HURIDOCS Portal

From: "HURIDOCS" <info@huridocs.org>

Subject: Computer Science: Free Course

Date: 2007-10-25 09:10

COMPUTER SCIENCE:  FREE COURSE:
Understanding Computers and the Internet
 
Harvard Extension School's Computer Science E-1: Understanding Computers and
the Internet
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~cscie1/  
 
In English, Chinese or Turkish.
 
This course is all about understanding: understanding what's going on inside
your computer when you flip on the switch, why tech support has you
constantly rebooting 
your computer, how everything you do on the Internet can be watched by
others, and how your computer can become infected with a worm just by
turning it on. In this course we demystify computers and the Internet, along
with their jargon, so that students understand not only what they can do
with each but also how it all works and why. Students leave this course
armed with a new vocabulary and equipped for further exploration of
computers and the Internet. Topics include hardware, software, the
Internet, multimedia, security, website development, programming, and
dotcoms. This course is designed both for those with little, if any,
computer experience and for those who use a computer every day.
 
 
Lectures
 
Lecture 1: Hardware. Computation. Overview. Bits and bytes. ASCII.
Processors. Motherboards: buses, connectors, ports, slots, and sockets.
Memory: ROM, RAM, and cache.
Available in Flash, MP3 and QuickTime formats, along with jargon, slides,
and transcript in PDF.
 
Lecture 2: Hardware, Continued. Secondary storage: floppy disks, hard disks
(PATA and SATA), CDs, and DVDs. Virtual Memory. Expansion buses and cards:
AGP, ISA,
PCI, PCI Express, and SCSI. I/O devices. Peripherals. How to shop for a
computer. History. Available in Flash, MP3 and QuickTime formats, along with
jargon, slides,
and transcript in PDF.
 
Lecture 3: Software . It's the first of two movie nights for Computer
Science E-1! A look at "how modern day visionaries Bill Gates and Steve Jobs
changed the world" by way of Pirates of Silicon Valley, a dramatization of
the history of Microsoft Corporation and Apple Computer, Inc. Not available.
 
Lecture 4: The Internet. Networks: clients and servers, peer-to-peer, LANs
and WLANs, the Internet, and domains. Email: addresses; IMAP, POP and SMTP;
netiquette; spam; emoticons; snail mail; and listservs. SSH. The World Wide
Web: URLs and HTTP. Blogs. Instant messaging. SFTP. Usenet. Available in
Flash, MP3 and QuickTime formats, along with jargon, slides, and transcript
in PDF.
 
Problem Sets
 
Problem Set 1: Hardware. Reinforce your understanding of hardware! Available
in PDF.
 
Problem Set 2: Hardware and Software. Reinforce your understanding of
hardware and software! Available in PDF.
 
Problem Set 3: The Internet. Reinforce your understanding of the Internet!
Available in PDF.
 
Problem Set 4: Hardware, Software, and the Internet. Reinforce your
understanding of hardware, software, and the Internet! Available in PDF.
 
 
Videos of the Week
bite-sized segments on topics related to lectures
 
Vol. 1: Hardware
Changing PC BIOS Settings. Learn how to access and change a PC's BIOS
settings! Available in Flash and QuickTime formats.
 
Dissecting a PC. Learn what the inside of a PC looks like! Available in
Flash and QuickTime formats.
 
Plugging Everything In. Learn how to connect all those cables to your PC!
Available in Flash and QuickTime formats.
 
Upgrading a PC. Learn how to upgrade a PC! Available in Flash and QuickTime
formats.
 
Upgrading RAM. Learn how to upgrade a computer's RAM! Available in Flash and
QuickTime formats.
 
Vol. 2: Software
Browser Wars. Learn about alternatives to Internet Explorer! Available in
Flash and QuickTime formats.
 
Finding and Installing Windows Updates. Learn how to find and install the
latest Windows updates for your PC! Available in Flash and QuickTime
formats.
 
Installing Windows XP. Learn how to install Windows XP on a PC! Available in
Flash and QuickTime formats.
 
Macs versus PCs. Learn about differences between Macs and PCs in this
face-off! Available in Flash and QuickTime formats.
 
 
Vol. 3: The Internet
Hosting Options. Learn how to select a host for your website! Available in
Flash and QuickTime formats.
 
Registering a Domain Name. Learn how to register a domain name of your own!
Available in Flash and QuickTime formats.
 
Shopping Online. Learn how to shop ('til you drop) online! Available in
Flash and QuickTime formats.
 
Treasure Hunting. Learn how to search the Web more effectively! Available in
Flash and QuickTime formats.
 
 
Vol. 4: The Internet
HTTP. Learn what http:// is all about! Available in Flash and QuickTime
formats.
 
TCP/IP. Learn how TCP/IP works! Available in Flash and QuickTime formats.
 
Web Servers. Web Servers! Available in Flash and QuickTime formats.