Instructional Computing

Impact of OER Materials on Student Grades in a Coding Course

Submitted by Tim McMichael on

The rising costs of textbooks may be a barrier to student access, and most of those books are not well-suited for CIS150AB students. Traditional textbook authors approach coding from a Computer Science perspective, which doesn’t quite align with the occupational nature of CIS150AB. And while technical reading is a critical skill for professional programmers, the depth of these textbooks results in large chapters that may be intimidating to students.

Early Registration Advising/Class Selection Module

Submitted by Polly Miller on

Objective: To ensure students are on track for completion in their certificate or degree pathway program, students meet with their advisor, either virtually or in person, to do the following:

  1. review progress of degree or certificate pathway
  2. determine classes to register for for the next semester
  3. ensure student is on track to complete in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
  4. identify a program of study if you have not already done so

Assignment Requirements:

Practice Makes Not Quite Perfect But Heading Towards Improvement

Submitted by Brigitte Robinson on

EMCC has determined that communication is important and thus, included this skill on the EMCC General Education Abilities Matrix.  CIS105 has a module in which PowerPoint is taught, primarily focusing on the technological side of creating a presentation and how to incoporate the different technological aspects of the program.  Time was spent discussing not only the technology of presentations, but the delivery side as well incorporating the EMCC matric indicators.  Based upon the results of the mid-term presentation data, instruction/feedback will continue on the importance o

Creating Campus Clients to "Make It Real"

Submitted by James Heinrich on

Applying course content to real world experience so students understand why they are learning an applicable skill. Although using desktop publishing programs such as Adobe InDesign is a critical skill expected in many graphic design occupations, few students understand what desktop publishing is or how important it is. I wanted my EMCC students to experience the "scratch and sniff" effects of producing and publishing print products. So, when I first taught Adobe InDesign in Fall 2016, I arranged for my students to create print products for the Career and Transfer Center.

Sharing a note-taking document with the instructor can provide students multiple opportunities to measure their own learning progress.

Submitted by Rudy Aguilar on

Taking organized notes while learning both drafting and a software program, AutoCAD, helps with retention.  Notes will also be an integral part of the way we will communicate.  Students will use Google Docs. They will add notes of important drafting and drawing tips to remember later.  Usually as learning takes place, questions arise.  They can ask questions with a note or add a reminder to ask something later.  During Grade Checks this semester, students will share their notes with the instructor.

It's All About Scaffolding - But, You Knew That!

Submitted by Valerie Akuna on

To get the best image quality from a digital camera, you need to shoot in camera raw (.dng).  Raw files contain more detail compared to a jpg file.  I'd shown before and after images to my Photoshop class, and demonstrated how to use Camera Raw but students tended to accept the image basically as it stood.  

Narrated camtasia videos as instructional materials in online CIS121AI

Submitted by Jim Nichols on

Narrated instructional and demonstration videos were develped for online class CIS121AI - Macintosh Operating System. This CATS will make observations regarding the effectiveness of this apporach during the pilot semester of the online course and determine what improvements, if any, are necessary.

Effectiveness of MST157DB

Submitted by James Wolfe on

In this CATS, I will attempt to assess the effectiveness of the newly created online class, MST157DB. This process will measure the students’ progress by administering a 10 question quiz in the first week of class on various key topics covered over the length of the semester. In the final week, I will once again administer the same quiz. The quizzes will be compared to ascertain if learning has indeed occurred.

Final Project options

Submitted by display_name_fallback on

CIS263AA is an advanced Java programming class. It includes a review of concepts from the prerequisite course, covers many topics in much more depth, and introduces advanced topics. In lieu of a final exam, I wanted students to apply the program development process and create a substantial application. Since this is also the final course in the sequence, I wanted to squeeze in as much content as possible, especially in areas that apply to a student's major or interests--security, networking, simulation/modeling, business, etc.

Thinking Through Programming

Submitted by display_name_fallback on

Programming assignments traditionally involve some problem analysis, algorithm design, and typing/testing code. While designing a new Level II course, I wanted to provide for a different way of thinking about problems and to integrate real-world context. I developed a two-part assignment on secure coding for database applications, specifically teaching students about SQL-injection attacks and how to defend against them. Instead of giving students a paragraph-long program description, I provided a couple of articles and links

A look at Active Directory

Submitted by Kris Peters on

After reading chapter 4, Introduction to Active Directory and Account Management, students will install Active Directory and Delegate controls through web-based labs.  The labs will walk them through multiple steps including installation, configuration and the administration of elements within Active Directory. 

CIS 105: Exam Assessment

Submitted by Meha Trivedi on

In CIS105, we offer common exams across all sections.   This assessment involves 5 chapters from the book. The teaching styles include:  class activities, lectures, reading assignments, videos, pre-quiz review in the classroom. The student is asked to take an open-book, multiple-choice, true-false quiz per chapter.   At the end of those 5 chapters, there is a combined multiple-choice, true-false Unit Test.