CS 1323-020: Introduction to Computer Programming
(Fall 2014)

General Information

• Lecture Time: M/W 3:00-4:15

• Lecture Location: Devon 270

• Final exam: Tuesday, December 9 4:30-6:30, Devon 270

• Prerequisites: Mathematics 1523 or concurrent enrollment, or placement into MATH 1743 or MATH 1823 or higher.

• Required Resources:
  • Textbook: Java Programming: From the Ground Up (Bravaco and Simonson; McGraw-Hill, 1st edition, ISBN-13: 978-0073523354)
    • An electronic copy is available from CourseSmart. This electronic version is less expensive than buying the hardcopy of the text book, but it is a rental that lasts only 180 days. [also, we cannot anticipate right now whether this same book will be used for the next course in the Java sequence]

  • We are using Tophat as an interactive classroom tool during the semester. This tool interfaces to your laptop and your cell phone (smart or not). All students are required to sign up for the Tophat service ($20 for the semester for all classes; or $38 for 5 years for all classes).

  • We are also using Turing's Craft for on-line programming exercises. The cost will be $25 for the semester. Registration details are posted on the D2L news page for this course.

• Course web page: http://www.cs.ou.edu/~fagg/classes/cs1323

• Desire to Learn will be used for discussions, announcements and the grade book.

• Instructor: Dr. Andrew H. Fagg

  Office: DEH 243
  Phone: 325-8606
  Homepage: http://www.cs.ou.edu/~fagg
  Email: andrewhfagg--gmail.com
  Office hours: see the office hours page
  

• Teaching Assistant: Sarah Otts

  Office: DEH 115
  Email: sotts -at- ou.edu
  Office Hours: see http://www.cs.ou.edu/~fagg/office.html
  

Course Goals and Topics

Topics: Programs, Java, input and output, identifiers, variables, assignment statements, constants, memory diagrams, primitive data types, conditional statements, repetition, methods, parameters, arguments, return values, one dimensional arrays, objects, classes, and classes from the Java Application Programmers Interface (API) (including Arrays, ArrayList, Character, Collections, Double, Integer, Float, Scanner, String, StringBuffer, and StringBuilder).

In this class, students will increase their ability to meet the following ABET outcomes:

• Outcome B: Analyze a problem, and identify and define the computing requirements appropriate to its solution.
• Outcome C: Design, implement, and evaluate a computer-based system, process, component, or program to meet desired needs,
• Outcome K: Apply design and development principles in the construction of software systems of varying complexity.

Course Policies

• Attendance: We will discuss concepts and examples in class that are not in the textbook and the on-line videos. In general, you are responsible for everything that is covered and announced in class.

  Attendance will be taken during the first week of class. Students not attending and signing in through the Top Hat tool will be administratively withdrawn from the course.

• Readings/Videos: You are responsible for the assigned material found in your textbooks and the on-line videos, whether or not it is also covered during the lectures sessions. In other words, you are responsible for the UNION of both sources of knowledge.

• Class Web Page: Most of the material that you will need can be found on the class web page located at: http://www.cs.ou.edu/~fagg/classes/cs1323

• Desire to Learn: This class will also use D2L, located at: http://learn.ou.edu

  Login with your 4+4 (typically the first four letters of your last name followed by the last four digits of your student number), using your standard OU password. If you have difficulty logging in, call 325-HELP. This web site provides a number of useful features, including a list of assignments and announcements, an electronic mailing list, newsgroups, and a grade book.

  I may update the main web site and the D2L page several times a week. When I update the site in any significant way, I will post an announcement on D2L telling you what has been added and where it is located. You are responsible for things posted on the site within 48 hours of the post.

• Class Email Alias: Urgent announcements will be sent through email. It is your responsibility to:
  • Have your university supplied email account properly forwarded to the location where you read email.
  • Make sure that your email address in D2L is correct, and forwards email to the place where you read it. I'll send out a test message during the first week of class. If you do not receive this message, it is your responsibility to get the problem resolved immediately.
  • Have your email program set up properly so that replying to your email will work correctly the first time. You can send email to yourself and reply to yourself to test this. I will not make any attempt to get bounced email messages delivered.

  If you need assistance in accomplishing any of these tasks, contact 325-HELP.

• Laptop Computers: It is the responsibility of each student in this class to have a working laptop computer with ample battery and wireless internet connectivity. You must bring the laptop computer to the first week of class; you will find the laptop useful for most of the remaining classes. If your computer requires repair during the semester, it is your responsibility to make arrangements to have another computer available and to get the necessary software installed.

• Computer Accounts and Software: All students in this course are allowed to request a Computer Science Network (CSN) account. This may be used for writing programs and sending and receiving materials electronically using the CSN Linux machines in DEH 115.

• Examinations: There will be three midterms and one final examination. The dates are given in the class schedule. During examinations, students are expected to sit in assigned seats. Missing an examination without a previously approved excuse will result in a grade of zero for that examination.

• Final Examination: The final examination is Tuesday, Dec 9th from 4:30 to 6:30. The final is comprehensive, as required by College of Engineering policy. No final examinations can be given early, except as required by University policy.

• Newsgroups and Email: The newsgroup on D2L should be the primary method of communication (outside of class). This allows everyone in the class to benefit from the answer to your question, and provides students with more timely answers since both the TA and I check D2L at least once a day. Matters of personal interest should be directed to email instead of to the newsgroup, e.g. informing me of an extended personal illness.

• Academic Conduct: Feel free to discuss all assignments with the instructor or the TA. However, do not discuss, look at, or copy another student's solution to an assignment. Doing so is considered cheating .

  You may make use of the net as a reference as you are working on assignments. For projects, these references must be explicitly documented in your code. However, downloading specific solutions from the net is considered cheating.

  Make sure that your computer account is properly protected. Use an appropriate password, and do not give your friends access to your account or your computer system. Do not leave printouts, disks or thumb drives around a laboratory where others might access them.

  Programming projects will be checked by software designed to detect collaboration. This software is extremely effective and has withstood repeated reviews by the campus judicial processes.

  Upon the first documented occurrence of inappropriate collaborative work, I will report the academic misconduct to the Campus Judicial Coordinator. The procedure to be followed is documented in the University of Oklahoma Academic Misconduct Code (http://integrity.ou.edu).

• Tutors: Tutors can be an excellent source of support for students who are having difficulty in the class, but only if the tutor is aware of the distinction between teaching students the material so that they can do their own work, and doing work for students. Tutors who do work for students are not only failing to help the students learn, they are abetting academic misconduct. Examples of misconduct include:
  • If your tutor is sitting behind you while you are typing and methodically telling you what to enter, he or she is abetting academic misconduct.
  • If you tutor is emailing files containing partial or complete programming projects to you, you will commit academic misconduct if you use those lines in your program.

  A more effective use of tutoring services is to do problems that are similar to the assigned work, instead of doing assigned work. For example, it would be fine to work unassigned problems from the textbook with a tutor. This requires significant discipline, both on the part of the tutor and the part of the student. Copying from a tutor is as unacceptable as copying from another student. If your tutor doesn't know how to teach properly, please ask them to call or visit me and I will provide training and guidance. If you are tutoring someone else in the class, you can be accused of academic misconduct if this person copies your work.

• Incompletes: The grade of "I" is intended for the rare circumstance when a student who has been successful in a class has an unexpected event occur shortly before the end of the class. I will not consider giving a student a grade of "I" unless the following three conditions have been met:
  • It is within two weeks of the end of the semester.
  • The student has a grade of C or better in the class.
  • The reason that the student cannot complete the class is properly documented and compelling.

• Accommodation of Disabilities: The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course are requested to speak with the professor as early in the semester as possible. Students with disabilities must be registered with the Office of Disability Services prior to receiving accommodations in this course. The Office of Disability Services is located in Goddard Health Center, Suite 166, phone 405/325-3852 or TDD only 405/325-4173.

• Classroom Conduct: Because cell phones and laptops can distract substantially from the classroom experience, students are asked not to use either during class, except in cases in which they are required as part of a classroom exercise.

  Disruptions of class will also not be permitted. Examples of disruptive behavior include:

  • Allowing a cell phone or pager to repeatedly beep audibly.
  • Playing music or computer games during class in such a way that they are visible or audible to other class members.
  • Exhibiting erratic or irrational behavior.
  • Behavior that distracts the class from the subject matter or discussion.
  • Making physical or verbal threats to a faculty member, teaching assistant, or class member.
  • Refusal to comply with faculty or teaching assistant direction.

  In the case of disruptive behavior, I may ask that you leave the classroom and may charge you with a violation of the Student Code of Responsibilities and Conduct.

Grading

Category	Percent of Final Grade	Total Number	Tools	Notes
In-Class Exercises	15%	TBD	Top Hat	Grade for this category is: Max(In-Class Exercises, Exam Average)
Homework Assignments	15%	11	Turing's Craft and Written (turn in at D2L)	Drop lowest
Projects	30%	10	Eclipse (turn in at D2L)	Drop lowest
Exams	20%	3	Paper	Drop lowest
Final Exam	20%	1	Paper

Note: category grade is distributed evenly across all items of the category (e.g., a single homework assignment will count for (15/10)% of the final grade).

Grading notes:

• Final grades: The final grade cut-offs will be determined at the end of the semester. These cut-offs will be at or below the traditional 90, 80, 70, etc. cut-offs. However, I do not expect them to be much different than these traditional cut-offs.

• Grade questions:
  • Projects/Homework: Grading questions for projects/homework that are graded by the TA should first be brought to the TA. If this does not resolve your question, please see the instructor.
  • Exams: All grading questions must be addressed before the exam leaves the presence of the instructor. If you are unable to stay after class to address questions, then return the exam to the instructor and continue the discussion during office hours. Once a test has been removed from the presence of the instructor, the score is final and will not be changed, even if it is found to be in error.
  • Others: All other grading questions may be brought to the instructor.

  Please note that we will examine the entire exam/assignment in question and your final grade may end up lower. All disagreements about scores must be brought to our attention within one week of when the item is returned.

  Note that we generally adhere to Dr. Hougen's Principles on Grade Discussions: http://www.cs.ou.edu/~hougen/classes/grade_discussions.html.

• Desire to Learn Grade Summary: D2L has a grade book that is used to store the raw data that is used to calculate your course grade. It is the responsibility of each student in this class to check their grades on D2L after each assignment is returned. If an error is found, bring the graded document to me or the TA, and we will correct D2L.

• Top Hat Grade Summary: Top Hat has its own grade book for tracking in-class exercise participation and performance. At the end of the semester, this grade will be transferred to D2L.

Assignments

• Readings and Videos: For each lecture day, the course schedule lists a set of readings and videos. You are responsible for this material before class starts on that day. We will use this material as a basis for graded exercises, discussions and deeper examples.

• Due dates: Projects and homework assignments are due at 2:00pm on the day listed on the course schedule.
  • Many homework assignments will be done using Turning's Craft. This web site will close down the exercises at the deadline.

  • Projects and some homework assignments will be handed in using Desire to Learn. We will rely on system time stamps to determine whether an item has been handed in on time.

  • Hardcopy components may be handed in to the instructor or the TA, or placed under the instructor's door (DEH 248) by the deadline.

• Late policy: Because late assignments will seriously impact your ability to follow the next section of the course, you are required to complete and hand in homework assignments on time.

  Projects may be handed in late. If late by 0-24 hours, the project grade will incur a 20% penalty; if late by 24-48 hours, a 40% penalty will be imposed. Projects that have not been handed in by 48 hours will receive no credit.

Course Evaluations

Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues

Title IX Resources

Copyright notice: Many of the materials created for this course are the intellectual property of Andrew H. Fagg. Other materials are adopted/adapted with permission from the work of Dr. Deborah Trytten. These include, but are not limited to, the syllabus, lectures and course notes. Except to the extent not protected by copyright law, any use, distribution or sale of such materials requires the permission of the instructor.