Active Outline

General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
CIS D069C
Course Title (CB02)
Operating Systems and You: Becoming a Power User
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2022
Course Description
In this course, through a combination of video lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on practice, learners will grasp the main components of an operating system and how to perform critical tasks like managing software, supporting users, and configuring hardware.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This CTE, CSU transferable course is on the IT Support Specialist certificate will provide a full overview of operating system, managing software, user and hardware.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Course Philosophy
The course is designed to use experiential learning that supports self-paced learning combined with instructional support. At the choice of the instructor, a fictional organization can be used throughout the program for simulation.

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to CSU only

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
4.5
Maximum Credit Units
4.5

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours4.08.0
Laboratory Hours1.50.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
48.0
Laboratory
18.0
Total
66.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
96.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
96.0

Prerequisite(s)

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and visual aids

Discussion of assigned reading

Laboratory discussion sessions and quizzes that evaluate the proceedings weekly laboratory exercises

Collaborative learning and small group exercises

Quiz and examination review performed in class

Assignments

  1. Readings from the text
  2. Hands-on lab exercises
  3. Two to three exams to assess (comprehensive or multiple choice) competency in different modules

Methods of Evaluation

  1. One or two midterm examinations requiring students to apply topics covered in the lectures and reading. Responses are evaluated on implementation of stated constructs and correctness of responses
  2. Final examination requiring students to apply topics covered in the lectures and reading. Responses are evaluated on implementation of stated constructs and correctness of responses
  3. Evaluation of lab topics, based on correctness, documentation, quality, and explanations

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials:
  • None
Essential College Facilities:
  • None.

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Course Guide 3Google IT Support Professional Certificate

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

None.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Navigate the Windows and Linux filesystems using a graphical user interface and command line interpreter.
  • Set up users, groups, and permissions for account access.
  • Install, configure, and remove software on the Windows and Linux operating systems.
  • Configure disk partitions and filesystems.
  • Define how system processes work and how to manage them.
  • Explore system logs and remote connection tools.

CSLOs

  • Configure disk partitions and filesystems and successfully leverage system logs and remote connection tools.

  • Navigate the Windows and Linux filesystems using both a graphical user interface and a command line interpreter.

  • Setup user security, and install and configure software on multiple common operating systems.

Outline

  1. Navigate the Windows and Linux filesystems using a graphical user interface and command-line interpreter.
    1. Articulate the basics of Windows and Linux operating systems (OSs).
    2. Outline how directories and files work in Windows and Linux OSs.
    3. Experiment with practical ways to manipulate files and directories in the Windows graphical user interface (GUI), Windows command-line interface (CLI), and Linux shell.
    4. Interact with files and directories and perform basic text manipulation in Windows and Linux OSs.
  2. Set up users, groups, and permissions for account access.
    1. Configure users and permissions in Windows and Linux OSs.
    2. Review how to add, modify, and remove users for a computer and for specific files and folders by using the Windows GUI, Windows CLI, and Linux shell.
    3. Experiment with granting the appropriate permissions to users and groups for both Windows and Linux OSs.
  3. Install, configure, and remove software on the Windows and Linux operating systems.
    1. Explain and implement packaging and software management in Windows and Linux OSs.
    2. Illustrate how package installs work and how devices and drivers are managed within these operating systems.
    3. Define how packaging and file compression methods.
    4. Describe and implement how to create, update, and remove software by using the Windows GUI, Windows CLI, and Linux shell.
  4. Configure disk partitions and filesystems.
    1. Describe how filesystems work for Windows and Linux OSs.
    2. Outline the filesystem types and why they're different for certain OSs.
    3. Identify disk partitioning and virtual memory and why these are so important for an IT Support Specialist.
    4. Mount and unmount filesystems, read disk usage, and repair filesystems.
    5. Setup disk partition and format a disk drive in both Windows and Linux.
  5. Define how system processes work and how to manage them.
    1. Explore process management and use system tools to read and understand the process statuses of machines.
    2. Start and terminate a process in Windows and Linux, and apply troubleshooting tools to solve problems with processes and resources.
    3. Explain and implement Windows and Linux commands to do practical process maintenance.
  6. Explore system logs and remote connection tools.
    1. Define remote access and how to troubleshoot a computer from afar.
    2. Apply virtualization tools to manage and remove virtual instances, use logs for system monitoring, and demonstrate a few different techniques for OS deployment.

Lab Topics

  1. Use physical folders and paper to demonstrate the hierarchical nature of directories and files.
  2. macOS isn’t covered in this course, and some learners may be curious how what they’re learning will apply to this common consumer operating system.

    ● Demonstrate the macOS GUI.

    ● Demonstrate the macOS CLI, and show the similarities to the Linux CLI.
  3. Present learners with a fill-in-the-blank scenario of user permissions on a Linux file system. For example:

    ● I would like the file /usr/share/example/example.txt to have owner permissions as read/write/execute, group permissions as read/write, and everyone else’s permissions as read.

    ● Think of different scenarios and have the answer come up numerically and symbolically.
  4. Talk about the different roles that people might have in their fictional organization. Have learners come up with "role groups" for their organization's user accounts. Talk about how those groups might be used for communication and controlling access to resources.
  5. Have learners come up with folders for things that might need to be shared among multiple people in their fictional organization. Examples might include:

    ● Documents

    ● Invoices

    ● Designs

    ● Pictures

    Which role-based groups should have access to these folders? What level of access should they have?
  6. Use virtual or physical machines to let learners get the experience of installing an operating system end to end.
  7. Create a diagram with OS’s on one side and different file systems on another. Draw lines from each OS that arecompatible with reading/writing to filesystems.
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