CTS 1133C - A+ Essentials: Syllabus

Updated August 2015

CTS1133C

A+ Essentials

Reference#: 543391

Table of Contents

Faculty Contact Information	Methods of Instruction
Course Description	Traditional Pace Chart and Assignments
General Course Outcomes	Course Progress and Evaluation Policy
Course Prerequisites	Communication Policy
Course Attendance & Participation Policy	Other Policies and Procedures
Computer Requirements	Student Success Tips and Resources
Required Course Materials

Faculty Contact Information

Course Instructor:		Prof. XXX
Office Phone:		954-201- XXX
Department Phone:		954-201-XXX
Email:		All communication should be through the course email tool. Use my BC email ONLY if you are unable to access the course email:aflaten@broward.edu
BC Safety Office Phone#:		954-201-HELP (4357)

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Course Description

This course provides students with the knowledge required to understand the fundamentals of computer technology, networking, and security, and the skills required to identify hardware, peripheral, networking, and security components.

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General Course Outcomes

The student shall be able to:

Section 1

1. Compare and contrast various connection interfaces and explain their purpose
2. Compare and contrast the features and requirements of various Microsoft Operating Systems
3. Given a scenario, use appropriate safety procedures
4. Explain the fundamentals of dealing with prohibited content/activity
5. Given a scenario, demonstrate proper communication and professionalism
6. Given a scenario, troubleshoot common problems related to motherboards, RAM, CPU, and power with appropriate tools
7. Given a scenario, use appropriate networking tools
8. Given a scenario, use appropriate safety procedures
9. Explain environmental impacts and the purpose of environmental controls
10. Given a scenario, explain the troubleshooting theory
11. Differentiate between motherboard components, their purposes, and properties
12. Install an appropriate power supply based on a given scenario
13. Differentiate among various CPU types and features and select the appropriate cooling method
14. Compare and contrast the features and requirements of various Microsoft Operating Systems
15. Compare and contrast RAM types and features
16. Configure and apply BIOS settings
17. Install and configure expansion cards
18. Compare and contrast various connection interfaces and explain their purpose
19. Install and configure various peripheral devices
20. Install and configure expansion cards
21. Identify connector types and associated cables
22. Given a scenario, evaluate types and features of display devices
23. Install and configure storage devices and use appropriate media
24. Given a scenario, install, and configure the operating system using the most appropriate method
25. Given a scenario, use appropriate operating system features and tools
26. Perform preventive maintenance procedures using appropriate tools

Section 2

1. Install and configure storage devices and use appropriate media
2. Identify connector types and associated cables
3. Compare and contrast various connection interfaces and explain their purpose
4. Given a scenario, install and configure the operating system using the most appropriate method
5. Given a scenario, use appropriate command line tools
6. Identify various types of networks
7. Setup and configure Windows networking on a client/desktop
8. Compare and contrast network devices their functions and features
9. Setup and configure Windows networking on a client/desktop
10. Identify types of network cables and connectors
11. Categorize characteristics of connectors and cabling
12. Explain properties and characteristics of TCP/IP
13. Setup and configure Windows networking on a client/desktop
14. Explain common TCP and UDP ports, protocols, and their purpose
15. Compare and contrast wireless networking standards and encryption types
16. Compare and contrast Internet connection types and features
17. Install, configure, and deploy a SOHO wireless/wired router using appropriate settings
18. Given a scenario, troubleshoot wired and wireless networks with appropriate tools
19. Explain the differences between the various printer types and summarize the associated imaging process
20. Given a scenario, install and configure printers
21. Given a scenario, perform printer maintenance

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Course Prerequisites

To maximize your chances for success in this course, make sure that you meet the following course course prerequisites:

• Course Prerequisites and Co-requisites: None
• Computer Knowledge and Skills:
  
  Students in this course should be familiar with the following computer skills.
  • File Management - You should be familiar with finding and saving files on your computer.
  • The Internet - You should be familiar with connecting to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider or Network Connection.
  • Web Browser Software - You should be familiar with using web browser software to navigate the Internet and locate information.
  • Email - You should be familiar with sending and receiving email messages.
  • Discussions - You should be familiar with posting and reading discussion messages in a threaded format.
  • Attachments - You should be familiar with sending email messages with attached files.
  • Word Processing - You should be familiar with creating, editing, saving, and printing documents using Microsoft Word.

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Course Attendance and Participation Policy

Attendance/Withdrawal Policy:

Participation:

Regular, active, and meaningful participation is a critically important component of this course and is essential to your success. It is recommended that you log into the course several times during the week. Frequency and quality of participation may affect your success in the program.

• Active participation is expected of all students in this course.
• Check your email and course discussions regularly. Ask questions.
• Post and respond to messages.

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Computer Requirements

To complete this course, you must have access to computer hardware and software that meets the standards listed below.

• Assignments that require word processing must be submitted in Microsoft Word format. Documents created using Microsoft Works, or files that have ".txt", ".pdf", or ".asci" extensions will not meet course requirements. If you do not have proper software on your computer, you can use the Microsoft Word program on any of the "open lab" computers at any BC Learning Resource Center or in public libraries. Please virus check documents before sending them. AVG offers a free online virus check.

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Required Course Materials

Required:

Title: TestOut's LabSim for PC Pro A+ CompTIA 220-801 and 220-802
Author: TestOut
ISBN: 978-1-935080-42-8

TestOut's new LabSim for PC Pro is the essential IT training course. Covering three different exams, our all-in-one PC Pro course will take your knowledge and skill levels in PC repair and service from novice to pro. You will learn how to build, configure, and maintain a PC as well as learn the basics of networking and security. Using LabSim’s video tutorials, demonstrations, and hands-on lab simulations, you will not only be able to prove that you know the material, you will also be able to demonstrate you can perform the IT tasks employers are looking for. The LabSim for PC Pro course prepares you for three exams and two industry certifications: (You must pass both the 220-801 exam and the 220-802 exam to become CompTIA A+ certified)

• TestOut PC Pro Certification
• CompTIA A+ 220-801
• CompTIA A+ 220-802

What's Included:

• TestOut's comprehensive training methodology includes video, text, labs, and certification test prep software.
• Hands-on labs let you practice both hardware and software configuration tasks in a virtual environment.
• Online delivery gives you instant, anywhere access through most major browsers on both PC and Mac.
• Reporting and assessment tools make LabSim perfect for use in a classroom or distance-learning classes.

Where to Purchase:

You can purchase an access code from the Broward College Central Campus bookstore or you can purchase online directly from TestOut Student Purchasing using code 14-232TA to get the discount.

A. Hugh Adams Central Campus Bookstore
Admissions & Student Service Center - Bldg. 19
3501 SW Davie Road
Davie, Florida 33314-1604
Tel: (954) 201-6830
Fax: (954) 201-6895

How to Create an Account:

After you purchase an access code you can create an account by following the instructions located @ TestOut Quick Start Guide.

There are also instructional videos that guide you through the process @ How-To Tutorials.

Here are some Product FAQs

 

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Methods of Instruction

This is a 3-credit hour fully online course. Normally, a 3-credit hour on-campus course would meet two times each week (during a 16 week term) for a total of 3 hours per week or 48 hours per term. This is an accelerated online course so students will have to guide themselves accordingly. There is a pace chart included below that will show you how to successfully complete this course in a 4 week period. 

Read and refer to this document regularly. It will tell you what assignments you should complete, and how to complete them.

• Instructions for Quizzes: There are practice quizzes within each module. Quizzes are a measure of your progress in each module and will help you prepare for the Course Evaluation. 
• Instructions for Assignments: Each module contains instructional videos and interactive labs. These resources will help demonstrate the hands on part of the course. You can watch the videos and do the labs as many times as you want using them as guides for you to practice the hands on components of the course.
• Instructions for Challenge and Evaluation Exams: Instructions are provided in each section based on the section requirements for the Challenge and Evaluation Exams. 

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Pace Chart - 4 week completion goal

Purpose

The purpose of this Pace Chart is to give students in this course an indication of how long they will on average spend to complete this course. This Pace Chart is only a guideline and depending on a students' proficiency with computers, learning style, prior knowledge of the subject and personal motivation, actual times may differ widely from the guidelines given.

Entire Course

The entire course should be completed within a six (6) week time frame. Students who can demonstrate competencies faster than the recommended time could complete the course in a four (4) week period.

Section 1

All modules in section 1 should take at most two (2) weeks assuming at least twelve (12) hours per week are spent on each module.

Section 2

All modules in section 2 should take at most two (2) weeks assuming at least twelve (12) hours per week are spent on each module.

Week/Section/Learning Outcomes	Learning Materials	Assignments & Assessments
Week 1/Section 1
Course challenge
Upon successful completion of this section, the student shall be able to: General competency General competency	Specify learning materials	Specify Assignments & Assessments
Week 2/Section 1
Upon successful completion of this section, the student shall be able to: General competency General competency	Specify learning materials	Specify Assignments & Assessments
Week 3/Section 2
Upon successful completion of this section, the student shall be able to: General competency General competency	Specify learning materials	Specify Assignments & Assessments
Week 4/Section 2
Upon successful completion of this section, the student shall be able to: General competency General competency	Specify learning materials	Specify Assignments & Assessments
Course evaluation

 

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Course Progress and Evaluation Policies

• Assignment Submissions
  • Assignment suggested deadlines are posted in the Pace Chart above. Assignments must be submitted through the course learning management system. No assignments will be accepted via email unless requested to do so.
  • If no assignments are submitted for a full week you may be contacted by your course instructor and/or academic coach to make sure satisfactory progress is being made in this course.
  • Discussion postings are expected to be posted according to the Pace Chart.
• Proctored Evaluations
  • This course has ONE required proctored evaluation that must be taken at one of the campus e-Testing Centers or at an alternate pre-approved testing location. The Course Evaluation must be passed.
  • BC e-Testing Centers are located on:
  • Central Campus Building 17 (library) Room 220, visit the Central Campus eTesting Center website to view their hours of operation.
  • North Campus Building 62 (Academic Success Center) Room 135, visit the North Campus eTesting Center website to view their hours of operation.
  • Proctor U - Online Proctored Testing.  You the opportunity to take your exams at home with online proctoring. Using a webcam and a reliable high-speed internet connection, you can take your exams anywhere. Here you will find information on utilizing this online testing application right from your work or home. YOU MUST COORDINATE THIS TEST WITH YOUR INSTRUCTOR.
  • Allow plenty of time to complete your Course Evaluation prior to the scheduled closing time of the eTesting Center. When the eTesting Centers close, tests must be submitted whether they have been completed or not. You will not be able to return to complete the test at a later date. Sundays are the busiest days so you may have to wait for a seat. Nothing is permitted in the eTesting Centers except a pen/pencil unless the instructor has provided a list of approved testing aids (i.e., textbook, calculator, headphones, etc.).  Lockers and scratch paper are provided.  See the testing center websites listed above for a complete list of rules.
  • You will need to show a BC identification card or picture ID in order to be able to take the test in the testing center.
  • Students who live outside Broward County can contact me for instructions on how to take proctored evaluations at an alternate authorized location or in an online proctored environment. There are added costs associated with these optional methods of testing and both must be pre-approved at the start of the term.
• Parking for Proctored Evaluations: Students who take only online courses (no on-campus ones) do not pay parking fees and therefore are not eligible to obtain a parking hang tag.
• Students on North can park for free at the library and make the short walk to Building 62.
• Students on both North and Central can email onlinecompdegree@broward.edu at least three days in advance of the evaluation to receive a temporary parking pass. The parking pass will be emailed to your BC email account, which you can print and place on your dashboard on the day of the evaluation.
• View your Progress
  • Online quiz and Course Evaluation grades will be available after finishing the quiz or Course Evaluation. View "Grades" from the course homepage.
  • Feedback for assignments will be posted within 4 BC working days of the submission date of the assignment.
  • Feedback for discussion postings will be posted within 4 BC working days after completing posting to the discussion.
  • Final course grades may be obtained through students MyBC portal.
• How your Grade will be Determined

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Communication Policy

Expectations for Course Communication

• Email: Use the email tool only for private, personal, one-to-one communication with a specific individual or groups of individuals. Please do not send course related emails to the instructor's BC email address. Solicitations will not be tolerated. Assignments sent to the instructor's BC email will not be accepted.
  • Alternate Communication: In the event that the course communication tools are unavailable for more than 24 hours, the instructor will communicate with students (if necessary) via their BC email addresses. Access your BC email account at http://www.outlook.com
• Discussions: Use the Course Cafė discussion thread to post questions that might be of general interest to all students such as questions about assignments, lessons, etc. Feel free to respond to other students if you think you can help them. Proofread the content of your posts before making them public; proper grammar and sentence structure are expected. Remember that the discussion tool is public - everyone will be able to view posts and responses. See the Netiquette section below for expectations regarding appropriate behavior in online discussions.
• Faculty Response Policy: Course emails and discussion posts will be answered within 48 hours. Emails sent on Saturday or Sunday may not be answered until Monday. It is recommended that you post course-related questions in the discussion area. If you need info related to a Course Evaluation or assignment, plan ahead and submit your questions well ahead of the date you intend to complete them. Your instructor is not online 24 hours per day, so please allow time for responses.
• Netiquette: In all online communication, it is expected that all students will follow rules of online "netiquette". Netiquette is a set of rules for polite online behavior that all members of this class are expected to follow. Read some general netiquette rules here. Basically, these rules say "be respectful and be polite to each other" and "be patient," etc. No one is perfect and we all have different approaches to life, work, and school.
  
  • Individuals who violate the netiquette policy or engage in disruptive online behaviors such as flaming (posting disrespectful or hostile comments), posting inappropriate comments, or shouting (posting messages using all capitals) may have their course access privileges revoked and/or they may be referred to the Student Dean. Students who continue to engage in unacceptable online behavior after being warned, may be permanently denied access to the course and/or may receive a U for the course.
  • Please don't use email shorthand like ROTFL (rolling on the floor laughing) or BTW (by the way) - not everyone knows what these abbreviations mean. If you want to use emoticons (smileys) to convey feelings, please stick with the basics happy :-) sad :-( or wink ;-). Others are less well known and are subject to different interpretations. The idea is to be clear in your communications.
• Privacy Notice: Course access records, email postings, discussion postings, and chat room conversations will be stored. This is one more reason to make sure that your communications adhere to the netiquette policy.

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Other Policies and Procedures

Special Needs - Students having special needs as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act should:

• Notify the Office of Disability Services as early in the term as possible. It is the student's responsibility to contact the Disability Support Office prior to the start of class to document disability prior to receiving services.
• Notify the instructor after you have contacted the Office of Disability Services so that the instructor can consult with the Office of Disability Services to discuss what reasonable accommodations would be appropriate for your situation.

Academic Honesty

• Each student's academic work must be the result of his or her own thought, research, or self-expression.
• Cheating includes, but is not limited to copying the work of another person (Student Handbook p. 37) or permitting your work to be copied by another person, discussing practice test/quizzes or Course Evaluation answers or questions with people who have not completed the test, distributing assignment materials to other students, possessing course materials that have not been formally released to students in the course, and collaborating on the completion of assignments not specifically designated in the syllabus as being group projects.
• Cheating will be considered a breach of BC's Code of Conduct Policy and will result in a failing grade for the course, disciplinary action, and/or a referral to the Dean of Student Affairs. Examples 1) If it appears that two or more students have submitted the same material for any solo assignments, each student involved will receive zero points for that assignment. 2) If it appears that a student has copied an assignment from published material (including Internet sites), the student will receive zero points for that assignment.

Critical Event Procedure

• In the event of a school closing due to weather or other major event that might impact class schedules, the instructor will post an announcement indicating what changes, if any, the event will have on the course schedule and completion dates.

Logging Off

• Security Warning: If you don't close your browser or log off, a person using that machine after you will have access to your course materials, could send e-mail to me in your name, and view your confidential student record. Protect your password. Click "Logout."

Changes to the Syllabus

• The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus. In the event that changes become necessary, students will be notified through course email.

Lab Safety (if applicable)

• Students must follow approved safety procedures when completing lab work.

24/7 Helpdesk Information

• For year-round, 24 hour technical assistance use the information below to reach the BConline Helpdesk.
  • Phone number: 1 866 468-0009
  • Chat: https://chat.perceptis.com/c/broward
  • You can also open your own ticket online and can track any of your open help desk tickets at the BConline Support Center.

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Student Success Tips

In order to be successful in this course, you need to be organized and manage your time well so that you can complete all assignments and assessments in a timely manner. Make sure that you do not allow yourself to procrastinate, and that you communicate with the instructor or your classmates via the Course Cafe if you have any questions on any course materials or need assistance completing any assignments.

Online Resources for Students

• Click here to access a wide variety of support resources for students enrolled in online courses, such as library services, advising and counseling, tutorials, tutoring services, disability services and more.

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U.S. Department of Labor Disclaimer

This product was funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. This 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

Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The Academic Use of Textbook Material Disclaimer

The material contained in this course uses direct excerpts from the required textbook for this course:

Title: TestOut's LabSim for PC Pro A+ CompTIA 220-801 and 220-802
Author: TestOut
ISBN: 978-1-935080-42-8

The use of this material is authorized under the publisher's academic use license which requires the user to purchase the required textbook.