CIT 161: Introduction to Networks
COURSE SYLLABUS
This course introduces the architecture, structure, functions, components, and models of the Internet and other computer networks. Introduces the principles and structure of IP addressing and the fundamentals of Ethernet concepts, media, and operations. Helps students to be able to build simple LANs, perform basic operations for routers and switches, and implement IP addressing schemes.
Course Credits:4.0
Contact Hours:60
Pre-requisites: MAT 065 OR Consent of Instructor; Pre- or Co-requisite: CIT 111
This course contains 7 Modules:
Module Name |
|
Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Module 1 |
CIT 1611: Network Basics |
0.3 |
Module 2 |
CIT 1612: Protocol Models |
0.4 |
Module 3 |
CIT 1613: OSI Layer Operations |
0.6 |
Module 4 |
CIT 1614: Basic IP Addressing |
0.7 |
Module 5 |
CIT 1615: IP Subnetting |
1.0 |
Module 6 |
CIT 1616: Ethernet Networks |
0.5 |
Module 7 |
CIT 1617: Configuring Switches and Routers |
0.5 |
Total Credit Hours: |
|
4.0 |
To view information (including contact information) about your course module instructor, click on Meet Your Instructor from the menu on the left in your Blackboard course.
If you need to schedule a phone conference or an in-person visit with your instructor, click the link located in Email Your Instructor menu option to email your instructor (select all instructors) to email your instructor about making an appointment. Ensure that the course and section appear in the subject line of your email and adhere to netiquette while communicating with your instructor. Your instructor is here to guide you through the content and with any questions you may have. Responses are generally given within 24 hours (at the most 48 hours).The instructors profile provides contact and other information. If you have questions about the course, please do not hesitate to contact the instructor. If you are having technical problems with the course, be sure to contact the Blackboard Help desk, click Help and Support on the menu, or click the Help Tab at the top of the Blackboard page.
KCTCS Email information: https://welcome.kctcs.edu/email/
For this course you are required to use your KCTCS email account when communicating with the instructor and other students.
Each student's time in the course will vary from 6 to 15 weeks depending on your course start and end date. In Blackboard you will be provided a course checklist that lists items for completion in the course and that will allow you to determine your personal calendar for completing course activities, assignments, and quizzes.
Access the Course Checklist
*You may need your KCTCS credentials to accessBelow you will find a refund schedule. The refund schedule gives you important dates on when you are eligible and how much you are eligible for a refund if you plan to withdraw from the course. Additionally, the refund schedule also lists the date for completing the no-show activity. For example, if your course is a 10 week course, you must complete the no-show activity within the 4th day from the course start date. To complete the no-show activity, you will start by taking the syllabus quiz that will verify your attendance at the beginning of the course. To make sure you are not reported as absent or not attending the course, you will need to make sure to complete the syllabus quiz on or near your start date.
Session |
100% and No-Show Activity |
50% |
No Refund |
---|---|---|---|
15 week |
Within 7th day |
8th-27th days |
After 28th day |
14 week |
Within 6th day |
7th-25th days |
After 25th day |
13 week |
Within 6th day |
7th-24th days |
After 24th day |
12 week |
Within 5th day |
6th-22nd days |
After 22nd day |
11 week |
Within 5th day |
6th-20th days |
After 20th day |
10 week |
Within 4th day |
5th-18th days |
After 18th day |
9 week |
Within 4th day |
5th-16th days |
After 16th day |
8 week |
Within 4th day |
5th-15th days |
After 15th day |
7 week |
Within 3rd day |
4th-13th days |
After 13th day |
6 week |
Within 2nd day |
3rd-10th days |
After 10th day |
*Dates for 100%, 50% and no refund are from the start date of the course.
Attendance is verified throughout the course until you reach your end date. You will need to make sure you are accessing the course and completing course requirements (listed in the course calendar) on a consistent basis as attendance must be verified through out your time in the course until a grade is posted (A, B, C, D, E, or W).
Upon completion of this course module, the student will be able to:
I. Module CIT 1611
Exploring the Network
II. Module CIT 1612
Network Protocols and Communications
III. Module CIT 1613
IV. Module CIT 1614
IP Addressing
V. Module CIT 1615
Subnetting IP Networks
VI. Module CIT 1616
Ethernet
VII. Module CIT 1617
Students should prepare for twenty-first century challenges by gaining:
1. Knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural worlds through study in the sciences and mathematics, social sciences, humanities, histories, languages, and the arts.
2. Intellectual and practical skills, including
3. Personal and social responsibility, including
4. Integrative and applied learning, including synthesis and advanced accomplishment across general and specialized skills.
This course contains seven modules. The contents and grading for each module are listed below. The grades for each module will be weighted by its credit hours and then all weighted module grades will be averaged to determine the final score for the course. See the next page for details.
First you will complete a course pre-test; based on your score you will either move to the credit for prior learning section (see below), or you will proceed to the first module.
Each module contains a module pre-test (where you can also obtain credit for prior learning—see below). Most modules contain a single unit, with two exceptions. Module CIT 1613 contains six units and module CIT 1617 contains two units. You will complete the following activities in each module. Each activity is described below.
Each module or unit within a module will contain a video discussing some of the important topics within that module or unit. Although not a requirement to view, you should watch as it may cover material in an alternate manner that can be helpful in understanding the material. Note that the videos will not cover all of the material in a given module or unit, but that does not mean you should skip that material.
Each module or unit will have a reading assignment for you to complete. The reading will be in the online curriculum in the Cisco Network Academy. This is the primary method for getting exposure to the material so it is very important that you complete the reading and activities included in the curriculum. You should not skip any of the assigned reading unless directed by the instructor.
Each module or unit will contain a series of activities contained in a recap. Completion of these recaps will contribute to your grade for the module and hence your grade for the class. You are allowed to attempt the recaps multiple times and in some cases you may be required to complete activities successfully before continuing. You are encouraged to attempt the recaps until you score 100% on them.
Each module will contain a lab assignment, which will contribute to your grade for the module. Most of these will be performed in Packet Tracer, a software package from Cisco available for free to all Network Academy students. Look in the Blackboard course under Resources for instructions on downloading and installing. If a module contains more than one unit, there will only be a single Lab Assignment for the entire module and will be located in the last unit of the module.
You take practice tests for each module to prepare for the Post Module Test. The practice tests will be in the Network Academy and you may take them up to a maximum of 10 attempts. They will count toward your grade for a module.
When you have completed the activities and lab assignment for a module you will then take the Post Module Test. The questions will mostly focus on the material contained in that particular module, but may include material from previous modules. Note that not only does the Post Module Test contribute to your grade for a module, but you must also score at least 70% to continue to the next module. You will have two tries to successfully pass the Post Module Test; however, the last score will be used. After the second failed attempt to score 70% or higher, a meeting may be required with the instructor before you can proceed to make sure you are understanding the concepts presented in the module.
The course will have one course pre-assessment to determine any prior learning of content. Each module will also require the completion of a Pre Module Test. This will allow you to see what areas you are strong in and what areas need additional work. If you complete the Course or Module Pre-Assessment Exam with a 90% or higher score, you will have the option of proceeding to the course or module post-test (called the Credit for Prior Learning or CPL Assessment), which if passed successfully will allow you to obtain credit for this module and proceed to the next module to gain credit for prior learning. Read more below about Credit for Prior Learning. In order to achieve credit for prior learning you must score a 90% on both the course or module pre-assessment, and course or module CPL post-assessment. If you do not achieve the required score, you will be directed to complete the entire module. All pre-assessments ARE NOT calculated in the overall grade for each module and for the overall grade of the course. There is no penalty to attempt the Course CPL post-assessment. All pre-assessment and CPL exams are presented one question at a time, are timed, and will auto-submit at the end of the time frame given for the exam.
KCTCS Online open-entry course modules are based on the goal that students will demonstrate mastery of content. Through KCTCS Online, students have the opportunity to receive credit for prior learning. To receive this credit, students must demonstrate mastery of the course module competencies through the following steps:
Task |
Percentage |
---|---|
Recaps |
20% |
Lab Assignments |
30% |
Practice Tests |
15% |
Post Module Tests |
35% |
Total |
100% |
All assignments, projects, and assessments will be graded within 24-48 hours of submission. See Final Grading Calculation for how the score received for this module will calculate into the final grade for the full course.
This course is presented as a full (or parent) course with chunks of content called modules (because these modules can be taken separately). You will receive a score for each module. The score for each module is averaged together (weighted by credit hour of each module) to determine your final grade for the full (or parent) course. The percentage score received for each module will be multiplied by the credit hours of the module to give a total module percentage. Each of the total module percent scores will be added together then divided by the total credit hour of the full (or parent) course to obtain a final percentage score for the course. Based on where the final percentage score falls on the grade scale will determine the final letter grade to be posted for the student.
Module |
Percentage Score Received for each Module |
Credit Hours |
Total Percentage |
---|---|---|---|
CIT 1611: Network Basics |
X 0.3 |
|
|
CIT 1612: Protocol Models |
X 0.4 |
+ |
|
CIT 1613: OSI Layer Operations |
X 0.6 |
+ |
|
CIT 1614: Basic IP Addressing |
X 0.7 |
+ |
|
CIT 1615: IP Subnetting |
|
X 1.0 |
+ |
CIT 1616: Ethernet Networks |
|
X 0.5 |
+ |
CIT 1617: Configuring Switches and Routers |
|
X 0.5 |
+ |
|
Total Credit Hours> |
4 |
|
|
Final Percentage Score> |
|
The following grading scale will be used to assess your overall average for all course related assignments and exams.
A - 90 – 100%
B - 80 – 89.9%
C - 70 – 79.9%
E - 69.9% or below
Incompletes are not given for this course. You are expected to work at a consistent pace throughout the course and complete all course work by the course end date.
Plagiarism and cheating are serious academic offenses. The KCTCS regulations pertaining to plagiarism and cheating can be found in Section 3.1.1 (page 6) of the KCTCS Code of Student Conduct at:
https://kctcs.edu/Current_Students/Code_of_Student_Conduct.aspxPenalties for violation of these policies can be found in Section 4.B.ii (page 11).
The Kentucky Community and Technical College System would like to help students with disabilities achieve their highest potential in academic studies. In order to receive accommodations on assignments or examinations, proper documentation must first be provided to the Office of Disability Services at your home campus. You must then self-identify and conference with the Director of Disability Support Services or Manager of Disability Services to begin receiving accommodations in the course/module. For more information, contact the KCTCS Online Help Desk:
https://kctcs.edu/Current_Students/Disability_Services.aspxFinancial aid for the KCTCS Online program functions differently than financial aid for courses on campus or online through Distance Learning. Please contact the KCTCS Online Student Services Help Desk for more information.
The syllabus quiz is the first assignment due and will act as a no-show indicator. Any student not completing the syllabus quiz by the no-show deadline will be reported as a no-show for the course. Being reported as a no-show can impact financial aid. The no-show deadline is indicated in the Timeline for Refunds table on a previous page.
The deadline for submitting work will be displayed within the announcements in the course in Blackboard. No work submitted after the deadline will be graded or considered when computing final grades.
The student can receive an A, B, C, D, E, or W in this module. For information about how dropping this course will affect your grade and future financial aid, please view your academic calendar in Student Self-Service or contact the KCTCS Online Student Services Help Desk for more information. Students may withdraw from the course without the instructor's permission until midterm. After midterm, the instructor's permission is required to withdraw. The last day to withdraw from this course will be one week before the deadline to submit work in the course. See the announcement in Blackboard for these dates.
The Blackboard Support Center can help provide support via Frequently Asked Questions, email, chat, and phone regarding Blackboard 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The KCTCS Online Student Services Help Desk provides Frequently Asked Questions, email, chat, and phone service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Student Services staff can help you with any question you have about the application process, financial aid, registering for classes, tuition payments, and other student services.
If you have a specific question about the course or the content, please contact your instructor as soon as possible. Your instructor's contact information is under the "Meet Your Instructor" link or :"Email Your Instructor" on the course menu. Please allow 24-48 hours for your instructor to respond to your questions.
Starfish is a student support tool that can help you succeed in your course. Your instructor can raise flags if there's a concern about your progress, give you kudos for good performance, or make to-do items for you that will help you succeed. You can also use Starfish to schedule appointments with your instructor or your Virtual Student Success Coach. Be sure to click on "Starfish" from the menu list in your Blackboard course to learn more and to create your student profile!
The text for the course is accessed through the Cisco Network Academy (www.netacad.com). You will need an account on the Network Academy. Your instructor will create an account for you and you will receive instructions in your KCTCS email. If you have not received the email for access to the Network Academy, contact your instructor right away.
All resources are available in your Blackboard course and were paid with the eResource fees charged along with your tuition. You do not need to go to the bookstore.
Packet Tracer Software
Cisco Packet Tracer (PT) is a powerful network simulation program that allows students to experiment with network designs and behavior. It provides simulation, visualization, authoring, assessment, and collaboration capabilities and facilitates the teaching and learning of complex technology concepts. Essentially, you can practice building, configuring, and troubleshooting what you are learning in the Cisco curriculum. You can build networks that are very simple (literally two machines) to very complex. The best thing is that it is free to download and use for students in the Cisco Networking Academy.
We will use PT extensively in our Cisco classes. It will be used for demonstrations, quizzes, tests, and lab finals. There are multiple versions of PT, including versions for Windows, Linux Ubuntu, Mobile iOS (iPad and iPhone), and Mobile Android.
To download the desktop version, you will need to log into your Network Academy account and search for Packet Tracer. You can get the mobile version by either downloading from the App store or the Google Play store. They are free, but you will need your Network Academy logon info to access the full functioning packages.
You may watch a video on downloading PT and installing it on a Windows machine here.
If you have any problems, please contact your instructor.
All currently enrolled KCTCS students are eligible to install the full version of Office 365 Pro on up to 5 devices for free?
This includes PC, Mac, Apple tablets and phones, and Android tablets and phones. The software will continue to work as long as you are enrolled in at least one class at a KCTCS college. This gives you access to Outlook (for email), Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Read more at: https://kctcs.edu/Current_Students/Software_Discounts.aspx
Learners will need to make sure appropriate software and plug-ins are installed on your computer. Be sure to review, and if necessary, install appropriate software and plug-ins listed in the software section of the Start Here >>>>> area in the Blackboard module shell.
* Disable any pop-up blockers on your system while using Blackboard.
It is recommended learners have more than one browser installed. At times it may be necessary to access certain web applications using various browsers. These browsers are free to download and install.
Be sure you understand how to disable any pop-up blockers on your system. This may be necessary while using Blackboard.
To assist with communication it is recommended that you purchase a microphone/headset/webcam.
Additionally, if you have a smart phone or tablet, you can download and use the Bb Mobile Learn App.
This product was funded in part by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership.