A Second Course in Computing for Non-Majors

信息将是21世纪王国的钱币，学习定位、评价、利用和传播信息将是大学任务的核心。在过去，只有一些理工科学生需要广泛的高级计算机技能。然而，在现在，以及未来越来越多的情况下，熟练掌握计算环境将成为学术和商业成功的决定性因素。我们为非计算机专业开设的第一门课程是由美国国家科学基金会（NSF）和教育部（Department of Education）联合赞助的，非常成功。作为这门课程的延续，我们提议开设第二门课程，重点关注数据和信息的获取和呈现。对于数据采集，本课程使学生对互联网有较高的掌握程度。为了信息的呈现，学生将掌握多媒体创作系统。本课程的互联网部分侧重于以下主题：什么是互联网，什么不是。在互联网上提供各种领域的教学和研究资源。在哪里找到附加信息。通过Gopher， Archie， Veronica浏览互联网。WAIS和WWW。电子邮件，FTP， Telnet和列表服务器。使用USENET，在学院设立和维护的互联网节点上建立新闻组和IRC。本课程的多媒体部分使用来自Asymetrix Corp.的Toolbook环境，并侧重于：如何用热键和按钮构造简单的“书”。如何创建多页分支书。如何创建运动和动画。如何设计和创建超文本系统。如何设计和制作交互式多媒体。如何在Toolbook中编写复杂的多媒体应用程序。

Information will be the coin of the realm in the 21st century, and learning to locate, evaluate, utilize, and disseminate it will be at the very center of the University's mandate. In the past, only some science and engineering students needed extensive high level computing skills. However now, and increasingly in the future, fluency with computational environments will be a decisive factor in both academic and commercial success. As a sequel to our highly successful first course for non-computer majors, whose development was sponsored jointly by NSF and the Department of Education, we propose to develop a second course which focuses on the acquisition and presentation of data and information. For data acquisition, the course gives the students high level mastery of the internet. For the presentation of information students will master a multimedia authoring system. The Internet segment of the course focusses on the following topics: . What is the Internet and what is it not . Resources available on the Internet for teaching and research in various fields. Where to locate additional information. . Navigating the Internet via Gopher, Archie, Veronica . WAIS and WWW. . email, FTP, Telnet and List servers . Using USENET, setting up news groups and IRC on an Internet node set up and maintained at the College. The multimedia segment of the course uses the Toolbook environment from Asymetrix Corp. and focusses on: . how to construct simple "books" with hot keys and buttons . how to create multi-page branching books . how to create motion and animation . how to design and create hypertext systems . how to design and create interactive multi-media . how to program sophisticated multimedia applications within Toolbook.