Computational Thinking for Information Technology

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP STUDENT SCENARIO:Green IT In this scenario, you are a consultant assigned to the Community College and University IT Services Division. You will use killowatt meters to measure and analyze the amount of energy that the college is using. Andrew Redleafwill be your guide and virtual supervisor for the lesson.

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP OBJECTIVES This course will enable you to develop logical thinking skills, including: • Asking probing questions to uncover details of a problem • Clearly defining a problem • Defining clear success criteria for the project • Making design decisions based on rational criteria • Seeing the “big picture” • Deconstructing the problem into its component parts

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP OBJECTIVES (cont.) This course will enable you to develop logical thinking skills, including: • Correlating the relationships between components and prior knowledge • Identifying the steps required to solve a problem • Identifying the sequence of steps including possible decisions and alternatives • Identifying normal and exceptional behaviors of a solution • Identifying available resources

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP OBJECTIVES (cont.) This course will enable you to develop logical thinking skills, including: • Developing a solution that uses only available resources • Measuring and adapting the solution to optimize resource utilization • Measuring and evaluating solutions against the success criteria • Adjusting the design and implementation as needed

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP Expectations In your first months here, you will learn new technologies, research cutting-edge technologies, prepare documents, create and deliver presentations, and design and develop websites for clients. These assignments may take you out of your comfort zone and push you to think in new ways. However, we are certain that the excitement of solving these challenges will more than make up for the difficulties you might encounter.

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP We expect each of you to make the client’s needs your priority by contributing to your team and producing quality, finished products on time. We have worked hard to develop a reputation for excellence, and are currently the industry leader in consulting services in information technology. We hope to be the industry leader in the region within the next five years. I hope you will be an integral part of helping us reach that goal.

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP • About our consulting • We are a premier information technology solution provider. We specialize in providing reliable solutions for businesses in today's fast-paced technology world. The company is dedicated to providing clients with the most powerful IT products, solutions and strategies that keep their businesses on the cutting edge of technology.

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP • We are committed to personal and professional integrity, honesty, and open communications with our clients. We seek long-term relationships with our clients. • The Community College and University IT (CCUIT) Division is responsible for providing consulting services for educational institutions systems. CCUIT is the largest division in the company and key to the company’s success.

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP • Your role • Our excellent reputation is spreading. As a result, within the last year, we have seen a surge in the number of new clients seeking our services. In turn, this has allowed us to hire new employees such as you to help us to deliver these services. You have been assigned to the Community College and University IT Services Division. The division is primarily responsible for providing consulting services for educational institutions.

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP • Since many of the clients you will be working for are new clients to the company, I would like to ask you to start building a good relationship with your client. Pay attention to customer service skills, communicate often, and most importantly provide your client with finished products that are up to our standard of excellence. • This is a fast-paced working environment. I hope you will enjoy and be up to the challenge. • Welcome aboard!

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP TASKS AND ASSIGNMENTS Please complete the following tasks in sequence, paying attention to particular requirements given in the task. There may also be guidelines for evaluation of effort, and of course that describes how your efforts will be judged.

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP • Start with measurement-taking. • You will start by visiting various locations across the college measure and record in an Excel spreadsheet data the Amps, Watts, kWh used by various devices. You must take measurements for each monitor you encounter, each computer, and other devices, including but not limited to fans and lamps. Further you will create a column in your worksheet that uses .12 cents/kWh to calculate the cost per year of • running each device. • Note: Be sure to record the location of the devices and the types of devices.

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP • Using the data you gathered, calculate the energy savings in one year by replacing ten 15-inch CRTs with ten 15-inch LCDs. Briefly Research the cost of 1 kWh of electricity in your region/area/state. Take the data you gathered and use this kWh rate to calculate annual cost for the same devices on another worksheet within your Excel workbook. Analyze the data gathered by using Excel’s charting functions to create a chart comparing the cost of supplying energy to these various devices on an annual basis.

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP • Using the information gathered from the data analysis from the Excel spreadsheet, create a Word document to report your findings and to provide recommendations indicating how the college might save money and decrease energy consumption thereby increasing the college’s commitment to become more sustainable. Be sure to research and explain the concept of Cloud Computing and how it can be used to reduce energy costs.

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP • With this task you will be learning about electronic waste. Electronic waste, e-waste, e-scrap, or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) describes loosely discarded, surplus, obsolete, or broken electrical or electronic devices. Informal processing of electronic waste in developing countries causes serious health and pollution problems. Some electronic scrap components, such as CRTs, contain contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury, and brominated flame retardants.

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP • Even in developed countries recycling and disposal of e-waste may involve significant risk to workers and communities and great care must be taken to avoid unsafe exposure in recycling operations and leaching of material such as heavy metals from landfills and incinerator ashes. • We will visit a local electronics recycling facility to learn about software and hardware, challenges and procedures specific to electronic recycling, the cost and benefits to • sustainability of recycling, and the impact to the earth of failing to recycle these items.

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP • During the visit you will be encouraged to ask questions and take • pictures of your visit. • After this visit, through a reflective writing piece, reflect on your experience and what you learned at the recycling center. Use the ewaste calculator and reflect on your ewaste and how you might be a better protector of the environment. You may include photos of the visit. • Secondly, you are tasked to create a document in Word • recommending a policy for the disposal of outdated computer equipment for the college, taking into account what you have learned on your visit and through research you do on ewaste.

HOME | OBJECTIVES | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | HELP • In this task, you will research Green IT as an emerging job field. We will be participating in a Skype video conference with George Goodman of Climate Savers Computing Initiative. Executive Director Goodman will talk about the history of Climate Savers Computing and what the member organizations are doing. • Further, he will speak about the Green IT field as a career option. Be prepared to ask him thoughtful questions to help you complete this task. You task is to create a PowerPoint presentation regarding the Green IT career field in general.

Computational Thinking for Information Technology