Intro to Computer Applications

Course Description:

This course covers basic computer operations, such as organizing files and searching
the web, and the use of Office software suite applications. The applications that should
be used are a word processor, a spreadsheet, and presentation software. Some basic
computer concepts and terminology should be presented.

Course Objectives

Explain fundamental computer concepts and terms

Navigate within a directory structure
Create and manipulate folders and files
Create documents using a word processing tool
Create spreadsheets
Produce slide presentations

Course Resources

There is no textbook for this course. Students must use Office 365 Online. All
supplemental course materials are available online.

Grading Policy

A course grade is determined based on the percentage of points as designated in the

following chart.

Assessment Percent of Final Grade

Discussions 30%
Assignments 50%
Final Project 20%

Below is an at-a-glance look at the weekly discussion and assignment topics. In each
Getting Started module within the course, you will find details about your weekly
readings, lectures, supplemental resources, discussions and assignment instructions,
and rubrics

TOPICAL OUTLINE BY WEEK

Week 1: Introduction to the Course and Microsoft Word

Reading: What is Productivity Software?
Office 365 vs. Word 2016
Office 365 Help
Office 365 Accessibility
Switching to Office 365
Saving in 365
Copy/Paste
Page Layout
Margins
Find/Replace
Bullets and Numbering

Discussion: Tell us about yourself so you can meet and greet other fellow Grantham
University students within your course. Include what you believe to be your
current knowledge level of this course topic and what you hope to learn before
the course is over.

Microsoft Word is used to create many types of documents. List and describe
at least two types of documents it can be used to create that would be useful in
your future career. Also discuss at least two tools (found in ribbons and tabs) or
two shortcuts that you might find useful when working with documents.

Assignment: Write a letter using Microsoft Word asking a local business (real or imagined)
to hold an event or to donate funds for your charity (real or imagined). In the
body of the letter ensure you name your charity, what the donation will be used
for, the benefits your charity offers to the local community and your contact
information. Please read through the remaining directions and information.
View the following links to learn about the setup up of a business letter

Parts of a business
letter:https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/653/01/
Sample Letters:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/653/02/ https://owl.english.p
urdue.edu/media/pdf/20090417021603_653.pdf

NOTE: No templates are to be used for this assignment

The content (body) of the letter is two paragraphs. The second

 paragraph would include contact information.
No templates can be used for this assignment. You need to start
from a blank word document and complete the letter without the use of a
template.
Include senders address, date, inside address (is the address for
the person to whom you are sending the letter and is right before the
salutation - see the links above), salutation, body of the letter, and
signature block.
Include a bulleted or numbered list of at least three items in the
body of the letter. For instance, this could be for how the donation will be
used, benefits of your charity, or ideas for an event.
Change the font of the signature in the signature block of the
letter so that it is a different font than that used in the rest of the letter.
Use at least two other font features like font size, bold, or
underline in the letter. For instance, you might italicize the signature or
contact information, change the font size of the bulleted list, underline
the phone number, bold the name of the charity, etc.
Save your file as CS105_Week1_LastnameFirstInitial.

Week 2: Working with Files and Folders

Reading: Find, Organize, and Use Files and Folders

Windows 10 Demo Video--Files
How to Work with Files and Folders
Working with Windows Navigation Pane
Windows 10 Charms Tutorial
Creating Shortcuts
Creating a Shortcut Toolbar
File Names and Extensions
Windows Media Center
Zipping and Unzipping Files

Discussion: Organization is important in both our lives and the files on our computer.
Discuss best practices for organizing files on your computer as well as give an
example of a folder structure of three levels which you use or plan to use.

A best practice is a way to do something which most people consider a good

way to do it. There are best practices in many fields, and you will see this term
 often in a work setting.

Assignment: For this assignment, create a CS105 folder and then download this sample zip
file into the CS105 folder and unzip it there. The files must be directly in the CS
105 folder and no longer in the Zip folder.

Then, take a screenshot showing the folder you created with the files within
CS105.

Then, in one or two paragraphs, explain what the benefit is of folders when
working with files.

To submit, you can type your paragraphs in the message area and attach your
image, or you can use Microsoft Word and type your paragraphs there and
paste your screenshot into the document.

Week 3: Windows Systems

Reading: Getting Started with Windows 10

A Comparison of Windows 7, 8, and 10
Upgrading to Windows 10
Windows 7 Onscreen Keyboard
Windows 8 Onscreen Keyboard
Windows 7 System Information
Windows 8 System Information
Windows 8 Apps Area
Understanding System Properties
Keyboard Shortcuts
Accessibility in Windows 10

Discussion: Discuss the importance of knowing your system information. Why is it

important to know for installing software on your system? How will it assist you
when calling customer service or technical support for computer
problems/concerns at home, work or school? What operating system(s) do you
have on the device(s) you use for your school work?

Assignment: In this assignment, you will investigate and learn more about your own
computer. Review the presentation W3 Lecture 2 as it will show you how to find
the information on your computer. Review the lectures for Week 3 as they will
 show you how to find the information on your computer.

What type of device(s) are you using for class? For

example:desktop computer, laptop, tablet, 2 in 1(laptop and tablet),
smartphone etc.
What is your operating system?
How much system memory do you have (RAM)?
How fast is your CPU?
Do you have a 32-bit or 64-bit machine? A CPU can process 32
bits of information or 64 bits of information at a time (there are 8 bits in a
byte). When you download software from the internet, sometimes there
will be one link for a computer that has a 32-bit CPU and another link if it
has 64-bit CPU. That is why it is good to know this.
What is the size of your hard drive?

Answer the questions and take a screenshot of the system properties area in
which you would have found the answers to questions 2-5.

Week 4: Formatting in Word

Reading: Inserting an Image into Word 365

Size and Pictures
Inserting a Table into Word
Adding Columns and Rows to Tables
Applying Borders and Styles to a Word Processing Table
Using Format Painter
Adding Headers and Footers into a Document
Adding Headers and Footers, Part 2

Discussion: In week 4, we are learning to create Microsoft Word tables. Tables are used in
many documents. Describe a specific document in which you would use a
table and state the topic of the table and column headings as well as a
description of the content for the rows of the table.

Assignment: Create a newsletter using Microsoft Word. You are a member of a charity, and
you are tasked monthly to create a newsletter in which you post current events
and information related to the charity. The Charity can be a real or imagined
 charity. This assignment will use a table to create the structure of the
newsletter.

Week 5: PowerPoint

Reading: What is PowerPoint?

PowerPoint Quick Start Guide
Getting Started with PowerPoint 2016
Printing Slides
Delivering a Presentation with PowerPoint
Adding an Image as a Side in a Background
Adding Speaker Notes to a Presentation
View Speaker Notes While Delivering a Presentation
Adding Transitions and Options
Design Fundamentals in PowerPoint

Discussion: Perform research on the internet to find best practices or tips when creating
and/or presenting a PowerPoint presentation. In your discussion post, describe
TWO of the best practices or tips you found and how to implement them into
your presentations or why you think the tips are important

Assignment: Create a PowerPoint presentation on a topic of your choice. It can be on your

hobbies, work, or anything you feel passionate about. Each presentation
should contain the following:

Five slides
First slide should be the title of the presentation and your name
A title on each slide which is centered
Text
A Design theme
Bullet points on at least two slides
A Design theme
An image on at least one slide
One slide transition applied to all slides
Slide notes in slide 1 include last name and GID number
Slide notes to provide more information for slides 2 through 5

NOTE: No templates are to be used for this assignment

The goal is to show that you understand specifically how to create a

presentation. Please remember that presentations are not supposed to be a
reading assignment for the audience but rather main points for the speaker to
 address. The slide notes help the speaker as well as others who receive the
presentation later. Have fun!

Week 6: Excel Basics

Reading: What is Data Analysis?

Excel Quick Start Guide
Basic Tasks in Excel
Change Column Width and Row Height
Merge Cells
Sum Function
Excel Functions by Category
Formatting Numbers as Currency
Using Auto-Fill
Keyboard Shortcuts in Excel

Discussion: In our lives, we can find many tasks that can be completed using an Excel
spreadsheet. Discuss an application for an Excel sheet in your personal life or
at your work or expected career. Also, discuss at least two Excel functions you
find helpful ( which havent been posted already). Perform research on those
two functions of your choice and tell us what they do, how they work and an
example of how you would use them at home, work or an activity.

Assignment: In this assignment, you will create a spreadsheet for a business that is
providing classes in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The owner wants
to look at sales by class and month for the second quarter of the year and
calculate monthly profit on the classes as well as by type of class.

Week 7: Advanced Excel Features

Reading: Data Analysis Using Charts

Create a Chart
Adding a Pie Chart In Excel
Available Chart Types
Adding Axis Titles to a Chart
Adding in a Legend

Discussion: Research line and pie charts through course materials or internet. Describe
how you would decide which type to use as well as give a specific example of
the use for each type that would be useful in your life or future career.

Assignment: This week you will continue to work with the scenario from last week. The
 owner thinks it will be easier to look at sales and profits if charts are used. The
owner also wants to identify the Class which was not creating as much
revenue as the others.

Week 8: Advanced PowerPoint Features

Reading: Create an Organization Chart with SmartArt Graphics

Apply Animations
Add a Table to a Slide
Tables in PowerPoint

Discussion: Review and reflect on what you learned in the past 8 weeks. What is the most
practical and easily applied lesson you learned? What was the hardest to
grasp? Why?

Final Project: For this project, pretend you are an organizer for a charity in your local area.
The Charity can be a real or pretend charity. You will be creating a Flyer
advertising a fundraising event, a spreadsheet showing donations for 3 events
given in each of 3 cities and creating a presentation in which you are telling an
audience about your charity and the great work it does.

The following table outlines the academic effort required by students to be successful in
this course. While the times in the table are approximate, it is presented to help
students with their time management. Please note, depending on the student's
background knowledge and experience of the course subject and an individual student's
academic capabilities, these times will vary. If you have any questions or concerns,
please direct them to your instructor or student advisor.

Estimated Hours
Week Type of Activity Activity
Required
Readings/Lectures 2.0
Online Discussions 3.0
Assignments 1.0
1 Readings 5.7
Discussions 1.0
Preparation
Assignments 4.0
Clinical/Lab Hours 0

Estimated Hours
Week Type of Activity Activity
Required
2 Online Readings/Lectures 0.3
Discussions 3.0
 Assignments 1.0
Readings 3.7
Discussions 0.0
Preparation
Assignments 4.0
Clinical/Lab Hours 0

Estimated Hours
Week Type of Activity Activity
Required
Readings/Lectures 0.4
Online Discussions 3.0
Assignments 1.0
3 Readings 6.3
Discussions 1.0
Preparation
Assignments 4.0
Clinical/Lab Hours 0

Estimated Hours
Week Type of Activity Activity
Required
Readings/Lectures 0.4
Online Discussions 3.0
Assignments 1.0
4 Readings 6.3
Discussions 1.0
Preparation
Assignments 4.0
Clinical/Lab Hours 0

Estimated Hours
Week Type of Activity Activity
Required
Readings/Lectures 1.3
Online Discussions 3.0
Assignments 1.0
5 Readings 4.3
Discussions 1.0
Preparation
Assignments 7.0
Clinical/Lab Hours 0

Estimated Hours
Week Type of Activity Activity
Required
6 Readings/Lectures 0.7
Online Discussions 3.0
Assignments 1.0
Preparation Readings 4.0
Discussions 0
Assignments 4.0
 Clinical/Lab Hours 0

Estimated Hours
Week Type of Activity Activity
Required
Readings/Lectures 0.4
Online Discussions 3.0
Assignments 1.0
7 Readings 3.3
Discussions 0
Preparation
Assignments 7.0
Clinical/Lab Hours 0

Estimated Hours
Week Type of Activity Activity
Required
Readings/Lectures 0.3
Online Discussions 3.0
Assignments 0
8 Readings 2.3
Discussions 0
Preparation
Assignments 12.0
Clinical/Lab Hours 0

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