CSC 110 - Fluency in Information Technology - Fall 2008

Schedule and Assignments 
 110-001   MWF  11:00pm  -  11:50pm   CI 2006
 

CSC 110. Fluency in Information Technology (3)  Information representation, the Internet and HTML, algorithmic thinking and programming, language translation, modeling and abstraction, algorithmic complexity and non-computability, machine architecture and parallel computation, networks and communication database principles, multimedia, social impacts of computing.

GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION

This introductory course is geared towards students who wish to gain an overview of computer science and information technology.   No prior computer science or programming experience is required.  

This is a reading and activity intensive course.   We will cover a broad range of topics, often covering one chapter of our textbook per lecture period.   You must keep up with the reading and homework.   Additional out-of-class projects make this a challenging but rewarding course. 

CSC 110 meets in a laboratory setting thrice a week.   We will frequently make use of the laboratory to have hands-on experience with the concepts under study.  

Should I take this course?

Students wishing to major in Computer Science are not recommended to take this course.   A better introductory course for Computer Science majors would be CSC 121: Introduction to Computer Science I.   If you are contemplating Computer Science as a major, please seek advisement from a Computer Science faculty member before selecting a first course.  

This course does not teach you how to use software packages such as Word, Access, PowerPoint, and other common software.  CSC 105 is one example of a class at UNCW that teaches that material.    There is no assumption that you have taken CSC 105 for this class, although it is assumed that a student can use a word processor.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

Snyder, Lawrence, Fluency with Information Technology: Skills, Concepts, and Capabilities
3^rd edition, ISBN 321512391

There will also be occasional supplemental readings from internet sources to be announced by the instructor.

STUDENT RESOURCES

• UNCW Labs
  Bear 165 is open Sunday though Thursday 6:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. The library's labs also have the necessary software. 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING CRITERIA

    While there is no formal lab/lecture division in this class, we will have an informal division such that the first part of a class may be devoted to more standard lecture material where we discuss our reading for the day and a second part of the class where we explore these concepts through interactive labs.   Not every class will be structured this way, but many will.  

• Lecture Section
  Concepts will be presented and discussed in the lecture portion of the class.  You should come to lecture prepared by having read the sections that are listed for that day on the class schedule (Schedule and Assignments).  Check the schedule at least once a week for updates as the course is organic and evolving. 
   
  • Homework & Quizzes
    Homework & Quizzes will serve as milestones between exams and provide valuable feedback.

    Homeworks: On Blackboard, about each week (see schedule), you will have roughly 20-30 multiple choice and short answer questions to answer related to each chapter.  Often, you will be completing these assignments before the chapters are covered in class.   Your one lowest homework score is thrown away.  The average of these grades will count 1/6 of your course grade (dropping the two lowest grades).

    Quizzes:   Quizzes may occur at the whim of the instructor.   The results will be averaged in with your homework grade.   Most quizzes will be announced.  
     

  • Exams
    There will be two 50-minute exams. Each exam will count 1/6 of your course grade. Make-up exams will not be given.   Exams are not "open notes". 
     
  • Final Exam
    Your final exam will be an out-of-class assignment.   You will select a book from the following list: books.htm and create a study guide for that book.   The format for the study guide may be found here: 110studyguideformat.htm.  There will be checkpoints along the way throughout the class schedule.  Your final exam will be the completed study guide worth 1/6 of your total course grade.   
     
• Informal Lab Section
  The informal lab portion of the class will be used for hands-on computer activities. These activities may be structured or unstructured, individual or collaborative. You may wish to bring recording media (flash drive, zip or floppy disk) to lab to put your work on, and be sure to back up your work on your home computer.  
   
  • Lab Participation
    You are expected to stay for the entire class period and remain focused on the assigned tasks.   
  • Lab Activities
    During most lab periods you will be given a mini-project to work on. Generally, labs will be collaborative in nature, you can talk to your classmates and ask Dr. Guinn for help.  All work must be done in lab. No make-up labs or extensions are allowed.   
  • Lab Grades

    Participation is mandatory.  Grading is simply 100 or 0.   Your three lowest scores are thrown away.   This grade will count 1/6 of your course grade.

• Out-of-class Projects
  There will be up to seven projects which are to be completed outside of class.  These projects will range from finding information on the internet, creating simple Web pages, troubleshooting faulty algorithms, database manipulation, and simple programming.  These projects will count 1/6 of your course grade. Specific instructions concerning due dates, late programs, assessment criteria, etc., will be given when the programs are assigned.
   
• Course Grade
  A 10-point scale will be used to compute your course grade. If your course score falls just below a cutoff, a higher plus / minus grade may be assigned. Factors that affect this judgment are the distribution of grades, improvement during the semester, and attendance.

      Numeric Score     Letter Grade     Quality Points 
    ====================================================               
       90.0 - 100           A                4.00 
       80.0 - 89.5          B                3.00
       70.0 - 79.5          C                2.00
       60.0 - 69.5          D                1.00
       00.0 - 59.5          F                0.00
  

• Academic Expectations for Students

In choosing UNCW, you have become part of our community of scholars. We recognize that the UNCW learning experience is challenging and requires hard work. It also requires a commitment to make time available to do that hard work. The university expects you to make academics your highest priority by dedicating your time and energy to training your mind and acquiring knowledge. Academic success in critical thinking and problem solving prepares you for the changes and challenges you will encounter in the future. Our faculty and academic support resources are readily available as partners in this effort, but the primary responsibility for learning is yours.

Honor Code

It is the responsibility of every student to uphold and maintain the UNCW Academic Honor Code (see Section V of your Student Handbook). You violate the honor code when you represent someone else's work as your own. Programming assignments may be discussed at a conceptual level with other students but details and coding must be your own. Copying and team collaboration is prohibited.

Learning Strategies

You are expected to take an active role in your learning in this course. This includes regular attendance, paying attention in class, reading the textbook, and completing all course requirements. You are encouraged to study with your classmates outside of class. Programming assignments usually require a lot more time than expected, so start early and work some every day.

Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability and need reasonable accommodation in this course, you should inform the instructor of this fact in writing within the first week of class or as soon as possible. If you have not already done so, you must register with the Office of Disability Services in Westside Hall (extension 3746) and obtain a copy of your Accommodation Letter. You should then meet with your instructor to make mutually agreeable arrangements based on the recommendations of the Accommodation Letter.