UNIVERSITY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
CIS 310: Advanced Databases and Spreadsheets Spring 2001 Syllabus
Description
A Provides the knowledge and skills necessary for the advanced use of business applications with particular emphasis on logic, programming, macros, and transferring data or files between various application packages. Prerequisites: CIS 300 or CSC 117. Format: 3 hours lecture and 1 hour tutorial. 3 credits.
Outcomes
Upon completion of this course successful students will be able to:
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Mutual Understandings
The learning experience you are about to participate in is important. I worked hard to develop it and expect your full participation. You are expected to come to class on time, prepared and willing to participate. Our classroom environment is important. Please don’t detract from everyone's experience. Disruptive behavior such as chronic late attendance, failure to focus on the current class work, personal conversations, and chronic use of cellular phones and beepers is penalized. We all learn best when we understand why what we are learning is important. If you do not understand why the material is current and important, ask. I encourage you to challenge and critically analyze the material, concepts, theories and/or opinions offered. Class work and tasks mimic "real world" business situations (including deadlines and revisions). Expect short presentations supplemented by examples, references to other material, student discussion and extensive hands-on work. Late work is penalized. Grading is essential to the learning process. I grade on a criteria system not on the "curve." This means that you are not competing with each other for a limited number of higher grades. If you correctly fulfill all in-class and assigned work with superior quality and demonstrate complete understanding through testing, you will receive an A. Lesser efforts will receive lesser grades. Through use of Discovery Learning methods you will "learn how to learn" and acquire the skills necessary to learn and apply material not covered in class. Mistakes are expected; they are part of the learning process. Your primary class missions are learning to avoid and overcome "mistakes." Expect assistance in finding answers but not answers. This method of learning takes a lot of time! Many of you are attending school full time, working and have substantial family/social obligations. Traditionally students are expected to spend two to three hours of work outside of class for every hour of class time (that’s why 12 units is considered a full course load). If you are not prepared to spend substantial time out of class on course work, you should not be here. Take only the course load that you can handle; I will not diminish everyone’s learning experience to accommodate your personal agenda. Class work is often very time consuming and there is temptation to copy work or to accept "too much" assistance. Teamwork is encouraged as long as every team member learns the material. If you are incapable of duplicating the work you hand in, you have accepted too much assistance and will do poorly on tests. A very important part of this class is that you learn that you are capable of teaching yourself. DO YOUR OWN WORK! The UVI Course Catalog defines plagiarism as "passing off the ideas or work of another as one’s own without crediting the source." Copying homework is plagiarism. Both parties are guilty. Plagiarism is an Academic Offence. At UVI, the penalty for the first offence of plagiarism and other Academic Offences, such as cheating, is in an automatic F in the course. Materials & Resources Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 2:30-4:00,
Tuesday/Thursday 5:30-6:30. I am also available via appointment, voice mail and
Email. You are strongly encouraged to call or visit. Computer lab hours are posted outside the labs and at
http://www.uvi.edu/Labs/general.htm . Student monitors are available in the computer labs to assist with but not do your homework. Your UVI Email account in used to deliver assignments and other course information. Current course material, project assignments, class schedules, and grades are at http://faculty.uvi.edu/cbalch/cis.htm. Two 3.5" DSHD 1.44 MB diskettes are required (the
second disk is for backing up your data – damaged or lost disks are not an
acceptable excuse). A holding case to protect your disks is recommended. Disks
and cases are available at the UVI Bookstore or any office supply store. It is illegal to make copies of copyrighted computer applications. It is legal to keep files created and/or distributed in class. If you wish to purchase software, I have access to educational discount programs. Statement of Philosophy Education is a cooperative process where we learn from each other. Learning depends on your unique abilities, motivation, expectations, interests and goals. I want to know what interests you. You must do your own learning. My primary tasks are to facilitate your learning process by finding the educational modalities that best promote your learning process and to select the most desirable educational outcomes. Within the boundaries of course description and goals, there are a number of desirable educational outcomes. With your interests and goals in mind, my ultimate responsibility is to establish, describe, monitor and judge the learning objectives of this class. Progressive levels of learning may be described as follows: Knowledge: Knowing relevant facts, concepts, theories, and models. Application: Knowing when knowledge applies and the methods and procedures for applying that
knowledge. Extension: The ability to figure out the ramifications, implications, limitations, and variations of knowledge and synthesizing to create/discover new knowledge and application. Skill: The ability to successfully apply knowledge
to analyze and solve real-world problems. Our goal is the Skill level. Teaching and Learning Methods This course uses a number of modalities to deliver course content. When possible autotutorial and audiovisual modules supplement traditional teaching methods and provide both supplemental and alternative learning paths. Student Responsibilities Students are responsible for: prompt, prepared and regular attendance, proper classroom behavior, completing all tasks in a satisfactory manner by assigned deadlines, to regularly review the calendar and grading information posted on the Internet, to pass tests in each learning concentration, to regularly consult with their instructor.
Tasks (60% of grade)
Quizzes (10%)Open Tests (20%)
Final Exam (10%)