INTRODUCTION

     The first Learning Module of the course is a concise summary of the fundamental concepts of the course. Its main purpose is to provide the student with an overall view of the subject matter before becoming immersed in the details.  (We try to follow the proverbial advice "Look at the Forest before focusing on the trees!")  This study guide is currently only a draft that will be updated as I obtain feedback from the class.  It is primarily intended to contain comments that would normally be provided during the on-campus class presentation of the learning module (especially associations with related sections of the textbook), ones that an independent learner, obviously, would miss.

Note that some study guide comments are also inserted in the text of the learning module itself.  They are distinguished by the study guide icon, , and using greenor red font.  Such comments are usually specific to the text within which they appear, whereas the following comments of this study guide are more general, usually applying to the learning module as a whole.  The comments below are designated, in the learning module, with the study guide icon followed by the comment number, e.g. #4 will link to the fourth comment below.

COMMENTS:

1. This Learning module is a summary of a summary!  Remember that the course itself is a survey of a vast subject, Cyberspace.  To master such a subject one would have to have a Ph.D. in computer science specializing in networks.  Therefore, the course content covers only the highlights, understandable to the beginner, of the subject.  Obviously then, Learning Module I a superficial preview of a survey course.  Do not be surprised, then, if you are uncomfortable with the content of this Learning Module -- virtually everything mention here will be covered in more detail in later learning modules.
2. Section one is a severely edited summary of the course COSC 100, INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE, which is a typical university level course that introduces the computer concepts and use.  Section two is also a summary of such an introductory course but since it covers concepts relevant to COSC 120, a little more detail is provided; however, everything in section two will be covered in detail in subsequent learning modules, mainly in LM III, INTERNET SERVICES.
3. It is advisable to begin practicing the learning sequence advocated in section 3 of basic study guide for the course.
1. Be sure to use PreAssessment 1 as a companion during your study.  Read all the questions associated with LM I before starting your study of the module; this will help you recognize answers as you read.  Learning Module I is covered by questions 1-20 of PreAssessment 1.  The questions normally follow the sequence of the presentation in the Learning Module, but sometimes the multiple choice answers come from different parts of that module.
4. Of the four online references accessible fro the Navigation Panel I think that the Webopedia is the most useful for introductory courses like COSC 120 and COSC 100.  You should use it to supplement the material presented in the Learning Module. If you are still uncomfortable with a concept after reading about it in my Learning Module and the Webopedia, use the Computer Desktop Encyclopedia, Whatis, and/or FOLDOC (Free Online Dictionary of Computing), in that order.  The order is my recommendation for this course, i.e. FOLDOC should be the last one you read.  (It is more advanced than the others and is my primary on-line reference for upper level computer science courses. )
1. Exceptions to this rule will be incorporated into the Learning Module itself, i.e. if I want you to read material from a specific reference, I will embed a link into the learning module itself.
2. Note that it is NOT essential that you read any of the on-line references, i.e. there is nothing in these references that you must read in order to take an assessment or work through a lab assignment.  The references are simply a resourse to help you better understand the material presented in the learning modules.
3. Of course, these are only recommendations or guidelines. You are free to use the on-line references any way you like.  (Having an on-line "library" is one of the unique features of a Web-based course, so experiment with these facilities to find how it best suits you.  I will be experimenting with integrating my learning modules with these references.  Having instantaneously accessible references should revolutionize how learning material is written. Please give me feedback on how to best integrate my learning modules and the on-line world!)
5. Figure OOC-2 was drawn using the drawing tools of Word in Microsoft Office 2000.  It is the first time I have been able to easily create a schematic diagram and easily convert it into an image file that can be incorporated into an HTML file.  You may find this useful so try it out.
6. Note that most textbooks, including that for COSC 100, do not include Communications in their IPO schematics.  This, I think, is an oversite resulting from an old fashioned view of a microcomputer system, i.e. one before networks became such a common environment of the PC.