Course 2004-2005 a.y.

Course Objectives

The overall objective of the course is to provide basic knowledge about Information Technology (IT) and basic competences in using personal computers and common end user computing applications. For this reason the program required by the European Computer Driving License (ECDL) - START level has been adopted. This  certificate states that the holder has passed four of the seven tests which represent the basic knowledge about  the use of a PC, a word processor,  a spreadsheet and the Internet.

Course Content Summary

The course calls for 32 hours of lessons and 8 hours (optional) of exercises.
The modules of the ECDL Start are the following:

• Using the Computer and Managing Files: the goal of this module is to provide the students with the skills and competence about the basic functions of a personal computer and its operating system. At the end of this part the students shall be able to operate effectively within the desktop environment. He or she shall be able to manage and organise files and directories/folders and know how to copy, move and delete files and directories/folders.
• Word Processing: in this module the students shall understand and be able to accomplish basic operations associated with creating, formatting and finishing a word document ready for distribution and advanced features associated with word processing applications such as creating standard tables, using pictures and images within a document, importing objects and using mail merge tools.   
• Spreadsheets: the goal of this module is to illustrate the basic concepts of spreadsheets and the ability to use a spreadsheet application on a personal computer. The students shall be able to accomplish basic operations associated with developing, formatting and using a spreadsheet and standard mathematical and logical operations using basic formulas and functions and some of the more advanced features of a spreadsheet application such as importing objects, and creating graphs and charts.  
• Information and Communication: divided in two sections, the first one, Information, illustrates how to accomplish basic Web search tasks using a Web browser application, available search engine tools and Usenet, to bookmark search results and to print Web pages and search reports. The second section, Communication, describes how to use electronic mail software to send and receive messages, to attach documents or files to a message and to organize and manage message folders or directories within electronic mail software. 

For a detailed program see the modules 2, 3, 4 and 7 of the ECDL's Syllabus (http://www.aicanet.it/ecdl/syllabus/syllabus_v4.pdf). Detailed program and agenda will be published on the SEDIN  bulletin board (4th floor, beside room 401) just before the beginning of the lessons.

Textbooks

The textbook will be communicated during the first lesson and published on the SEDIN bulletin board.

Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

At the end of the course an exam will be given to certify the student's basic knowledge in the four modules. (Managing Files, Word, Excel and Internet).

There are two different ways of taking the exams:

Attending students (minimum 80% course attendance)

• Students have two options: they may take the exam in two written parts, a 1^st partial exam and a 2^nd partial exam, or they may take one general written exam at the end of the course.
• To be able to take the 1^st partial exam students must have at least attended 80% of the course during the first part of the semester; to be able to take the 2^nd partial exam, students must have attended 80% of the course during the second part of the semester.
• Students who received a minimum of 20 points for the written exam may take an oral exam which may change their original mark by as much as  -2 points to +2 points. The oral exam has to be taken within the first two exam dates after the end of the lessons.
• If the student has to retake one or more modules, (only for the modules that he or she did not pass), this can only be done on one of the official exam dates during the year.

Non attending students (less than 80% course attendance)

• Students can take one general written exam only on one of the official exam dates during the year.
• Students cannot take oral exams.

The University will pay for the Skills Card, which is an official record of the tests passed, and for the first exam of every module. If a student does not pass the first exam, he or she must pay for the subsequent tests. The price for each module of exam is € 10.33.
The student can find a list of exam dates on the SEDIN web site (http://www.uni-bocconi.it/sedin) and the SEDIN bulletin board.
To attend an exam the student has to register in advance at the SEDIN secretary's office (room 401 - V. Sarfatti, 25).