CSC 121 Introduction to Computer Science I

Spring 2006

Instructor:

Dr. Karl Ricanek, Jr.

This instructor is available by email at ricanekk@uncw.edu, by telephone (962-4261), and during office hours (BR Hall 123) Monday/Wednesday 9:00 - 10:00 am and Friday 9:45 - 11:00 am.   In addition, students can arrange to meet with the professor outside of normal office hours by contacting him via email or phone or schedule using Outlook. 

Student Resources Required:

• Textbook - An Intro to Object-Oriented Programming with Java, 3rd Edition by C. Thomas Wu, McGraw Hill, 2003.
• Lab Manual - Course textbook and print outs from course calendar.
• Electronic files for lab exercises - will be posted on course website prior to class when feasible for professor.
• Storage media - a thumbnail  drive (aka stick drive) will be beneficial to you for this class and feature computer science courses.
• A UNCW email account.

Course Overview:

CSC 121. Introduction to Computer Science I (3) Prerequisite: MAT 111 or 115. Problem solving methods and algorithms in a modern high-level programming language. Introduces one or more programming environments. Emphasis on programming style and the design, coding, and testing of complete programs. A grade of "C" (2.00) or better is required for taking any course for which CSC 121 is a prerequisite. Two lecture and two laboratory hours each week.

Course Information:

This is the first required course for Computer Science majors. Students may declare a major in Computer Science after completion of CSC 121, 133, and 221 with a grade point average of at least 2.5 on these 3 courses.

Students intending to major in Computer Science are encouraged to take CSC 133 (Discrete Structures) during the same semester as CSC 121. In CSC 133 students will learn the logic and mathematics underlying computer science.

CSC 121 is the first of a three course sequence (CSC 121, 221, 332) on computer programming using the Java^TM programming language. No previous programming experience is assumed. In these courses students will learn many core concepts in computer science and the fundamentals of software design and development. Students will learn basic problem solving strategies and common design patterns in order to expedite the software development process. Students will also discover that computer programming is an art and beyond a program that "works" are issues of aesthetics, simplicity, and elegance.

Every student in CSC 121 must be enrolled in one lecture section and one lab section. You will receive one course grade that incorporates your grades from the lecture and the lab. CSC 121 is not an easy course, but students find it rewarding and well worth the effort. Students should expect to spend 5 to 10 hours per week on the course outside of class time.

Course Minimum Competencies:

Minimum competencies for this course are found here min-competencies.  Each student is expected to demonstrate a working knowledge of these minimum competencies to successfully complete this course.

Class Format:

• Lecture Section
  Programming concepts will be presented and discussed in the lecture section. This includes algorithms, Java syntax and semantics, program design, and discussion of programming projects and labs. You should come to lecture prepared by having read the sections that are listed for that day on the class schedule. Sample programs will be linked to the course schedule. Check the schedule at least once a week for updates.
   
  • ______Homework & Quizzes
    Homework & quizzes will serve as milestones between exams and provide valuable feedback. Each quiz will be given near the end of the class/lab period and last about 10 minutes. Quizzes will cover material from previous lectures and/or labs.  The average of these grades and homework will count 1/6 of your course grade.   Your lowest quiz will be dropped when computing your quiz average.   Quizzes are "open notes" - you may use your notes only, but not the textbook.  
     
  • ______Exams
    Exams will take place in the lecture section. There will be two 50-minute exams. Each exam will count 1/6 of your course grade. Make-up exams will not be given. If a student misses one exam, the grade on the final exam will substitute for it. If a student does not miss any exams, the final will substitute for the lowest exam grade (if the final is higher). If a student has already missed an exam, subsequent missed exams will result in zeroes.   Exams are not "open notes". 
     
  • ______Final Exam
    The final counts either 1/6 of your course grade, if the final exam grade is lower than your lowest exam, or 2/6 of your course grade, if the final replaces your lowest exam grade. The final exam may not be used to replace your quiz, lab, or program grades.  The final exam is not "open notes".  
     
• Lab Section
  Your lab section will be used for hands-on programming activities. The lab will be structured such that students will work in groups of two that change each lab meeting, i.e., each lab meeting you will be working with a different lab partner. You should come to lab with your book and notes and be ready to write code for the entire period. Bring storage media (flash drive, zip or floppy disk) to lab to save 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 lab period and remain focused on the assigned tasks. Hopefully, you will feel that the lab is a non-threatening environment where you can work to improve your programming ability.   Lab participation (i.e. attendance, following directions, etc.) will count towards your course grade.
     
  • ______Lab Activities
    During most lab periods you will be given a mini-project to work on. There will be weekly lab meetings and you will receive a grade for each one (0 to 10 points). Grading will be as follows: missed lab - 0 points, worked on lab assignment for entire period but completed less than half the lab - 5 points, completed most but not all of the lab - 7 points, finished additional parts - additional points to bring total up to 10 points. Two of the labs will include additional timed practicals for which there will be no assistance and no paired partner. These are designed to test individual hands-on programming abilities. All work must be done in lab. No make-up labs or extensions are allowed. Your lowest lab grades including practicals will be dropped. The average of your remaining labs (multiplied by 10 to put it on a 100 point scale) will count 1/6 of your course grade. 
     
  • ______Programming Projects
    There will be up to eight programming projects which are to be completed outside of class. Programming 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.

Participation:

Regular class attendance is required. Completion of assignments will entail time spent at a personal computer during class hours and outside of class (see ITSD Student Lab Schedule). Students may complete assignments outside of class, where hardware/software is appropriate to meet requirements.

Evaluation:

• 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
  The following algorithm can be used to compute your final grade based on your
    before final average:
  
    if (finalExam < lowestTest) 
        grade = (finalExam + 5 * beforeFinal) / 6;
    else 
        grade = (5 * beforeFinal - lowestTest + 2 * finalExam) / 6; 

Special Needs:

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.

Code of Academic Responsibility and Conduct:

Students are responsible for submitting their own work. Students who cooperate on oral or written examinations or work without authorization share the responsibility for violation of academic principles, and the students are subject to disciplinary action even when one of the students is not enrolled in the course where the violation occurred.

Syllabus Agreement:

I, _________________________, have read this syllabus completely and will abide by the rules outlined here in for participation, evaluation, and conduct.  I further agree to treat this document as a binding agreement, not to be disputed, between the professor teaching this course and myself.

Signature: ______________________________

Page last updated updated on: Wednesday, 18 January 2006 08:55:01 AM