Application Software Problem Solving Syllabus for 2018-2019
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Instructor Information

Office Location

R. E. Byrd Business Building BB360

Office Hours

Monday:  2:30 - 3:30 pm
Tuesday: 4:30 - 5:30 pm
Wednesday: 2:30 - 3:30 pm
Thursday: 4:30 - 5:30 pm

Please contact me to via email at jamelius@actx.edu so we can set up a time for an online Zoom appointment.

Course Information

COVID-19 Protocols

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.

Amarillo College Web Accessibility Policy Statement

Amarillo College is committed to providing equal access to all programs and services, including all working, learning, and service environments that affect equal access for persons with disabilities. This commitment to provide equal access and opportunity for persons with disabilities is in compliance with federal and state law. Amarillo College also strives to provide Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) that are accessible to all authorized users.

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 course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.

NOTE: Students who are 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. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

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

ITSC-2335-002 Application Software Problem Solving

Prerequisites

<p>Prerequisites: BCIS 1305</p>

Course Description

Utilization of appropriate application software to solve advanced problems and generate customized solutions.

Student ResourcesStudent Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 2 lec, 4 lab)

Class Type

Hybrid

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Two options are available for course materials:
 
(1) Purchase an access code to MyITLab and accompanying electronic text (e-text)

[Myitlab W/Etext Access Card For Your Office 2016; Kinser - available at the AC bookstore

(2) Purchase a physical textbook, access code to MyITLab, and accompanying electronic text (e-text)

**Recommended**

[Bundle Your Office Microsoft Excel 2016/MyITLab Access Card; Kinser
 

The physical textbook is not required, but highly recommended. Either option can be purchased at the AC Bookstore.  Should you choose the first option and later decide you also want the printed text, the text can be purchased directly from the publisher for an additional fee (roughly $35 plus shipping).

The myitlab access code is valid for 1 year

*** Please do not open the booklet that contains the myitlab code until you have enrolled in the class in myitlab.
You could already have a valid code if you are concurrently enrolled OR if you were in one of the following classes in this past year  - ITSE 2309, POFI 2350***

Supplies

  1. Access to a PC (personal computer) running the Windows 7 (or above) operating system. Computers are available in the CIS Computer Lab on the 2nd Floor of the Byrd Business Building (Washington Street Campus, Amarillo College).
  2. Microsoft Office 2016 software (Word, Excel). If you have Office 2019 in your personal computer, it should work. The course materials have been created in Office 2016. Software is available on computers in the CIS Computer Lab.
    The links below are options to subscribe to Office 365 in your personal devices
    **  Office 365 University  -- 79.99 for a 4 year subscription
    **  Office 365 Personal -- $6.99 per month
  3. Reliable access to the Internet.  Internet access is available in the Computer Lab on the 2nd Floor of Byrd Business Building. Check the CIS website for lab hours (http://cis.actx.edu)
  4. A USB flash drive for file transport between computers. You could use a Onedrive or Google Drive cloud account to store your files as an an alternate option

Student Performance

Students will utilize spreadsheet and word processing software, with a focus on understanding the impact of these applications and technology on our society and in the business world.

At completion of course student will be able to:

Use Excel to  manage business data, and analyze empirical data from various sources using complex functions and other tools

Use Excel to prepare visual representation of data through charts and graphs.

Use Excel to create Financial models. Students will learn to create Amortization models. In addition, students will learn to use tools and features that help with Bonds and Investment analysis and depreciation of assets in a business.

Use Excel to create Statistical models where in students will learn to use tools to predict business outcomes, relationships between data, and predict future values.

Use Excel to manage data to facilitate data driven decision making.

Students will learn to use some powerful features in Excel such as PowerPivot, PowerView etc. These features helps you connect to external data within excel and perform analysis.

Students will learn to use the Mail Merge feature in Word using Excel as the data source

The main focus of this course is to understand and use various business software applications including word processing, spreadsheets.

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. Students who are guilty of cheating, plagiarism, copying, dishonesty, or an integrity violation in MyITLab may be excluded from class with a grade of F; or, in flagrant cases, may be suspended from the College,

The faculty of the CIS Department reserve the right to ask a student to verify any portion of a test, exam, or project by reproducing any specific section or all sections of any 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.

Integrity violations (using all or part of another student’s file) in MyITLab will result in both parties receiving a 0 on the assignment and no make-up assignment is permitted. 

Grading Criteria

COURSE GRADE

>89.5%   =   A
>79.5%   =   B
>69.5%   =   C
>59.5%   =   D
<59.5%   =   F

 

SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS

Attendance (10%)  - See below for attendance details.

Training Project (20%)
Training Projects are required and will be graded. Training will always remain open, however. You have 3 attempts to complete the projects successfully.


Chapter Quiz (10%)
You will have one quiz that will be questions out of the textbook being used. It will have questions that will test your understanding of the concepts being covered that week and the added features that will help enhance your ability to use them as needed in your work environment.


Chapter Projects (30%)
Chapter project entail downloaded files that you alter based upon a set of instructions and then upload to MyITLab for grading. Projects are an effective tool for demonstrating an understanding of chapter concepts. Students are permitted two attempts on each of these projects. Students are highly encouraged to locate and correct any errors on the first attempt in order to support learning and integration of the chapter concepts. The higher grade of the two attempts will be recorded in the Blackboard gradebook.


Midterm (15%)
Midterm will be a grader project that will cover most of what you learned in the Microsoft Access application.


Final Exam (15%)
The Final Exam is a comprehensive exam. The exam is given in two parts and is conducted in the simulation environment in MyIT Lab. See the MOS Certification Exam substitution option below.

MOS Certification Exam (optional)
A MOS exam may substitute for part of the final exam. Word MOS or Access MOS will substitute for Part 1 of the final exam; Excel MOS will substitute for Part 2 of the final exam. Both parts of the final may be substituted. In fact, it’s encouraged!


Completion of MOS Certification Exams will satisfy the Final Exam requirements (see below):

  • MOS 77-727* (Excel)  substitute Midterm or Final Exam
     
  • MOS 77-728* (Excel Expert ) substitutes Final Exam or Midterm
  • How a MOS exam score correlates to a Final Exam grade:
    • >700 points = 95 on Final Exam (and MOS certification and refund of exam fee)
    • 600-699 points = 85 on Final Exam
    • 500-599 points = 75 on Final Exam
    • <500 points = retake MOS Exam or take Final exam
       
  • Actual MOS certification is ONLY awarded for an exam score >700

    *If you have already obtained some MOS certifications, speak with your instructor about additional/alternative MOS certifications that will substitute for the Final Exam*

Attendance

All Week 1 assignments must be completed by Monday (3/25 @ 10pm), in order to be considered Present in the course. Failure to complete all assignments by this date may lead to an administrative drop from the course.

Come to class and participate in class discussions
 
Unless prior arrangements have been made, after 2 unexcused absenses, 5 points are deducted from the participation grade for each unexcused absense (out of a possible 10 points)
 
Check your email daily and have assignments in on time

Calendar

                                      

ITSC 2335: APPLICATION SOFTWARE PROBLEM SOLVING (SPRING II, 2018)

The schedule below represents a planned outline for the course. Actual assignments and dates are subject to change. Please check your email daily for course updates from your instructor.

WEEK 1  (March 18 - March 24)
Topics Covered:  Review Syllabus, Excel Chapter 3: Cell References, Named Ranges, and Functions ; Excel Chapter 4: Effective Charts
Assignments:  Email Instructor through Blackboard, Syllabus Quiz, Activate MyITLab account, Excel CH03/CH04 Quiz, Excel CH03: Training Project, Excel CH04: Training Project, Excel CH03/04: Project

WEEK 2  (March 25 - March 31)
Topics Covered:  Excel Chapter 5: Complex Conditional and Retrieval Functions
Assignments:  Excel– CH05 Quiz; Excel – CH05: Training Project; Excel – CH05: Project

WEEK 3  (April 1 - April 7 )
Topics Covered:  Excel Chapter 6: Integrating Complex Functions into Business Analysis
Assignments:  Excel CH06: Quiz; Excel CH06: Training Project; Excel CH06: Project

WEEK 4  (April 8 - April 14)
Topics Covered:  Excel Chapter 9: Organize, Import, Export, and Cleanse Data Sets
Assignments:  MID-TERM, Training Projects (Ch. 9)

WEEK 5  ( April 15 - April 21)
Topics Covered:  Excel Chapter 10: Data Tables, Scenario Manager, and Solver
Assignments:      Excel –  CH09/CH10: Quiz; Excel – Training Projects (Ch.10);
                           Excel – CH09/CH10: Projects (2)

WEEK 6  ( April 22 - April 28)
Topics Covered:   Excel Chapter 13: The Excel Data Model and Business Intelligence
Assignments:       Excel – CH13: Quiz; Excel –  CH13: Training Project; Excel – CH13: Project

WEEK 7 (April 29 - May 5)
Topics Covered:  Excel Chapter 7: Multiple Worksheets, Workbooks, and Templates;
            Excel Chapter 11: Loan Amortization, Investment Analysis, and Asset Depreciation;
            Excel Chapter 12: Business Statistics and Regression Analysis (quiz only),
Assignments: Excel –  CH07: Training Projects; Excel –  CH11CH12: Quiz; Excel –  Training Project (Ch.11, Ch.12); Excel - CH11: Project;  Excel CH12: Project

WEEK 8  (May 6 - May 9)
Topics Covered:  Word Chapter : Mail Merge
Assignments:  Word - Simulation Training, Grader Project; Final Exam; Schedule a MOS exam (optional)

Additional Information

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
March 18:                               Spring II Semester Begins
March 25:                               Census Day: Last Day to Drop Course for Full Refund
April 8:                                    Summer Registration begins
April 19 - 21:                           Easter Holiday (College closed)
April 30:                                  Last Day to Withdraw (8-week classes)
May 10:                                  Spring II Semester ends

  • Social Services Office 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. 
  • Learn about using AC Connect (Blackboard) and using features of our course by reviewing the following tutorials:

Syllabus Created on:

03/17/19 11:27 AM

Last Edited on:

03/17/19 6:20 PM