Syllabus for ITS-261

LINUX


COURSE DESCRIPTION

Linux addresses the fundamentals of the Linux operating system. Topics covered in the course include system architecture and history, system installation and configuration, the command line interface and shell commands, basic system administration, system updates, file systems, access controls, network services configuration, printer configuration, system services, security models, and scripting.

 

Note: The course is designed to help prepare for the CompTIA Linux+ certification exam.

COURSE TOPICS

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, students should be able to:

CO1      Describe Linux community and careers in open sourcing.

CO2        Use simple Linux commands to create directories, files, and to get help.

CO3        Execute functions and tasks with commands and scripts.

CO4        Examine the Linux operating system architecture and its differences among other operating systems like Windows and Unix.

CO5     Establish and maintain security controls for users, tools, applications, and file system permissions on the Linux operating system.

CO6         Install, configure, and maintain a Linux operating system on a desktop or server.

COURSE MATERIALS

The following TestOut course will serve as your virtual textbook for the course:

TestOut provides interactive online courses that help you prepare for various certification exams. In completing your coursework, you will be using parts of the TestOut course as an interactive textbook with chapters, sections, practice questions, simulated labs, and more to aid in learning about Linux topics.

Access to these TestOut resources is provided in the TestOut Course section of your online course. When you click the TestOut Course link for the first time, you will need to enter your product code. Use the instructions found in the same section of the course to purchase access. Once you have made your payment and entered the product code, you will have access through the same TestOut Course link.

Required Open Source Software

COURSE STRUCTURE

The Linux course is a three-credit, online course consisting of six modules. Modules include an overview, topics, 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 and complete online practice activities, lab assignments, and a two-stage final project. See below for details.

Consult the Course Calendar for 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 SafeAssign.

Discussion Forums

You are required to complete six discussion forums. There is also one ungraded but required Introductions Forum in Module 1.

Discussion forums are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. The purpose of the discussion forums is to help make the connection between the course concepts and the goals of the course. In discussion posts, you express your opinions and thoughts, provide support and evidence for the position(s) you take on a subject, and have the opportunity to ask questions and expand on insights provided by your classmates. Active participation is vital to your overall success in this course.

Located within the Evaluation Rubrics section of the course website is the online discussion forum rubric used to aid in the grading of all online discussion assignments.

TestOut Labs

You are required to complete twenty-four TestOut simulation lab assignments. For each lab, you are required to submit the lab report and write a 1-page reflection paper (125 to 250 words) that explains what you have learned, how you may do the lab assignment differently, or any related topic that you wish the lab would have covered.

Module Practice Activities

There are six module practice activities. The questions are similar to the practice questions at the end of each section of a chapter. Thus, it is highly recommended that you try the TestOut section-end practice questions before you attempt the module practice activity. These activities can be completed multiple times for additional practice, with the result of your most recent attempt appearing in your gradebook.

Practice Certification Exam

There is no proctored exam for the course. You are required to take the A.3 Linux Pro Certification Practice Exam. A direct link to the exam can be found in the Moodle course. For more detailed information, please refer to the Module 6 details in the course website.

Final Project

You are required to complete a final project. It consists of a series of questions and tasks that require you to prepare scripts or explain how the tasks can be run in the Ubuntu Linux operating system. The final project will be completed in two steps. The first part will be due in Week 8 and the second part will be due in Week 12. For details of the final project, please refer to the Final Project area of the course website.

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).

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 INTEGRITY

Thomas Edison State University is committed to maintaining academic quality, excellence, and honesty. The University expects all members of its community to share the commitment to academic integrity, an essential component of a quality academic experience.

Students at Thomas Edison State University are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.

All members of the University community are responsible for reviewing the Academic Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog and online at Thomas Edison State University.

Academic Dishonesty

Thomas Edison State University expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the University insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty can take the following forms:

Plagiarism

Thomas Edison State University is committed to helping students understand the seriousness of plagiarism, which is defined as using the work and ideas of others without proper citation. The University takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing are subject to discipline under the academic code of conduct policy.

If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, or without identifying it as a direct quote, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > Citing Sources.)

Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.

Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.

Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.

For examples of unintentional plagiarism, advice on when to quote and when to paraphrase, and information about writing assistance, click the links provided below.

Examples of Unintentional Plagiarism

When to Quote and When to Paraphrase

Writing Assistance at Smarthinking

Disciplinary Process for Plagiarism

Acts of both intentional and unintentional plagiarism violate the Academic Code of Conduct.

If an incident of plagiarism is an isolated minor oversight or an obvious result of ignorance of proper citation requirements, the mentor may handle the matter as a learning exercise. Appropriate consequences may include the completion of tutorials, assignment rewrites, or any other reasonable learning tool in addition to a lower grade for the assignment or course. The mentor will notify the student and appropriate dean of the consequence by e-mail.

If the plagiarism appears intentional and/or is more than an isolated incident, the mentor will refer the matter to the appropriate dean, who will gather information about the violation(s) from the mentor and student, as necessary. The dean will review the matter and notify the student in writing of the specifics of the charge and the sanction to be imposed.

Possible sanctions include:

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