CSCI 161: Introduction to Computer Science — Spring 2015

Course Syllabus

Instructor

Joel Ross (bio)
email: jross@pugetsound.edu
office: Thompson 405
phone: x3558

Class Meetings

Section A Lecture: Mon/Wed/Fri 9:00am to 9:50am (Thompson 409)
Section A Lab: Thu 9:00am to 10:50am (Thompson 409)
Section B Lecture: Mon/Wed/Fri 10:00am to 10:50am (Thompson 409)
Section B Lab: Thu 11:00am to 12:50 am (Thompson 409, with David Chiu)

Website: http://cs.pugetsound.edu/~jross/courses/cs161/
Moodle (A): https://moodle.pugetsound.edu/moodle/course/view.php?id=8685
Moodle (B): https://moodle.pugetsound.edu/moodle/course/view.php?id=8686
Piazza: https://piazza.com/class/i3n9payydjm2ko We will be using Piazza for class Q&A. The system is catered to getting you help fast and efficiently from classmates and from myself. Rather than emailing questions to me, I encourage you to post your questions here.

Office Hours

Feel free to stop by any time! I am available whenever my office door is open. I will definitely be in my office during "official" hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 11:00am to 12:30pm, and Thu 12:30pm to 2:00pm. We can also schedule to chat at a specific time that works for you.

Take advantage of office hours! They are a great time to get help, ask questions (whether or not related to class), and otherwise build up relationships with your professors.

CS Tutors are also available to help Sun-Thur from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, in Th409.

Course Description

This course is an introduction to computer science and programming. It uses the programming language Java to illustrate concepts in computer science, and the BlueJ interactive Java environment to reduce the complexity of program development. The course emphasizes the use of the computer as a problem solving tool and the development of good programming style. CS 161 is the introductory course for students planning to major or minor in computer science or students interested in learning more about the technologies that shape their daily lives.

No previous programming experience is expected or required--we will start at the very beginning. As a result, some of the initial material may be review for students with previous programming experience. See me if you're in this category, and we can find ways to extend or modify assignments to keep you challenged.

Course Goals

After completing this course, a student will be able to:

Textbook

Horstmann. Java Concepts: Early Objects, 7th Edition. Wiley. 2013. (required text). May be available on Amazon for cheaper than the bookstore, or as a digital textbook rental from various services.

Assigned readings from the text are listed on the calendar.

You might also consider: Horstmann. Big Java: Early Objects, 5th Edition. Wiley. 2013. (Amazon). This is an identical text with additional (useful!) material in the back. For a little bit more, you can get a more complete and longer-lasting reference.

Resources

Course Components

This course aims to help you develop computer science-based thinking skills, applied primarily through learning to program computers. As with any skill, the best way to get better at programming is to practice---and this class will give you lots of opportunities to practice.

Labs

Labs are programming assignments you will complete during the scheduled lab time. Each lab is intended to help you practice and master concepts from the course.

All labs will be completed in pairs; make sure to read the pair programming guidelines. for more details on pair programming (we will also discuss this during class). You will work with a different partner each lab; partners will be assigned randomly by the professor.

Lab assignments will usually be posted online the night before the lab session. You should read through the assignment before lab so you have a sense for what you'll be doing, and to look at any new concepts that might be covered. I expect you will be able to finish the lab during the allotted time, but if not you are welcome to finish them during the evening. Labs are due at the start of class the day after the lab session. Labs are worth 20% of the course grade in total.

Homeworks

Homeworks are larger, more focused projects that you will complete on your own. These are larger projects than labs, and so will require more planning and effort. Homeworks are intended to let you master class concepts and demonstrate your newly acquired programming skills.

You'll have around a week to complete each homework. Note that each assignment will take up the whole week--you will not be able to complete it at the last minute. You should be working on the assignment continuously!

Remember: programming ALWAYS takes more time than we think it will. So be sure to get started on homeworks as early as possible! Be sure to ask for help if you get stuck.

Homework assignments are to be completed individually unless otherwise specified. Homeworks are worth 30% of the course grade in total.

Final Project

You will also be completing a small programming project of your choosing at the end of the course, to demonstrate your programming and problem solving skills. You can work on this project individually or in pairs (I recommend in pairs). We'll discuss this in more detail closer to the end of class. The final project will be worth 10% of the course grade.

UPDATE! Final project details are now available!

Midterms

There will be two midterms given in class, as indicated on the schedule. Midterms will cover both theoretical concepts and programming skills. Midterms are individual, closed book, and closed note.

Each midterm is worth 10% of the course grade.

Final Exam

This course will have a final exam. The exam is comprehensive (not least in that later concepts build directly on earlier ones). The final exam is worth 10% of the course grade. A high score may help raise a lower score on a midterm.

Participation

You are expected to be an active participant in this class, and this course component reflects that. The best way to earn participation points is to be both physically and mentally present! Show up to class, complete the daily "challenge problems", ask and answer revelant questions, share an opinion, and otherwise contribute to a conducive learning environment. Participation is worth about 10% of the course grade.

A note about grades: final grades are determine neither on a formal curve (with equal numbers of As and Fs, Bs and Ds, and so on) nor necessarily on a fixed, straight scale. The following scale provides upper bounds--that is, your grade will not be lower than indicated, but may very well be higher: A >= 95, A- >= 90, B+ >= 87, B >= 83, B- >= 80, C+ >= 77, C >= 73, C- >= 70, D+ >= 67, D >= 63, D- >= 60, F < 60. I urge everyone to focus not on letter grades but on learning what's necessary to earn high scores; the grades will follow from that.

Course Policies

Respect

This class may involve in-class discussion of topics on which you and your classmates may have differences in opinion. Please be respectful of others (students or otherwise) at all times.

Correspondence

I will send out course announcements and information (as well as return assignments) by email, so you should check your email daily. Note that this email will go to your pugetsound.edu address. If you prefer to read your email on another account, you should set your Pugetsound account to forward your email to your preferred account.

I have set up a public discussion forum through Piazza. This is a great place to ask (and answer!) technical or homework questions. You may get responses from other students faster than from me, and any answers can be shared with the entire class.

For more private correspondence, you are welcome to email me. When emailing, please make sure to sign your emails! This will let me know who is writing, and will help me to better answer any questions.

My official office hours are listed above, but I am more than happy to talk about any questions or concerns you may have about the course or its material at any time. I highly recommend you take advantage of professor's office hours; it's one of the greatest benefits of attending a school like UPS.

Collaboration

I expect you to do your own independent work in this course. While computer programming is normally a collaborative endeavor, in the end you each must individually learn the course material. In this course it is always permissible, even desirable, to talk with your classmates about the conceptual course material or the requirements of an assignment. It is always permissible to get help from anyone about using Eclipse or other system details, help with minor syntax errors, or suggestions of possible test cases for your programs.

However, the final product (the code you write and submit) must be your own. When you ask for help from other students, you should follow the Gilligan's Island Rule formulated by Larry Ruzzo at University of Washington:

Leave without any written record of the collaboration (erase all whiteboards, delete all e-mail, recycle all paper, smash all stone tablets, etc.), and then spend at least half an hour engaging in mind-numbing activity such as watching Gilligan's Island before resuming work.

This process assures that you are able to reconstruct what you learned from the collaboration afterwards all by yourself. The most important part of the assignment is the process of the getting the solution--including the false starts, bugs, misconceptions, and mistakes--because the learning occurs in the doing. Completely apart from the ethical issues, copying a solution deprives you of the whole point of the assignment.

The best way to follow the Gilligan's Island Rule is to not look at anyone else's code, nor let anyone else look at your code. Instead, discuss the concepts away from the written code, so that any sharing is always one step removed from what you turn in.

It is never permissible to copy and paste another student's solution (whether code or prose). If you use code written by someone else (such as the textbook or instructor), you must include a comment giving credit to the author and explaining where the code came from. Failing to give appropriate credit is a form of plagarism, and so is considered cheating.

That said, lab assignments in this course will be completed using pair programming, which follows a different set of collaboration guidelines; see the pair programming guidelines for details.

Attendance

Make every effort to attend each class meeting; we may cover material that isn't directly in the textbook and so can't be found anywhere else. Classes (both lectures and labs) will begin and (usually) end on time. Please do your best to get to class before the start of the hour. Students are expected to attend all lectures, with exceptions permitted in case of illness and family emergencies. I reserve the right to drop from the course any student that misses 5 or more classes.

Technology in Class

Please silence all cell phones/pagers/etc. before the beginning of each class. Laptops are allowed in class, but only for class purposes: do not use class time (lecture or lab) to check your email, update your Facebook, read reddit, make LOLCats, etc. Such usage is distracting and interferes with learning both for you and for all the other students in the class. If the temptation is too much, simply don't bring your laptop--you will not need it for any lecture. If another student's computer is distracting, please ask them to close it (or let me know outside of class).

Late Work

Turn in whatever portion of an assignment you have completed on the due date. It's much better to turn in something rather than nothing. Late assignments will lose 10% per day late, and assignments will not be accepted more than 3 days late.

If you find yourself falling behind, please check in with me ASAP; I am glad to help! It is better to seek help before the deadline.

Academic Honesty

Please review the Academic Honesty Policy in the Student Handbook and ask me if you have any questions regarding its application to this course. The consequences of academic dishonesty are not worth the risks. The simple rule is: do not claim anyone else's work, code, words, or ideas as your own. If you're in doubt, come talk to me in advance.

If you're having problems in the course, come and speak with me; never take the shortcut of copying someone else's work. It isn't worth it.

Special Accommodations

Academic accommodations are available for students with disabilities who are registered with the Office of the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations. If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact Peggy Perno, Director of the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations, 105 Howarth, 253.879.3395. She will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.

I also encourage all students having difficulty, whatever the reason, to consult privately with me at any time.

Emergency Procedures

Please review university emergency preparedness and response procedures posted at http:www.pugetsound.edu/emergency/. There is a link on the university home page. Familiarize yourself with hall exit doors and the designated gathering area for your class and laboratory buildings.

If building evacuation becomes necessary (e.g. earthquake), meet your instructor at the designated gathering area so she/he can account for your presence. Then wait for further instructions. Do not return to the building or classroom until advised by a university emergency response representative.

If confronted by an act of violence, be prepared to make quick decisions to protect your safety. Flee the area by running away from the source of danger if you can safely do so. If this is not possible, shelter in place by securing classroom or lab doors and windows, closing blinds, and turning off room lights. Lie on the floor out of sight and away from windows and doors. Place cell phones or pagers on vibrate so that you can receive messages quietly. Wait for further instructions.

Course Calendar

Below is the planned schedule for the course. This includes a list of topics to help students plan their work in this course, as well as reading and homework assignments. Changed will be announced in class, and I will do my best to keep this schedule updated. Any changes to due dates or exam dates will be announced.

Week Date Topic Reading Lab Homework
1 01/19 Intro to Programming Wed: 1.1-1.2, 1.7
Fri: 1.3-1.6 		Lab A
2 01/26 Variables and Functions Mon: 2.1-2.2
Wed: 2.3-2.5, 2.8
Fri: 4.1-4.2 		Lab B Hwk 1 - Chattybot due Fri
3 02/02 Working with Objects Mon: 3.1, 3.6-3.7
Wed: 3.2-3.3
Fri: 3.5, 8.4 		Lab C Hwk 2 - Banking due Fri
4 02/09 Working with Classes Mon: 3.3
Wed: 2.6, 4.3-4.5
Fri: 2.9-2.10, 3.8 		Lab D
5 02/16 Conditionals Mon: 5.2, 5.7
Wed: 5.1, 5.4-5.5, 5.8
Fri: 8.1-8.3 		Lab E Hwk 3 - Fractions due Mon
6 02/23 Testing and Exam Mon: 2.7, 3.4 Exam 1 Hwk 4 - Karol due Thu
7 03/02 Loops Mon: 6.1-6.2
Wed: 6.3-6.5
Fri: 6.7-6.9 		Lab F
8 03/09 Arrays Mon: 7.1
Wed: 7.3-7.5
Fri: 7.6 		Lab G Hwk 5 - Quilt due Wed
Spring Break
9 03/23 Collections Mon: 7.7
Wed: 7.2-7.3 		Lab H
10 03/30 Searching & Sorting Ch14 link Lab I Hwk 6 - Piano due Tue
11 04/06 Exam Exam 2 Hwk 7 - Hangman due Sun
12 04/13 GUI Programming Ch 10 Lab J
13 04/20 Beyond BlueJ Ch 10 Lab K Hwk 8 - Graphical Hangman due Tue
14 04/27 Recursion Ch13 link, 04/29 mini lab Project alphas
15 05/04 Next Steps Reading Period
Finals Final Exam (A): Friday 5/15, 8:00am
Final Exam (B): Wednesday 5/13, 8:00am 		Final Projects due Mon