Syllabus for CMP-354

NETWORK TECHNOLOGY


COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course provides students with the fundamental concepts of data communications. This course teaches practical approaches when designing and implementing a network environment of varying sizes. It includes an analysis of the physical and logical aspects of the network infrastructure and the various industry standards and models available. The material also consists of the common tools and techniques utilized to optimize the performance and secure the core network components and resources. Throughout this course, students will develop and build their analytical and problem-solving skills. Specific topics covered include: network architectures; topologies; media and devices; protocols; and servers and security.

COURSE OBJECTIVES        

After completing this course, you should be able to:  

  1. Describe the different types of networks and architectures.
  2. Explain the need for standards organizations and network models.
  3. Assess the characteristics of a physical and logical topology.
  4. Identify the functionality of various types of network media and devices.
  5. Discuss the role of low and high level data communication protocols.
  6. Evaluate the functions of various types of network servers and services.
  7. Apply the common types of management techniques and tools to monitor and troubleshoot the network.
  8. Analyze the concepts needed for security and where it should be applied to minimize exposure on a network.

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. To purchase course materials, please visit the University's textbook supplier.

Required Textbook

ISBN-13: 978-1118077801

Student Companion Site

COURSE STRUCTURE

Network Technology is a three-credit, online course, consisting of five assignment modules. Each assignment module includes learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, take quizzes, and complete a final project. See below for more details.

Consult the Course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Promoting Originality

One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.

Discussion Forums

In addition to an ungraded "Introductions" forum in module 1, Network Technology requires you to participate in five graded online discussion forums.

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct assignments: an initial response to a posted question and subsequent comments on classmates' responses.

You will be evaluated both on the quality of your responses (i.e., your understanding of readings and concepts as demonstrated by well-articulated, critical thinking) and quantity of your participation (i.e., the number of times you participate meaningfully in the assigned forums). Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

Meaningful participation in online discussions is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement.

For posting guidelines and help with discussion forums, please see the Student Handbook located within the General Information page of the course Web site.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete four written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. 

The four written assignments consist of specific topics contained within the chapters from the textbook.

Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

For help regarding preparing and submitting assignments, see the Student Handbook located within the General Information page of the course Web site.

Quizzes

There will be five graded quizzes for this course. The quizzes should be taken after you complete the reading assignments and online discussion for each module. There will be twenty-five multiple choice questions on each of the quizzes, each worth 4 point. Each quiz will cover a particular module.

Statement about Cheating

You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

Final Project

There will be a final project due in place of a proctored midterm examination and an online final examination.

For help regarding preparing and submitting assignments, see the Student Handbook located within the General Information page of the course Web site.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

A

=

93–100

C+

=

78–79

A–

=

90–92

C

=

73–77

B+

=

88–89

C–

=

70–72

B

=

83–87

D

=

60–69

B–

=

80–82

F

=

Below 60

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

ACADEMIC POLICIES

To ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University, familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies including those related to academic integrity, course late submissions, course extensions, and grading policies.

For more, see:

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