CS112 (SPARC) - Introduction to Computer Programming - Fall 2017 Professor Contact Information
Dr. Kinga Dobolyi (001, 002, 003) Office: Engineering Building, room 4440 Email:
[email protected] (preferred; I usually check emails between 9am and 5pm on weekdays) Phone: 703–993–4198 Office Hours: 10:45am – 11:45am, Tuesdays and Thursdays
DASHBOARD
View your progress in the course An ability to use procedural programming language concepts including expressions, decision statements, simple data types, Boolean logic, input/output, loop constructs, and procedures. An ability to combine programming techniques to solve problems of varying degrees of difficulty. An ability to refine computer programs through testing and debugging to ensure proper operation. An ability to find and understand programming language documentation to learn new information needed to solve programming problems.
Course Outcomes
Prerequisite
TA Contact Information
C or better in MATH 104 or MATH 105 or specified score on math placement test, or MATH 113 with a C or better. Prerequisite enforced by registration system. GTA: GTA: GTA: GTA:
UTA:
Textbook
Required: CS112 class workbook: available on Amazon Optional: free Python wiki: available wiki (simpler than a python textbook, but contains more syntax than we will cover) Optional: The Practice of Computing Using Python by William Punch & Richard Enbody © 2011 (an eText version is available). This is optional; we will not refer to any specific chapters or material from the textbook this semester. There are also plenty of free online resources for Python that you can google (like the wiki above). This class will be very different from your prior high school classes and other university classes in several ways:
Class Structure
1. This class is self-paced, and therefore we will spend very little time lecturing in the classroom (if any). Instead, you will explore online videos, slides and readings before coming to class, and we will practice programming together in class. (This is called the flipped classroom model.) 2. We will have two types of programming assignments: practice and assessment. You can work on practice assignments at any time, and do as many as you want. We encourage you to work with your classmates or anyone else that can help, and use online resources that you can find. Practice assignments will not count towards your grade, but will prepare you for assessments. When you are ready, you will schedule an assessment for your lab section, to be taken in lab. These will be done individually on a lab computer, and you must score at least a 70% to pass each one. You are allowed to try each assessment up to three times, though you may not repeat an assessment for a higher score once you've passed it. 3. This class is self-paced in the sense that you can take assessments whenever you are ready. You can complete several assessments in the same week, or use several weeks to complete an assessment. You must finish all assessments/exams by the last day of finals. The dates established by the University for dropping and selective withdrawal remain the same for this course regardless of the class structure. Refer to Registrar calendar for dates. 4. You must attend class to work on practice assignments until you have completed all assessments. Attendance (while you still need to pass assessments) will be taken and is worth 10% of your overall grade. You may miss three classes without penalty. An exception is that if you complete all assessments before the end of the semester, you are automatically marked as attending all remaining class meetings. You are also required to attend an in-class meeting with the professor during the first half of the semester, at her discretion; not attending this meeting will cause a 5% drop in your grade. 5. In an effort to encourage students to finish the course in a timely manner, any student that passes assessments 1 through 9 on or before Thanksgiving break will automatically be awarded 100% on the final (and therefore won't have to take it). Additionally, any student who finishes the course before the last day of lecture will recieve a letter grade bump in their course (so a B to an A, an A to an A+, for example).
Discussion Board Use
All students will be enrolled in the discussion forum for CS 112 on Piazza. You will receive a free invitation to this resource via your Mason email. We will all use the discussion board throughout the semester to ask and answer questions and to disseminate information. We will make every effort to answer questions within 24 hours, but usually sooner (often two hours during adult working hours). The instructor reserves the right to make any post public, should it benefit the class. Note that the discussion board has been active for several semesters, so you may already find answers (and should ignore other ones that are not relevant) to your questions there.
Practice Assignments
We offer several practice assignments to prepare for each assessment. Practice assignments should be done collaboratively; you can and should work on these assignments during class meetings (where the instructor and TA will be available), at home, or with your classmates at any place and anytime. Although we will track how many practice assignments you are working on and will complete, they will not be graded. If you are struggling with assessments, your best solution is to work more practice assignments. Labs will be offered weekly, and used for automated, online student assessments. Please request an appointment for an assessment in lab. Students must attempt at least one assessment a week (until you've passed all assessments). To encourage students to complete the course in a timely fashion, students will have up to 10% of their grade in the class reduced for missing to take an assessment every week.
Assessment Assignments
All students must sign up for an assessment slot every week (until you've passed all assessments or you're ahead of the schedule below); if there is room, you will be allowed to take additional assessments each week on a first-come, first-served basis. Out of fairness to other students, you must show up for an assessment slot you schedule; failing to do so will count as failing that assessment (this way we can prevent a handful of students using up all assessment slots without showing up to take them). You may schedule one assessment per week, but you may take more assessments each week, assuming slots are available. In addition, you may take as many assessments in an assessment slot as you like; if for some reason you already know python/programming and you want to finish this course in a week or two, this is entirely possible. We budget 45 minutes for each assessment, but you're free to do them faster, and if there are free assessment slots later in the day (you won't know these until the day-of, however), then you can stay later and take another assessment(s). Assessments will be graded in terms of percentage passing tests/questions. You must score at least a 70% to pass the assessment, and you have up to three chances to pass each assessment. Only the highest scoring assessment will count towards your final grade, and you may not make additional attempts after passing an assessment. All grading is automated so you will receive the score the computer tells you, or you will submit a scantron. We will not grade any assignments by hand, however, we reserve the right to reduce the grade on an assessment if we find evidence of soft-cheating (such as coding so that your answer only passes certain inputs) or hard-cheating (such as copying off your neighbor during an assessment). Your final grade will be determined as follows: 10% for class participation up to -10% of your final grade for NOT attempting an assessment each week 70% for the assessments 20% for the final exam Practice assignments do not count towards your grade, and the class has no exams besides the final.
Grading
Final course grades are calculated as follows: A+ (>= 98.0%) A (>= 92.0%) A– (>= 90.0%) B+ (>= 88.0%) B (>= 82.0%) B– (>= 80.0%) C+ (>= 78.0%) C (>= 72.0%) C– (>= 70.0%) D (>= 60.0%) F (< 60.0%) Please note that you must pass all assessments to pass the course with a C- or higher. If you pass all but one assessment, you will receive a D in the course. Per departmental policy, you must pass the final with a 60% or higher to pass the course, unless your scores on all other assessments are 80% or higher.
Honor Code
As with all Mason courses, CS 112 is governed by the GMU Honor Code. Practice assignments may be done collaboratively with any resources, so there are no honor code restrictions. However, graded assessments carry with them an implicit statement that it is the sole work of the student.
Office Hours
Office hours are times that I commit to being in my office, door open, first come, first served. You do not need an appointment, and no appointments are made. If office hours are very busy, I will limit the amount of time I spend with each student to try and see all students for at least a little bit. If you cannot make my office hours, then I will suggest you visit the office hours of any of our TAs (unless it is a specific question a TA would be unable to answer, such as a course policy question not answered on the syllabus).
Email Use
I occasionally send important announcements to your Mason email account, so please read it regularly. I also use Piazza to send important announcements through email. General class questions that might be useful or interesting to other students should be posted to the discussion board, not sent through email.
Learning Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please see the instructor and contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS). All academic accommodations must be arranged through ODS.
Other Useful Campus Resources
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): (703) 993-2380 Writing Center: A114 Robinson Hall; (703) 993-1200 Ask a Librarian through the University Libraries
Tentative Class schedule Class Number
Assignments
Introduction to class and flipped classroom 1 Syllabus crossword puzzle
Labs This Week
Required assessment: Assessment 0 (start of semester survey) schedule ANY assessment(s)
work on Programming Project 1 2
Installing Python on your computer Using Kelpie
Chapter 0: Introduction to Computing exercises 3
4
What is a program? Variables and assignment Returns Expressions and types
Required assessment (if not completed): Assessment 0 (start of semester survey) schedule ANY assessment(s)
continue Chapter 0 exercises Chapter 2: Decision Making exercises
5
6
if, elif, else and, or, not == and != comparisons and boolean types
Work on sample assessment 2
Work on Programming Project 2 7
8
Recommended assessment: Assessment 2 (basic expressions and decisions) schedule ANY assessment(s)
decision making basic expressions
Recommended assessment: none (you may skip this lab if you passed assessments 1-2 only) Use lab time as needed to work on project 3 schedule ANY assessment(s)
Continue to work on Programming Project 2 Chapter 3: Debugging and Printing exercises
9
print versus return calling functions
Recommended assessment: Assessment 3 (decision word problems) schedule ANY assessment(s)
Work on sample assessment 3 10
Continue to work on sample assessment 3 Chapter 4: Looping exercises
11
while loops
Recommended assessment: none (you may skip this lab if you passed assessments 1-3 only) Use lab time as needed to work on Chapter 4 exercises schedule ANY assessment(s)
work on Programming Project 3 12
13
looping
Continue to work on Chapter 4 exercises and/or project 3
Recommended assessment: none (you may skip this lab if you passed assessments 1-3 only) Use lab time as needed to work on project 3 schedule ANY assessment(s)
Begin Chapter 5: Lists and Strings exercises 14
one dimensional lists two dimensional lists strings
15
Continue Chapter 5: Lists and Strings exercises Work on Programming Project 4
16
Work on sample assessment 4
17
Work on sample assessment 5
18
Chapter 6: Functions exercises
19
Work on sample assessment 6
Recommended assessment: Assessment 4 (one dimensional loop/list word problems) schedule ANY assessment(s)
Recommended assessment: Assessment 5 (two dimensional loop/list word problems) schedule ANY assessment(s)
Recommended assessment: Assessment 6 (lists and functions in memory) schedule ANY assessment(s)
Chapter 1: Testing exercises 20
21
Input domain characterization Boundary conditions Testing lists
Recommended assessment: Assessment 1 (testing) schedule ANY assessment(s)
Continue Chapter 1 exercises Chapter 7: Maps and Complex Types exercises
22
user defined types introduction using methods dictionaries/maps
23
Objects and classes exercises
24
Work on sample assessment 7
Recommended assessment: Assessment 7 (classes word problems) schedule ANY assessment(s)
Chapter 8: Exceptions exercises 25
try-catch finally file input/output
26
Work on sample assessment 8
27
Work on Programming Project 5
28
Finish Programming Project 5 Work on assessments 9 and 10
FINAL EXAM
No lecture this week
Recommended assessment: Assessment 8 (exceptions in code) schedule ANY assessment(s)
Recommended assessment: Assessment 9 (building larger projects) schedule ANY assessment(s)
Recommended assessment: Assessment 10 Final Exam. This exam will contain a live coding portion, and a written portion. The live coding portion will need to be taken during a lab and scheduled through the website. The written portion will be two hours long and will need to be taken the regular final day in the lecture hall, or earlier in any two-hour lab block. schedule ANY assessment(s)