Downloads & Free Reading Options - Results

The Applied Computer Science Department at Illinois State University is in the process of implementing a reengineered curriculum that utilizes an integrated and spiral approach to subject coverage. The 1996-97 school year was the first year that upper division course prerequisites were based on the new curriculum instead of a mixture of old and new. During this first year, professors taught upper division courses that relied on students having acquired the knowledge and skills from the first portion of the spiral. This paper focuses on the systems analysis and design component of the core, including systems development tools and database concepts, and the way in which the introduction of this material in a first, core course impacted the more advanced treatment of the topics in advanced courses for Information Systems majors. Issues and problems are analyzed, attempted solutions discussed, and suggestions offered for those faced with a similar situation. After teaching the two follow-on courses, it was apparent that more planning and development work needs to be done in order to affect a smoother transition along the spiral. (Author/AEF)

1Boy Crusoe

By Allan Eric

Also published as" A Yankee Crusoe" . A 15 year old hard working and studious farm boy finds the lure of adventure on the seas as a merchant seaman more than he can resist. This is his story. " I was born in a little town in the State of Maine, near the close of the Civil War. My boyhood life did not differ materially from that of the average farmer's son in the remote country districts of New England--except, perhaps, that I read more and thought more. Hard work on the rugged soil, two terms each year in the little yellow country schoolhouse, a day's fishing now and then filled the early years of my life full to over-flowing. " What he gets is enough excitement and adventure to overflow his wildest dreams. How he experiences disaster and uses his wits and knowledge to overcome every problem makes for a great read. - Summary by Phil Chenevert