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Welcome to our technology site!
The Graduate Council has established a statement of
technological-literacy expectations for NGCSU’s
graduate students. They are listed below, along
with discussions and links to other resources. We
hope that you will find this page to be helpful.
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By paying your tuition and fees to attend NGCSU, you
automatically obtain a very valuable benefit: access to the
computers in several of NGCSU’s computer laboratories. The
computers in these laboratories are equipped with modern
software—notably, Microsoft Office 2000 (including Word,
Excel, PowerPoint, and Front Page) and Microsoft Internet
Explorer.
You will be
issued a user ID. The user ID has the form of abcdef1234@NGCSU.edu
, where “a” represents the first letter of your first name,
“b” represents the first letter of your middle name, “cdef”
represents the first four letters of your last name, and
“1234” represents the last four digits of
your student identification number. When you log in to an NGCSU computer for
the first time, enter your user ID and leave the password
field empty; you will then be given the opportunity to
create a password. Be sure that it is a password that you
will be able to remember
Statement of Technological Literacy
The NGCSU Graduate Studies Program expects a
sophistication of technology skills from graduate students
for the purposes of communication and scholarly activity.
Therefore, incoming graduate students are expected to have
competency in six basic skills:
• Students should be able to engage in electronic
collaboration using E-mail, E-mail attachments, and
listservs.
Discussion. If you haven’t been drawn
into the late-20th-century and 21st-century
frenzy with inter-institutional, interstate, and
international discussion aboard the Internet, then welcome!
If you haven’t been using E‑mail, then ask your professors,
classmates, co-workers, relatives, and/or friends
(hereinafter referred to as “PCCRFs”) to get you onto
NGCSU’s E‑mail system. Once you are enrolled in an NGCSU
course, the Information and Instructional Technology (IIT)
office automatically creates an E‑mail account with an
E‑mail address for you. Your E‑mail address has this form:
abcdef1234@NGCSU.edu , where “abcdef1234” is your user ID,
as explained above. In creating your new E‑mail account,
IIT will leave the initial password blank. To enter the Web
site on which you will be able to send and receive E‑mail
messages, go to NGCSU’s home page at http://www.NGCSU.edu
and click on the “NGCSU E‑mail” link. Click on the “Student
E‑mail” link. Enter your user ID (just like the
“abcdef1234” formula without the @NGCSU.edu part).
The world of E‑mail will be available to you! If you have a
document, such as a Microsoft Word document, that you would
like the recipient to see, you can “attach” it. If someone
sends you an E‑mail message with an attachment, there will
be a “save” or “open” button that you can use to access the
attachment. Never open an attachment that comes from
somebody whom you don’t know and trust! Some very
inconsiderate Internet users will distribute attachments
that contain harmful items known by such terms as “viruses,”
“worms,” and so forth. If anyone whom you don’t know sends
you an E‑mail message with an attachment, just delete it.
“Listservs” are arrangements in which subscribers can send
E‑mail messages to all of the other subscribers and
receive a message from any subscriber who posts one.
Listservs are established by groups of people with a common
interest. For example, people interested in vintage
automobiles might set up a listserv, and any subscriber with
an interesting comment about vintage automobiles on a given
day can send an E‑mail message to the listserv, with all of
the other subscribers quickly receiving the message. Any of
them can reply to the message, causing all of the other
subscribers to quickly receive the reply.
• Students should be able to create structured electronic
documents using word processing programs and basic Web page
editors.
Discussion.
If you’re still using a typewriter, you’re working much
too hard! Modern computer technology makes creating
documents (letters, term papers, etc.) so easy that older
users of today’s software wonder how they survived when they
had to write papers on typewriters. NGCSU’s preferred
software for creating documents is Microsoft Word 2000. In
the Microsoft Windows environment, Microsoft Word uses
“point-and-click” simplicity that allows you to set margins;
select fonts (such as
Lucida Calligraphy)
and sizes; use boldface, italics, or underscoring; “justify”
lines so that both the left and right margins of the text
are perfectly straight; double or quadruple space; create
columns; and so forth. If you haven’t used Microsoft Word,
go in to an NGCSU computer laboratory and log on to a
computer. Once you’re logged in, click the “Start” key at
the bottom left, select “Programs,” look for “Microsoft
Office,” and select “Microsoft Word.” Click on the menu
names along the top of the screen (such as “File,” “Edit,”
“View,” “Insert”, etc.) and play with the options. If
you’re stuck, chances are that a student sitting near you
will be very happy to get you going (as long as he’s not
writing a term paper that’s due the next morning!)
After you’re
comfortable with word processing using Microsoft Word,
you’ll probably be ready to compose a simple Web page using
Microsoft Front Page. Composing the text of a Front Page
Web page really isn’t much more complicated than composing
the text of a Word document. Inserting graphics and other
novelties may be more challenging. Usually, you can always
find one of those PCCRFs who will help you when you are
experimenting with a new novelty in Front Page.
If you need a
manual for guidance on using Microsoft Word or Microsoft
Front Page, the Stewart Library has, in its reference
section, the Microsoft Office 2000 manual. For assistance,
ask at the reference desk.
• Students should be
able to produce technology-enhanced presentations.
Discussion.
Not that many years ago, if you wanted to have
professional-looking visuals custom-made for a presentation
that you wanted to give, you had to pay substantial amounts
of money to a graphic artist. Today, you can make
custom-made visuals for your presentations for free,
compliments of NGCSU’s computer laboratories. The computers
in the laboratories are equipped with Microsoft
PowerPoint 2000, allowing you to make “slide shows” with
text and graphics of your choice. PowerPoint gives you a
selection of attractive, colorful backgrounds with various
designs that will enhance the theme of your presentation.
Like the other elements of Microsoft Office 2000, PowerPoint
is amazingly easy to use. Many of your PCCRFs can get you
started, or can get you over an obstacle.
• Students should be able to
use appropriate electronic tools for research and employ
wise judgment as to the validity and usefulness of
electronic sources and their content.
Discussion.
Just think: Now that you are able to create Web pages using
Microsoft Front Page, so can everybody else! Because
anyone can upload a Web page, you can imagine how much
nonsense has been placed aboard the Internet. When you use
electronic tools, such as Web sites, for research, it is
essential that you should be judicious in deciding which Web
pages contain reliable information and which ones contain
opinions, speculation, and outright lies. Here are a few
hints: Web sites created by government agencies (those
whose URL addresses have the “.gov” or, for example, the
“.state.ga.us” domain code) have the official backing of the
government. This means that they accurately portray the
policies and perspectives of the government, and are
reliable to that extent. Web sites containing articles that
are “peer-reviewed” (i.e., before being published, the
articles have been scrutinized by referees who are
knowledgeable and trained to recognize responsible
scholarship) are reliable for use in research. When URL
addresses have such domains as “.com”, “.edu”, “.net”, and
so on, remember that a multitude of untrained individuals
have uploaded Web sites with those domains. If you have no
basis on which to evaluate the reliability of a Web site,
it’s usually best to pay little or no attention to it.
Remember, especially, that there are pranksters who derive a
remarkable amount of satisfaction from starting unfounded
rumors: Pay little attention to reports that are posted by
unreliable sources, and do everyone a favor: Don’t
contribute to the spreading of such rumors.
• Students should be familiar with and adhere to major
legal, ethical, and security issues in information
technology such as privacy, copyright, plagiarism, citing
sources, "netiquette," hacking, hoaxes, and viruses.
Discussion. The development of the
Internet is a scientific milestone—and, for that matter, a
social, cultural, economic, and political milestone—in the
history of the human species. A resource of that
significance and power has the capability to be used in a
damaging way, too. One such misuse of the Internet is the
invasion of privacy. This is done in a number of ways; for
example, some clever but misguided individuals will send an
attachment to an individual such that, when the attachment
is opened, it secretly installs a program into the
recipient’s computer that will allow the culprit to obtain
information that is stored in that computer. Such
information could include Social Security numbers, account
numbers, and other data that allow the culprit to raid the
recipient’s bank accounts or to borrow money for which the
recipient will be responsible. Another aspect of the ’Net
is that it makes other people’s work very accessible, so
that visitors to Web sites are tempted to download the
content and utilize it for profit or other benefit without
credit or compensation for the originator. Copyrights work
just as well for material on the Web as for items published
on paper media. The ease of doing the cut-and-paste process
to take the contents of a Web site and reproduce it in a
Microsoft Word document means that a person can plagiarize
large volumes of text instantly, before he even has a chance
to think about what he is doing—and should not be doing! If
you are writing a research paper, and quote—either directly
or indirectly—from a Web site, be sure to include a
citation. If you use a direct quotation, surround the
words in quotation marks!! Because you always need to
use a citation style (such as MLA, APA, or Turabian), you
need to consult the style manual. Any citation will have to
include the author’s name, the title of the work, and the
date, but your style manual may call for other details as
well. If you have questions, ask your professor for
assistance!! “Netizens” (that’s a popular term for avid
Internet users) have developed a code of “netiquette” that
voluntarily regulates how people communicate with each other
so that they avoid misunderstanding. This is analogous to
face-to-face communication, where we have such rules as not
shouting, not giving “dirty looks,” and so on. “Netiquette”
calls on people sending E‑mail messages or other electronic
messages to follow certain conventions, such as not
writing in all capital letters (which is interpreted as
shouting), not burying people in numerous and lengthy
messages that they didn’t request, saying rude things that
they would never say to someone’s face, and so forth. There
are many Web sites that explain “Netiquette”; you can use
any Internet “search engine” (such as the one found at
http://www.google.com ) to find any number of such sites.
“Hacking” occurs when an expert user of computer software is
able to change the content of a Web site owned by someone
else even though he doesn’t have access to the owner’s
computer facilities. Abusive Internet users have “hacked”
into such Web sites as those of the U. S. Department of
Defense, and inserted messages that create consternation for
the agency that actually created the Web site. The
propensity of some individuals to spread false
rumors—hoaxes—through Web sites and other electronic media
was explained above; remember to avoid taking at face value
any Web-site content posted by an individual whose
reliability you can’t verify. Viruses were discussed above,
too: These damaging programs are written by clever
individuals to cause other people’s computers to behave
strangely, even to the point of destroying the content of
the computer’s “memory” devices, including documents and
presentations that you worked so hard to create! Viruses
and similar programs, such as “worms,” have created billions
of dollars in damage to privately owned and organizations’
computers. If you own or are thinking about purchasing a
computer for your home, be sure to purchase an “anti-virus”
software package, and be sure that it’s one that you can
update through contact via the Internet with the
manufacturer’s Web site at frequent intervals (at least once
a week).
In
addition to antivirus protection, individuals should invest
in personal firewall software to protect their computer
resources against non-interactive intrusions. Any computer
connected to the open internet is subject to scans and
probes targeted at identifying communication vulnerabilities
in operating systems and applications. These scans and
probes occur behind the scenes without the user’s
knowledge. They often exploit known vulnerabilities and can
allow unauthorized access to your computer. Firewalls
monitor and alert users to this type of activity and can be
configured to automatically protect your system. Window XP
includes an internal firewall application that can be
configured free of charge. It is also important to enable
the auto-update feature inherent in Windows 2000 and XP.
This feature communicates with Micro Soft via the Internet
to download and install critical updates necessary to
protect and maintain your computer. Finally, restraint and
caution should be used when installing peer to peer or
filesharing applications. Generally used to download and
share multimedia files such as music and videos, these
applications announce to the Internet the location and
accessibility of your computer. If you use your computer
for any type of financial transactions or work that you
consider important, you should never allow the installation
of a file-sharing program. For example, if you had a yard
sale, and you were selling a desk of filing cabinet, would
you leave your tax returns, mortgage statements, credit card
statement, etc inside? This is what file sharing does to
your hard drive, but instead of selling one copy at a yard
sale you are providing millions of copies to people all over
the world.
• Students should have a
working knowledge of computer hardware, software
installation, troubleshooting, and file management.
Discussion. There are owners of
automobiles, televisions, and clothes washers who use those
items, but who have no knowledge of the devices other than
how to turn them on, make them operate, and, if applicable,
to turn them off. But, just as the owner of an automobile
who doesn’t know how to check the oil can end up with an
immobile vehicle, so a computer user ought to consider
becoming acquainted with the contents in the computer’s
tower. Find out about what “chip” controls the other
objects in the computer (one of the most popular chips today
is Intel’s Pentium 4). Become familiar with input/output
devices, such as compact discs (which many computer users
today can fill with documents and data, whereas, just a few
years ago, users could only read from CDs) and DVDs.
Software packages today usually include a CD or DVD, so that
the new owner can install the software by placing the CD or
DVD medium into the appropriate input/output device and
guiding the installation process by answering a few (usually
simple) questions that the software will display on the
screen of your monitor. Here is the most prevalent form of
troubleshooting: If you’re computer doesn’t work, re-boot
(i.e., restart) it. Restarting a computer is the most
common way to solve operational problems. Finally, a
computer user is well advised to become acquainted with good
approaches to “file management.” Without going into the
details of random access and other jargon about computers,
we suggest that you think about computer file management as
you would think about an actual file cabinet. If you throw
documents haphazardly into an actual file cabinet, you will
be challenged later on to find the document that you want at
that time. Microsoft Windows allows you to set up “virtual”
file folders on your various memory devices so that you can
find the documents, presentations, and Web sites that you’ve
created without too much difficulty later on.
NGCSU now offers computer
repair and support in the Student Help Desk Center located
in NOC 108, Mon. – Thurs. 1pm – 5pm and Friday 1pm – 4pm.
Although these proficiencies are common expectations of all
programs in Graduate Studies, individual programs may have
other expectations. To acquire technological literacy,
students may enroll in basic computer science courses
available through NGCSU’s Office of Public Services or its
undergraduate programs.
Conclusion. NGCSU has some good courses
to help you learn about computers, and we gladly recommend
them! There are also books on the subject, helpful Web
sites, and, of course, the very helpful PCCRFs to which we
referred in the discussions above. We suggest: Use
these resources! As a professional or a soon-to-be
professional, you don’t want to be a casualty on the
Information Superhighway. Computer technology increases the
efficiency and effectiveness of employees, including
professionals. If you’re a teacher or a soon-to-be teacher,
you need to stay ahead of your students. Take the
opportunity to learn how to be a capable user of modern
technology. |
