AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Obiettivo del corso è quello di introdurre i concetti fondamentali dell’informatica, rendere lo studente consapevole dell’uso delle moderne tecnologie della comunicazione e dell’informazione dei nuovi media, fornire competenze nell'uso degli strumenti di produttività personali e formati per la strutturazione di dati e testi.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

This Module intends to present the fundamentals of computer science with the aim of providing the tools to enable proper evaluation of the application possibilities of computers. It is also aimed at having students acquire skills in the use of environments and tools for individual work productivity. 

The course is divided into "Theoretical Lessons" and "Practical Lessons," as described in the DIDACTICAL METHODS section. During Theoretical Lessons, the fundamentals of computer science are explained from a computer technology user's point of view. The topics covered are: the principles of computing, the structure of a computer, processor architecture, basic software and operating systems, algorithms and programming languages, application software, the Internet and computer networks, and, finally, a brief analysis of the social aspects and likely evolution of computing. 

Topics covered during the Practical Lessons are: computer use at the individual level and making structured digital documents with personal productivity tools; problem posing and solving skills (problem posing & solving) through the use of spreadsheets. In this regard, practical exercises on individual productivity tools and basics of browsing and searching for information via the Web will be provided.

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Basic knowledge of the fundamentals of computer science, with particular reference to individual productivity tools, Web technologies and client-side Web programming. Cross-cutting skills that enable him/her to develop content, documentation and code in relation to the design of dynamic Web sites, their placement on search engines and social networks. The understanding of this discipline is also activated through an integrated path of this teaching with the other teachings of the same SSD in this degree program, and whose contents are consistent and which enrich their skills and autonomy by always adding new elements to their cultural background.

ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Students will be able to apply acquired knowledge and understand and solve web-based communication problems, with particular reference to client-side processes. In particular: Be able to recognize the possibilities of using new media and apply knowledge acquired in other disciplines to the context of Web applications; Be able to critically analyze data and information by manifesting design and problem-solving skills.

JUDGEMENTAL AUTONOMY: Students will be able to use the acquired knowledge for critical analysis of technical documents, product and data, classification of events and processes, collection, selection and processing of information from different sources.

COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS: Students will be able to acquire the technical language typical of the discipline to communicate clearly and unambiguously with specialist and non-specialist interlocutors.

LEARNING SKILLS: Students will know how to develop adequate learning skills that will enable them to continue to independently explore the main themes of the discipline especially in the work contexts in which they will be working.

At the end of this Module, upon passing the exam, an Open Badge is issued certifying the acquisition of digital skills that look not only at the use of specific tools, but at the needs that every citizen of the information and communication society has: to be informed, to communicate and collaborate, to express themselves, to act safely, to manage problematic situations with technological tools and in digital environments.

TEACHING METHODS

This Module is organized according to two distinct categories of activities:

Theoretical Lecture: a teaching activity in which the student is predominantly "passive," i.e., attends a theoretical or practical-application lecture in the classroom, or through the tools provided by the teaching portal.
Practical Lesson (Hands-on experience - Study session): component of "assisted teaching" in which the student is predominantly "active," i.e., performs in first person, guided activities in the laboratory. 
Attendance at lectures, materials used, exercises and textbooks indicated are all indispensable for proper preparation for this discipline. It is therefore advisable to attend the lectures and tutorials (please note in this regard that there is NO OBLIGATION to attend for students in the Master's Degree Program in Digital Humanities but there is a MANDATORY attendance for students in the Bachelor's Degree Program in Media, Communication and Society), to carefully read and scrupulously follow the directions provided in the materials made available online on the teaching portal, moving on to the study of a Lesson (except the first one) and any related Study Sessions only after having well understood what was contained in the previous lesson and only after having carried out the activities planned in the previous lesson.

Students in the Bachelor's Degree Program in Media, Communication and Society who have not achieved 75% attendance by the end of the course are invited to send an e-mail message to adorni@unige.it with the subject line "Supplementary Activity Request" in order to make up for the attendance requirement.

The laboratory will be taught by the lecturer in charge of teaching, assisted by laboratory tutors. Lab activities will be held at the Computer Science Laboratory on the Savona Campus and students will be divided into groups according to the capacity of the laboratory. Students will be required to make a reservation for the lab activity through the course portal. Only those who have made the reservation will be able to access the lab activities. The organization and dates of the laboratory activities will be communicated directly by the lecturer at the beginning of class and will be available on the course portal.

The organization scheme of this Module results in 6 CFUs for a total of 150 hours of study-work for both the Master's Degree in Digital Humanities and the Bachelor's Degree in Media, Communication and Society.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The teaching materials of this Module was designed with reference to the European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens DigComp 2.2, which is a public and shared framework for the digital skills needed by any person, to interact with the world, learn and work.

In organizing this training, digital skills have been declined with specific reference to what is the profession of the Digital Humanist. DigComp 2.2 identifies 8 levels of mastery for digital competencies, consistent with the 8 levels indicated by the European Qualifications Framework (EQF); mastery level 6 has been defined for this course, in accordance with what is defined by DM 21A00166 of January 5, 2021 (OJ General Series No. 13 of 18-01-2021).

With reference then to DigComp 2.2, and in accordance with the above, the syllabus of the Module is:
1. Information and data literacy
  1.1 Browsing, searching and filtering data, information and digital content
  1.2 Evaluating data, information and digital content
  1.3 Managing data, information and digital content
2. Communication and Collaboration
  2.1 Interacting through digital technologies
  2.2 Sharing through digital technologies
  2.3 Engaging in citizenship through digital technologies
  2.4 Collaborating through digital technologies
  2.5 Netiquette
  2.6 Managing digital identity
3. Digital content creation
  3.1 Developing digital content
  3.2 Integrating and re-elaborating digital content
  3.3 Copyright and Licences
  3.4 Programming
4. Safety
  4.1 Protecting devices
  4.2 Protecting personal data and privacy
  4.3 Protecting health and well-being
  4.4 Protecting the environment
5. Problem solving
  5.1 Solving technical problems
  5.2 Identifying needs and technological responses
  5.3 Creatively using digital technologies
  5.4 Identifying digital competence gaps

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Brookshear J. Glenn, Brylow Dennis, Computer Science. A general overview. Ediz. mylab, Pearson Publisher, 2020 (Italian)
• Giovanni Adorni, Transparencies, notes and exercises, a.y. 2023-2024, made available on the course portal on AulaWeb.

Software:

• OpenOffice.org: Open Source Project, Italian language version, available at: http://download.openoffice.org/index.html.
• MiKTeX.org: TeX/LaTeX distribution, available at: https://miktex.org/.  
• LyX.org: graphical editor for LaTex, available at: https://www.lyx.org/.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/9913/p/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

In order to pass the exam, the student must produce the following assignments:

1. Entries in a Disciplinary Thematic Glossary: for each for each lesson, the student is required to create (and gradually enrich and refine) his or her own glossary of disciplinary keywords;
2. Exercises and Reports: carry out the exercises and write the required reports according to the instructions provided by the lecturer within the guided study activities, as indicated in the course portal. 

These deliverables constitute the "Personal Portfolio of Competences" related to this Module. The Portfolio, complete in all its forms, must be submitted to the lecturer via the course portal at least 10 (ten) days prior to the exam date, in the " Competence Portfolio Delivery Area." In case the student appears for the exam to take the Second Module as well, the Portfolio related to the Second Module must also be handed in.

Necessary conditions for taking the exam are:

• Online registration for the exam by the deadline (https://servizionline.unige.it/studenti/);
• delivery of the Personal Competence Portfolio within the stipulated deadlines;
• for students in the Bachelor's Degree Program in "Media, Communication and Society": fulfillment of the attendance requirement.

The exam is held at the Computer Science Laboratory on the Savona Campus and consists of a Test with multiple-choice and open-ended questions followed by practice tests on a personal computer (see the "Assessment Methods" section).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The results of the following tests are considered for final assessment:

1. Portfolio assessment;
2. Multiple-choice test with open-ended questions on the teaching program;
3. Practical Test demonstrating knowledge, skills and abilities to create structured documents;
4. Practical Test demonstrating knowledge, skills and abilities to create structured presentations;
5. Practical Test demonstrating knowledge, skills and abilities to solve a problem using a spreadsheet.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

At the end of this Module, upon passing the exam, an Open Badge is issued that certifies the acquisition of digital skills that look not only at the use of specific tools, but at the needs that every citizen of the information and communication society has: being informed, communicating and collaborating, expressing oneself, acting safely, and managing problematic situations with technological tools and in digital environments.

Students with disabilities or SLDs may apply for compensatory/excessive measures for the exam. The modalities will be determined on a case-by-case basis together with the Contact Person for Engineering of the University Committee for the Support of Students with Disabilities and DSA. Students who wish to make such a request are invited to contact the teacher of the teaching by copying the Contact Person (https://unige.it/commissioni/comitatoperlinclusionedeglistudenticondisabilita.html).