Lecture A: Tuesday  12:30 - 1:45 CODE 10833, Lafayette Building, Rm. 108
Lecture B: Thursday 12:30 - 1:45 CODE 10840, Lafayette Building, Rm. 108

CDAE 85 LAB SCHEDULE:  All students are REQUIRED to attend one 2-hour lab per week during the semester.  The nine lab are listed below.
 

Continuing Education:  Tuesday 5:30-8:30 pm Lecture and Lab: CODE 10005,
Room 005 Morrill Hall: Microcomputer Lab. Instructor: Jonathan Leonard.
 
 

Instructors:

Jonathan Leonard	Thomas Patterson	Jill Winnick	Nancy Wood	Gemma Scallon
208H Morrill Hall	208D	27 Loomis Street Apartment #5	004 Morrill Hall	58 Buell Street Apartment #3
656-2979	656-0042	862-9018	656-8289	658-5084
Home: 434-3787 (Call before 9pm)	Home: 658-7496		Home: 425-3507 (Call before 9pm)
jleonard@zoo.uvm.edu	tpatters@zoo.uvm.edu	jwinnick@zoo.uvm.edu	nwood@zoo.uvm.edu	gscallon@zoo.uvm.edu
Office: 8:15-10:15 Tuesdays	Office: 8:30-10:30 Thursdays	By appointment	Tues12:30-1:30, 11:00-12:00 Thurs	By Appointment

GENERAL COURSE GOAL: To prepare students with a solid foundation of computer skills and knowledge to enable them to use current and future software and hardware.

SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon satisfactory completion of CDAE 85, students will:
1.  Become familiar with computer hardware and types of computers.
2.  Understand the role of Operating Systems and demonstrate knowledge of UNIX, and Windows95/98.
3.  Understand, detect and eliminate Computer Viruses.
4.  Demonstrate proficiency with electronic communication: e-mail, signature files, listservs, messenger, and Chat.
5.  Understand the role of programming languages and be able to write a simple program.
6.  Demonstrate proficiency in word processing applications.
7.  Demonstrate proficiency in spreadsheet and graphics applications.
8.  Understand and demonstrate how to present and interpret data in graphic form.
9.  Explore, find, and report on useful data from the Internet.
10.  Create World Wide Web Pages.
11.  Understand the history and legacy of computing.
12.  Appreciate the utility, benefit and limitations of computers.
13.  Increase writing skills.

Required Text:

Discovering Computers 2000: Concepts for a Connected World, 1999, by Gary B. Shelly, Thomas J. Cashman, Misty E. Vermaat, and Tim J. Walker.  Course Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142,  ISBN 0-7895-4618-3.

 One copy of the text is available for 2-hour loan from the Reserve Desk at the Bailey-Howe Library.

GRADE POLICIES: The following categories contribute to your course grade as weighted below:
 

AUDITS:  Persons wishing credit for auditing the class are required to attend at least 9 of the 14 lectures and labs.

Exams will cover material from the reading assignments as well as discussion in lecture, and material from lab.  The format of the exams will be multiple choice.  You must be on time for exams.  If you are late for exams, you will lose points.  See Lecture Syllabus for schedule.

Exam Reschedule or Make Up Policy: Any requests to take the exam at other than the scheduled time must be discussed with Jonathan Leonard at least one week prior to the exam. Only in the case of medical emergency, death in the family, or other extreme circumstance are missed exams excused and re-taken.  In such extreme circumstances you are to notify Jonathan Leonard within 48 hours of the event.

Computer Lab Assignments vary in point value; the Final Lab Project is worth 150 points, the other assignments vary from 10 to 30 points each.  Exceptionally creative work may earn a grade above the point value of the assignment.  Lab assignments should be stapled together and handed in at the beginning of scheduled lab time.  YOUR NAME AND LAB SECTION MUST APPEAR ON ALL ASSIGNMENTS.  You may re-submit assignments for re-grading WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF THE DUE DATE (not accepted later); please include your old, already graded assignment, along with the re-done work.  The sooner you re-submit, the more generous your lab instructor will be in re-grading.
Save your graded homework assignments until February 2000 in a pocket folder.

 LATE PENALTY:  10% off the value of the assignment per week, up to two weeks from the due date.  If the assignment is any later, NO CREDIT.

Attendance, Participation and Attitude:  Five percent of your grade is determined by attendance, class participation (how you contributed to the class), and your attitude.  In order to earn full credit you must attend all the lectures and labs and contribute to the class in a positive way by helping other students and participating in class discussions.  Unexcused absences will result in a deduction of 1 % of your course grade per unexcused absence.  Absences are excused only in cases of sickness (Physician's note), death in the family, or other extreme circumstances.  If you are absent, you should notify your lecture and lab instructor within 24 hours.

Optional Term Paper or Project of at least ten typed, double spaced pages can be elected for extra credit of up to 10% of your grade in addition to what you have earned in the course.  The term paper must be on a computer-related topic approved by Jonathan Leonard and cannot be for another class.  You must cite references in the text for any information that is not common knowledge.  Or, you may use computer software to complete a project that is approved by Jonathan Leonard.  Draft of Term Paper or Project due Friday March 17th, 4 pm. Term Paper or Project due Friday, 28 April 2000 at 4 pm.  You may not hand in this extra credit assignment if you miss the draft deadline of Friday March 17th.

PLAGIARISM:
It is expected that you will help your fellow students with techniques of computer use, but always hand in original work.  For example, if the assignment for the week was to write a 3-page paper, you are expected to help students who are not as familiar as you with the use of the word processor, i.e. how to re-format the page, re-arrange paragraphs, delete words, check the spelling, etc..  This does not mean that you can copy work or take it off the Internet without crediting it to the original source.  ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO HAND IN THEIR OWN ORIGINAL WORK.  Students have been severely penalized in the past for not following these instructions.

LAB USE POLICY:
Students may use the labs whenever there are no scheduled classes or workshops.  Schedules are posted on lab doors.  Morrill Hall Lab schedule is distributed in lecture every month.

LAB ROOM HOURS (Unless posted otherwise): 005 Morrill: Check the following Web Pages

  http://www.uvm.edu/~jleonard/labsched.html

Waterman 113: Monday - Thursday   8 am - 11:45 pm
          Friday ...........…………………..8 am - 5:45 pm
          Saturday .......…………………..12 noon - 5:45 pm
          Sunday .........…………………...12 noon - 11:45 pm
  http://cit.uvm.edu/labs/wat_hours.html

LAB HELP POLICY:  There will be some lab assistant help available in the lab during most hours.  Lab assistants may not be able to help you with all your problems with the course.  When not in a formal lab, you will be expected to rely on classmates, software manuals, class notes, online help, and lab assistants when available.  If you need extra help, make an appointment with your lab instructor.  Formal tutoring may be available.

WORK LOAD TO EXPECT:  In order to complete the work in this class you can expect to spend (on average) 6-10 hours per week OUTSIDE OF CLASS AND FORMAL LAB TIME studying and working in lab on CDAE 85 assignments.

SOFTWARE USE POLICY:  It is illegal to use the software available in the computer labs outside of the labs.  The University of Vermont offers the use of this software in the lab under the copyright agreements of the software companies who own the software.  The University of Vermont and the computer labs do not own the software.  The use of the software is licensed.  Therefore, it is illegal to copy, distribute, sell, or loan copies of the software or manuals, or to use the software or manuals outside of the computer labs.

HINTS ON DOING WELL IN CDAE 85:
You don't have to be a "rocket scientist" or "computer wiz" to do well in this class.  This is a course where you will do well if you go to class, follow instructions, do all your lab assignments on time and spend time reading and studying.

There will almost always be a rush on the computers the last few days before a major assignment is due.  This would be true unless we had a computer for every person in the course.  Plan ahead.  Use the lab in the off times, arrive early to be assured of a machine when the lab opens.  Don't wait to the last minute for completing an assignment.  If you have a job or other commitments outside of regular school work or a heavy course load be sure your work hours allow enough time to complete your assignments.

The instructions on how to complete lab assignments will be given in the formal labs.  It is your responsibility to take notes during formal lab time and make sure you understand how to complete the assignments.  Part of the learning experience in this class is using the software manuals and fellow students as references.  Although some of the Lab Assistants will be able to help, they will not be able to help you at all times; they will not do the assignments for you.

This course is designed not only to give you experience on the PC, but also to teach you computing concepts so you will be able to work through any software on any personal computer and many servers and host computers.
 
 

CDAE 85 LECTURE SYLLABUS, Spring 2000

Week / TOPIC	READING IN Discovering Computing:
1. Intro to the course, Timeline 1     OS Video 1	Chapter 1
2.   Timeline 2       Anatomy of a Personal Computer       Types of Computers       OS Video 2	Chapters 3, 6, 8
3. Anatomy of the PC     Units of Memory & Storage      History of the Internet Video	Chapters 3, 6, 8
4. Exam Prep     Memory & Storage     Class Computer OS exercise     Why study computers?     History of the Internet Video
5.  EXAM  #1 February 15 or 17	February 15 or 17
6.  Programming Languages & BinaryNumbers,       Why compute?  Privacy Video	Chapter 12
7.  What is byte?  ASCII, Security.       Software Licenses, Internet History Video	Chapter 2, 14 How Hackers Break In  Sci. Am. October 1998.
Note: No Lecture March 7 or 9, Town Meeting Recess. Labs will Meet.	Note: No Lecture March 7 or 9, Town Meeting Recess.  Labs will Meet.
8.   The Web, Protocols, Error checking, Physical        Media: Cables and Wires,.	Chapter 7, 9.
Note: Spring Break March 20-24, no classes	Note: Spring Break March 20-24, no classes
9.   Satellite Imaging, Error checking, Image       Compression	Voyager II article, Sci. Am. Nov. 1986
10. EXAM #2     April 4 or 6	April 4 or 6
11.  Buying a computer: pointing devices, monitors	Chapters 4,5
12.  Buying a computer: System Unit        Network computers	Chapters 10, 11
13. Security and Risks       Giant Brains video       Putting computing in perspective: History
FINAL EXAM: TUE MAY 9	High Noon, Gym Indoor Tennis Courts

 
 

DEADLINES FOR FINAL LAB PROJECT AND EXTRA CREDIT:

Friday March 17th, 4 pm Draft of Extra Credit Term Paper or Project due.

Friday 21 April (4 pm): EARLY HAND IN FOR FINAL LAB PROJECT, 10% EXTRA BONUS  POINTS.  If later than 4pm, no bonus.

Friday 28 April :  FINAL LAB PROJECT DUE, 4pm
  OPTIONAL TERM PAPER/PROJECT DUE, 4pm
  5% OFF, LATE PENALTY PER DAY Including Saturday and Sunday!

Friday, 5 May: ABSOLUTE DEADLINE for all late projects (35% off).  Projects will not be accepted after 4pm.
 

Other courses you may wish to take after CDAE 85:

Internet Applications for Agriculture and Life Sciences, CDAE 195, Summer 2000, Taught by Jonathan Leonard.
World Food Population and Sustainable Development, CDAE 002
Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD), CDAE 101
Research Methods for Applied Economists, CDAE 250
Advanced Computer Aided Drawing and Design, CDAE 195
 
 

 Lab Table of Contents