Download the course book free!
No strings attached, no advertising, no pesky junk, and your access to it never expires! The downloads are arranged by unit (think "chapter") and will all be available by the time the Spring, 2016 term begins. Click on each unit to download it as a .pdf:
Unit 1 -- How computers work (pages 1-48; 20 Mb)
Unit 2 -- Computer evolution (pages 49-85; available soon!)
Unit 3 -- Contemporary computing (pages 86-139; available soon!)
Unit 4 -- Capstone projects (pages 140-51; available soon!)
Unit 5 -- Reflective work (pages 152-57 and Appendix; available soon!)
The best way to read the course book
There's no requirement for you to print the workbook, just read it on your computer, laptop, or tablet computer. The best way to read the course workbook this way is with the free Adobe Reader "Page Display" view, specifying "Two Page View" and "Show Cover Page in Two Page View". If you don't have this software on your computer, Google "Adobe Reader" and download and install it; it's available free from Adobe, the firm that originated the .pdf format. (Make sure you get this software from the Adobe site, not from some "parasite" web site that may provide a knock-off clone or adulterated software! In this course you'll learn about safe computer use and how some sites try to fool you into downloading junk!) The genuine Adobe reader is available free for both Windows PCs and Macs from the Adobe web site.
Below is a picture of the best selections to make using the reader to view the course workbook. When you view the workbook this way the first image will show just the cover; after that the pages will be shown facing one another as they would appear in a print-published book. I have arranged the pages so that, just as in printed form, facing pages match, with the left side page referring to the right side page if a topic continues to more than one page.
How to easily print just the homework and study sheets
You will find it useful to print out the Unit Summary Form (USF) "worksheet" pages and the repeatable online exercise pages to take notes. These sheets are included at the end of units 1, 2, and 3 in the workbook. Taking notes on these sheets in printed form will help you integrate information from the readings, lectures, and tutorial videos. Taking notes is a good study habit; I try to help you develop your study skills by providing these materials!
To make it especially easy for you to print just the note-taking pages I have extracted copies of them and made them available in a separate file. To get these extracted pages in printed form all you have to do is download this second file and print it; just CLICK HERE. This is a file about xx Mb. in size and will print xx pages. (This link will become active by the start of the Spring 2016 term; I am just updating it from its prior print-published format. -- JJ)
