Course Description: Diagnosis and solution of user hardware and software-related problems with on-the-job projects.  An introduction to end-user computing and user support via help desk operations and user support management endeavors.

Prerequisite:  ITNW 1325, ITSC 1325, and COSC 1301, or Departmental Approval.

Course Rationale: This course is designed to teach students the user support decision-making process, communicating successfully with a client, determining the client’s specific needs, and writing for the end user.

Time Commitment: Please plan on spending 5-10 hours a week dedicated to this class. 

Reading Assignments: All assigned readings and supplemental material will be used as a basis for class discussions, labs, projects, and assessments. Students are expected to study the assigned readings and materials before each class meeting and may be called upon at random to participate in discussions.

Tutorials: In order to ensure success in this class, there may be tutorials for you to complete. These will assist with your understanding of topics. These tutorials may be included for quizzes, exams, and labs.

Class Participation: For in-person sections, attendance is required for all days the campus is open. For the safety of the students, doors will be locked after 10 minutes and students will be considered late. After 30 minutes, students will be considered absent. 

For distance learning students, attendance will be based on participation in various discussion forums and other platforms as utilized by the instructor. See Blackboard for more information.

Technology Requirements: For ALL students, you must be able and willing to install software and applications on your own including virtual machines. Computer/Laptop (minimal) recommendations:

     1.  i5 Intel Processor (but i7 is better)

     2.  16GB RAM (32GB RAM is better)

     3.  500GB SSD Hard drive (500GB/1TB NVME M.2 Hard drive is better)

This class can be completed on a Mac or Windows-based machine. However, for Mac users, you may have to do extra research to complete labs and projects.

Assessments: There will be assessments throughout the semester to assist with reinforcing concepts introduced through readings and supplemental materials. These assessments will take on a variety of formats consisting of a written component, a practical component, or a combination of any of these. There are no makeups for assessments so please make sure you check Blackboard for due dates and schedule time to take and complete on time.

Labs: In this course, you will have labs, each with its unique purpose. These labs are all about hands-on practice, helping you grasp the certain concepts we cover. Some of these labs will be from the book while others are custom made. You can find detailed instructions for each lab assignment on Blackboard. Make sure to read each lab thoroughly on Blackboard BEFORE attempting. 

Plagiarism: All labs, projects, and reports may go through a plagiarism checking system. Any project with 30% or higher rating may incur an automatic 50% deduction on final score. We will be using SafeAssign. Make sure to cite all references including anything done through AI services like ChatGPT. All submitted work requires citations unless noted in the assignment itself.

APA Guidelines: All assignments must be submitted using APA 7 formatting. Please refer to the following in order to properly use APA formatting:

• APA Style - https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/sample-papers

• Purdue OWL - https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/index.html

• ACC Library - https://library.austincc.edu/

• ACC Library APA Resource - https://library.austincc.edu/help/apa/

• ChatGPT Citations - https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt

Assignment Submissions: All assignments must be submitted by the specified due date and time. Anything turned in after the deadline will be considered late. If you cannot meet the deadline, please reach out to me in advance to discuss any special circumstances. Otherwise, for each day your assignment is late, 10% will be deducted. Anything past four (4) days late will not be accepted and will receive an automatic zero (0). Please do not ask for extensions unless an emergency as you have access to all labs, assessments, and projects as soon as you pass the orientation assessment. Please plan accordingly - nothing will be accepted after the 4th day of being late.

All assignments must be submitted in requested format: Word document, PowerPoint, etc.. Failure to submit assignments in proper format will result in an automatic zero (0) and may not be eligible for resubmission. If in doubt, make sure to reach out with any questions. 

Submit assignments early! If you initially submit an assignment in the wrong format before the due date but resubmit after the due date in the correct format, your grade will be reduced per guidelines above until received. Make sure to check Blackboard on a regular basis for feedback.

Course Objectives / Learning Outcomes: 

1. Establish rapport with users in problem-solving situations.
2. Analyze user problems and lead the users through solutions
3. Maintain problem logs and formulate problem-solving methodologies.
4. Develop customer service skills.
5. Train users and write technical user documents.  
6. Evaluate issues concerning the physical environment for computers and users and provide facilities management for end users.
    

Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support Specialists by Fred Beisse
Edition : 6TH 15
Publisher : CENGAGE L
ISBN 13 : 9781285852683