Check this page for updates on upcoming classes, our learning goals, and the lesson modules we'll use to get there.

CIT 115 (Spring '18): Intro to Information Systems

Course Schedule and Lesson Guides

Each class session has it's own box: JUMP TO CURRENT SESSION

Session 1: Sat 20 Jan 18

Computer hardware, operating systems, and the joy of tinkering

Study Topics:

  • Computers' Guts: Hardware identification, installation, and specification
  • Computers as systems: Component diagrams, relationships, and flows between them, protocols
  • Operating systems: Functions, "families", installation, and basic configuration
  • File Systems: Tree structures, organization, hierarchies

Learning Objectives

  • Identify and describe the function of essential computer components.
  • Install and test essential computer components which together create a working computer.
  • Create system diagrams of non-computer systems and explain their components and relationships between them.
  • Create and explain a system diagram of essential computer components
  • Explain key differences and similarities between the three "families" of operating systems: OSX, Microsoft Windows, and GNU/Linux
  • Create a model of a file system concerning topics of interest to you.

Learning Exercises:

  1. Construct "best known" computer systems diagram and discuss core components
  2. Assembling Dell Dimension computers and installing the Linux operating system
  3. Operating system overview and exploration: Comparison chart between Windows 10 and Linux
  4. Create a system model of a non-computer system
  5. Create a computer component flow diagram with definitions of each component and their relationship

Learning Resources

Computer hardware on Wikipedia

Dell Dimension hardware components directory listing

Tech Rediscovery Computer building module guide (older)

Session 3: Sat 3 February 2018

File Types | Operating System Functions | Permissions | Basic Access Control

Learning Objectives

  • Determine the most appropriate element of computer systems given a set of clues
  • Explain the methods by which operating systms manage files and determine default programs
  • Examine image file types and use an image manipulation program to explore various features of those file types
  • Create a basic page in HTML to display the features of various image file types

Learning Exercises:

  1. Complete the computer hardware scavenger hunt exercise
  2. Overview of image processing methods and image file types. Use this color pallette creator to experiment with RGB values
  3. Continue building a file tree with images as the leaves. Include at least 10 images
  4. Explore image file formats of vector and raster using a simple design creation project
  5. Use GIMP2, a free and open source image manipulation program to export each of the 10 images in JPG, PNG, TIFF, and BMP with varying degrees of compression and quality.

Learning Resources

The GIMP image manipulation program is free and open source, a major competitor to Adobe's Photoshop

Week of Saturday 17 Feb

Preparing spreadsheet-based data analysis and pictocharts!

check_circleLearning Objectives

bookLearning Resources

  1. Shared google drive for spreadsheet uploads

listLearning Exercises:

  1. Complete entering your parking lot survey data
  2. Use countif() and sumif() to analyze your data

extensionMid-week to-dos

cakeProducts to Produce

  1. Prepare a little interesting slide using pictochart.com. Include some photos from public use media.
  2. Shared google drive for spreadsheet uploads