Course Objectives: This discussion addresses CO-1 (Computer Software Concepts)
🎯 The Scenario
Congratulations! You have just completed your first week of CI2000 and explored the foundations of computing, Windows navigation, web browsers, and Microsoft Outlook. You now have a solid grasp of what hardware and software are — and how they work together.
Now imagine this: It is your first day at a busy family medicine practice. You walk through the door and immediately see technology everywhere — check-in kiosks, desktop workstations, tablets on carts, a printer humming in the back office. Behind each screen is a piece of software doing something critical.
"Every click, every keystroke, every scan of a barcode — software is the invisible engine that keeps a healthcare facility running." Think about what types of software make this possible and how each type serves a different purpose.
✍️ Your Discussion Prompt
Think about the technology you use daily — from the moment you wake up to when you go to sleep. What software applications do you interact with?
Now think about a healthcare setting. Identify at least THREE different types of software that a medical assistant or healthcare administrator might use during a typical workday. For each one:
- Name the software or type of application
- Classify it (system software, application software, or productivity software)
- Explain how it directly supports patient care or clinic operations
Describe a time when technology either helped or frustrated you in a professional or academic setting. What did you learn from that experience?
✅ What You Need to Do
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Write your initial post — minimum 200 words. Identify at least 3 software types, classify them, and connect them to healthcare.
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Share a personal experience — a real story about technology helping or frustrating you.
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Reply to at least 2 classmates — each reply must be 75+ words and add to the conversation (not just "I agree!").
Initial Post Due
Wednesday
11:59 PM
Replies Due
Sunday
11:59 PM
📊 Grading Rubric
| Criteria |
Points |
| Identifies 3+ software types with real-world examples |
20 pts |
| Correctly classifies each software (system, application, productivity) |
15 pts |
| Clearly explains how each supports patient care or clinic operations |
15 pts |
| Two substantive replies (75+ words each) that advance the discussion |
10 pts |
| Total |
60 pts |
Note: The personal experience component is evaluated as part of the initial post quality score (specifically within the "Identifies 3+ software types with real-world examples" criterion, worth 20 pts).
- Be specific! Instead of saying "doctors use software," name an actual application like Epic EHR or Microsoft Outlook.
- Use vocabulary from this week's lessons — terms like system software, application software, and operating system show you've done the reading.
- In your replies, ask a follow-up question or share a contrasting example to keep the conversation going.
- Connect your personal experience back to the course content — how does what happened to you relate to what we learned?
- Proofread before posting! This is a professional communication course too.
"Technology is nothing. What's important is that you have a faith in people, that they're basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do wonderful things with them."
— Steve Jobs