COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course covers basic design principles, desktop publishing fundamentals, document planning & layout, specific design tools, and Web publishing.  Students will create interesting and useful desktop publishing projects with desktop publishing/photo-editing software.  The application of design principles and layout will also be applied to presentations.  Teamwork skills are taught through the use of team projects.  Computer skills are reinforced through the use of lab assignments and projects.

PREREQUISITES:

CIS 1013 Information Systems I

OBJECTIVES/COMPETENCIES

The objectives below, along with others determined by individual students, will be demonstrated through satisfactory performance on assignments/tests and through participation in class discussions. Expectations for each assignment will be explained well in advance of due dates.

1. The student will develop and demonstrate critical thinking skills by researching, compiling, organizing, and using information to create desktop publishing documents.
2. The student will develop and demonstrate effective written and oral communication skills by participating in class discussions and writing copy for publications.
3. The student will develop and demonstrate effective problem solving skills.
4. The student will demonstrate college-level demeanor both within and outside the classroom by attending class, following procedures, and taking responsibility for all work assigned.
5. The student will show sensitivity in everyday relationships based on a fuller understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity by working well with staff and other students.
6. The student will acquire and demonstrate discipline specific knowledge and skills:
   1. Recognize and utilize the basic principles of good design in printed media.
   2. Plan, create, edit, view, save, and print desktop publishing (dtp) documents.
   3. Use text styles, formats, and editing features of the software.
   4. Enhance dtp documents with design elements, color, fonts.
   5. Create flyers, newsletters, brochures, business forms, and other typical dtp documents.
   6. Merge an address list with a main publication document
   7. Create and work with drawing objects, photos, and other design elements.
   8. Import/export text and objects from the office suite applications to a document
   9. Create and manage layers in a digital PhotoShop document.
   10. Retouch and adjust common problems in digital photographs.
   11. Add text and shapes to digital photographs.
   12. Create, edit, and print composite photos in PhotoShop Elements.
   13. Create a PDF slideshow and a Web Photo Gallery Site.

REQUIRED BOOKS AND MATERIALS

1. Microsoft® Publisher 2003:Complete Concepts & Techniques Shelly Cashman Series, Thomson Course Technology Publisher
2. Introductory Adobe Photoshop CS2 Basics by Morse, Morse, Uibel, and Barksdale, Thomson Course Technology Publisher
3. The Non-Designers Design Book, by Robin Williams, PeachPit Press
4. USB Drive (Flash Disk) for data storage (as large as you can afford! Min=512 mb)
5. 2 – 3 inch binder for portfolio (with clear front pocket for inserting your own cover)
6. Box of sheet protectors for portfolio
7. Divider Sheets or Plastic Divider Tabs for portfolio

ATTENDANCE

Punctual attendance is expected of all students.  You are expected to attend every class meeting of this course; your absences will be recorded.  Excessive absences will be reported and may affect your financial aid.  I also expect students to be prepared for class and to participate in class discussion when appropriate.  Since we have a lot of material to cover, I expect you to be punctual, in your seat, and ready to work when class begins.

 If it is necessary to miss a class, it is your responsibility to determine what material was discussed and what will be expected prior to the next class meeting.  Frequently, you will be asked to open a file from your disk that was keyed during the previous class meeting.  Any work keyed on the computer during the missed class must be on your flash disk before the next class meeting.  “I was absent last time” is not an excuse for not having the work on your disk.  I maintain this web site with posted assignments, due dates, and announcements. You may access this site at http://res.npcc.edu/Lstanley  You may also access the site through the NPCC home page (www.npcc.edu). Click on Staff, Faculty Homepages, and follow the link to the Linda Stanley web site.

AUDITING POLICY

Students auditing a course will be wait-listed until the first day of class and then will be registered on a space-available basis. Students auditing will pay all tuition and fees associated with the course. Since no grade is assigned for this audit (visitor) status, it will not transfer to another college or university, it will not qualify a student for Pell Grant or Veteran’s benefits, and it will not be listed on the college’s transcript or count toward full-time status. A registered student may change from an audit status to a grade status only during the specified period of late registration. Once instruction begins, no student may change from a grade basis to an audit status.

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Read your textbook(s) before class.
2. Computer homework is assigned to instruct, reinforce, and supplement learning.  Computer skills are learned by hands-on practice.  If you wish to be successful in this course, you must complete assigned homework.  Homework assignments must be turned in at the beginning of the class period on the due date unless the instructor indicates otherwise.  Print your homework before class, or it will be considered late.  No late homework is accepted without prior instructor permission.
3. Homework must be assembled in the proper sequence with one staple in the left corner or points will be deducted from the homework grade.
4. Complete as much work as possible during class time after demonstrations have been completed by the instructor.
5. An open lab in the Computer Resource Center is available for you to use.  You are expected to comply with all policies and procedures posted in the Computer Resource Center.

 EVALUATION

1. Students can expect to take 4 unit tests and 1 Final Exam.  You can expect 4 unit tests as follows:

                        Microsoft Publisher      Test 1                              
                        Design Principles          Test 2                        
                        Adobe Photoshop          Test 3                       
                        Adobe Photoshop          Test 4                       

2. The final exam will consist of a professional portfolio of your work. Portfolio expectations will be shared early in the semester so that you can begin collecting documents for inclusion. On my web site, you will find the grading criteria for the portfolio so that you know what is expected.
3. If you miss a unit test, the test may be made up on Make-Up Day (at the end of the semester)  The instructor will schedule and announce Make-Up Day at least 2 weeks in advance.  If you miss Make-Up Day, you will receive a zero (0) for any tests to be made up.  Students will not be allowed to make up the final portfolio.
4. Homework is due at the beginning of the class period.  Credit will be given for each homework assignment.  If a student fails to submit homework, a zero is recorded for that assignment.  No late homework will be accepted without prior approval from the instructor.  No homework score will be dropped.
5. Weights:

                Unit Tests................................ ............................... 50% of final grade
                Homework................................ ............................... 40% of final grade
                Desktop Publishing Professional Portfolio... 10% of final grade

                     93 – 100                    A
                85 – 92                     B
                75 – 84                     C
                65 – 74                     D

SPECIAL NEEDS

Students requiring special services or equipment should speak with the instructor about the individual need within the first two weeks of the semester.

ADA POLICY

National Park Community College is committed to providing educational opportunities to all qualified individuals, and in doing so, complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which states that no qualified person shall, because of their disability, be denied access to, participation in, or the benefits of any program or activity operated by the College.  Students having questions about accessibility or requesting reasonable accommodations as indicated in the ADA or Section 504 should contact Ms. Audrey Smelser in Student Services.

STUDENT CONDUCT

1. Students are expected to uphold the school’s standard of conduct relating to academic honesty.  Students assume full responsibility for the content and integrity of the academic work they submit.  Any student violating the honor code is subject to receiving a zero for the assignment/test or a failing grade for the course.  I will report the incident to the Vice President for Student Services.  Students shall be guilty of violating the honor code if they:

                a. Represent the work of others as their own
                b. Use or obtain unauthorized assistance in any academic work
                c. Give unauthorized assistance to other students
                d. Misrepresent the content of submitted work

2. All cell phones/pagers are to be turned off or set to vibrate during class. In addition, please remove headphones/earbuds during class. You are in class to learn desktop publishing, not to entertain yourself with music etc...
3. No smoking, eating, or drinking is permitted in any computer classroom.
4. No children are allowed in this or any other classroom at any time.

MSDN ACADEMIC ALLIANCE

Software through the MSDN Academic Alliance is available to all Business Division students.  You may download various Microsoft applications such as operating systems, Access, and Visio to a CD or you may purchase the software on a CD from Microsoft for approximately $10.  If you choose to download files, preferably to a designated computer in the Computer Center, you will then burn the files to a CD that you furnish.

To receive rights to this software, send an e-mail from your NPCC e-mail account to msdn@npcc.edu after the eleventh day of the semester.  E-mails from accounts other than a NPCC account will not be accepted.  You will have this option until approximately the fifth week of the semester.  If you are enrolled in a late-start class, specific dates will be given on the first day of your class.

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Office Location                      Business Faculty Office Building, #215
                                              Office hours are posted on my door & on this web site
Phone:                                    501-760-4322 (if unavailable, leave a message on voice mail)
E-mail:                                    Lstanley@npcc.edu
Web site:                                http://res.npcc.edu/Lstanley

IMPORTANT DATES

July 9               Classes begin
Aug 3                Last day to drop classes with a grade of "W"
Aug 9                Last day of classes
Aug 10              FINAL EXAM

Disclaimer
The above schedule, policies, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances or by mutual agreement between me, the instructor, and you, the students.