***** YOU MUST READ THIS SYLLABUS CAREFULLY THEN PRINT THIS OUT FOR YOUR FILES *****
Total Course Information and Syllabus
CIS 105 – Survey of Computer Information Systems (Jim Patterson Late Start Online Version)
Spring 2015
2/9 to 5/8 (last day is FRIDAY): #17444
LATE START
Canvas Class Login:
PVCC Online Hub:
Instructor:James Gordon Patterson
E-mail:
Photography, Photo Blog, and Faculty Web Page:
(If you want to reach me, online is the way to go. If you have a question others would benefit from knowing, post it within Canvas. Keep in mind - I live on the Internet!)
PVCC Office: J-122
Office Hours:
Virtual office hours; E-mail me () with questions after you have re-read the syllabus and asked other students! I respond normally within 24 hours of your email. Make sure you put in your FULL NAME (not “stud muffin” or “buffy”).
Textbooks and Materials for CIS 105:
It is the Cengage Discovering Computers book you will find in the bookstore. Buy the packet! Trying to skirt around this and save money usually gives you heartache and a higher textbook bill.
There is a free companion site with Cengage Brain. Click HEREto access it.
You will use SAM online to do your labs. If you bought the packet from the bookstore, you will have login instructions. The link to login is HERE.
And, here are some good videos to help you.
Getting Registered as a New User
Logging in as an Existing User
Completing a SAM TRAINING
Taking a SAM Exam
Completing a SAM Project
You can get an educational discount (full version) of MS Office through many educational software stores on the Internet or through your school bookstore.
Internet access and a browser. You can use either Internet Explorer or Netscape/Firefox for the labs. You can use any ISP (Internet Service Provider) you want. I suggest you add the following two sites to your “bookmarks” or “favorites” list so you can go to the sites quickly.
Canvas Class Login:
You must also have your own Google/Maricopa email address. DO NOT use your boyfriend/girlfriend, brother, uncle, dad, etc… email. Go to for more information. This is the email address I will use for you!
Course Objectives:
This class covers fundamental computer concepts and terminology; major applications of computers, database concepts, telecommunications and networking technologies, history of computers, and current hardware and software.
Basic use of Microsoft Office software for word processing (Microsoft Word), database (Access), presentations graphics (PowerPoint), Spreadsheet construction (Excel).
What else do I want you to do? I want you to become self-motivated and self-reliant. Instead of giving up or asking me, first try to figure it out yourself. Re-read the syllabus, the chapter, or look it up on the Internet. Then, ask fellow classmates. Email me (including your FULL name, course and section number in EVERY email to me) only if you’ve tried everything and everybody else. I want you to be less reliant on me and more reliant on yourself and your fellow classmates. I also want you to be able to effectively work together in groups for the group projects.
Who is Jim?
I have a broad academic background. I have degrees and interests in journalism, international relations, instructional technology, business, and computer information systems. I am also a published author with three books. And I am an avid photographer. I’ve made many national conference presentations and conducted training for both corporate and military audiences. Prior to coming to Paradise Valley C.C., I was an education specialist with the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence School at Fort Huachuca, AZ. In my younger days, I was a radio reporter and news director for stations in both Michigan and Arizona. Before teaching at PVCC, I taught at the University of Phoenix,Jackson (MI) Community College (main campus and prison branch... my captive audience!), Pima C.C., and the University of Arizona. I have a B.A. from the University of Arizona, a M.A. from Eastern Michigan University, a Certificate in Distance Education from Thomas Edison State College, an Ed.S. in instructional technology from Valdosta State University, and anM.B.A. from Morehead State University.I am the campus Faculty Online Learning Coordinator. I am proficient with Mac products like iWeb and iMovie, Office, and Adobe PhotoShop and Lightroom for editing photos and graphics - see my digital photography site which also links to my faculty site at You will see I have a real passion for photography. I am a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP), Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI), and American Society for Media Photographers (AMSP).
Class Procedure, Homework, Absences, etc….
This is online. Online doesn’t mean easier. Online is often HARDER. You must be self-reliant, self-motivated, and a bit of an independent learner. As an experienced online instructor AND online student, my best advice is LOG ON EVERY DAY! Do a little each day for this class; otherwise, you will fall hopelessly behind. Believe me. I know. And read the announcements I post for the course within the learning management system (our online classroom) for any reminders and changes to assignments. This course is a combination of a little bit of weekly lecture (I don’t want to bore you or me!), group discussion on my lecture, group work completing the MS Office assignments, and individual hands-on stuff (doing a web page).
Do the reading and homework and hand it in on time. No make-ups and no extra credit. I don’t care what other instructors do, either. That is my policy. Here’s a quote you will hear me say a million gazillion times: 99% of success is just showing up. Learn to budget your time and get the material in when it is due. Don’t bother if it is late. Don’t wanna see it. Common traits of those who have failed this course includes a failure to turn in assignments on time, not reading and following directions, and just not showing up. Common traits of those who are successful include doing work on time and as assigned, working well with their group, being a persistent learner who participates fully, and one who goes above and beyond what I want.
You will need regular access to a computer and MS Office. Whether that is at work, home, or in the PVCC computer lab, it doesn’t matter. YOU are responsible to turn in the material when it is due. Your email address will be automatically poured into our online class and is a college Google email (go to sign in to your account).
If you miss something, you are still responsible for it. If you take off for that extended four-week tour of the continent with your relatives, YOU are still responsible to participate in the class and send in the material ON TIME. I have often gone on vacation AND kept up with teaching or taking an online course. It is possible. It really isn’t that hard. However, if you must be gone for any length of time, you might consider retaking the course when you can give your all to it. Make friends in here. I encourage students to learn from the text, from each other, and maybe even from me. Do not rely on me to re-lecture or re-explain material I have already covered. It’s hard to participate in class if you aren’t logging in!
I retain the right to drop you for non-attendance in the discussion area. If you miss more than two weeks, you might get lucky and I will reduce your grade. More likely, you will be dropped with a “Y” (withdraw failing). It is your responsibility to drop the class if you no longer wish to attend. I WILL NOT AUTOMATICALLY WITHDRAW FOR YOU!
* On emailing me: Sometimes you might need to email me. ALWAYS include your FULL NAME and section number of your class. For instance, CIS 105 #13682. #13682 is an example of a section number. I teach multiple sections of classes, so it can be quite difficult to figure out where a student is from. Check the first page of this syllabus for my email address.
On plagiarism…. Plagiarism is stealing somebody else’s writing or ideas and not giving him or her proper credit. This is wrong. In the past, students who have plagiarized have received punishments ranging from failing the assignment in question, failing the course, all the way to being expelled from the college. Hint: DO YOUR OWN WORK! Don’t cheat. You aren’t the ex-President. Even for him it was wrong. Learn more about the plagiarism problem from Also see the Indiana University’s web page on plagiarism at
It is your responsibility to become familiar with PVCC’s drop/add policy. I do not give students a “W” from my courses for non-participation and I do not assign “I’s” or incompletes. If you stop participating in class, you must complete an official withdrawal form through PVCC or you will receive an “F” for the class. I WILL, however, drop you from class after the second week of class for non-participation.
In Case The Online Classroom Goes Down
It is rare, but sometimes the server that hosts our online classroom crashes. The PVCC Center for Distance Learning is always a good contact. Unless I instruct you otherwise, do not submit work to me via email. We will all weather the storm and resume when the server is back up. I do not penalize for late postings if there is a server crash. Just continue your work and we’ll resume when it comes up. Remember the login instructions I asked you to print out? At the bottom is a contact name if you have problems.
Assignments and Grading:
Weekly discussion postings to my lecturette questions, a question from each chapters readings you post to the discussion board for a student to answer and your answer to another students questions, and overall participation is worth 36 points.
For each chapter, go to the textbook and at the end of the chapter, Go to the discussion board for this chapter. After reading the chapter, go to the end of the chapter in the text. Answer ONE question from STUDY GUIDE. Answer ONE question from CONSIDER THIS. Answer ONE question from HOW TO: YOUR TURN. Answer ONE question from PROBLEM SOLVING. Answer ONE question from CRITICAL THINKING. Answer ONE question from BEYOND THE BOOK. POSE a question based on the material in the chapter to other students to answer. ANSWER a student question. INCLUDE THE QUESTIONS WITH YOUR ANSWERS IN YOUR POST! Each successful chapter of discussion is worth up to 3 points.
You will do FOUR complete SAM labs. Word and PowerPoint are worth 5 points each. Access and Excel are worth 10 points each. All four labs are worth up to 30 points total. Why are Word and PowerPoint worth less than Access and Excel? Access, and ESPECIALLY Excel, are crucial to your success in an undergraduate business program. Word and PowerPoint are considered easier and better known, so the point value is less. If you start at the last minute on these labs, you will be overwhelmed at will not complete them. SO, you are being warned. START EARLY especially on the first two labs!
You have one exam, the final exam, worth 25 points. There are 100 questions on the exam. If you have done your work up to that point, you can complete it in under an hour. It’s obviously open book. It is NOT timed, but you must complete the exam in one sitting, so make sure you are NOT interrupted when you begin.
I will evaluate discussion postings based on the following guidelines:
Post on time. Late postings are not beneficial to the group.
Be concise. Develop your idea in 200 words or less.
Connect your comments to what you are learning in the course.
Reply to other students’ posts. Let them know how useful the post was to you.
Be informative. Go beyond just agreeing or repeating by adding to the conversation.
Bring together or synthesize others’ comments from the discussion.
Illustrate your points with examples.
Relate personal experiences, but be careful not to release confidential information.
Use professional conventions of communication (e.g. etiquette, grammar and word usage).
Base your comments on research from at least one source. Note your sources.
Make sure each answer can stand on its own. In other words, if a reader did not have the questions in front of them, would he or she understand your answer???
As a bare minimum, you should login to class at least three times a week. To excel in this class, you will want to login at least five times a week.
There is a course-long discussion board and group assignment on global information technology, an often-overlooked subfield. I will post a lecturette introducing the topic with some questions you will need to answer. Then you and your group will select a topic related to global I.T. and write a lecturette complete with discussion questions and references. Then you will select one other student lecturette and respond to his or her questions. Post in the appropriate discussion area AND put in the ASSIGNMENTS area by the end of the course. This is worth 5 points.
At the end of the course, you will post your ideal computer project located at the end of the syllabus in the ASSIGNMENTS area. It is worth 4 points.
CIS105 – A Breakdown of Assignments – REVIEW THIS OFTEN!
Week / CIS 105:2/9 to 5/8 (last day is FRIDAY): #31591 / What is Due? / Points Possible
One / Week One: 2/9 to 2/15 / Read chapter One in the main textbook. Post your discussion questions in the discussion board.
Introduce yourself in week one discussion board. / 3 points for one chapter
Two / Week Two: 2/16 to 2/21 / Chapter two discussion board postings. / 3 points
Three / Week Three: 2/22 to 3/1 / Chapter three discussion board postings. / 3 points
Four / Week Four: 3/2 to 3/8 / Chapter four and five discussion board.
Cengage SAM – Lab 1: Word and Lab 2: PowerPoint / 6 points for both chapters
10 points
Five / Week Five: 3/9 to 3/15 / Chapter six and seven disc. board
Email me your Global Information Technology idea / 6 points for both chapters
Six / Week Six: 3/23 to 3/29 / Chapter eight discussion board / 3points
Seven / Week Seven: 3/30 to 4/5 / Chapters nine disc. board
Cengage SAM – Lab 3: Access / 3 points
10 points
Eight / Week Eight: 4/6 to 4/12 / Chapter ten disc. board / 3 points
Nine / Week Nine: 4/13 to 4/19 / Chapter eleven disc. board / 3 points
Ten / Week Ten: 4/20 to 4/26 / Chapter twelve disc. board / 3 points
Eleven / Week Eleven: 4/27 to 5/3 / Cengage SAM –Lab 4: Excel / 10 points
Twelve FRIDAY CLASS ENDS! / 5/4 to 5/8 / DUE: Final Exam Ch’s 1 through 12
Post Global IT Lecture in ASSIGNMENTS and in discussion board
Post Ideal Computer in ASSIGNMENTS / 25points
5 points
4 points
TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE / 100 points
NOTE: By accepting this syllabus, you understand the grading, assignment, and attendance policies I have for this class. This syllabus is subject to change, but I will announce the change in advance. You also agree to follow the section on campus computer technology (p. C-27) located in the Student Rights and Responsibilities in the student handbook.
Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Resource Center, B-Building –119, 602-787-7170
Have a great semester!
James Gordon Patterson
NOTE: Submit this assignment through the ASSIGNMENTS button. This is worth 4 points. PUT YOUR REAL NAME ON THIS!!!!
Ideal Microcomputer Purchase (worth 4% of your final grade)
- What kind of business are you buying a computer system for?
- What other peripherals do you plan on getting?
- What sort of applications would such a business need?
- You have an unlimited budget to buy system #1. Describe the system in detail including the price. Where are you buying the system? What is the website address?
- Now you’ve come back to earth. Configure a more realistic costing system #2. Describe the system in detail including the price. Where are you buying the system? What is the website address?
BASE SYSTEM / System #1: Dream Computer / System #2: Realistic Budget Computer
MANUFACTURER
MODEL
PROCESSOR/SPEED
OPERATING SYSTEM
HARD DRIVE
MEMORY
FLOPPY
OTHER STORAGE
CD/CDRW
TOTAL PRICE =
On the Group Global I.T. Assignment.... (worth 5 points total – you must do all parts)
As a group or as an individual, you need to pick a topic to do a lecturette. It must fall within the constraints of GLOBAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. That means NOT in the USA. The topic must be NARROW and FOCUSED enough to adequately cover in such a short lecturette. Look at my Global I.T. lecturette. It is SHORT, isn't it?
Think of this like a formula... INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR (OUTSIDE THE USA) x LIMITED TOPIC x COMPUTERS = an approved topic! This is not a hard assignment. HOWEVER, you will have to think of a topic that relates to GLOBAL I.T. and then limit it. You are not likely to be able to think this one up out of the air. Any basic high school or college English text on writing will show you how to do this task. In fact, I just now did a quick Google search on limiting topics and it showed several sources. I also found within a few minutes several interesting topics that I could cover for this assignment. So, go to Google, Copernic, Dogpile, and/or AskJeeves and start plugging in research terms. See what comes up. Read some articles. See what turns you on and what will fit within the constraints I've given you. Again, this is not something you can do in two minutes. If you wait until the last minute to do this, you will no doubt fail the assignment... which most of you probably would rather avoid. Are you going to struggle? Maybe. And if you are very lucky, YES you will! Easy doesn't mean learning occurs. Just go back and try again. Ask questions of your fellow students (remember, I am NOT going to do your thinking for you here... I want YOU to do that). I will point you in the right direction, but you have to do the heavy lifting.