Computer Technology Course Outline Dave Mulkey, Oct 2016
Student Background
There will be a large range of skills and experience among the students. We structure lessons to be accessible to the less skilled students, but still interesting and valuable for the more experienced students. We assume that virtually all the students have some familiarity with computers and basic computer usage, so this is not a "beginners" course. Less experienced students must seek individual help from the teacher to ensure their success.
Student Needs
The major needs of the students are to develop skills and understanding to enable them to use computers and IT tools effectively and successfully. That includes the following areas:
Instruction
Instruction will be activity-centered. A typical lesson starts with a brief explanation or demonstration, accompanied by web-based instructions, then followed by ample time for the students to perform the required task(s). Lessons include both practical products and theoretical/vocabulary expectations.
Lessons are task-oriented, not tool-oriented. For example, rather than learning a long list of word-processor features, that might be useful "sometime in the future", the students are given a task to perform (e.g. produce a flyer for a concert) and must learn the features connected with that task.
Some lessons will require group-work, but most work should be individual. The teacher spends significant time giving individual help and advice to students, and relatively little time giving lectures to the entire class.
A typical topic should require 2 or 3 lessons - an explanation during the first class, then a quick review and reminder with more working time during further classes. Most topics will produce a project to be graded - a few topoics will end with written tests or a task to perform in limited time.
Assessment
Assessment should focus on the following:
This table shows suggested criteria for marks in these areas. Some topics might not be marked in all these areas.
Level |
Completion of Task(s) |
Quality of Product |
Effective Skills |
Recall and Use of |
7 |
Completed quickly, correctly and easily |
Innovative, creative, or highly efficient |
Uses skills beyond the standard skills |
Always recalls and uses relevant vocabulary and facts correctly |
6 |
Completed and submitted without delay |
Product is correct and efficient, showing thorough attention to detail |
Uses standard skills with no errors |
Usually uses relevant vocabulary and facts correctly |
5 |
Completed with some delay or difficulty, or with minor defects |
Product is adequate with only a few missing or incorrect details. |
Standard skills are used with few errors |
Often recalls and uses relevant vocabulary and facts correctly |
4 |
Mostly complete, with noticeable defects, or with moderate delay |
Largely satisfactory, with many missing or incorrect details |
Standard skills are used with some errors |
Attempts to use relevant facts and vocabulary, but makes occasional errors |
3 |
Only part of the task is complete, or contains numerous defects |
Not satisfactory, containing numerous or large defects |
Standard skills are used, but with many errors on routine tasks |
Often attempts to use relevant vocabulary and facts but makes frequent errors |
2 |
Only a small part is complete, or it took far too long |
Few parts of the product are satisfactory |
Few standard skills are used successfully |
Rarely succeeds in recalling and using relevant vocabulary and facts |
1 |
Turned in but almost nothing
completed |
Turned in but none of the parts are
acceptable |
No evidence of successful use of standard skills | No evidence or no attempt to recall and use relevant vocabulary and facts |
|
Nothing was completed |
Nothing was completed |
Nothing was completed |
Nothing was completed |
Topics
The topics for this course should support the goals associated with students needs (above). The topics are multi-faceted rather than highly specific. Basic skills are repeated and reinforced in various topics. Topics should be accessible to the less skilled students, but still interesting for the highly skilled students.
We must acknowledge the growing importance of the Internet and communication uses of computers, and the reduction in importance of more technical and mathematical uses and skills. We must also accept that rapid innovation in the computer industry, along with technical issues, will require frequent changes in the curriculum of this course. Teachers and students will be solicited for suggested topics. So this list of topics will always be provisional and should be viewed only as suggestions, to be altered later. The order is only suggestive and will change each year, keeping up with changes in the computer industry.
Understanding Concepts |
Using Tools |
Sample Units |
Web-Page Authoring Basic components (text, boxes) Java-Script for simple DHTML HTML code - simple modifications |
WYSIWYG Web Editor(s) Web-Builder for graphic design and dynamic pages PageBreeze (or similar) for HTML + preview |
Collecting Links |
Google Searching - search terms, boolean Extras - converting units.... |
Google and Google Tools | |
Internet Concepts How web-servers work Bandwidth, DSL vs Modems Security Ethical/legal issues |
Internet Tools |
Wikis |
Graphics Concepts Vocabulary
- pixel, resolution, |
Graphics Tools Image processing with Paint Shop Pro Simple animations (in web-pages) Drawing with Open Office (or similar) Diagrams in MS Word |
Collage |
Scripting and Automation |
Scripting and Automation Tools |
Drawing
in Blitz Basic Snowball Fight in Blitz Survive in Blitz DHTML Pizza Quiz Student Samples DHTML Flash Animation Intro Flash Page Flash Ads Flash Banner Ad for Country 3D Title |
Publications |
Publications |
Tiny
Schedule |
Home/Consumer Electronics |
Home/Consumer Electronics |
Memory
- Digicams, etc |
Technical Vocabulary How to protect your data How to schedule backups |
Technical Tools |
Tech Tips Tech Quiz Using Linux Live CD |
FIS Intranet Concepts |
FIS Intranet Tools |
|
Projects |
Various Tools |
Web-site Design for Activites |
more items will be added as time permits |