INFORMATICS
Learning outcomes of the course unit
The course has the aim of guiding the student towards the following objectives:
D1 - KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
- to know and understand the theoretical basics, the lexicon and the main instruments of modern computer science
- to know the structure of a computer and of a telecommunication network
- to know binary arithmetic
- to konow how to structure and formalize the solution procedure of any problem, both simple and complex
D2 - APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
- to be able to use in a competent way computer science in the context of veterinary sciences.
- to be able to use autonomously spreadsheets to create simple graphs and simple elaborations of data.
- to be able to perform bibliographic researches in the main databases concerning veterinary sciences.
D3 - MAKING JUDGMENTS
- to be able to use the knowledge and understanding of the course topics to solve simple problems, autonomously evaluating the better solution for the problem itself.
- to be able to analyze quantitative data and to control research hypotheses through simple statistical analyses.
D4 - COMMUNICATION SKILLS
- to be able to communicate in a competent way when sepaking about information technologies or about tools for the analysis and elaboration of data
Prerequisites
Basics of mathematics and logic. Basic understanding of a text in English.
Course contents summary
The first lectures deal with general considerations about information representation.
The second part of the module explains how computers and networks of computers work.
The third part of the course describes the analysis of data by using spreadsheets.
Course contents
- Introduction to information technology
- Data representation:
- Binary <-> Decimal conversions
- Integer and floating point numbers
- Encodings and alphabets
- Image representations
- Audio representations
- Lossy/Lossless compression
- Operating Systems fundamentals
- Networks
- OSI Model
- Fundamental protocols
- Security issues
- HTTP and the web
- Basic office suite usage
- Introduction to several office packages
- Spreadsheet usage
- Spreadsheets for data analysis
- Quality Control
- Significance Tests
- Population Comparison
- Correlation Studies
Recommended readings
Tao of Computing, Henry M. Walker, Chapman & Hall/CRC Textbooks in Computing
Statistical Analysis: Microsoft Excel 2010, C. Carlberg, QUE
Teaching methods
The course consists of 60 hours of classes, mostly dedicated to illustrating the course theoretical subjects. About 20 hours of the course will be dedicated to guided practical exercises carried out in the informatics lab and using also the students' own laptops, to provide them with practical knowledge of the most common software applications.
Assessment methods and criteria
The assessment of the achievement of the objectives of the course will include a written exam with possible oral integration. Through questions about the contents of the course it will be determined whether the student has achieved the goals of knowledge and understanding of the content. Through practical exercises in lab regarding the analysis of data it will be determined whether the student has achieved the aim of applying the acquired knowledge.
