VEE 223 PC Hardware & Software

Course Description: This course is designed to help students prepare for entry-level positions in the (Information Communication Technology) ICT fields. Job titles include enterprise technician, IT administrator, and field service technician, call center technician, help desk technician, and (personal computer) PC or support technician. In addition, the curriculum helps students gain confidence with the components of desktop and laptop computers by learning the proper procedures for hardware and software installations, upgrades, and troubleshooting.

A. PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES (PLOs):
The student will be able to:

1. Practice safety and occupational health procedures in the workplace.
2. Use electronics tools and test equipment competently.
3. Interpret schematic diagrams and waveforms.
4. Build electronics project to a given specification.
5. Perform troubleshooting techniques to maintain and resolve hardware/software related problems in a personal computer system.
6. Perform troubleshooting techniques to maintain, diagnose, and repair electronic equipment and devices.

B. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs) - GENERAL:
The student will be able to:


1. Define information technology (IT) and describe the components of a personal computer.
2. Describe how to protect self, equipment, and the environment from accidents, damage, and contamination.
3. Perform a step-by-step assembly of a desktop computer and install and navigate an operating system.
4. Explain and perform preventive maintenance of a personal computer system and the steps of the troubleshooting process.
5. Describe operating system capabilities, the installation process, navigation, basic preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting.
6. Identify the main components of laptops and portable devices, basic preventative maintenance, and troubleshooting.
7. Identify and describe the differences between printers and scanners, installation and configuration, basic preventative maintenance, and troubleshooting.
8. Identify and describe basic network components, technologies, basic preventative maintenance, and troubleshooting.
9. Identify and describe security threats, procedures, basic preventative maintenance, and troubleshooting.
10. Apply good communications skills and professional behavior to assess customer needs and provides solutions and recommendations for hardware, operating systems, networking, and security.

SLO	PLO1	PLO2	PLO3	PLO4	PLO5	PLO6
1			ID		I
2	IDM	M
3	DM	DM	M	DM	DM	I
4	M	M	M	M	M	M
5	M	M	M	M	M	M
6	M	M	M	M	M	M
7	M	M	M	M	M	M
8	M	M			M	M
9	M				DM	DM
10	M	M	M	M	M	M

I = Introduced
D = Demonstrated
M = Mastered

C. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs)-SPECIFIC:


The student will be able to:



General SLO 1. Define information technology (IT) and describe the components of a personal computer

Student Learning Outcomes	Assessment Strategies
1.1 Explain IT industry certifications	Competence will be demonstrated through oral questioning and written tests.
1.2 Describe a computer system
1.3 Identify the names, purposes, and characteristics of cases and power supplies
1.4 Identify the names, purposes, and characteristics of internal components
1.5 Identify the names, purposes, and characteristics of ports and cables
1.6 Identify the names, purposes, and characteristics of input devices
1.7 Identify the names, purposes, and characteristics of output devices
1.8 Explain system resources and their purpose

General SLO 2. Describe how to protect self, equipment, and the environment from accidents, damage, and contamination.

Student Learning Outcomes	Assessment Strategies
2.1 Explain the purpose of safe working conditions and procedures	Competence will be demonstrated through oral questioning, written, and practical tests.
2.2 Identify tools and software used with personal computer components and their purposes
2.3 Implement proper tool use

 

General SLO 3. Perform a step-by-step assembly of a desktop computer and install and navigate an operating system.

Student Learning Outcomes	Assessment Strategies
3.1 Explain and perform how to open a computer case	Competence will be demonstrated through oral questioning, written, and practical tests.
3.2 Explain and perform how to install the power supply of a computer system
3.3 Describe and perform how to attach the components (processor and memory modules) to the motherboard and install the motherboard into a computer case
3.4 Explain and perform how to install internal drives (hard disk drives & solid state drives)
3.5 Describe and perform how to install drives (optical drives) in external bays
3.6 Explain and perform how to install adapter cards
3.7 Explain and perform how to connect all internal cables
3.8 Describe and perform how to re-attach the side panels and connect external cables to the computer
3.9 Boot computer for the first time

General SLO 4. Explain and perform preventive maintenance of a personal computer system and the steps of the troubleshooting process.

Student Learning Outcomes	Assessment Strategies
4.1 Explain the purpose of preventive maintenance	Competence will be demonstrated through oral questioning, written, and practical tests.
4.2 Identify the steps of the troubleshooting process

General SLO 5. Describe operating system capabilities, the installation process, navigation, basic preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting.

Student Learning Outcomes	Assessment Strategies
5.1 Explain the purpose of an operating system	Competence will be demonstrated through oral questioning, written, and practical tests.
5.2 Describe and compare operating systems to include purpose, limitations, and compatibilities
5.3 Determine operating system based on customer needs
5.4 Install an operating system
5.5 Navigate a Graphical User Interface [GUI] and Command Line Interface [CLI] (Windows)
5.6 Identify and apply common preventive maintenance techniques for operating systems
5.7 Troubleshoot operating systems

General SLO 6. Identify the main components of laptops and portable devices, basic preventative maintenance, and troubleshooting.

Student Learning Outcomes	Assessment Strategies
6.1 Describe laptops and other portable devices	Competence will be demonstrated through oral questioning, written, and practical tests.
6.2 Identify and describe the components of a laptop
6.3 Compare and contrast desktop and laptop components
6.4 Explain how to configure laptops
6.5 Compare the different mobile phone standards
6.6 Identify common preventive maintenance techniques for laptops and portable devices
6.7 Describe how to troubleshoot laptops and portable devices
6.8 Describe the types of printers currently available
6.9 Describe the installation and configuration process for printers
6.10 Describe the types of scanners currently available
6.11 Describe the installation and configuration process for scanners
6.12 Identify and apply common preventive maintenance techniques for printers and scanners
6.13 Troubleshoot printers and scanners

General SLO 7. Identify and describe the differences between printers and scanners, installation and configuration, basic preventative maintenance, and troubleshooting.

Student Learning Outcomes	Assessment Strategies
7.1 Describe the types of printers currently available	Competence will be demonstrated through oral questioning, written, and practical tests.
7.2 Describe the installation and configuration process for printers
7.3 Describe the types of scanners currently available
7.4 Describe the installation and configuration process for scanners
7.5 Identify and apply common preventive maintenance techniques for printers and scanners
7.6 Troubleshoot printers and scanners

General SLO 8. Identify and describe basic network components, technologies, basic preventative maintenance, and troubleshooting.

Student Learning Outcomes	Assessment Strategies
8.1 Explain the principles of networking	Competence will be demonstrated through oral questioning, written, and practical tests.
8.2 Describe types of networks
8.3 Describe basic networking concepts and technologies
8.4 Describe the physical components of a network
8.5 Describe LAN topologies and architectures
8.6 Identify standards organizations
8.7 Identify Ethernet standards
8.8 Explain OSI and TCP/IP Data Models
8.9 Describe how to configure a NIC and a modem
8.10 Identify names, purposes, and characteristics of other technologies used to establish connectivity
8.11 Identify and apply common preventive maintenance techniques used for networks
8.12 Troubleshoot a network

General SLO 9. Identify and describe security threats, procedures, basic preventative maintenance, and troubleshooting.

Student Learning Outcomes	Assessment Strategies
9.1 Explain why computer and network security are important	Competence will be demonstrated through oral questioning, written, and practical exams and class project.
9.2 Describe security threats
9.3 Identify security procedures
9.4 Identify common preventive maintenance techniques for security
9.5 Troubleshoot security

General SLO 10. Apply good communications skills and professional behavior to assess customer needs and provides solutions and recommendations for hardware, operating systems, networking, and security.

Student Learning Outcomes	Assessment Strategies
10.1 Explain the relationship between communication and troubleshooting	Competence will be demonstrated through oral questioning, written, and practical tests.
10.2 Describe good communication skills and professional behavior
10.3 Explain ethics and legal aspects of working the computer technology
10.4 Describe call center environment and technician responsibilities
10.5 Research hardware and software of a personal computer system base on a given specification
10.6 Troubleshoot and repair a defective computer desktop or laptop system.

D. COURSE CONTENTS


1. Introduction to Personal Computer
2. Safe Lab Procedures and Tool Use
3. Computer Assembly
4. Basics of Preventative Maintenance and Troubleshooting
5. Fundamental Operating Systems
6. Fundamental Laptops and Portable Devices
7. Fundamental Printers and Scanners
8. Fundamental Networks
9. Fundamental Security
10. Communication Skills

E.METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

1. Computer Aided Instruction
2. Practical/Experimentation
3. Lecture/Demonstration

F. REQURIED TEXT(S) AND COURSE MATERIALS Cisco Networking Academy, (2011). IT Essentials PC Hardware and Software
Companion Guide, 4th Ed Indianapolis, Indiana USA: Cisco Press.
(or most recent edition). Computer lab with Internet access; on-line curriculum:
PC hardware and software instructional materials, tools, and equipment

G. REFERENCE MATERIALS


H. INSTRUCTIONAL COSTS
None

I. EVALUATION
None

J. CREDIT BY EXAMINATION
None