
button takes you to the course schedule. Again, we don't set the schedule. You set your own schedule. I recommend you print the schedule page and use it to plan your time and record your progress.
The
button takes you to the Frequently Asked Questions page. On this page you will find answers to the most commonly asked questions related to the course.
The
button takes you to a page which displays your personal profile including name and email address. You can also update your email address from this page. Please go to this page and verify we have your correct email address. If we don't, please update it. If we need to contact you we will send email to the address we have on file.
The
button takes you to a page from which you can submit assignments and tests for grading. From this page you can also see what files you have already submitted.
The
button takes you to a page where you can get feedback on assignments and exams. Five to 7 days after you submit an assignment or exam follow this button to learn what grade you received and any comments the grader had about your work.
The
button takes you to a page with information on how to contact the CS100 staff members. The page lists email addresses, phone numbers, and even a location address if you want to visit in person.
That covers the navigational aides on the left; now let's consider the other items listed on the home page in Figure 1.
The yellow box at the bottom of the home page contains important timely announcements regarding the class.
Just above the announcement box are four hyperlinks.
The Course Outline link takes you to the course outline. The course outline page is much like the table of contents you would find in a book. Each time you start working on the course, this is probably the first link you will follow after reading the announcements on the home page.
If you plan to work on the course from home be sure to check out the Hardware and Software requirements (Note: You don't always need to be working from a computer that meets all of the hardware and software requirements. For example, if you just want to check your grades or get the next assignment, you can do that from just about any computer connected to the Internet.)
The Tell me more about this course and this site link is more for visitors than students. It contains additional information about the class and what is available to visitors.
The Basic Skill Requirements link takes you to a page that explains what you need to know before you can begin working online. You will learn these basic skills during the orientation sessions conducted during the first two weeks of class.
At the bottom right-hand side of the home page (and most other pages in the course, including this page) are two small arrows:
These arrows are helpful if you are unsure where to go next. The left arrow will take you to the "most logical" previous page, and the right arrow will take you to the most logical next page. You can go though the pages of the course in any order but may find these buttons helpful if you are unsure where to go next.
I mentioned earlier that you will probably want to work through the course from the course outline.
Figure 2 below shows a portion of the course outline page:
Figure 2. Course Outline
The Course Introduction is what you are reading now. The rest of the outline page is an index into the content for the course.
The content for the course is organized hierarchically. The course is divided into modules. For example, there is a computer concepts module, an Internet module, a word-processing module, etc. Each module is further divided into units. Most modules have three units: basic, intermediate, and advanced.
From the course outline there are hyperlinks to both the module pages and the unit pages. You should start each module with a visit to its module page. The module page contains information that applies to the whole module. For most modules this will include:
- Short introduction
- Web resources
- Exam study guide
The web resources section provides off-site Internet references that relate to the module. You are not required to visit these off-site resources. They are provided only as a reference for more information about a topic.
Modules that cover core competencies (word processing, spreadsheets, and database) have an exam study guide. The exam study guide helps you prepare for the exam by summarizing the most important skills and concepts from the module that are likely to appear on the exam.
From figure 2 you can see that modules are divided into units. The unit page is another page used to organize content.
Figure 3 shows a portion of a unit page. The unit page contains links to the content for a unit. Most unit pages contain three sections:
- Lecture - lectures may be text, audio and/or video.
- Skills - links to pages that answer specific skill-related questions
- Concepts - links to pages that answer specific concept-related questions
Figure 3. Sample Unit Page
To summarize,
- There are navigational buttons on the left-hand side of the window
- The Course Outline link from the home page takes you to the content for the course
- The course is divided into modules, which are divided into units, which are divided into lecture/skills/concepts.
- There is important information on the module pages as well as the unit pages.
Step-By-Step Process for Completing the Course
Step 0. Read through the hardware and software requirements and verify you have access to the hardware and software resources you need. Note, you must use Microsoft Office 97 or Microsoft Office 2000 for all assignments that require you to submit a document.
Step 1. You are almost through with Step 1 which is to go through the course introduction.
Step 2. Get a user name and password for the on-line content (if you don't already have one). Much of the content is password protected. You may have noticed the following dialog box when you try to access some parts of the course:
This authentication step also allows us to also identify who is making a request. For example, when you ask to look at your grades we know whose grades to send back. The user name and password used here is different from any other user name and password you might have associated with the University. Some day computers may cooperate so you need to remember only one user name and password, but it is very difficult to do today.
The procedure for getting a user name and password depends on how you enrolled in the course. If you have enrolled and haven't received one yet, please send an email to cs100help@cstp.umkc.edu and request one.
Step 3. Follow the profile button to the left and verify we have your correct email address. If you don't have an email address I recommend you sign up for one at one of the many web sites that offer free email, such as yahoo, Netscape, or hotmail.
Step 4. Before diving into the content of the course, I recommend taking some time to explore the site. Read the syllabus, and visit the other links on the navigation frame to the left. Also, visit the course outline page to see how the course is organized. Also, you may want to purchase and browse one of the recommended textbooks for the course. (Check the syllabus for more information about the recommended text books.)
Step 5. We can't put it off any longer; it's time to do some work. We recommend going through the modules in the order they are listed on the course outline page. The strategy we recommend for going through a module is to first go through the module page for an overview. Next, work through the unit pages in order. For each unit page, view the lecture and then work through the additional skills and concepts listed on the unit page. After going through the content on a unit page, many units have self-check questions at the end to verify your understanding of the material. Self-check questions are not graded.
Step 6. Also at the end of most unit pages is an assignment. There are two types of assignments. One type of assignment you take on-line. It is graded and returned immediately after you submit it. The other type of assignment requires you to create and hand in a document (word processing, spreadsheet, etc.) You should use the file upload page to hand in your documents.
Step 7. Check the module page or schedule to see if there is an exam associated with the module. If there is an exam go to one of the open labs and request the exam.
Step 8. Repeat steps 5-7 for each module. You can check your assignment and exam scores from the
In short, to pass the course you must submit the required assignments, sit for the exams, and score satisfactorily on both.
10. The web address: http://vu.umkc.edu/cs100/ Everything is online and available from this address.
9. Your grade is based on 12 assignments and 3 exams. Assignments are submitted through the computer and exams are taken during an open lab on campus. The signup for open labs is available on the Help page. You don't have to signup to attend an open lab but if the lab starts to fill up, priority will go to those who signed up in advance. You can take any exam during any open lab. Just show up and ask for the exam you are ready to take.
8. Open labs are not always in the same room. Check the schedule to be sure you know where to go.
7. During an open lab it's easy to identify the cs100 staff member. He/she will be working at a terminal with a CS100 sign atop.
6. We prosecute cheaters to the fullest extent of the law! Quick tip: don't resubmit the assignment of a friend. We have an automated system which looks for unusual similarities between submitted assignments. If you are caught cheating you CAN be expelled from the university!
5. Not sure how to get started with the course? Follow the Step-By-Step process outlined above.
4. You must use Office 97 or Office 2000 for assignments that require you to create a document.
3. The fastest way to get answers to your questions is to send email to cs100help@cstp.umkc.edu.
2. To submit assignments through AOL you must be using AOL version 4.0 or the Netscape browser with AOL.
1. You set your own schedule. After offering this course to 100's of students I can say that the biggest danger you will face is not finishing on time. Set a schedule today and stick to it.
That concludes your orientation lecture. I hope you enjoy the course and find it to be a valuable learning experience. If you need help don't hesitate to email, call, fax, or visit in person. Contact information is listed on the help page.
Class dismissed!
(Note, to go to the next lesson in the course, click on the small right arrow below.)
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