Meaningful topics I learned in Professor Zamora's CISB 11 course this semester (spring 2007).
This semester in CISB 11 was very interesting. Although I would consider myself having somewhat intermediate knowledge in regards to computers and information systems, it was refreshing learning new information about a multitude of computer information systems. I have been given the opportunity to expand my current computer knowledge while learning some completely new things. I will explain some of the items that stood out in my mind that I learned this semester.
One of the most interesting things I have learned in CISB is a broader knowledge of the hardware of a computer. I would usually purchase a computer on a friends recommendation, telling me I need X memory or X RAM to have a sufficient system. After completing this course and doing assignments on computer hardware, I am much more aware of what constitutes a sufficient system for ones needs. They must consider the speed of the CPU, the size of the hard drive, the size of available RAM as well as what types of peripheral options are offered (Firewire, USB, etc?) In the future my knowledge learned in this course will most definitely influence me when it comes to purchasing future computer systems.
In addition to computer hardware, another meaningful topic I learned was what type of printers and other peripheral are offered and compared and what I should look into buying in the future. For example, I always assumed that a laser printer was superior to all other printers, but I did not know that there are specific printers designed for specific products. If I want to print photos there is a photo printer, if I wanted to print black and white documents only for school or work, a simple inkjet would do just fine, but if I wanted a superior time efficient machine then I could look into buying a laser printer. Therefore not only have I learned that different peripherals correspond to different types of product outputs, but in addition this will probably save me hundreds of dollars in the future as I will not purchase something beyond my needs, especially based on assumption.
Moreover, I have learned about the history of computers. I learned about the initial purposes of computers and when they were first invented. How they have come to evolve over the years is nothing less than technological amazement. From supercomputers doing simple math to the complex operating system of Linux which I learned so much about, all the way to the laptop I am working on right now using Windows XP, it is very interesting to learn about history of such items taken for granted in todays world.
Finally, it was very important for me to learn about different computer programs such as adobe Photoshop. Since researching about Photoshop I have used it to improve my Ebay business. It allows me to take photos of items and add different text and other features to make my sell pages look more professional and desireable. This has definitely changed my little business for the future in a very positive way.
Overall I must say that CISB 11 was an interesting and very worthwhile course. The fact that I also was able to take this course online and learn this much just shows what type of technological progress is being made via computers. I can only assume one day in the distant future that college campuses might become obsolete and most coursework will be done from the home, including lectures broadcasting on internet web feeds.
