Welcome to the
Information Technology Minor

Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology

Introduction to Information Technology and Applications

Course Title:           ITEC 3610
Semester:               Fall 2010
Class location:         UALR Campus EIT 224
Class times:            5:30 - 9:00PM
Class days:             Monday evening

The syllabus is the governing document for the fall 2009 semester.

Faculty

Office Hours: Mornings by appointment

David Luneau, 569-8260, mdluneau@ualr.edu ; http://ualr.edu/mdluneau

Catherine Lowry, 371-7500, colowry@ualr.edu ; http://ualr.edu/colowry


Thomas Wallace, 371-7502, tswallace@ualr.edu; http://ualr.edu/tswallace

Course Philosophy

Learning has little meaning unless it produces a sustained and substantial influence on the way people think, act, and feel. The Information Technology Minor is a skill based program. You will learn concepts and skills while learning how to apply them to make decisions that solve problems. This program is taught by a faculty team. Our responsibilities are to teach and act as coaches as you work to master the concepts.

We model as a teaching team the behavior and organization that is expected of you. We are each committed to both your intellectual and personal development.

Attendance

Your attendance is required. The semester is very challenging in both content and time. You and your team will suffer from your absence. If you were going to miss work or be late, you would call the boss, so let one of your team know and contact one of the faculty team by e-mail. Please keep a copy of your e-mail. Excessive absences will be reflected in the final grade.

Texts and Supplies

These are essential to your success this semester. DO NOT attempt the semester without them!

Planner: Either a daily, weekly or monthly planner

1 Flash drive – 512 MB minimum

Three ring binder – 1 ½” with tabs

Grade Scale

There are seven equally weighted components in the grading for this class:

1. Excel assignments
2. Excel assessment
3. PowerPoint skill demonstration
4. Windows operating system assessment
5. Blog assignments
6. Blog technical skills
7. Soft Skills, including participation in class discussions, demonstration of questioning and listening skills, team participation and leadership, attendance, oral presentations, portfolio and other components as assigned.

Your grade will be assigned as follows:

A – Above Mastery in four or more of the seven areas with a grade of B in the other areas
B – Mastery in all areas with above mastery in three or fewer areas
NC – Mastery not achieved in one of more areas. Assessments in Excel and Windows Operating System must be at Mastery level to proceed to 3650.
I – Incomplete work in one or more areas as defined in the undergraduate catalog with the exception that a grade of I will convert to a grade of NC instead of an F.

CAUTIONS:

  1. Only assignments completed and turned in by deadlines will be considered for Above Mastery (A). Once an assignment is submitted, it is graded and returned. If an assignment needs corrections, those instructions will be given and the grade will remain pending until corrections are complete. The instructions will also include a deadline for submission.
  2. There will be a grade penalty for submitting assignments in stages (unless assigned that way) or submitting the same assignment multiple times. Submit only the file you want graded.
  3. Plan ahead for problems with emailing assignments.

Curriculum

There are three main components to the curriculum for ITEC3610: technical skills, business concepts, and behavioral communication (soft skills). The technical component consists primarily of 1)) Windows, 2) Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 4) Internet technologies. The second component, business concepts, focuses on understanding business processes, organization environment, and the effects of personality as it relates to working in a team. The behavioral communication component emphasizes personal and professional growth.

Critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and self initiated learning are concepts that students must develop throughout all components of the IT Minor.

Technical Skills

Windows

Students will be able to use Windows as a navigational and operational tool. They will be able to execute programs from menus as well as by clicking on icons. They will be able to create shortcuts, copy and move files, delete files, identify available drive space, and other routine file management tasks. They will understand what an operating system is and why it is important.

Microsoft Word

Students will develop an intermediate or advanced knowledge of Word software. This includes creating and editing documents and styles using advanced formatting: working with headers and footers, setting tabs, making forms and templates, and tracking and editing changes..

Microsoft Excel

Student knowledge of Excel includes creating and manipulating data in workbooks and worksheets. Students will be able to format rows, columns, and cells. They will be able

to work with formulas, ranges, and functions – including IF statements. They will be able to create and modify charts and graphs and use drawing tools. Students will know how to create user documentation and use reference material.

Graphical Presentation: PowerPoint

Students will become experienced users of PowerPoint. They will understand how to put together a complex presentation that could include text, pictures, graphics, links, sound, video clips, and animations. They will also understand and be able to make presentations using PowerPoint and demonstrate the elements of delivering a presentation, such as consistency of slides, proper use of color and special effects while maintaining rapport with the audience.

Internet and Web Design

Students will learn to build interactive and usable web sites using modern web standards. The course will cover (X)HTML, CSS, and JavaScript using the Adobe Creative Suite 4 to develop and mange their web site. Students will learn a user-centered approach to developing their web site covering a range of topics such as client consultation, usability, best practices for accessibility, and thoughtful graphic design.  Students will actively maintain and publish assignments to a personal blog throughout the duration of the course.

Business Component

Business Processes

Students will understand the business process and organizational environment. They will understand who stakeholders are and their roles, how businesses are measured, the role of technology in businesses and how spending decisions are determined in business (budgets) and the effect on stakeholders. They will also understand the roles of management and employees, how teams work, and the international considerations of business.

 

Behavioral Communication (Soft Skills)

Technical skills alone are no guarantee of success. Non-technical skills are included in the IT Minor at the recommendation of the program’s corporate partners. Technical skills must be integrated with excellent problem solving abilities, the ability to listen, the ability to function as a member of a team, and the ability to adapt to new technology and new languages.

Students will understand and demonstrate the skills needed to develop and maintain a positive and productive mind set and environment. Skills students will master include problem solving processes, listening, being focused in the moment, principles of team leadership and participation including resolution of conflicts and consensus through open discussion, adaptability to changing situations, time management, verbal and written communication, personal organization, coaching for results, and making effective presentations.

UALR Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism on any assignment will at minimum result in 0 points for the assignment. We reserve the right to pursue further disciplinary action if appropriate (e.g. any student caught cheating on an assignment/assessment will receive an “NC” for the course, and we may pursue action with the Committee on Academic integrity). Plagiarism includes copying someone else’s work and claiming it as your own, or collaborating excessively with another person or persons and claiming the work as solely your own. It is strongly recommended that students maintain a record of the preparation of their major assignments.

 

UALR Disability Policy
Students with disabilities:  It is the policy and practice of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to create inclusive learning environments.  If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or to accurate assessment of achievement--such as time-limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos--please notify the instructor as soon as possible.  Students are also welcome to contact the Disability Resource Center, telephone 501-569-3143 (v/tty). For more information, visit the DRC website at www.ualr.edu/disability.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now a word from some satisfied customers . . . .

I am resolute that choosing the IT Minor Program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock was the best decision I could have made for educational and professional career. The few years of working experience I have taught me a lot about what is needed in the “real” world. Anyone who graduates from college without proficient computer skills, public speaking abilities, or a sense of professionalism is going to have a difficult if not impossible time in the workforce. I feel sorry for students like these who will be competing against graduates from the IT Minor Program. They don’t stand a chance.

Tiffany Schneider, Director of Marketing
Mitchell Williams Selig Gates & Woodyard Law Firm
Speech Communication major

 



The IT Minor is the most effective 18 hours you will take at UALR. It prepares you for the skill sets of tomorrow, not today. I learned two very important skills flexibility and accountability. After completing the IT Minor, I landed a great job at the Acxiom Corporation I transferred my team working skills from the classroom to the workplace in my role as data administrator.

Mario Latham, Data Administrator
Acxiom
RTVF major

 



The IT Minor helped be find out what I really wanted to do in life and gave me some basic skills to pursue a job in the graphic design field. Not too many people can sincerely say that they are happy with what they do and that they gladly get up and go to work in the mornings. I can say this and I owe it to the IT Minor.

Olga Mitina
Graphic Artist/Web Developer/Photographer
International Studies major

 

Visit our website itec.ualr.edu and click on IT Minor for more comments.