COMG-162 Introduction to Operating Systems

Credits 2 / 2 Contact Hours
Pre-requisite: Placement into ACRD 080 . Note: Students must provide their own storage device and audio (ear buds).
This class will introduce students to the purpose, functions, and features of various operating systems. Students will also be exposed to both graphical (GUI) and command line (CLI) interfaces.

Course Outcomes
Explain the purpose of an operating system, comparing and contrasting various categories.

Learning Objectives

Explain the progression of instructions from user, through application, to operating system, ending at hardware action.
Compare and contrast various operating system categories, and give specific examples.
Summarize (generally) the development of various desktop operating systems.

Performance Standards

Student will identify the order in which commands go from user to hardware.
Student will research and share information about certain OS categories and specific examples of those operating systems.
Student will match operating system versions and features.

Explain the purpose of typical components (features) of an operating system.

Learning Objectives

Distinguish desktop- and tablet-style modes, features, and operations.
Recognize and manipulate system features using appropriate configuration screens and options.

Performance Standards

Student will access/use computer features in both desktop and tablet modes.
Student will set and modify various computer features and settings using the appropirate configuration methods.

Use file management features (folder/directory hierarchical structure, file naming, local, network, and cloud storage locations, etc.).
Learning Objectives

Use file management features (folder/directory hierarchical structure, file naming, local, network, and cloud storage locations, etc.).
Demonstrate the application of a hierarchical folder structure.
Describe, justify, and use a variety of local, network, and cloud storage locations.
Use organizational features to manipulate view of files: view types, sort, group, filter, metadata, etc.
Use search parameters efficiently (simple and advanced).

Performance Standards

Student will match terms, features, and their purposes.
Student will create an appropriate hierarchical folder structure given a specific scenario.
Student will save files in a variety of locations given a specific scenario.
Student will display files meeting specified parameters in a given scenario.
Student will display files meeting specified search parameters in a given scenario.

Describe and apply OS security and safe password techniques.

Learning Objectives

Explain the importance and methods of protecting the computer via Operating System software.
Describe various safe password techniques.
Apply privacy, security, and password techniques to other applications (such as browsers and email).

Performance Standards

Student will set/change firewall and other OS-specific security features.
Student will identify or create safe passwords using a variety of techniques.
Student will locate and set/change safety and privacy features in other apps (such as browsers and email).

Use simple command line interface functions, including scripting/shell features.

Learning Objectives

Distinguish GUI and command line (CLI) access methods and the advantages of each.
Demonstrate methods of accessing a terminal or console screen.
Indicate features of commands, including delimiters and switches or arguments.
Explain the purpose and basic procedure for a shell/script file.

Performance Standards

Student will match features with methods.
Student will identify advantages of each approach.
Student will follow directions to access the terminal or console screen.
Student will use simple command line commands, with simple switches.
Student will follow instructions to create and run a simple shell/script file