BENEFIT COURSE MATERIALS

BENEFIT course materials include textbooks, online resources, and media resources. Because you will be completing this course without an instructor, these course materials were carefully selected to help you succeed while working independently.

TEXTBOOKS

Two required textbooks form the foundation of the required reading material for the course. The optional workbook was designed to accompany the main textbook and is suggested as preparation for individuals who have no computer experience whatsoever.

REQUIRED

1. Snyder, Lawrence. Fluency with Information Technology: Skills, Concepts and Capabilities, 2nd ed. Boston: Addison Wesley, 2006. (Fluency)

 Required Textbooks

Snyder, Lawrence. Fluency with Information Technology: Skills, Concepts and Capabilities, 2nd ed. Boston: Addison Wesley, 2006. (Fluency)

Lin, Forest. QuickStart to JavaScript. Boston: Addison Wesley, 2004. (QuickStart)

Optional Textbooks

Computer Skills Workbook to Accompany Fluency with Information Technology: Skills, Concepts and Capabilities, 1st ed. Boston: Addison Wesley, 2006. (Workbook)

University of Washington Professor Lawrence Snyder wrote the Fluency textbook in response to the National Research Council's report, which revealed that computer literacy has insufficient staying power—students' knowledge must evolve and adapt to technological change that occurs at an increasingly rapid pace. The goal of his book is to help people become effective users immediately, and to prepare them for lifelong learning—FITness, that is, fluency with information technology.

2. Lin, Forest. QuickStart to JavaScript. Boston: Addison Wesley, 2004. (QuickStart)

QuickStart is a handy, concise introduction to programming in JavaScript. Among the many JavaScript guides available, this slim volume is uniquely useful because it covers only the basics needed for this course.

OPTIONAL

3. Computer Skills Workbook to Accompany Fluency with Information Technology: Skills, Concepts and Capabilities, 1st ed. Boston: Addison Wesley, 2006. (Workbook)

The Workbook was designed to accompany the Fluency textbook. Although this course is designed for individuals who may have relatively few computer skills other than surfing the Web a little or sending email, the Workbook would prove very useful for anyone who has never saved files, created folders, or worked with Microsoft Office software before. Its exercises can be a bridge to further learning. Specific exercises are assigned where additional practice may be helpful.

PURCHASING TEXTBOOKS

Several different textbook "value packs" are available from Addison Wesley publishers. You may prefer to buy the texts separately at online bookstores like Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, University Bookstore, or Powell's, or borrow them from your local library.

It is strongly recommended that you search for ISBN or author because bookstores may not always have the correct title. For instance, Amazon and Barnes & Noble list QuickStart to JavaScript as "Quick Start Guide to JavaScript."

NOTE: In January 2007 bookstores began converting to a 13-digit ISBN-13 from the traditional ISBN, now called ISBN-10. Both ISBNs are given below for your convenience while bookstores transition to the new system.

Description and link to Addison Wesley	ISBN-10	ISBN-13
Three-book package (Fluency, QuickStart, and Workbook	032143286X	9780321432865
Two-book package (Fluency and Workbook)	0321413121	9780321413123
Fluency	0321357825	9780321357823
QuickStart	1576760189	9781576760185
Workbook	0321412737	9780321412737

MEDIA RESOURCES LIST

Animations and videos provide visual and auditory reinforcement of the material you are studying, and offer motivation for learning lesson concepts. Some of the videos contain interviews with professionals in the field, while others enact real-world situations to demonstrate important concepts.

VIDEOS

Placed strategically throughout the course, the Video sidebar provides links to short videos. Most of the videos record interviews with faculty, staff, and students in the Information School and Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington as they address key concepts in the materials and make the topics come alive.

ANIMATIONS

Throughout the course, the Animation sidebar provides links to brief animations that demonstrate key points, helping you to visualize important information and enhancing your learning.

ONLINE RESOURCES LIST

Throughout the lessons, the Online Resources sidebar links you to a list of online articles, Web sites, and tutorials that will enrich your learning experience. Online Resources provides fast, easy access to information that supports your online learning experience. The online resources in the list are organized by lesson and lesson part.

Continue to BENEFIT Activities

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BENEFIT was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation and developed by University of Washington Educational Outreach.

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