vcc.ca
ITOP 1101: A+ Hardware
Effective date
September 2021
Department
IT Operations
School
Continuing Studies
Description
In this course students will learn about the various hardware components of a Personal Computer (PC), including RAM, the CPU, and the harddrive. Students will research and build a PC from scratch, and will explore topics such as basic networking, cooling strategies and the task manager. Students will also be introduced to virtualization and mobile technologies.
Credits
2.0
Year of study
1st Year Post-secondary
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe the different components needed to build a working network
- Describe the steps for troubleshooting a PC related issue
- Describe the four different RAID configurations and compare their strengths and weaknesses
- List and describe the tabs in the task manager and demonstrate their uses
- Describe the research methodologies used to build a PC to a customer’s requirements
- List at least three different TCP/IP tools to troubleshoot a network
- Contrast the two main mobile technologies
Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)
Please see Program Content Guide.
Hours
Lecture, Online, Seminar, Tutorial: 20
Clinical, Lab, Rehearsal, Shop, Kitchen, Simulation, Studio: 10
Total Hours: 30
Clinical, Lab, Rehearsal, Shop, Kitchen, Simulation, Studio: 10
Total Hours: 30
Instructional Strategies
Students will engage with the material in this course through a series of lectures, case-studies, and hands-on experiences. For example, students will role-play consulting on a required PC build, and will research PC/technology components. Students will also take apart and then reassemble a computer.
Grading System
Letter Grade (A-F)
Passing grade
C
Evaluation Plan
|
Type |
Percentage |
Assessment activity |
|
Midterm Exam |
35 |
Midterm covers material covered in first half of course |
|
Final Exam |
35 |
Final exam |
|
Project |
20 |
|
|
Assignments |
10 |
|
Course topics
- Personal Computer (PC) environment Operating System RAM, CPU, HDD, Input/Output (I/O) devices RAID technology Computer viruses Backup Strategies Basic networking Researching and assembling PC components Power subsystem and cooling strategies Control panel, task manager System boot process Virtualization Mobile technologies Introduction to cloud computing Introduction to WiFi Customer service
Learning resources
CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Technical Support by Andrews/Dark/West
Notes:
- Course contents and descriptions, offerings and schedules are subject to change without notice.
- Students are required to follow all College policies including ones that govern their educational experience at VCC. Policies are available on the VCC website at:
https://www.vcc.ca/about/governance--policies/policies/. - To find out if there are existing transfer agreements for this course, visit the BC Transfer Guide at https://www.bctransferguide.ca.