B8396 - Basic IT Skills

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, the student: understands the functionality of software for online information research and for creating text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations; is able to create a text document and apply the desired formatting; is able to use the basic functions of a spreadsheet; is able to create a professional presentation.

Course contents

This Course is part of the Integrated Course "Transversal Skills".

Upon completion of the Integrated Course unit, the student will be able to apply fundamental competences in digital literacy, evidence-based approach, and personal and professional wellbeing.

The Integrated Course "Transversal Skills" contributes to the achievement of the following ESEVT Day One Competences: 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.14, 1.15.

Specific Course contents:

• 3h: usage of writing and presentation tools with a focus on formatting (Microsoft Word, Microsoft Power Point, Latex).
  - 2h lecture + 1h practical
• 3h: usage of spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel).
  - 2h lecture + 1h practical
• 2h: basics of generative artificial intelligence and prompt engineering (ChatGPT, Gemini, ...).
  - 1h lecture + 1h practical

Readings/Bibliography

The teaching materials (Lecture Slides) for this course are available on the Virtuale Learning Environment (https://virtuale.unibo.it/?lang=en)

Teaching methods

The course includes both theoretical lectures and practical/laboratory sessions.

• Theoretical lectures: frontal lectures carried out through slides show and other media (videos, tutorials); Q/A sessions.
• Practical sessions:frontal lectures that present many hands-on examples that students can reproduce on their machine.
  

Assessment methods

The final exam of the Integrated Course "Transversal Skills (I.C.)" consists of two parts (scheduled on the same day).

• The first part is a written test comprising 18 multiple choice questions and 1 open question covering topics from the 2 courses “Information literacy and Evidence-based medicine” and “Basic It Skills” of the Integrated Course, and a practical exercise on the use of Excel and it is designed to assess the student's comprehensive knowledge of the subject matters of these 2 courses. Each correct question will earn 1 point (multi choice) and 2 points (open question); the practical part in Excel will earn 10 points. No points will be subtracted in case of wrong answer or unanswered question. No supplementary materials such as books, notebooks, class notes, etc. or electronic devices (e.g., calculators, tablets, smartwatches, computers) may be used during the exam, except for those explicitly allowed by the instructor. Students can use their laptop/tablet only for the practical exercise in Excel.
  The test assignment will last 1h and will be considered as successful with a minimum grade of 18/30. If needed, a follow-up discussion will allow the Candidate to comment on the wrong answers.
• The second part is an oral exam. The oral exam will consist in an oral presentation of an individual assignment report covering topics from the course “Promoting personal and professional wellbeing” aimed at evaluating the acquisition of knowledge and competences in this course. The report should be presented through a power point presentation not exceeding 5 slides for a total of 10 minutes oral discussion. The result of the oral exam will be communicated at the end of the session. The minimum passing grade is 18/30. A minimum score of 18/30 is required to pass the oral exam.

The exam is considered passed only if all parts are successfully completed. The final grade is determined by... (e.g., the average of the grades from the various parts of the exam, expressed out of 30). A minimum final grade of 18/30 is required.
Negative results are not graded numerically but recorded as “withdrawn” or “failed” in the electronic transcript on AlmaEsami, and do not affect the student’s academic record.
Grades for individual parts and the final grade will be published on the AlmaEsami platform (https://almaesami.unibo.it/?lang=en) within 5 working days of the date of the exam.
Students may reject the final grade 3 times, by informing the course examiner via email within 5 working days.
The designated course contact for this course is Prof. Marco De Nardi
Students can register for exams through the AlmaEsami platform (http://almaesami.unibo.it/). Exams are scheduled during the designated periods in the academic calendar. Additional sessions are available for students beyond the standard program duration.
Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

With regard to the learning assessment, the use of AI is prohibited. Any use of AI constitutes a breach of academic integrity.

Teaching tools

Teaching materials are available on the Virtuale platform and can be reached through the link on the teacher webpage.

In case of difficulty understanding the course content, the instructor is available for clarification meetings, which must be scheduled via email.

Office hours

See the website of Federico Montori