Eastern Oregon University

College of Business

Course Syllabus
BA 131 Introduction to Business Data Processing
3 Credits

Course: BA 131 Introduction to Business Data Processing

ON-LINE STUDENTS--WHAT DO YOU DO FIRST???? CHECK IN WITH YOUR INSTRUCTOR VIA EMAIL! TELL HIM WHAT VERSION OF OFFICE YOU WILL BE USING (OFFICE 2007, OFFICE 2003, OFFICE XP) AND WHAT OPERATING SYSTEM (WINDOWS 7, WINDOWS VISTA, WINDOWS XP) YOU ARE USING. Campus students may do the same if they wish--especially if you are starting early. If not, you get to check in at the first class. Find out which version of Office (XP, 2003, or 2007) is loaded on the computer you will use to do the Office homework in this class. This will determine which of the Office texts listed below you will need for the class. The student computer labs at EOU use Office 2007.

About the course: This course is designed to introduce the student to the use of computers in business. It will focus on two arenas of study: Individual microcomputer hardware and software skills. It is assumed (even though it might not look like it!) that the student has no knowledge of computing at the beginning of the course--but will have significant knowledge at the completion. You may expect to spend the majority of your time working on a microcomputer. Plan at least six hours a week as a minimum allocation of your time working on software assignments and three hours on hardware subjects.

Class mechanics: Meetings: For the on-campus classes in fall and spring 2009-2010-T-W-Th @ 7 AM in ZH 110. We will meet ONLY for the first week. For off campus distance students we have no meetings.

Texts: Each student will need one Parsons/Oja Computer Concepts text and one Shelley and Cashman Office text.

  1. New Perspectives on Computer Concepts-Introductory 12th ed. by Parsons & Oja ISBN 0-324-780-761. This is the current text and available from the college bookstore. If you wish to use the 9th, 10th. or 11th edition of the parsons/Oja text you may--but be sure the CD that accompanies the used text is there and works. Might save you quite a few bucks. Earlier editions are available used from Amazon.com and other online bookstores.

  2. The Office text you choose will depend on what version of Microsoft Office is loaded on the computer you will use in the class to do class homework. Texts are available in Office XP, Office 2003, or Office 2007.

  3. If you choose to work in Office 2007 then your text is Microsoft Office 2007-Introductory Concepts and Techniques by Shelley and Cashman. ISBN 0-324-82685-0. The assignment list below is based on the Office 2007 text. This text is available from the college bookstore.

  4. If you choose to work in Office 2003 or Office XP (an older version), click on this link for your text and assignment information: Office 2003 and Office XP text info. You may choose to do this when you have the software for these versions of Office already on your computer. The campus computer labs shifted to Office 2007 in summer of 2009 so if you plan to use these labs, then Office 2007 is your software! The Office 2007 text is available from the college bookstore while the Office XP version is not. As the campus has not converted to Office 2010 as yet, check with YFI if you want to use this most current version of Office.

Campus computer labs: Students in the class near or on campus may utilize campus computers located in four labs: The Learning Center in Loso hall, the Ackerman Lab in the basement of Ackerman, the Pierce Library lab on the third floor of the library, and the Business lab on the first floor of Zabel Hall (a very small lab). Computers at these sites are connected to the campus network and will provide network and internet access for students in the class. Feel free to use your own equipment if it will accomplish the tasks of the class. Off campus students will use their own equipment and software.

E-mail and internet use: The class syllabus will be posted on my website at www.eou.edu/~blarison where a fully interactive syllabus is located. The syllabus is also posted on blackboard and webster but students should to to my website for BEST information. We will use the campus e-mail system to communicate. Email works very well for the class so feel free to email your friendly instructor with questions.

Grading: Grades will be based solely on your portfolio (350 pts-200 points from Shelley and Cashman exercises; 150 points from Parsons/Oja exercises) with 350 possible points available. Grading is on a 90-80-70-60% basis.

All assignments in the class will be turned in at the same time via the portfolio discussed below at the end of the week before final week (dead week). Check with the campus website for the current academic schedule and the date for this term.

Software Exercises in Word and Powerpoint. Students in the class will complete a set of exercises in Word (a word processing program) and Powerpoint (a presentation program) from the Shelley & Cashman text. The exercises are self paced and students will have a choice as to the level of experience in the software they choose to complete. The point value of the different levels of 'experience' are noted below. To earn the points for a level, you must complete ALL exercises in that level. No partial credit--do the whole group or none. You may also download a set of files for your office exercises from the Shelley and Cashman publishers website. The instructions are on the inside of the back or front cover of the text. You will need the ISBN of your text to complete the download. You will want the word and powerpoint files for this class. The process works well most of the time, check with YFI if you have a problem. File CDs are available from YFI for those who can't seem to get the download to work. Ask for the files via email and be sure to include your mailing address in the message.

File names--use the filenames on the syllabus for your Office work or if no name is specified, create a file name that is closely associated with the name of the exercise when you save your files. For example, Word Project 1-Grand Prix or Word 1 AK1-Paris Announcement. This will help me find the files on your USB stick. Do not create your own unique names!

Parsons & Oja exercises. An additional set of exercises will be completed that will be found in the Parsons & Oja text. The entire text of the Parsons & Oja book is included on the CD that accompanies the book. (Yes!--the entire book!) The text is really meant to be read on your computer--you place the CD in the CD-ROM drive and interactively read through the materials. It is interactive because you will find animations, quicktime movies, interactive labs, and internet connections that can be done as you read the text. To make the best use of the materials you have purchased, use the CD. Look carefully at the detailed table of contents of the text to understand its organization and where to find specific components like, for example, the interactive practice test for a specific chapter. You should first read the 'book on CD' portion of the orientation section at the beginning of the book. Do this and it will answer most of your questions about how the book-on-cd works.

What you have to do in the Parsons/Oja text.

  1. Review the book-on-cd orientation in the orientation section in the front of the Parsons/Oja text carefully. You will need to set up your tracking file the first time you use the book-on-cd.

  2. Set up your tracking file. You will be prompted to do this when you first load the book on CD. Use your name, your student number, and BA 131 and the term for the class section. Save the file on your USB stick or on your hard drive. Detailed instructions for this process can be found in the Book-on-CD section in the orientation section in the front of the Parsons/Oja text.

  3. You will complete the quick checks embedded in the assigned chapters (chs. 1-8).

  4. The review activities: interactive summaries, interactive key terms, interactive situation questions, and other activities at the end of the chapters are good review--but not required for you to complete.

  5. The interactive chapter practice tests at the end of assigned chapters (Chs 1-8) will be done. The interactive practice tests are the testing in the class and you must attain a minimum score of 70% on each chapter. Higher scores generate more points. Each exam is worth a maximum of 10 points. You may take an exam as many times as you wish--remember the 70% minimum level and that more portfolio points are awarded for higher scores. Each chapter exam is worth a maximum of 10 points.

    Your scores will be automatically recorded on your tracking file.

  6. New Perspectives Interactive Labs. You will also complete the set of New Perspectives Interactive labs (12 labs total) found in the assigned chapters. You will do all the New Perspectives labs that are included in chapters 1-8. You will only do assignment one of the lab--the interactive portion of the lab on the CD. The labs are on your textbook CD. If you are confused about the labs, go to the Book-on-CD orientation in the front of your text and review the section on the new perspectives labs.

    In each lab, you will be quizzed (like a quickcheck in the text) as you progress. Your cumulative score for the quizzes on a lab will be recorded on your tracking file. Your scores will be included as part of the tracking report that is included in your portfolio. It is expected that you will do well on the quizzes--especially since you can do them as many times as you wish. Higher lab quiz scores will generate more portfolio points but there is no minimum acceptable score for the labs. 5 points possible for each lab. You simply have to do them at least once. Save everything in your tracking file when prompted.

  7. The Parsons/Oja chapter activities are worth 150 points in the class. 80 points possible for the chapter exams and 60 points for the new perspective labs. There are also 10 'peformance' points available that will be assigned by YFI based on his perception of a students effort and performance in the P/O text. You will discover it is possible to do a minimal amount of work in this text--usually just the sections that have direct application to points or to follow the authors design and do much more work--and learn more. So shall the 'performance' points be assigned.

The 'Portfolio': Each student will save a file of all of their final work in the Shelley/Cashman Office exercises on a USB flashdrive/memory stick along with the tracking file from your Parsons/Oja work and your cover page. This USB 'portfolio' will be guided by these rules and procedures:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS!!!!!

Suggested Course Schedule
NOTE: If you are taking BA 131 and BA 114 Spreadsheets and BA 114 Databases, I would suggest you complete the work in BA 131 in the first six weeks, the work in BA 114 Spreadsheets in weeks 7 and 8 and the work in BA 114 Databases in weeks 9 and 10. The schedule below is a suggested schedule for BA 131 alone for students who like a bit of structure.

Last updated by RDL on 07/28/10