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COMP 200 is a three-credit course designed for Computer Science majors and professionals. For anyone interested in pursuing a Computer Science beginner course but who is not a Computer Science major, it is not recommended for you to take this course. Instead, you should try COMP 210 or COMP 214. The course has no pre-requisites, but if students are concerned about the course, they are encouraged to contact the course coordinator before enrolling.
Who and Why You Should Take This Course
For anyone who is interested in computer science, potentially looking to change careers, or simply looking to gain more knowledge about computing and information systems, this is the course for you! This course offers the basic and important computer science and information systems knowledge suitable for everyone. It is also the perfect course to help you determine if you wish to major in Computer Science. Upon taking the course, I fell in love with Computer Science, and knew that this would be the field I would specialize in. I also learned so much about computers and programming that I found extremely helpful at work. This course not only helped me discover my interest in computer science, but also helped me determine what Computer Science field I would like to specialize in.
Given the increasing demand for programmers, software developers/engineers and the increasingly important role that tech plays in our daily lives, if you are wondering whether to pursue a certificate, diploma, degree or simply take a few courses in Computer Science, I highly recommend you doing so! You will find that having knowledge about computing/information systems is helpful regardless of what work you are doing and even in your daily lives.
Course, Assignment, Midterm and Final Exam Details
Introduction to Computing and Information Systems is a beginner course and consists of six units with six quizzes that are open book and each worth two percent. There are also six assignments for this course each worth three percent. There are three projects each worth ten percent and are designed to give students a hands-on experience. The course does not have any midterms, but there is a closed book online final exam worth 30%. Conference participation is also marked in this class, worth a total of ten percent.
The quizzes are open book and fully multiple choice. The goal of the quizzes is to check student’s knowledge of textbook readings. The assignments are written and require students to complete questions from the textbook. Students have the flexibility to select their own questions from each chapter. Overall, the quizzes and written assignments are relatively short and simple to complete.
The three projects on the other hand, require a bit more time to complete. The first project gives students the first-hand experience with programming, the second project requires designing a database, and the last project is designing database queries. The three projects are a great chance for students to determine their interests (or areas they do not like) and help them determine their specializations for their Computer Science program.
For the conference participation, students are required to answer textbook questions in the forum on Moodle or complete an assigned activity. Students are also required to respond to other student’s answers in the forums.
The final exam is a closed book online exam and is fully multiple choice. It covers the entire course material.
Student Tips
Assignments
From my personal experience, the quizzes and assignments are relatively quick and easy to complete. However, remember that the quizzes and assignments are designed to test your general knowledge. Whereas the projects are the ones where you will spend more time researching and problem solving. For quizzes, I highly recommend making short notes and having the textbook open and only referring to the textbook if needed. For the assignments, if you read through the textbook, it should relatively straightforward. The projects will require more time and individual research. I highly recommend going to the forums if you are unsure where to start. Many past students put valuable feedback and links that will be helpful for you.
Final Exam
For the final exam, I recommend using Quizlet to study for the exam or cue cards, as the course consists of a lot of memorization and definitions. Once you feel ready, I recommend constantly practicing the quizzes and the sample final exam until you feel you can answer all the questions. I personally did this myself and found myself very comfortable in the exam. Thus far, this course has been my highest mark.
Tips from Course Coordinator and TAs
When I took this course, this was my very first AU course. I was a bit nervous and worried how I would tackle an online course as all my previous University courses were done in person. I did not hesitate to reach out to my TA who gave me valuable advice and feedback. Since this is a beginner course, students will find an overwhelming amount of material they do not understand, and this is perfectly normal. It will take reviewing the content more than once to fully grasp the material. If you are struggling with the material or certain concepts, please do not hesitate to contact your TA or search on Google/YouTube and watch a video. Practicing is also important and using Quizlet or cue cards are very helpful for this course as there is a lot of content to memorize. When preparing for the final exam, make sure to time yourself to ensure you do not go over the time limit.
Questions?
If you have any further questions regarding the course, please do not hesitate to contact the Course Coordinator at fst_success@athabascau.ca. Happy computing!
