Intermediate Keyboarding Syllabus for 2016-2017
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Instructor Information

Course Information

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Student Service Center office 112. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.

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If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a class must:

• consult with their instructor to obtain a signed academic withdrawal request form to submit to the AskAC department for processing
• consult with the financial aid office if receiving financial aid
• consult with the Veterans Benefit Coordinator if receiving veteran benefits
• consult with their academic advisor to determine how withdrawing may affect their enrollment in future semesters
  • NOTE:  The Texas Education Code stipulates that students attending Texas institutions of higher education for the first time fall 2007 and later may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career, including courses from which transfer students have withdrawn at other Texas institutions of higher education. (Senate Bill 1231) Rule 4.10.

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

POFT-2301-001 Intermediate Keyboarding

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: Keyboarding skill of 30 wpm required

Course Description

A continuation of keyboarding skills emphasizing acceptable speed and accuracy levels and formatting documents.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec, 1 lab)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Keyboarding and Word Processing, Complete Course, 20th edition

Lessons 1-110, Microsoft Word 2016
by VanHuss, Forde, & Woo
E-Text / SAM access code / 180-day trial subscription Office 365
ISBN:  9781337762311

SAM = an online learning system we will use for keyboarding drills, word processing assignments, and timed writings. SAM access is a required element of the course.

This access is bundled with an electronic version of textbook at the AC Bookstore for $146.50.

This same e-text and access code will be used for Advanced Keyboarding (POFT 2333)--no additional purchase will be required for the next course.

Supplies

1. Electronic textbook or printed textbook
2. SAM access code
3. Microsoft Word 2016 software
4. Computer with internet access

(See textbook information above for bundled items)

Student Performance

After studying the material presented in this course of study, the student will be able to do the following as evaluated by the faculty in the department/program.

1. Demonstrate proficient keyboarding techniques.
2. Demonstrate an acceptable level of keyboarding skills with a minimum speed of 40 words per minute (wpm) by touch.
3. Apply proofreading and editing skills.
4. Apply mailability standards to business documents using word processing software.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Students are expected to maintain a high standard of individual honor in their scholastic work. All work in this course is to be completed by the individual student and no work may be shared, copied, or the result of unauthorized collaboration with another person.

Students who are guilty of cheating, plagiarism, copying, using the work product of another person, and/or dishonesty may receive a 0 on an assignment; may be excluded from class with a grade of F; or, in flagrant cases, may be suspended from the College.

The Faculty of the Office Administration Program reserve the right to ask a student to verify any portion of a test or assignment by reproducing any specific section or the entire test/assignment in question.

Any action that compromises the computer systems at Amarillo College, including but not limited to hacking or cracking, can result in a grade of "F" in this course and possible further disciplinary action.

Grading Criteria

Categories of Activities & Percentage Weight
Keyboarding Drill Practice - 5%
Microsoft Word Drills - 5%
Dropbox Assignments - 10%
Microsoft Word Projects - 15%
Production Tests (2) – 20%
Timed Writings – 10%
Timing Benchmark – 25%
WPM Improvement - 10%
 

*Minimum Speed Requirement = 40 words per minute
An important element of this intermediate keyboarding course is obtaining a keyboarding speed of 40 words per minute, with 5 or fewer errors, on a 5-minute timed writing assessment. This is a benchmark that truly defines success in this course.

Students enter intermediate keyboarding with an expected minimum speed of 30 wpm. And, it is reasonable to expect yourself to improve speed and accuracy by 10 wpm over an 8-week course—with daily practice, speed and accuracy improvements develop steadily at this level.

Your grade is impacted significantly and you risk a failing grade if your work does not include a timed writing speed of 40 words per minute by the end of the course.

Keyboarding Drill Practice
Keyboarding drills provide additional practice to strengthen keyboarding accuracy. Keyboarding drills will be practiced each week and are weighted at 5% of the overall course grade.

Microsoft Word Drills
This course uses Microsoft Word 2016 software to teach students how to create properly formatted memos, letters, tables, and reports. Word Drills are conducted in a simulated environment in SAM as a method of providing practice as you develop these skills. Completion of MS Word Drills are weighted at 5% of the overall course grade.

Dropbox Assignments
Each week students will complete a supplementary assignment, uploading to a dropbox in Blackboard. These supplementary assignments are designed to provide additional keying and formatting practice, as well as a mechanism to review important concepts and tools within Microsoft Word. Dropbox assignments are weighted at 10% of the overall course grade.

Microsoft Word Projects
As another mechanism to practice developing skills, students will complete a number of projects with SAM. Projects entail downloading a set of instructions and a starter file. The starter file is edited and manipulated based upon the instructions. The completed document is uploaded to SAM for grading. A report indicating score and missed elements can be accessed almost immediately. Two attempts are permitted on each project and the higher of the two grades will be added to the gradebook. Microsoft Word Projects are weighted at 15% of the overall course grade.

Production Tests
Students are asked to demonstrate learning and proficiency through two production tests. Together, the two production tests are weighted at 25% of the overall course grade.

Timed Writings
Timed Writings are a regular element of this course and will be taken each week, starting in Week 1. Two timed writings will be taken each week. Built into timed writings are two types of assessments: speed and accuracy. Without accuracy, speed is much less meaningful. Thus, timed writings will always include the qualifiers “with 0-5 errors” or “with 5 or fewer errors”. By the end of the course, you will have taken a number of 5-minute timed writings. Completion of all of the required timed writings represents 10% of the overall course grade.

Timing Benchmark
Five of your best 5-minute timed writings from within SAM will be averaged to determine your Timing Benchmark grade. A score will be assigned based upon the table below. The Timing Benchmark represents 25% of the overall course grade.

Average Speed of Five 5-Minute Timings Taken in SAM
50+ wpm with 0-5 errors = 95
45-49 wpm with 0-5 errors = 85
40-44 wpm with 0-5 errors = 75
31-39 wpm with 0-5 errors = 65
Under 30 wpm with 0-5 errors = 55

WPM Improvement
With consistent and regular practice, students entering the course keying at 30 wpm are expected to increase their speed by 8-10 wpm over the 8 weeks of this course. A comparison will be made between you Week 1 timed writings and your Week 8 timed writings and a grade will be assigned based upon your improved speed. WPM Improvement represents 10% of the overall course grade.

Improvement from Week 1 through Week 8
Improvement of 10+ words per minute with 0-5 errors = 95
Improvement of 8-9 words per minute with 0-5 errors = 90
Improvement of 6-7 words per minute with 0-5 errors = 85
Improvement of 4-5 words per minute with 0-5 errors = 80
Improvement of 1-3 words per minute with 0-5 errors = 75
No wpm improvement; minimum 30 words per minute with 0-5 errors = 70
Keying less than 30 words per minute with 0-5 errors = 65
Keying errors exceed 5, regardless of speed = 60

Attendance

As this is an online course, attendance and participation will be gauged by completing course deadlines and completing assignments.

Calendar

Additional Information

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

June 5:         Online Classes Begin – 8 weeks
June 12:       Census Day: Last Day to Drop Course for Full Refund
July 4:           Independence Day – AC Closed
July 18:         Last Day to Withdraw from Course
July 27:         Last Day of Course (all work due by 5pm)

 

• Advocacy & Resource Center at Amarillo College: Resources for social services or emergency services for students are available at - http://www.actx.edu/resources/. If a situation arises that interferes with your performance in the class, please notify your instructor and be sure to take advantage of the many resources available through the Social Services Office.
• Open Computer Labs: The Business Systems and Emerging Technology Department hosts an open computer lab on the 2nd Floor of the Byrd Business Building. Labs are open 7 days a week. Assistance with this course and/or technical assistance are available in the computer labs.
• CIS Web Site: http://cis.actx.edu
• Direct link to AC Connect portal and courses as well as your AC Connect email- https://acconnect.actx.edu/. You will log in with the same ID and password you use for WebAdvisor. Contact AskAC (806-371-5000) for help if you have trouble with your log in.
• AskAC - http://www.actx.edu/contact/- Please contact AskAC for technical help. Contact your instructor for help with this class.
• Student Help Center - http://www.actx.edu/ctl/index.php?module=article&id=178- Offers technical help to AC students
• Writers' Corner: If you feel you need help organizing and writing course work, check this out. Writers’ Corner: Tutoring with Pizzazz - http://www.actx.edu/english/index.php?module=article&id=36. Writers' Corner is a great resource for help with writing papers and assignments. They can't help you with the content of your work, but they can help you write your work in the proper format.
• AC Distance Education Home Page - http://www.actx.edu/de/- Information on requirements and taking an online course.
• Mental Health Services and the Advocacy & Resource Center. As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student’s ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5191. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/. Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is www.actx.edu/arc
• Learn about using AC Connect (Blackboard) and using features of our course by reviewing the following tutorials:
  • Blackboard On Demand Learning Center for Students http://ondemand.blackboard.com/students.htm
  • AC Connect Student Resources
    http://www.actx.edu/ctl/index.php?module=article&id=222