CBIS ONE: ONLINE
COMPUTER CONCEPTS
A fully accredited online course offered by Barstow College

INTRODUCTION LEARNING OUTCOMES LECTURE NOTES READING & HOMEWORK DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT

INTRODUCTION:

Welcome to CBIS-1 “Computer Concepts”.  My name is Fred J. Kellenberger, your instructor for this course.  Please read the syllabus and complete the syllabus. Completing your syllabus is your first contact with your instructor and will also provide your username and password for the course. The web site http://www.bcconline.com/orient/ has very valuable information on how to use the Barstow College On-Line system.

If you have any questions please email me at fkellenb@bcconline.com or you may call me at Barstow College, 760-252-2411 X7239.  For emergencies please call me at 760-717-8022 (cellular).

This course has 9 lesson plans.  Each lesson plan (except lesson plan #9) has a homework assignment and discussion question.  The assignments are due at midnight of the due date.  Students may complete the homework assignment and discussion question.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After completing this lesson plan, students will be able to:

· List the major technologies fueling the digital revolution

· Create a timeline for the major events and technologies that contributed to the digital revolution

· List at least five ways that the Internet enhances human communication

· Explain the term cyberspace

· Explain the concept of convergence and how it applies to digital devices

· Describe some ways in which digital technology affects global politics

· Describe some ways in which digital technology affects privacy

· Describe some ways in which digital technology affects intellectual property

· Describe some ways in which digital technology affects local and global economies

· Define the term computer and explain input, output, processing, storage, and the stored program concept

· Explain the difference between memory and storage

· Identify the hierarchy of concepts related to software, system software, applications software, and operating systems

· Describe the historical differences among mainframes, minicomputers, and microcomputers

· List the characteristics of personal computers, workstations, videogame consoles, servers, mainframes, and supercomputers

· Define the term compute-intensive and use it in context

· Describe similarities and differences in PDAs, portable players, and smart phones

· Describe the purpose of microcontrollers

· Differentiate between data and information

· Describe how digital devices represent numbers, text, images, and sound

· Explain the difference between information and data

· Differentiate between digital data and analog data

· Provide examples of analog and digital devices

· Differentiate between numeric and character data

· Identify data represented by the binary number system

· Explain why the binary number system works so well for digital devices

· List four codes used to represent character data

· Explain why character representation codes such as ASCII include codes for numerals

· Explain the difference between bits and bytes

· Define the technical meaning of common prefixes, such as kilo, mega, giga, tera, peta, and exa

· Explain the use of prefixes such as kibi, mebi, and gibi

· List three synonyms for the term integrated circuit

· Explain the use of semiconducting materials for creating integrated circuits

· List two types of chip carriers

· List two synonyms for system board

· Demonstrate that you understand the general concept of how 0s and 1s are handled by integrated circuits

· List four programming languages

· Trace the way a computer program is either interpreted or compiled and then processed using the terms source code, interpreter, compiler, instruction set, operand, op code, and machine code

· Briefly explain how a microprocessor’s ALU and control unit work
List the four phases of the instruction cycle Provide examples of single-factor and two-factor authentication

· Create guidelines for creating user IDs

· Differentiate between passwords and PINs

· List four ways that hackers are able to illegitimately obtain your passwords

· List two synonyms for the term hacker

· List the principles of creating secure passwords

· Describe how to keep your passwords from falling into the hands of hackers

· Explain the concept of tiered passwords

· Explain how password managers can help protect data

LECTURE NOTES – LESSON PLAN 1 "Computer and the Digital Basics"

In 1937 the first computer was built.  Computers are in every facet of our lives – at home, work, stores, everywhere. Special-purpose computers are in everything from watches to automobiles.  The text book defines a “computer” as “A device that accepts input, processes data, stores data, and produces output”. 

During this course there will be many new terms for the students.  The web site www.webopedia.com is one of many web sites on the web that defines computer terms. 

I have been in the computer field for over 30 years.  The first computer class I took in school was systems analysis.  We had to key punch cards for our program and the data.  Then the cards were read into the computer. The computer would output cards.  We would them take the cards and read them into a printer which printed them on a printout.  Times have really changed.

Why is learning about the computer important? Computers are common tools in all areas of life.   New forms of learning and working have developed because of computers.  New ways to communicate, to find people with similar interests, and to buy goods are available because of computers.  To be a competent end-user, you must understand the essentials of information technology – input, processing, and output.

Computer competency is the understanding of what makes up an information system. It is understanding how connectivity through the Internet and Web can expand the role of information technology in your life. People who use computers to meet their information needs are called end-users.

For a brief history of computers go to the following Web Site:

http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/comphist/

http://www.computer.org/history/

The five parts of an information system are:

People - Individuals who use microcomputers as a tool to fulfill their information needs.

Procedures - Written guidelines (documentation) to help end-users use software and hardware.

Software - Step-by-step instructions (programs) that tell the computer what to do.

Hardware - The physical components of a computer system such as monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc.

Data - Raw, unprocessed facts such as text, numbers, images, and sounds brought into the computer as input.

People are the most important part of an information system.  Some examples of people using computers and information systems in everyday life are entertainment, medicine, business, and education.

Is data and information the same? (QUIZ QUESTION). I have taught this class for several years and I always ask the question on the quiz “Is data and information the same?”.  The answer is no.  Information is processed data.  The book defines data as “the symbols that a computer uses to represent facts and ideas” and information as “the words, numbers, and graphics used as the basis for human actions and decisions.  Input, process, and output are performed to convert data into information. 

The Internet is a giant worldwide network.  World wide communications started in the early 1970s when the United States government funded a major research project on computer networking called ARPANET (Advanced Research Project Agency Network).  The Internet, as it is known today, was born in 1983 when ARPANET was split into two interconnected networks: ARPANET and MILNET. In 1975 I was employed as a MIS manager in San Diego for the U.S. Navy for a research and development organization.  Our organization along with other government research and development organization were the first government organizations to use ARPANET.  The only feature we had was sending email.  We could not send attachments with the email.  Cyberspace is the space of electronic movement of ideas and information.  The internet backbone (see the below figure) connects to regional and local communications links, which provide internet access to individuals working at their personal computers.

For a brief history of the Internet go to the following Web Site:

http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/

http://www.davesite.com/webstation/net-history.shtml

http://www.webhistory.org/home.html

The Web was first introduced in 1992 at CERN (Center for European Nuclear Research) in Switzerland.  Prior to the Web, the Internet was all text with no graphics, animations, sound, or video.

Some of the most common Internet uses are: Communications: Communicating on the Internet includes e-mail, discussion groups (newsgroups), and chat groups (You can use e-mail to send or receive messages to people around the world.  You can join discussion groups or chat groups on various topics.)

Shopping: Shopping on the Internet is called electronic commerce. (You can window-shop at cyber malls called web storefronts. You can purchase goods using checks, credit cards, or electronic cash called electronic payment.)

Researching: You can do research on the Internet by visiting virtual libraries and browse through stacks of books. (You can read selected items at the virtual libraries and even check out books.)

Entertainment: There are many entertainment sites on the Internet such as live concerts, movie previews, and book clubs. (You can also participate in interactive live games on the Internet.)

The Internet also has been the source of controversy. Some of the concerns raised by individuals and the news media are:  (NOTE DISCUSSION QUESTION)

Censorship. Should certain material be restricted to select groups, or banned entirely from the Internet?

Copyright protection. Should originators of work on the Internet have the same protection as creators in other media?

Authentication. Should regulations ensure that the purported author of material on the Internet is, indeed, the author?

Security. How can private information and sensitive communications be kept from eavesdroppers?

Overload. How can current resources handle a burgeoning number of users and increasingly complex Web pages?

Using a provider is the most common way to access the Internet. A provider is also called a host computer. A provider is already connected to the Internet. A provider provides a path or connection for individuals to access the Internet.

The three widely used providers are Colleges and Universities, Internet Service Providers (ISP), and Online Service Providers.  Internet Service Providers offer access to the Internet for a fee. They are more expensive than online service providers. Internet Service Providers can be national or local. The best known national internet service providers are AT&T WorldNe, IBM Internet Connection, MindSpring, and Sprint Internet Passport.  Online Service Providers provide access to the Internet and a variety of other services for a fee.  They are the most widely used source for Internet access and less expensive than ISP.  The best known online service providers are America Online (AOL), CompuServe, Microsoft Network (MSN), and Prodigy.  America Online is a fast-growing company. Some students like AOL while others do not like AOL.  Some Internet service providers are free.

There are three types of connections to the Internet through a provider: Direct or Dedicated, SLIP and PPP, Terminal Connection. Direct or Dedicated  is the most efficient access method to all functions on the Internet. However, it is expensive and rarely used by individuals. It is used by many organizations such as colleges, universities, service providers, and corporations. SLIP and PPP is used by end users to connect to the Internet.  It is slower and less convenient than direct connection. Terminal Connection uses a high-speed modem and standard telephone line.

The standard protocol for the Internet is TCP/IP (TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol).  TCP/IP are the rules for communicating over the Internet.  Protocols control how the messages are broken down, sent, and reassembled.  With TCP/IP, a message is broken down into small parts called packets before it is sent over the Internet.  Each packet is sent separately, possible traveling different routes to a common destination. 

Click on the following for key terms for this lesson plan:  Key Terms Lesson Plan #1

READING & HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS

READING ASSIGNMENT:
Review Lecture Notes for Lesson Plan #1

Read Chapter 1, Computer and the Digital Basics and Chapter 9 Section A

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT   

Complete the following homework in WORD and mail the homework as an attachment to fkellen@bcconline.com by the due date.

1. Access the web site www.webopedia.com  and define the following terms (5 points):

•             Data
•             Information
•             Download
•             Input
•             Output
•             Computer

2. Answer the following questions (5 points):

• What is the difference between data and information?
• Why is computer literacy important?

3. Complete the following (10 points), 3 - 5 sentences for each item:
   
1. The difference between the binary number system and the decimal number system.
2. How do you start a Window computer
3. What do you do when a computer is in sleep mode
4. How do you deactivate a screen saver
5. What make a computer a server
6. Describe a supercomputer.
7. What is a workstation?
8. What is a microcontroller?

DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT

PART 1:  (10 points)

Introduce yourself to the class.

Please discuss (at least 200 words) one of the following discussion questions:

1. How have computers influenced our daily lives.
2. Do you think all the changes brought about by computer technology will be positive? 
3. Do you think all the changes brought about by computer technology will benefit everyone? 
4. What effect do you think all the changes brought about by computer technology will have on our privacy and security?

Reply to another (at least 50 words) student discussion question.

PART 2:  (10 points)

PART 2:  The instructor will post additional assignments in the discussion assignment during the week.  Please reply (at least 100 works) to at least one of the additional instructor's posting assignment.  This posting by the instructor will be labeled PART 2 to identify the posting.  When the student reply to the Part 2 posting please labeled the subject line as PART 2 REPLY. (10 points)