Hardware Troubleshooting & Repair A+ - ACC 121

Applied Computer Certificate Program

Course Outline
COURSE IMPLEMENTATION DATE: 07/02/2002
OUTLINE EFFECTIVE DATE: September 2008
COURSE OUTLINE REVIEW DATE: March 2013

GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Your network, operating system, and software skills are supplemented with hardware expertise.
In this hands-on course you learn how to maintain, troubleshoot and repair personal computers
and their peripherals. Your practical skills are enhanced with knowledge about hardware
architecture and functions of modern personal computers and peripherals.

Program Information: This course is designed for students in the Applied Computer
Certificate Program

Delivery: This course is delivered face-to-face

COTR Credits: 3

Hours for this course: 73 hours

Typical Structure of Instructional Hours: Practicum Hours (if applicable):

Instructional Activity Duration Type of Practicum Duration

Lecture Hours 17 On-the-job Experience n/a
Seminars / Tutorials Formal Work Experience n/a
Laboratory / Studio Hours 56 Other n/a
Practicum / Field Experience Hours Total n/a
Other Contact Hours
Total 73

© College of Rockies
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Course Outline Author or Contact:
Brian Pagnucco, NST Certificate, MCSE, A+, Network+
Signature

APPROVAL SIGNATURES:

Department Head Dean of Instruction

Darrell Bethune Gary Johnson
E-mail: bethune@cotr.bc.ca E-mail: johnson@cotr.bc.ca

Department Head Signature Dean of Instruction Signature

EDCO

Valid from: September 2008 – August 2013

Education Council Approval Date

COURSE PRE-REQUISITES AND TRANSFER CREDIT

Prerequisites: Admission to the ACC program.

Corequisites:

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA):

Credit can be awarded for this course through PLA ;Yes No

Learners may request formal recognition for prior learning at the College of
the Rockies through one or more of the following processes: External
Evaluation, Worksite Assessment, Demonstration, Standardized Test, Self-
assessment, Interview, Products/Portfolio, Challenge Exam. Contact an
Education Advisor for more information.

Transfer Credit: For transfer information within British Columbia, Alberta and other
institutions, please visit http://www.cotr.bc.ca/Transfer

Students should also contact an academic advisor at the institution where

they want transfer credit.

Special Note: This course, along with ACC120 and ACC111, can help prepare you to write
the CompTIA A+ examinations, the Essentials exam and one of 220-602,
220-603 or 220-604. Successful completion of these exams earns you
CompTIA A+ certification, an industry recognized certification. The cost of
these exams is not covered in your course fees and successful completion
of this course does not guarantee your success with the Comp TIA A+
exams. Please see an Instructor or Educational Advisor for more information.

Prior Course Number: N/A

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Textbooks and Required Resources:

Textbook selection varies by instructor and may change from year to year. At the Course
Outline Effective Date the following textbooks were in use:

A+ Guide to Hardware, Andrews, 4thEd, Thomson Learning

PC Repair Tool Kit

Please see instructor’s Syllabus for a complete list of the current required textbooks.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Upon the successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

• Identify basic terms, concepts, and functions of hardware modules.

• Identify common symptoms and problems associated with each module and how to
troubleshoot and isolate the problem.
• Identify the purpose of various preventative maintenance products and procedures.
• Distinguish between various types of processors, chip sets, memory and other sub
system components.
• Identify basic concepts of printer operation and printer components.
• Install and configure new hardware.
• Perform system upgrades.
• Troubleshoot and repair personal computers.
• Identify the safety hazards presented by computer hardware and safe methods for
working with computer hardware.

COURSE TOPICS:

• PC Repair fundamentals
• CPU, Motherboard, Chipset, Memory – the processing unit
• Power Supplies
• Computer peripherals
• Installing and Supporting I/O devices
• Multimedia Devices and Mass Storage
• Hardware needs Software
• Notebooks, Tablet PCs and PDAs

OPTIONAL COURSE TOPICS:

ƒ New trends in computer hardware

See instructor’s syllabus for the detailed outline of weekly readings, activities and assignments.

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ESSENTIAL SKILLS DEVELOPED IN THIS COURSE:
Students may develop this skill during my course:

Computer Skills
• Recognize basic computer components (e.g. monitor, hard drive) and
terminology
• Start the computer, log in, start a program
• Create a simple document in Word
• Perform basic document editing
• Understand file management: save, store and retrieve documents
• Use email to send and read messages, attach documents
• Print documents
• Access COTR’s online learning resources

Skills for Busy Students

• Recognize personal learning style
• Use effective note-taking strategies
• Develop problem-solving and memory skills
• Practice strategies to reduce stress level and deal with anxiety
• Practice strategies to succeed at exams and tests
• Use support systems and College resources

Research Skills
• Using the internet to locate information; evaluate information from internet
sources
• Understand what constitutes plagiarism in academic writing

Keyboarding Skills
• Use alphabetic, figure and symbol keys

Getting Hired Skills

• Recognize personal skills and attributes

EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT

Assignments % Of total Grade

Quizzes 20%
Labs 30%
Computer Repair Center 20%
Final Exam 30%
Total 100%

Please see the instructor’s syllabus for specific classroom policies related to this course, such
as details of evaluation, penalties for late assignments, and use of electronic aids.

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EXAM POLICY

Students must attend all required scheduled exams that make up a final grade at the appointed
time and place.

Individual instructors may accommodate for illness or personal crisis. Additional

accommodation will not be made unless a written request is sent to and approved by the
appropriate Department Head prior to the scheduled exam.

Any student who misses a scheduled exam without approval will be given a grade of “0” for the
exam.

COURSE GRADE

Course grades are assigned as follows:

Grade A+ A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D F
Mark ≥ 90 89-85 84-80 79-76 75-72 71-68 67-64 63-60 59-55 54-50 < 50
(Percent)
A grade of "D" grants credit, but may not be sufficient as a prerequisite for sequential courses.

ACADEMIC POLICIES

See www.cotr.bc.ca/policies for general college policies related to course activities, including
grade appeals, cheating and plagiarism.

COURSE CHANGES:

Information contained in course outlines is correct at the time of publication. Content of the
courses is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational,
employment, and marketing needs. The instructor will endeavour to provide notice of changes
to students as soon as possible. The instructor reserves the right to add or delete material from
courses.

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