Because CS, CIS and IT revolves around business and technology, you will be introduced to many technology tools in class. Some are class management and study-related while others are industry tools directly applicable to your future success. This is my field and something that I am passionate about and I assure you I personally use each technological tool myself before requiring you to use it. 🙂 The internet is a goldmine for interactive, easy-to-use technologies that, if used to promote learning, can enhance your retention and engagement in a class.
Amazon AWS (COSC 3331, COSC 3385)
Amazon AWS (Amazon Web Services) is a cloud service provider for many Fortune 500 businesses. This service allows for rapid computer prototyping through virtual machines and remote databases to name just a few of the services. Students will work first-hand with setting up, connecting to, operating and tearing down instances and services.
Canvas (All my courses)
Canvas is a course management tool. Students will be able to communicate with one another easily, view relevant technology rss feeds, access the slidedeck through Google Drive and view assignment due dates.
ChatGPT (Trial Stages – All my courses)
ChatGPT is the revolutionary language model to assist in everyday tasks. Students will use this system to help write computer code by specifying what they need and the language they want to use. The skills students will develop are to know what and how to specify their requests as well as how to verify the code results.
Google Drive (All my courses)
If you haven’t used Google Drive before (formerly known as Google Docs), get an account now! This incredible service allows you to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations collaboratively and in real-time. This is great for student groups with busy schedules as each student can work independently and share their work with the group or work collaboratively from anywhere in the world and changes are made (and seen by others) in real-time. To learn more about how to use Google Drive, please check out this Youtube video series.
mySQL (COSC 3385, COSC 4347/5347)
mySQL is an open source database tool which many industries use. It’s easy to use design and robust nature make it a natural tool to use for websites. We will learn how to set up table schemas, read and write data as well as perform advanced queries.
Php (COSC 3331)
Php is a web programming language. With this easy to use scripting language we can quickly create dynamic webpages based on whatever we can imagine. Php is also a wonderful language connecting websites to databases.
RStudio (COSC 4342/5342, COSC 4347/5347, , CSCI 5345, CSCI 5348, CSCI 5350)
RStudio is a powerful statistical and machine learning platform that is essential in business analytics. Students will learn how to import data, manipulate data, perform statistical tests and even machine learn data to provide new business insights.
Slack (All my courses)
Slack is a premier group collaboration tool that allows members to work together on projects, share files, set goals and timelines, as well as communicate with one another. Slack is used by many Fortune 500 companies. I like to use Slack for my upper level courses to begin to transition students to industry. It is a quick and easy way to communicate amongst your project groups or to an overall organization.
Statcast (CSCI 5342)
Statcast is the heart of baseball analytics. Formerly known as Baseball Savant, Statcast tracks per-pitch data events including pitch location, type, speed, drop, spin, and 100’s of other variables. Major League Baseball teams and sports broadcasters use this data to track player performance. We take a deeper look into the data to create more complete player profiles and model statistical outcomes.
WordPress (COSC 3331)
WordPress is a blogging and web development tool that has taken the industry by storm. This easy to use yet fully featured software can allow people of diverse skill levels to create and maintain professional-looking websites quickly and easily. We will be learning the ins-and-outs of installing a WordPress instance, applying themes, making coding adjustments and incorporating widgets for added functionality. To learn more about WordPress, please view this video series.
YouTube (All my courses)
Who doesn’t love a good YouTube video? YouTube is also integrated into every class through a hand-picked selection of videos to augment student learning.
Zoom (All my courses)
Chatting by phone is so 20th century. Modern business demands better communications and video conferencing services have gained quite a bit of popularity. These video conference meetings can make participants feel like they are there and can allow for work collaboration by sharing screens and files. If you find yourself off-campus and need to meet with me, try Zoom.
“That’s a lot of technology!”
Yes it is. The most important things for you to do are to keep an open mind, have patience and trust me! We live in a technological society and in addition to meeting the course outcomes, you will also be more technologically literate after succeeding in my courses. I guarantee that I have thoughtfully considered the role of each technological application in my class and I’m also proud to share that 100% of all my departing students have indicated that the technology used in my classes was manageable. If you’re overwhelmed (and you probably will be at some point), let me know. I am happy to help you or provide a little motivation when you need it. I realize the amount of technology used in my courses may be too much for some students and you have a right to choose a class that meets your needs. Flip this conversation around and think about all the students out there that desire a technology-infused learning experience. We’re at a transitional moment in college learning and we’re also amidst a social shift that has empowered individual consumer to make informed choices. I believe college students deserve to be informed about the characteristics of their classes before they register.