B9254 - Basic IT Skills

Learning outcomes

He/she is able to effectively use the tools of the Office suite to create, analyse and present documents, spreadsheets and presentations. They will also have acquired basic knowledge of artificial intelligence and will be able to recognise its practical applications in a professional context.

Course contents

This course is part of the Integrated Course B9090 – Soft Skills.

The Integrated Course B9090 – Soft Skills contributes to the achievement of the following ESEVT Day One Competences: 1.1, 1.4, 1.6, 1.11, 1.12.

The Basic IT Skills course covers the following topics:

• 3 hours: Use of document authoring and presentation tools, with a focus on formatting (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, LaTeX).
  • 2 hours of lectures + 1 hour of practical session
• 3 hours: Use of spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel).
  • 2 hours of lectures + 1 hour of practical session
• 2 hours: Fundamentals of Generative Artificial Intelligence and prompt engineering (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.).
  • 1 hour of lecture + 1 hour of practical session

Readings/Bibliography

Course materials are available on the University of Bologna's Virtuale platform:

https://virtuale.unibo.it/

Teaching methods

The course consists of both theoretical lectures and practical laboratory sessions.

Given the nature of the activities and teaching methods adopted, attendance requires the prior completion of Modules 1 and 2 of the University’s mandatory online safety training.

The theoretical component consists of traditional classroom lectures.

The practical sessions include short examples demonstrated live by the instructor and subsequently reproduced by the students in class. Optional short assignments are proposed during the practical sessions.

Assessment methods

Integrated Course Examination

This course is part of the Integrated Course B9090 – Soft Skills. The examination consists of a single exam session covering all the modules included in the Integrated Course.

To pass the Integrated Course examination, students must achieve at least the passing threshold (approximately 60%, corresponding to 18/30) in each of the constituent courses. If one or more components are not passed, the entire Integrated Course examination must be retaken.

Structure of the B9254 – Basic IT Skills examination

The written examination consists of:

• three Multiple Choice (MC) questions with one correct answer over four possible choices (each correct answer is worth 6 points).
• a Short Essay (SE) question (2.5pt).

The examination is passed with a minimum score of 18/30.

Final grade of the Integrated Course

The Integrated Course examination is considered passed only if all required components have been successfully completed. The final grade is calculated as the average of the grades obtained in the different parts of the examination and is expressed on a 30-point scale. A minimum final grade of 18/30 is required to pass.

If the examination is not passed, no numerical grade is recorded; instead, only the assessment withdrawn or failed is entered into the AlmaEsami electronic record. Such an outcome does not affect the student's academic transcript.

Students may register for examination sessions through AlmaEsami:

http://almaesami.unibo.it/

Examination sessions are scheduled according to the University's academic calendar. Additional examination sessions are reserved for students who are out of course.

If the examination is not passed, it may be retaken after a minimum of two weeks.

In accordance with the University of Bologna Academic Regulations (Article 16, Paragraph 5), students who pass the examination but are dissatisfied with their grade have the right to reject it once, by notifying the instructor responsible for recording the grade via email within five working days.

The instructor responsible for recording the grades for this Integrated Course is Annamaria Grandis.

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities: in accordance with Italian Laws 104/1992 and 170/2010, and with the University's inclusion policies, students with certified disabilities, specific learning disorders, or other officially recognized special educational needs are entitled to appropriate examination accommodations. Students are encouraged to contact the University's dedicated support service as early as possible:

https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it/per-studenti

The service will propose any appropriate accommodations, which must be submitted to the course instructor for approval at least 15 days in advance. The instructor will evaluate their suitability in relation to the intended learning outcomes of the course. Within the Department, a designated faculty member is responsible for supervising this service:

https://scienzemedicheveterinarie.unibo.it/it/dipartimento/organizzazione/referenti-istituzionali

Teaching tools

• Projector
• Lecture slides

Students experiencing difficulties with the course material are welcome to schedule an individual meeting with the instructor by appointment via email.

Office hours

See the website of Federico Montori