Course Description
Fundamental concepts of computing and information science and their application to everyday computer use. Topics include data representation, addressing and mapping, network protocols, standards, data exchange, encryption and security, mathematical modeling, and data modeling. Hands-on labs emphasize problem-solving using software to collect and analyze data, and evaluate and present results.
Athena Title
Topics in Computing
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall and spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students should be able to conceptualize problems in terms of information science and identify the appropriate computer software for solving those problems. Given appropriate domain knowledge, students should be able to construct the appropriate mathematical model or data model for the problem, perform analyses, and critically evaluate results. Students should be able to construct presentation software documents to report problem solutions using narrative, numerical, and graphical presentation formats. They should also be able to create Web pages, conforming to accepted standards, and develop Web page scripts using standard software design methodology.
Topical Outline
How application programs convert documents from meaningless bytes to meaningful information. How operating systems, application programs, and computer hardware work together. Flat vs. hierarchical addressing systems; translation among different addressing systems. Network protocols and data exchange. How to connect your home computer to the Internet. Web page authoring using HTML, CSS, and Javascript. Algorithmic thinking for problem solving. Finding and fixing bugs in Web pages and scripts. Data representation and file compression. Multimedia data representation. How the CPU carries out machine instructions to run your software. Intellectual property law; digital rights management; legal and ethical issues in downloading. Mathematical modeling using spreadsheets. Database management: data modeling, forms, queries, and reports. Viruses and other security threats. Virus prevention and repair techniques. Encryption and privacy. Electronic commerce. Artificial intelligence and the limits to computation.
Syllabus