How to Begin a Software Course
Begin by starting a web browser (for example, Firefox) and logging in to the SFCC Blackboard area.
You will find a link to your course.
Within the Course page you will find the Assignments.
In Assignments, you will find the lessons.
When you click on a lesson, you will see:
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The Lesson Instructions
- You will find instructions to complete the lesson, do the assessments, and turn in your work
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The Lesson Quiz
- To pass this course, you must score 100% on the quizzes. You may retake the quiz as many times as you need to.
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The Completed Files Turn-in
- In most cases you will create a .zip archive of the lesson folder and attach it through this link. The entire folder is often required to properly review the project files, so be sure to follow the instructions carefully.
- On a Macintosh, you can make a zip archive by selecting a folder (in the Finder) and choosing "Create an archive of 'your filename'".
- This (3 megabyte) Quicktime movie shows you how to create a .zip using a Macintosh.
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The Self-Assessments
- These are a tool to review your learning. You must complete these assessments. They will display a score but the answers have no effect on your grade.
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The Suggestions for Improvements
- If you have suggestions how to work with the lessons or the course in general, feel free to submit them here.
The items above are the essentials of the courses lessons
Always store your projects in a secure place. USB drives are a convenient way to store files; CDs can be burned in the labs and are a good archiving solution. You have 500 megabytes of storage in your Network login area. It is the icon with your name and a dollar sign. This is safe and available from any machine connected to the campus network.
Most classes will use a textbook, which you may check out in the CBE lab. Don't purchase a book unless you want to work on your own computer and software.
Read the FAQ section below for more tips.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use these courses to become familiar with professional graphic design software tools. They are a great way to experience the many features of the programs, to use really nice computers, and get an idea what can be done with these powerful programs. As they work through these lessons, beginners are guided through complex and realistic projects; experienced software users discover overlooked features and rediscover useful concepts.
To get the most value from these courses, try to use the skills on your own projects. Even a very simple project you generate will greatly improve your retention.
What is the last day to turn in my files?
Your last day to turn in your files is the "Study Day", the day after the last day of classes, prior to Finals Week.
What does "arranged" mean? Are there any mandatory class meetings?
The term "arranged" you see in the catalog refers to you arranging your own schedule. You work around your schedule; there are no required meetings. The instructor is available during the weekdays if you need help, but you aren't required to work at any specific times.
My course from last quarter is still on Blackboard. Is this a mistake?
No, it is not a mistake. To allow students with incomplete grades to finish the course, it has to be active for all those enrolled in the previous quarter.
What determines my grade?
You will receive a grade of 4.0 if the following criteria are met:
- You successfully complete all the lessons.
- You turn in the lesson files using Blackboard.
- You take every lesson quiz and achieve a 100% score. You may retake the quizzes as many times as you like.
- You complete the self-assessments for each lesson. These may show a grade, but this only shows you have finished the assessment; there is no grade for self-assessments.
If you do not complete the above requirements, you will receive a Z grade. The Z grade does not affect your gradepoint, as if the course was never started.
If you have made substantial progress, but are unable to finish, you may request an incomplete grade from your instructor. An incomplete course may be finished the following quarter and you will not need to register for the course a second time.
Must I work in the lab, or can I work from home?
You can do the work in the lab. You will check out a textbook in the lab and login to your Blackboard account for instrucitons.
You can work outside the labs, if you have a computer, the software, and your own copy of the textbook. The disk included with the textbooks has lesson files but no actual software. Some software can be downloaded as a free short-term trial version.
You will need to login to the Blackboard website and connect to your course. You will find instructions on using your student registration information to login.
For most courses you will be using a textbook. The textbooks can be checked out, with your student ID card, at the counter in the CBE lab. Courses without textbooks use instructions found in your Blackboard pages.
All coursework is done on the CBE lab's Macintosh computers.
Yes, see the answer above.
If you work in the lab, you can check out a textbook to use in the lab. If you own the software on your own computer, you can buy the textbook and work from home.
Course Title |
Textbook |
Author |
Publisher |
ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRDSN 156 Illustrator I | Classroom In A Book Adobe Illustrator CS3 | Adobe Press | ISBN-10: 0-321-49200-5; ISBN-13: 978-0-321-49200-5 | |
| GRDSN 158 PhotoShop I | Classroom In A Book Adobe Photoshop CS3 | Adobe Press | ISBN-10: 0-321-49202-1; ISBN-13: 978-0-321-49202-9 | |
| GRDSN 162 Mac OS X | Uses the Help Files in OS X | |||
| GRDSN 163 InDesign I | Classroom In A Book Adobe InDesign CS3 | Adobe Press | ISBN-10: 0-321-49201-3; ISBN-13: 978-0-321-49201-2 | |
| GRDSN 167 Fireworks | Uses the software Help files. No book is needed. | |||
| GRDSN 171 Flash | Adobe Flash CS3 Professional - Classroom in a Book | Adobe | Adobe Press | ISBN-10: 0-321-49982-4; ISBN-13: 978-0-321-49982-0 |
| GRDSN 172 Dreamweaver | Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 - Classroom in a Book | Adobe | Adobe Press | ISBN-10: 0-321-49981-6; ISBN-13: 978-0-321-49981-3 |
Do I need my own computer and software?
No, you may use the equipment in the CBE lab, building 19, room 216. You can use your own equipment; these classes are a good way to "try before you buy" if a computer purchase is in your plans.
The labs are normally open Mon. and Wed.: 7:30am - 8:45pm; Tues., Thurs., and Fri.: 7:30am - 3:45pm; and Sat.: 10:00am - 2:45pm.
Paperwork may show a later starting date for BA sections . There are AA and BA sections for each course; the AAs are enrolled in at the beginning of the quarter. BA sections allow students to enroll mid quarter(-ish). Start the BA section course work as soon as you sign up. Don't wait until mid-quarter.
The courses now available are:
- GRDSN 156 Adobe Illustrator
- GRDSN 158 Adobe Photoshop
- GRDSN 162 Macintosh OS X
- GRDSN 163 Adobe InDesign
- GRDSN 167 Adobe Fireworks
- GRDSN 171 Adobe Flash I
- GRDSN 173 Adobe Flash II
- GRDSN 172 Adobe Dreamweaver I
- GRDSN 174 Adobe Dreamweaver II
The Adobe software titles are the CS3 versions.
Is help available when I work in the labs?
| Yes. These instructors are available in the labs and are eager to help you! Just ask them. |
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Instructor lab schedules are posted in the labs.
Can I do the course work using free Demo versions of software?
Yes, many manufacturers allow you to download a 30-day demo copy of the software. If this version allows you to save your working files, it is a great way to work at home, for free.
Is the software available as a cheaper educational version?
The cheapest solution is the free 30-day trial version, see above.
The bookstore and internet sites sell the educational software at a substantial discount. The educational versions are nearly identical to the commercial and the final graphic files are created in standard formats. You are not supposed to use educational software for commercial work, but you can upgrade an educational version to the professional.
How long does it take to complete a course?
The courses are designed to be done in 44 hours. Your results may vary.
What computer experience is required to take a course?
You should possess basic computer skills. Using a mouse, navigating through the computer environment, create folders, save files, copy files.
We have a basic Macintosh course if you are in need of these skills.
Our labs use mostly Macs. Most Windows users can adapt to Macs quickly and painlessly by reading the "Switching from Windows" section in the Mac Help files.
Can I do the work on the Windows version of the software?
Yes, if you have a Windows machine and the software, the programs work nearly identically on Windows or Macintosh, and the files will transfer between platforms.
Check with the lab staff about using the Windows computers for these classes. There are limited software titles installed on the Windows machines.
Can I take more than one course per quarter?
Yes, there are no limits or prerequisites. You want to try one course and use the mid-quarter entry option to enroll in more courses if you are making speedy progress.
Can I enroll in the courses during the quarter?
You have the option to sign up for a mid-quarter start, sections labelled BA, in all the self-paced courses. You are welcome to begin working on a course before that mid-quarter start date, if you wish.
Are the courses offered every quarter?
They are offered Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters. Sorry, we do not offer Summer courses.
You can use your student network storage area to store lessons, if you watch the file size. You can also bring your own storage device; USB drives, external hard drives, CD/DVD disks all work. You can even email your lesson files to yourself if the files aren't too big for your mail system.
What about USB storage devices?
They are a chip of flash memory in a little case with a USB plug on the end. They're called Flash Drives, USB Drives, Thumb Drives, etc. They have no moving parts (unlike the similar units called MicroDrives) and are quite dependable. When plugged in they look and act like a server or hard drive and are safe to work from.
Be sure to use the appropriate unmounting, ejecting or other disconnect procedure for the computer you are using before unplugging them. Data may be lost if you don't.
The self-paced courses will not need large storage so you can buy the cheaper models. A good plan is to periodically copy the contents of the Flash Drive onto a CD-R disk and then clean off the unused files. All the Macintosh computers will burn CD-R disks and many will burn DVDs.
I threw out my old files into the Trash but the Flash Drive still won't save new files???
When you throw files into the Trash, they are still there on your drive, taking up space, until you run the Empty Trash command (found in the Mac Desktop Finder pull-down menu).