58157 - Computer Skills

Academic Year 2019/2020

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Ravenna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Cultural Heritage (cod. 8849)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student acquires basic computer skills (computer configuration, network and web, main application software)

Course contents

1. Theoretical and practical fundaments of:

  • General architecture of a computer
  • Operating systems, software and hardware. Tablet and smartphone. Apps for mobile devices.
  • Internet and Web 2.0. Network and systems evolution.
  • Dissemination of information and data through networks. Cloud computing.

The student will acquire specific theoretical and practical skills for a conscious use of computers and networks as working tools:

a) Fundaments of the hardware architecture of a PC, main OS and software (proprietary and opensource);
b) Formats of electronic documents depending on the type of data (textual, vector and raster graphic, numerical, etc.);
c) Evolution of the Internet and Web servives, esp. in the Web 2.0; base structure of dynamic websites and main CMS platforms, with a few HTML5 elements;

d) Dissemination of data through the Internet, local network, and cloud archive systems for backup and communication among different devices.

2. Correct use of the main software for:

  • Word processing
  • Data processing
  • Presentations

The student will acquire proper, in-depth skills in the use of office software for the creation of text documents, data processing, and presentations as required by his concrete needs: e.g. textual formatting of a dissertation, adding images, graphics and tables, automatically generating the table of contents, the indexes and the bibliography, textual revision and editing, as well as creating a presentation (including software alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint).

Readings/Bibliography

Select bibliography:

Fundamental text: Snyder L., Amoroso A., Fluency. Conoscere e usare l'informatica, Milano: Pearson, 2015 (chs. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14), or Curtin D., Foley K., Sen K., Morin C., Informatica di Base, Milano: McGraw-Hill, 2012 (chs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 9, 10, 11.2, 11.7) or Progetto A3, Fondamenti di Informatica, vol. 1, Bologna: Zanichelli, 2007 (chs. 1, 3, A.1, A.2, A.3, A.4, B.1, B.2, B.3, B.4 (only "Filtri automatici" and "Filtri manuali", pp. 266-268).

Recommended: Tomasi F., Metodologie informatiche e discipline umanistiche, Roma: Carocci, 2012 (only the pref., chs. 1.7, 2, 6) and Prati G., Web 2.0, available for download at http://www.web-20.it/web-20-scarica-gratis-ebook

For hands-on Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint: any pocket guide from 2007 onwards (e.g. the Pocket series Apogeo) or online resources such as http://office.microsoft.com/it-it/training/

Teaching methods

Students will be allowed to attend tutoring with hands-on exercises at the IT lab during Jan-Feb 2020.

Assessment methods

Computer-based tests: 40 multiple-choice questions concerning the topics of the programme. The student will need to complete the test within 75 minutes. Marking will be made according to these criteria:

  • 30+ correct answers: the student is considered capable.
  • 26-29 correct answers: immediately after the test, the student will be required to pass an additional practical exercise on the latter part of the course programme.
  • 22-25 correct answers: immediately after the test, the student will be required to pass an additional oral examination on the former part of the course programme and an additional practical exercise on the latter part of the course programme.
  • 1-21 correct answers: the student is rejected.

Teaching tools

IT lab at Palazzo Corradini.


Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Iannucci