BUSINESS COMPUTING 109A – Keyboarding Speed & Accuracy

WINDOWS and MAC OSX+ 1.5 Units

You DO NOT need the software for the Internet class—be sure to do your work online so I can see it. If I don’t see your work online I will think you aren’t doing anything and you may be dropped from class.

TEXTBOOK and SUPPLIES’ INFORMATION

TEXTBOOK:
SKILLBUILDING MASTERY ON THE COMPUTER
Author: Barbara Ellsworth (It comes shrink-wrapped with a CD.)

• After you open your textbook, behind the CD is a registration number. It will be asked for when you open your data file. This is a one-time use only registration number, so there is no buy-back honored by the bookstore.
• There is a PowerPoint demo on the CD that will demonstrate your course to you. The first thing you should do is watch the demo so you won’t have questions. There is software on the CD for practice in the future if you desire—You DO NOT need the software for the Internet class.
• Purchase the textbook/disk from the Coastline Community College bookstore.

INSTRUCTOR/LAB INFORMATION

Instructor: Margaret “Marg” Taylor
Office: Coastline College/Distance Learning
Office Phone: 714.241.6209, Ext. 17320
E-mail: mtaylor@coastline.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays at Distance Learning office or by phone. Every day by e-mail

Computer Lab Hours for Coastline Community College:

You may complete your assignments using one of the college’s computer labs. Please call 714.241.6209, Ext. 0, during the first two weeks of class to find out the lab hours.

Go to www.coastline.edu for directions to these computer centers.

COURSE INSIGHTS

Prerequisites: NONE

An advanced keyboarding course designed to increase typing speed and accuracy to employable levels of 50+ wpm

Watch the demo on your CD for your course before you start. You will not need this CD to complete your coursework.

Put the CD into your computer; wait … it should load automatically. Click on the tab for your course and watch the PowerPoint demo--Just sit back and relax and have the whole course explained and demonstrated for you. It is about 25 minutes. It will save you a lot of time later because you won’t have questions about the course. If you don’t have PowerPoint installed on your computer, there is a PowerPoint Viewer on the CD that you can install on your computer and view the presentation through that.

You can go back and practice earlier assignments as often as you wish. However, I advise you to meet your speed and accuracy goal for each exercise before going on to the next one.

ON COMPLETING ASSIGNMENTS:

There is nothing for you to mail or hand in. Your instructor will be able to view your Progress and Grade Reports from the Internet; therefore, you won’t have to turn anything in. Don’t procrastinate getting started and be sure you finish the course within the time allotted. This is an 8-week course.

At the end of your course, when you have completed all the lessons, check your Final Grade Report. If you are not satisfied with the grade, you may redo any exercises to improve your grade. A higher score on a timing will replace the lower score on your Progress Report, which will improve the grade on your grade report.

COURSE DESCRIPTION/COMPETENCIES

Catalog Description—Must know keyboard and have the desire to increase keyboarding speed and improve accuracy. Emphasis on keyboarding techniques and skill development through prescribed drills and timed writings. Transfer credit: CSU – Graded or credit option. 1 unit

Skillbuilding Mastery On The Computer is an advanced keyboarding course designed to increase typing speed and accuracy to employable levels of 50+ wpm. This course has been field tested and adopted by the U.S. Government, Dept. of Labor, National Office of the Job Corps. It is a suggested text in its list of courses in the Clerical curriculum. It is appropriate for High School, and adult-College-University.

This is a self-paced course and students are encouraged to meet the speed and accuracy goals in each exercise before continuing on to the next one. Students will have 15-second, 30-second, and 1-5 minute timings. All of the 1-5 minute timings are taken from the best Human Relations books. While taking timings students learn how to handle irate customers, read tips on being an effective speaker, learn how to get people to like you, learn how to handle mistakes, how to be successful, the need to be understanding and sensitive to other’s feelings and needs, etc. There are 517 timed exercises that are automatically scored, and those that meet the accuracy rate are recorded to the Progress Report. There are five proofreading exercises to teach proofreading skills. All the alphabetic, punctuation, numeric, and symbol keys are covered with timings.

Prerequisite? Students keying approximately 32-35 wpm by touch, without looking at the keys, are prepared to take this course. Students keying in less than that would do better to use the Keyboarding—Short Course first to quickly bring their speed/accuracy to a level that would ensure success in this course. With the short course, set a goal of 40 wpm for each exercise and complete at least sixteen lessons. If you do that, you will be prepared to do well in Skillbuilding Mastery.

When you take the TOUR of Skillbuilding Mastery, you can take the Course Entry timing to establish your present speed and accuracy. When you take the course and practice the exercises, set your goal so it is challenging. If you are already typing 50 wpm, increase the grading scale in the Setup to 60 wpm and have 60 wpm as your goal for each exercise in each lesson. When you finish the course, you may take the Course Exit timing. Your Course Entry score, Course Exit score, and your Improvement will appear on the Grade Report.

Progress and Grade reports are calculated automatically. Progress Reports are viewed on the screen and can be printed. The Brief Progress Report shows the best score for each exercise that meets the accuracy standard, and the lesson average for each completed lesson. If printed Grade Reports are desired for a classroom situation, the Current Grade Report option averages completed lessons and compares it to the grading scale entered in the Setup. It is available at any time throughout the course to help students evaluate their progress toward their goal. This may also be used as a mid-term grade, or as an objective evaluation for a student-parent-teacher conference. The Final Grade Report contains the final grade to be recorded for the course. If a student wishes to improve the final grade, he/she consults the Progress Report to see which exercises need improvement and more practice. A new Final Grade Report may be instantly obtained that includes the improved scores.

Skillbuilding Mastery is a course that has many special features designed for teaching and learning. Very briefly, these course features are:

• NO PAPERS TO GRADE
• Self-Paced
• Individualized
• Competency Based
• Instant Feedback
• Progress Reports
• Grade Reports
• Motivating
• Practice and Raise Previous Scores

How much time does the course take? This will always vary depending upon the person doing the practice. The number of lessons assigned can also influence the amount of time taken to complete the course. This course is better utilized in a quarter or semester format, from 12-15 weeks. Generally speaking, the more time you have to practice, the higher the goal can be. Students need time to practice to achieve higher goals. If the time is shortened, the wpm goal should be lowered too.

GRADING INFORMATION

This course can be taken for a letter grade, or as credit option. There are two sections that have different beginning dates. Be sure you sign up for the section you want. If you get registered in the wrong section, you only have one week to drop/add into the correct section number.

The grade is generated from the Grade Report on the student’s program. The course standards are:

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION, GUIDELINES AND POLICIES

ATTENDANCE:
Work may be completed anywhere your computer is or at the computer lab at the Costa Mesa Center or the Garden Grove Center.

WITHDRAWAL/REFUND POLICY:
A student who has officially registered assumes the responsibility for completing each course in which she or he has registered. If a student withdraws from a course, it is the student's responsibility to officially notify the Admissions office by calling the touch-tone telephonic system at (714) 438-8250.

The following policies apply when dropping a class:

1. No transcript entry will be made on the transcript for students who officially withdraw prior to the end of the fourth week of the term for full-semester classes (including television and independent study courses), the second week of the term for eight-week classes, and 30 percent of the class for all other courses.
2. A "W" grade will be assigned for students who officially withdraw prior to the end of the twelfth week of the term for full-semester classes (including television and independent study courses), the sixth week of the term for eight-week classes, and 75 percent of the class for all other courses.

NOTE: Failure to withdraw under one of the conditions described above will result in either an NC or F grade on the official college transcript.

CHEATING:
Cheating is described in the student handbook or calendar. All students are responsible for doing their own work.

PHYSICAL OR LEARNING DISABILITIES:
I would like all my students to know that I am willing to make reasonable accommodations for such disabilities. Please see me to discuss your special needs.

COMMENTS ON COURSE/ASSIGNMENT OUTLINE

KEEP A GRADE REPORT ON HAND FOR AN EMPLOYER:

It would be a good idea to keep an extra copy of your Final Progress and Grade Report to show an employer when you apply for a job.