COMMON COURSE OUTLINE:

A. CATALOG DESCRIPTION
Course Discipline/Number: COMP 1150
Course Title: Introduction to Computer Science
Credits: 3 credits
Hours/Week: 3 hours per week

Prerequisites: Math 0099 or appropriate score on RCTC placement test into Math 1115. College-level reading skills: Appropriate score on RCTC placement test or completion of appropriate developmental course with grade of C or better.

Course Description: Introduction to the field of computer science, including concepts of machine architecture, data representation, operating systems, networking and telecommunications, algorithms, programming languages, software engineering, data organization, and artificial intelligence. Intended as a first course for Computer Science majors. This course is a prereq or coreq for all 200 level computer science courses. (3 C/3 hrs classroom per wk)

B. DATE LAST REVISED: 3/31/1997

C. RECOMMENDED ENTRY SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE:
Basic computer literacy
Math 0099 or appropriate score on RCTC placement test into Math 1115
College-level reading skills: Appropriate score on RCTC placement test or completion of appropriate developmental course with grade of C or better.

D. OUTLINE OF MAJOR CONTENT AREAS:
Data storage
Data manipulation
Operating systems
Networking and telecommunications
Algorithms
Programming languages
Software engineering
Data structures
File structures
Artificial intelligence

E. LEARNING OUTCOMES (GENERAL):
Students will be able to:
1. understand the rudiments of data storage within a digital computer
2. define the activities of a computer’s CPU
3. understand the fundamental concepts of operating systems and networks
4. understand the concept of an algorithm and its importance within the discipline of computer science
5. define the concept of a high level language
6. understand the benefits of modular design
7. understand the concept of abstraction and elementary abstract data types
8. distinguish the difference between conceptual and actual file organization
9. provide examples of a layered database model
10. realize the difficulty of detecting the presence of intelligence rather than the appearance of intelligence
11. understand the concept of computability

F. LEARNING OUTCOMES (MNTC)
Critical Thinking for Minnesota Transfer Curriculum. Students will be able to:
1. gather factual information and apply it to a given problem in a manner that is relevant, clear, comprehensive, and conscious of possible bias in the information selected
2. imagine and seek out a variety of possible goals, assumptions, interpretations, or perspectives which can give alternative meanings or solutions to given situations or problems
3. analyze the logical connections among the facts, goals, and implicit assumptions relevant to a problem or claim; generate and evaluate implications that follow from them
4. recognize and articulate the value assumptions which underlie and affect decisions, interpretations, analyses, and evaluations made by ourselves and others.

G. METHODS FOR EVALUATION OF STUDENT LEARNING:
Tests
Lab exercises
Assignments
Comprehensive final test (written)

H. SPECIAL INFORMATION: none