CS103 Intro to Computer Programming

Course Description

Programming for non-majors and for those computer science students without the background for CS F201. Concepts of object-oriented programming and algorithm design within the syntax of the JAVA programming language.

Tentative Schedule

1. Mon, Jan 21

   Alaska Civil Rights Day (no classes, most offices closed)

2. Fri, Jan 25

   Deadline for adding classes and late registration; 5 p.m. in person, midnight at UAOnline

3. Fri, Jan 25

   Last day for student- and faculty-initiated drops with refund (course does not appear on academic record)

4. Mon, Jan 28

   Last day for tuition and fee payment; 5 p.m. in person, midnight at UAOnline

5. Mon, Feb 25

   Early progress reports due

6. Mon, Mar 11

   Spring break (no classes)

7. Fri, Mar 29

   Last day for student- and faculty-initiated withdrawals (W grade appears on academic transcript)

8. Fri, Apr 19

   SpringFest (*classes are not canceled*)

9. Sun, May 05

   Residence halls close, noon

Grading Policies

Grades will be assigned based on the following percentage intervals:

A+

[97%, 100%)

A

[93%, 97%)

A-

[90%, 93%)

B+

[87%, 90%)

B

[83%, 87%)

B-

[80%, 83%)

C+

[77%, 80%)

C

[73%, 77%)

C-

[70%, 73%)

D+

[67%, 70%)

D

[63%, 67%)

D-

[60%, 63%)

F

[0%, 60%)

0 Schedule

1 Homework

Homework consists of weekly programming assignments done individually and submitted electronically. They will be graded on a 20-point scale.  You can resubmit your homework unlimited times up until the week of the final exam for full credit. I will provide feedback on each submission and pointers if it did not meet the requirements for full credit.  My goal is that you learn how to do the assignments!

2 Labs

A large part of the course will be completing Labs in class, after all we meet in a Computer Lab!  The Labs are designed to re-enforce concepts discussed during the lectures, prepare you for your homework assignment, and to be completed within the time allotted.  Labs also count for 20% of your final grade and attendance is required in order to get credit for the lab.

3 Grading

Your assignments will not only be graded for correct execution (behavior), but also for code style, proper comments, and design. Even if you're program does not generate the correct output, you will get some points if you have the correct comments and code style.

The lowest 2 Homework Assignments and Lab grades will be dropped from your final grade.  The gradebook in the Blackboard Course will remain updated throughout the course so please keep an eye on your grade!

4 Exams

Exams will consist of multiple choice questions, short answer, and some small programming excercises that demonstrate comprehension.  After the exams are graded and returned, you will have a week to correct it and resubmit it for half credit of the missed answers. For example, if you received a 58% on an exam, you could turn it into a 79% if you corrected every missed point.

Make-up exams will not be given except in case of a serious emergency. If you must miss an exam, even if you are sick or injured, you must contact your instructor before the exam (or arrange for someone to do so).

How To Succeed In This Course

My goal is to help you learn. I would love it if you actually became as excited about Computer Science as me! (I won't hold it against you if you're not.)

This class will not only teach Java, but, more importantly, it will teach computational thinking and some algorithms to live by. Computational thinking includes breaking down real-world problems such that computers can solve them. This class will require critical-thinking, logical-thinking, problem-solving, and learning a new language.

Learning a computer language is just like learning any other language. There will be some memorization required as well as learning the language's rules.

Computers are dumb. Computer programming languages are much smaller than other languages, mainly because they do not have a spoken component, but also because they are processed by computers, and are usually comprised of simple logic statements - think logically. Computers do EXACTLY what you tell them to do - nothing more, nothing less.

If you have a question, ask it. There is nothing in this class that is meant to trick you. If you don't understand something, please ask. If you are super antisocial, send an email. The instructor checks their email almost by the minute. You can send an email even during the labs and the instructor will more than likely respond.

Google is your friend. Programmers spend 50%+ of their time looking for solutions to problems online. If you ask the instructor of this class a question that they do not know, they are going to Google it.

Do your homework. Homework is worth the midterm+final. You will fail this class if you miss homeworks. Even if you aren't finished with them, TURN THEM IN.

Don't get frustrated. Instructors can usually take a 10 second look at your code and see exactly what is happening. The instructor of THIS class is not a sadist, they want you to learn and have fun.

Take breaks. If you don't want to ask for help, sometimes staring at a problem too long is the problem. Walk away, stop thinking about it, and come back to it later.

Have fun. Computers are here to make your life easier. If you are not having fun, talk to the instructor. The instructor spends their day programming...why would they do this if it wasn't fun?

Policies

Students are expected to be at every class meeting on time, and are responsible for all class content, whether present or not. If absence from class is necessary, in-class work (other than quizzes) and homework may be made up only if the instructor is notified as soon as possible; in particular, absences due to scheduled events must be arranged ahead of time. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated, and will be dealt with according to UAF procedures. Students in this class must pay the CS lab fee.

UAF academic policies http://www.uaf.edu/catalog/current/academics

CS Department policies http://www.cs.uaf.edu/departmental-policies/

Disabilities Services:

The UAF Office of Disability Services implements the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and ensures that UAF students have equal access to the campus and course materials. I will work with the UAF Office of Disability Services (208 WHITAKER BLDG, 474-5655) to provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities.