Internet Fundamentals

DMD115  Internet Fundamentals

Course Description

Designed for both beginners and intermediate-level users, this course addresses in detail the basics of what you need to know to access, explore and use the world’s biggest information resource: the Internet. We will examine the various equipment you will need, the software available, online provider options, costs involved, and current issues revolving around Internet access. As a student in this course, you will learn the most important topics of the Internet. You will begin with an introduction to browser basics and basic communications and move on to Internet searches and much more. No prior computer experience with these topics is assumed.

You will first be presented with an overview of the text, an introduction to browser basics and e-mail. You will then learn about searching the Web, available information resources, and downloading and storing data. We’ll then move on to user-generated content, security issues and creating Web pages. We wrap up the course with more advanced topics, such as Internet security, electronic commerce and a final overview the Internet and World Wide Web.

Since 1995 the Internet has rapidly been collapsing into a seemingly single user interface (the World Wide Web) to the degree that most services or information databases are now available through the Web. We will give you step-by-step instructions on how to access, research, and retrieve academic, personal, and career-related information (and in particular, multimedia-career related information). You will learn how to send and receive messages; visit the data resources of major universities, federal and state government, and world organizations; talk live to people anywhere; access and download useful files and programs: visit or join thousands of special-interest newsgroups; sit in on online university courses; and go browsing for career-based information, resources and opportunities.

Course Prerequisites: None

… however, we strongly recommend that you can type, understand basic computer terms, have a working knowledge of Windows or Mac operating system, and know the basic operations of a quality word processing program such as Microsoft Word. If you feel weak in any of those areas, please let me know; I may have a few suggestions to give you a “jump start” in catching up.

Text/Materials:

Text: New Perspectives on the Internet, 7th Edition, Course Technology, 2009. (ISBN: 978-1-4239-2506-4)
Software: Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 or higher, or Firefox 2.0 or higher, and Windows XP or Windows Vista, or higher must be installed on your computer. Note that the Instructor will provide information on how to use these packages. If you use a Mac, please know that the materail is written for PCs, but you can complete this course with a Mac.

Course Objectives

• Understand and apply Internet terms, concepts and access techniques
• Examine the characteristics, uses and environments of the Internet’s major areas
• Access and apply Internet resources into your academic and career environments
• Explore educational and career opportunities available through the Internet
• Find, review and analyze current Internet trends from popular and industry journals
• Learn fundamental and advanced search techniques for various Internet resources
• Master the browsing software and a dozen or so web search engines and browsers
• Develop a personal battle plan for utilizing the Internet for academic, work and home uses
• Create a personalized web-based resource directory using Firefox’s “Bookmark” or IE’s “Favorites” facility
• Find, join, and participate in both personal and career-related Mailing Lists and Newsgroups
• Become skilled in file download, upload, archiving using the web and FTP
• Create a basic web page using an HTML editor

Tentative Schedule of Topic

Start Date		Topics	Readings
Week 1		Introduction to the course and Browser Basics	Tutorial 1
Week 2		Browser Basics
Week 3		Basic Communications on the Internet: E-mail	Tutorial 2
Week 4		Searching the Web	Tutorial 3
Week 5		Information Resources on the Web	Tutorial 4
Week 6		Downloading and Storing Data	Tutorial 5
Week 7		User-Generated Content on the Internet	Tutorial 6
Week 8		Wireless Networking and Security	Tutorial 7
Week 9		Creating Effective Web Pages	Tutorial 8
Week 10		Security on the Internet and the Web	Tutorial 9
Week 11		Electronic Commerce	Tutorial 10
Week 12		The Internet and the World Wide Web	Appendix A

Note: Your instructor reserves the right to modify the course schedule according to the class progress.

Requirements and Grading

This course is madeup of class discussions, quizzes, group projects, weekly assignments, a paper, and exams. There will be oppertunities for extra credit.

Grade Scale

A	100% – 90%
B	89.9% – 80%
C	79.9% – 70%
D	69.9% – 60%
F	59.9% – 0
W	Withdrawal from course

Your Responsibilities

To successfully complete this course, you need:

• complete all reading assignments;
• try the small exercises and explore the various Web sites and facilities as you read through your text and the Web site. Read in front of the computer with a browser open.
• complete all the assignments on time. Follow your instructor’s requirements on assignment due dates.

Academic Integrity

Students must do their own work for assignments and exams. It is violating the College Policies Governing Student Rights and Responsibilities that you copy other people’s work and claim it as yours. (Note: you can find the policies on page 30 of the CLC Catalog 2004/2005.) Students will automatically fail the assignment or exam for any cheating or plagiarism in it. Students who assist other people in cheating or plagiarism will get the same penalty.

No comments or postings with vulgar or insulting content will be tolerated in the classroom or on the course Blackboard. Internet surfing, instant messaging, and game playing are not allowed during class unless required as part of in-class activities.

And Finally

Wish you all a great semester and success!