CIS 101 Orientation Document Fall 2017
Fall 2017 ONLINE section 22332
To be successful in an online section you must be motivated, disciplined, and able to read and understand the material in the books (eTexts) without the reinforcement provided by the lecture as well as use the MyITLab LMS (Learning Management System).
Email Address
I must have your email address!
If you did not specify an email address when you registered, you need to go back and do this using the My Cerritos student portal. If you want to use a different email address than what you supplied when you registered, use the My Cerritos portal to update your email address.
DO NOT try to contact me using a different email address. If I need to contact you using email, it will be using a PeopleSoft distribution list that uses the email address you provided the college.
Multiple email addresses are often a source of confusion and/or miscommunication. Determine what email address you want to use, make sure it is the one provided to the college (or update it if necessary) and always use this same email address for any correspondence.
If you send me an email message, please include the following information in the subject line:
CIS 101, class section number, your name, your student number
For example: CIS 101, 22332, Marge Hohly, 1234567
Website / Canvas / MyITLab
All the information for this course is on my website, in Canvas (in the future), or in the Pearson MyITLab web site.
My website was created using Microsoft SharePoint Designer. The website was designed to be viewed in Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 or higher. You may also use up-to-date versions of Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.
You will need to have some familiarity with Canvas. If you are new to Canvas, there are student tutorials available when you log in. You should go through these tutorials to become familiar with how the system works.
Here are primary links which you will be using for this course:
Here is the link for my website: www.cerritos.edu/hohly from this page click on the CIS 101 link.
Here is a link for Canvas: www.cerritos.edu/canvas/ select your CIS 101 course section (22332)
Here is a link to register for MyITLab: www.pearsonmylabandmastering.com
Here is the normal link to access MyITLab: portal.mypearson.com/login you must have created a MyITLab account to use this link!
Browser Settings
Work in MyITLab can be done using all the popular browsers. Traditionally the recommended browser is Google Chrome.
MyITLab does have the following browser requirements:
· Pop-ups must be enabled. How to enable pop-ups.
· Cookies must be enabled. How to enable cookies for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer.
· JavaScript must be enabled. How to enable Java and JavaScript for your browser0
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Software Needed for this Course
You must have access to Microsoft Office 2016 Professional to complete many of the lab assignments for this course. This software is available in the CIS computer labs ( MCIS 210 is the open lab ). If you want to be able to work off campus, you will need to purchase this or download a trial version and install it. A 180-day trial version of Office 365 is available for purchase in your MyITLab course. You will see this once you have registered for MyITLab and logged in successfully. The cost of the trial version is $13.00.
Textbooks ( eTexts and/or physical textbook bundle )
You need to buy:
· a bundle of books sold through the college bookstore which includes a MyITLab Access code:
o Bookstore bundle is:
Technology in Action, Windows 10, Office 2016 (CUSTOM) MyITLab w/Pearson eText Access Card Edition: N/A
The price of the bundle is $186.00
Note: You cannot use an older bundle from a previous semester. Everything changed for the Fall 2017 semester!
o If you get the book bundle you will use the included access code during the registration process
· a MyITLab access code that will give you access to eText books (no physical copies, only digital versions) as well as all the rest of the MyITLab content:
o You may purchase this as part of the registration process. Note: a credit card is required for the purchase. Cost of this option is $127.95 for the Fall 2017 semester.
There is an option to buy an access code for everything BUT the eText books. The cost of this option is $89.95 for the Fall 2017 semester. This option is NOT recommended since you will have no access to the textbooks. When you choose the option for $127.95 you pay $38.00 more but you get ALL the MyITLab eTexts included in the package. If you purchase an access code only it is possible to upgrade to printed book. However, the cost for doing this is usually around $35.00 per book.
Described below are the books included in the Cerritos College book bundle available from the bookstore. Remember the bookstore bundle also includes an access code. Note: this access code will also give you access to the eText books! This is the bundle that costs $186.00.
· Technology in Action 14th Edition Complete
ISBN 0-13-460822-4 [ Computer Information Systems concepts ]
· GO! With Microsoft Windows 10 Introductory
ISBN 0-13-383982-6 [ Windows 10 concepts ]
· The Pearson Custom Program for CIS (Cerritos College CIS 101 custom book) ISBN 1323560459
[ MS Office 2016: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access lab activities ]
Note: since this is a custom book you can only get it through the Cerritos College bookstore. If you choose to purchase just as access code for MyITLab you will have access to everything in the custom book as eTexts.
Registration in MyITLab
There is a MyITLab_Student Registration Handout posted to the CIS 101 web site. This handout gives you step-by-step directions for registering for your course in MyITlab. Following are screen shots of the registration process for a student MyITLab account.
The first step in the registration process is to connect to the Pearson MyLab & Mastering web site. Here is a partial screen shot of the Pearson MyLab and Mastering site:
When you click on the Student Register link you will see the following screen:
You can ignore the information about registering in Blackboard, Canvas, or Desire2Learn at the bottom of the screen (I cut this out to make the screen shot smaller so it would fit on this page…)
To continue, click on the OK! Register now > link.
Next you will enter the course ID. My course ID is: hohly07625. [ This comes from my CIS 101 website: MyITLab Student Registration Handout ]
The next step in the registration process is to sign in to an existing account or create a new account. Below is a shot of the Sign In screen:
Note the course ID information on the right side of the screen.
If you already have a Pearson MyLab and Mastering account, you can use it to sign in. If you do not already have an account, you will need to choose the option to create an account.
To create an account, you will need to provide the following information:
1. Email Address
2. Username
3. Password
4. First Name
5. Last Name
6. Choose a security question
As the last step, you must accept the license agreement.
Once you have successfully signed in to an existing account or have created a new account and signed in, the next step is to choose an access code. The screen to choose an access code method is shown below:
Dealing with an access code can be tricky. When you are ready to use an existing (for instance one in a book bundle you may have purchased from the bookstore) or purchase a new access code. The left side “Use an Access Code” is what you should click on if you bought a Cerritos College bookstore bundle. The right side “Use a Credit Card or PayPal” is what you should click on if you did not buy the book bundle and you want access to the MyITLab content and all the eTexts by just purchasing an access code. If you are just purchasing an access code, you should choose the one which includes eTexts for $127.95.
Note the statement under the options that allows you to Get temporary access without payment for 14 days if you are purchasing an access code.
This allows you to create an account with temporary access (14 days). You must upgrade it to full access within 14 days or your course will no longer be accessible. Information on how to do that is included on my CIS 101 website using the “MyITLab Student Registration Handout” link.
Once you have successfully completed an access code option you should see a screen like the following. Since I went through the process to create a student account, this screen has been cropped to hide my account information.:
Once you have completed your course registration you will be able to log in to MyITLab and start the course. When you initially log in here is the screen you will see - the Student Getting Started screen:
You should check the option to set the time zone. If the time zone is NOT Pacific Standard, you should change it to Pacific Standard.
Organization of the MyITLab Course
Take a deep breath… The description of this section will seem very complicated and initially intimidating. It will become very straight forward once you starting working on assignments in MyITLab.
Take the time to go through the provided materials in MyITLab that describe all the different things you may want or need to work with in MyITLab. The more background you have the easier it becomes to understand and use MyITLab.
The course material can be accessed using the Course Materials link on the left of your screen. Check with the syllabus for the weekly assignment in the syllabus materials/content you are to complete in which order.. Shown below is the contents of an assignment folder:
Assignment folder
· Resources subfolder
· Activities subfolder
The Resources subfolder contains the eTexts and other materials that you use to study and master the content in the Technology in Action concepts textbook or the Windows 10 and Office 2016 lab activities. Think of it as a virtual library where you go to study to get ready to complete the required activities of an assignment. You are free to pick and choose what you want to use when you study. Materials available include: eTexts, videos, PowerPoint presentations, Check Your Understanding chapter reviews (Technology in Action book), Skill-Based Training (usually 2 simulation projects labelled A and B for the Microsoft Office chapters), etc.
· For the weekly Assignments when you open the Resources folder for an assignment you will see two subfolders
o Technology in Action Chapter XX (for example Technology in Action Chapter 01, Technology in Action Chapter 05, etc.).
This subfolder has all the resources for the Technology in Action concepts book.
o Microsoft Application (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access) Chapter XX
Note: assignments 1 – 3 will have a subfolder folder named Windows 10 Chapter XX
This subfolder organizes all the resources for one of the Microsoft Office chapters (for example, Word 01, Excel 03, PowerPoint 01, Access 02, etc.) or for the Windows 10 chapters (assignments 1 - 3)
· Remember that resources are materials you use to read, study, practice using simulations, or take practice quizzes to prepare you for the graded assignment quizzes.
The Activities folder contains the required items you must complete for points for an assignment.
Nearly every weekly assignment has a required exam you take based on a chapter in the Technology in Action concepts book and a lab activity you are required to complete based on chapters in the Windows 10 book or the Microsoft Office application chapters (if you buy a book bundle these are the CIS 101 custom Office 2016 book and the GO! for Windows 10 book).
· Microsoft Office 2016 required lab activities are usually one of two types of activities:
o A Skill-Based Exam Scenario
a Skill-Based Exam Scenario is like a Skill-Based Training simulation which you should complete to prepare you for the grader project which is required. You create an Office document using a simulated Windows 10 computer with Microsoft Office 2016.
o A Grader Project
a Grader Project requires you to download the directions for creating an Office document. You create the document, spreadsheet, presentation or database using Microsoft Office 2016. Once you are finished the directions tell you how to upload the completed document for grading in MyITLab).
All the assignment activities are easily accessible from the Assignment Calendar. They can also be accessed from the course materials areas that you have been using to prepare for the assignment. In the Assignment Calendar you can click on a date that has an alarm clock and see what the activities you must complete for the assignment. You can also open an course materials folders, then open the Activities subfolder for that assignment and see the assigned activities there.
Assignments, Quizzes, and the Final Exam
Every week that an assignment are due following Monday night of that week to complete the assignment. The date of the due date is listed on the syllabus, the page of important date(found on the class website). Every week there are usually 2 required chapter exam, and lab activities you must complete. This can be a exam (for Windows) and/or grader project. Take a quiz based on a chapter in the Technology in Action book AND complete a Skill-Based Exam Scenario or Grader Project based on a Microsoft Office application (Word, Excel, etc.).