OVERVIEW

Computer skills have become a necessity in the working world and in normal daily activities. This teaching will address the applied aspects of computer science aimed at providing students with theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the use of computer and productivity software.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The objective is to provide the students with a set of knowledge and skills in the field of information technology to support them in both academic path and professional activity. The course aims to provide theoretical and applicative knowledge for the understanding and use of computers and computer networks, and for the advanced use of productivity software.   

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching is organized to provide a common set of knowledge and skills for students of both the Program in Modern Languages and Cultures (LCM - 6 cfu) and Theories and Techniques of Interlingual Mediation (TTMI -3 cfu), and specific skills for LCM students.

At the end of the course, students in the two Programs 
- will have acquired a basic set of knowledge about information and communication technologies (ICT), computer security, and text coding, with a focus on linguistic aspects.
- will have acquired an adequate vocabulary to describe digital tools that are in use in the work environment 
- will have acquired professional skills in the use of application tools for personal productivity, which the student will use at different points in the course of training and later in professional activity.
Specifically:
- skills in processing structured documents using advanced text editing features
- skills in designing effective presentations using features for structuring and animating presentations.

In addition, LCM students will have acquired 
- skills in using spreadsheets to manage and analyze data, create graphs, and use formulas to perform operations on data 

TEACHING METHODS

Blended course composed of in class (6 hours) and online (30 hours) learning activities. Online lessons and activities are delivered through the AulaWeb learning platform.

Lessons will be held in the second semester

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The teaching is divided into four macro-topics. The first theoretical part will be complemented by three parts aimed at providing professional skills in the use of the main personal productivity software (Microsoft Office suite). Special attention will be paid, both at the theoretical and application level, to language-related IT aspects. The last of the macro-topics is reserved for LCM students for whom the teaching of Computer Science requires the acquisition of 6 credits (CFU). 

Theory: introduction to computer architecture, information coding, text coding and multilingual writing, computer networks and the Internet, the Web, computer security, methods and tools for translation support.

Word processing: types of word processing applications, basic word processing concepts, formatting characters and paragraphs; tabs and alignment; bulleted and numbered lists; document formatting, margins, headers and footers; tables; styles; templates; insertion of special content: images, figures, symbols and formulas, indexes and summaries.

Presentation programs: general presentation techniques and principles; introduction to presentation programs; structure of a presentation; structure of a slide; animations.

Spreadsheets: introduction to Spreadsheets; inserting and formatting values (numbers, currencies, percentages and dates); operations and functions on values, sorting, relative and absolute references in Microsoft Excel and their use in formulas; associating names with values or ranges; automatic generation, import and export of data; generation and manipulation of graphs.

Detailed syllabus and materials are available on the course page on AulaWeb. 

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Suggested textbook:

"ICT e società dell'informazione" di Chiara Frigerio, Fabio Maccaferri, Federico Rajola, MC Graw Hill, 2023

Other textbook in Italian

- "Informatica di base", a cura di A. Marengo, A. Pagano,  McGraw-Hill Education, 2021.

Only topics that are included in the online videos and slides on AulaWeb are to be considered for the exam.

Textbook and readings are the same for both attending and non-attending students.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

ILARIA TORRE (President)

GIANNA REGGIO

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Lessons will start the first week of the second semester. The dates of in class lessons will be published on the webpage of the course on the AulaWeb platform.

Class schedule

COMPUTER SCIENCE A

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists of a quiz including a practical test

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The examination consists of a TEST consisting of questions differentiated according to the Course of Study (LCM or TTMI). 

1) Questions on the theory part are common to all students; 
2) Questions on application software involve a practical test at the same time and are differentiated by Course of Study.

The questions on the application software have a format similar to that of the exercises that students have to perform in view of obtaining the Skills Badge, which is mandatory in order to take the exam. 

Full details are provided on the course page on AulaWeb.

Note: It is possible to take the same test in different exames within the same exam SESSION as long as you have achieved a score of at least 10/30 in the first exam. 

FURTHER INFORMATION

This course is split in fraction A and B, based on the last name of the student. The teachers are the same for both A and B fractions.

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructors and with Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.