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Chapter I I. Introduction Communications Technology Management ranks second in student population in the John Gokongwei School of Management. The appeal of this program lies mainly in its innovative and groundbreaking concept of incorporating courses from fields of mass communication, computer science, and telecommunication into the business curriculum. Thus, students from this program are trained to be conversant with the creative process as well as with the technology that are an integral part of the modern-day communication process. A COMTECH student will also be exposed to communication theories and most of all to the technology that is driving today’s information society. Given these, it is expected of a COMTECH major to be well versed in all three fields to be future managers competent in managing Information Communication Technology (ICTs) industries. However, in the past year, the information technology aspect of COMTECH has not been generating feedback comparable to management and communications courses. This is why the group endeavors to study this particular aspect of the program. As COMTECH Majors, it is very important for the researchers to assess the program because it has substantial and direct impact on the future of the COMTECH students. Given the fact that the program has only been offered for the past seven years, it needs continuous assessment and evaluation in order to improve and strengthen it. The group has decided to study the information technology aspect of the COMTECH program. In studying this, the group will assess the two courses prescribed in the COMTECH curriculum namely CS 30 Introduction to Information Technology and CS 175 Introduction to Multimedia System. The knowledge gained from this study will prove invaluable to the development of the program and will prove beneficial to the future graduates of COMTECH. II. Objectives The group aims to assess the Computer Science courses, namely CS 30 Introduction to Information Technology and CS 175 Introduction to Multimedia, prescribed in the COMTECH Curriculum by answering the following questions: 1. Are those courses able to provide a firm grasp of the current Information Technology, Information System and Multimedia? 2. Is there a significant relation between the CS track and the CS courses? 3. What positive recommendations can the group contribute in making the CS courses for COMTECH more effective? III. Scope and Limitations The group shall only take into account the two computer courses that shall be taken by all COMTECH Majors namely CS 30 and CS 175. It shall not discuss information technology related subjects nor shall it delve into computer science courses offered in the Computer science track. The research of the group regarding these two courses shall be limited to the available course syllabi which were used by the chosen population. In addition, the questionnaire produced by the group and the data gathered using it shall be one of the bases for this study. With regards to the population, the whole senior class of 2004 shall be the population of this study. Being the only ones who have taken both courses, they are the only available population within the Ateneo de Manila University. Twenty-nine of these comprise the population sample from which the group shall draw their conclusion and recommendations. Other than the data gathered using the questionnaire, the group shall base the study on interviews conducted by them, data from the Focus Group Discussion, and research from different forms of references including but not limited to books and Internet websites. IV. Review of Related Literature A. COMTECH Curriculum The Ateneo de Manila University School of Management’s Communications Technology Management Program (COMTECH) is “an interdisciplinary program that incorporates courses from the fields of mass communication, computer science, and telecommunications into the business curriculum to create managers who are conversant with the creative process as well as the technology that are an integral part of the modern-day communication process. Students enrolled in this program will be exposed to the communications theories and to the technology that is driving today’s information society. COMTECH is especially designed to increase the pool of trained managers for the country’s burgeoning communications industry and is an excellent preparation for careers in marketing, advertising, public relations, media management and the management of telecommunications firms.” To be able to have a firm grasp of the COMTECH program, COMTECH majors are required to take 26 units of Management Subjects. Courses under which are ITM 11-Basic Information Technology Applications in Business (3 non-credited units), ACC 15-Fundamentals of Accounting (3 units), LAW 11-Essentials of Philippine Business Law (3 units), L&S 10-Philippine Business and Economic Environment (2 units), QMT 12-Business Statistics and Research Method (3 units), MKT 101-Principles of Marketing (3 units), FIN 102-Financial Planning (3 units), CTECH elective Operations Management (3 units) L&S 100-Organizational Behavior (3 units), and L&S 125-Strategic Management (3 units). For the communications branch of the COMTECH program, required courses are COM 11-Introduction to Communication and Communication Theory (3 units), COM 12-Information Society (3 units), and COM 14-Visual Thinking for Communication Managers (3 units), summing up to 9 units of communication subjects. The third prong of the program, Computer Science, requires COMTECH majors to take eight (8) units of CS classes. These are CS 30-Introduction to Information Technology (5 units), and CS 175-Introduction to Multimedia System (Lab). According to Mr. Jozon Lorenzana, the COMTECH Program Director , these particular CS classes are requisites to the program because of their particular relevance to the ICT field. CS 30: Introduction to Information Technology, required to be taken by junior COMTECH majors in the first semester is a 5-unit course aimed to give the students a firm grasp of current Information Technology and Information Systems, equip the students with knowledge of current technology, which they shall be able to apply in the business environment. The course also addresses issues during IT/IS development and implementation. Briefly, the course “demonstrates how the information technology and information systems can give a business a strategic technology platform that supports electronic commerce and enterprise collaboration among the Internet enterprise in today’s global environment.” . The course outline includes topics on the history of computers, hardware, software, system development life cycle, information management, database, networks and telecom, e-commerce, ethics, and new technologies. After taking CS 30, COMTECH juniors are required to take CS175: Introduction to Multimedia Systems in the 2nd semester. The course is described to be an introductory course in multimedia system that will expose the students to different elements and technologies involved in the creation of multimedia applications. The course deals with color theory, compression schemes, image and video design and processing, video production and interactive presentations. In the course, students learn to operate the programs Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, and Macromedia Flash. By the end of the course, the students will have had learned to define concepts in image design and processing, digital audio, and digital video, apply concepts in color theory, define various compression schemes, and discuss interface standards. B. Information Communication Technology and Information Systems, etc There is a vast array of computer applications used for business. There are the relatively simple and basic programs like word processors, database and presentation tools like MS Office, which has MS Word, Excel, Access, and Power Point. There are applications for more specific areas like Peach tree and Mind Your Own Business for accounting.
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