Syllabus
MC28: Introduction to Computer Science II
Karl Knight, Spring 1999
Office hours and other useful information
I will be teaching the class and Max Hailperin and Barbara Kaiser will
be teaching the labs. Following is information about when we are
available and how you can contact us (go to the respective homepages
of the three instructors to see their office hours):
All of us are also available by appointment or when our doors are
open.
World Wide Web
I will maintain a course homepage that will contain links to all
course handouts and some supplementary materials such as code to use
as a starting point in assignments. The URL for this course is http://www.gustavus.edu/~mc28/,
which you may want to save as a bookmark in your web browser.
Topics and objectives
In MC28 we continue exploring the perspectives and methods of computer
science, particularly abstraction. We'll first confront language issues by
investigating how one might write and modify a Scheme system in Scheme, a
so-called meta-circular evaluator. We'll next consider the notion of
computations with changing state by looking "under the hood" at computers.
We'll extend this notion of state into other areas, such as the use of
state to construct more efficient computational processes than otherwise,
and the use of object-based and object-oriented programming to model
systems of objects with changing state. Finally, at the end of the semester
we'll see how object-oriented programming plays out in a second programming
language (Java) and take a brief look at its use in writing event-driven
and concurrent programs (those that behave in response to user actions and
those that do more than one thing at a time).
Prerequisites
The normal prerequisite is MC27, but my FT01 from Fall of 1995, 1996,
or 1997 together with my J-term course from 1996 or 1998 or Mike
Hvidsten's J-term course from 1997 is also acceptable.
Text and readings
The primary text for the course will be Concrete
Abstractions: An Introduction to Computer Science by Max Hailperin,
Barbara Kaiser, and Karl Knight. We will cover chapters 10-15.
There's also an on-line Java Tutorial at http://www.javasoft.com/books/Series/Tutorial/,
and copies of Arnold and Gosling's The Java Programming
Language book and Cornell and Horstmann's Core Java book in
the MCS Lab monitors' room, any of which you are welcome to use as a
supplement to the material on Java in our book.
Course structure
Classes will normally be on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and labs will
normally be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, there are a few
exceptions, which are clearly marked on the class schedule. In particular,
there will be no labs on test days. Labs will be held in the OHS 326 lab,
using the Linux and SGI computers.
Class schedule
I will maintain an on-line version of the schedule of classes and labs,
which also contains examination dates and due dates for homework and labs.
Please note that although I am giving my best approximation of the day to
day topics, it is possible that I will need to revise the schedule during
the semester.
Determination of course grade
I will provide you with a letter grade on each homework and lab assignment
and on each test, in addition to the mid-term and final grades, so that you
may keep track of your performance. As a guideline, the components will
contribute in the following proportion to the final grade:
- 35% lab assignments (7 @ 5% each)
- 15% homework
- 10% quizzes
- 40% exams
However, I reserve the right to subjectively adjust your final grade.
Please see me if you have any question how you stand. Class participation
is not graded; however, it allows you to find and repair the gaps in your
understanding before doing the homework or exam, and thus can dramatically
improve your grade.
Exams
The two intra-term exams will be conducted during the evening from
7:00-9:OOpm on Tuesday, March 9 and Tuesday, April 13 (there will be
no lab on those two days.) Please let me know as soon as possible if
you won't be able to take the tests at those times. The final exam
will be as scheduled by the registrar; tentatively it is scheduled for
10:30 - 12:30 on Friday, May 21st.
Quizzes
You are expected to do the reading with care before coming to class.
Promptly at start of class I will either (a) give a pop-quiz on the
reading, (b) take attendance (especially if the reading was hard), or
(c) do neither of the above. You'll receive 0, 1, 2, or 3 points for
the quizzes (attendance or otherwise), where 0 indicates
non-attendance, and a certain portion will be taken off for lateness.
The lowest three grades will be dropped. You must tell me if you were
ill, so that I can take that into consideration.
Grade changes
Please point out any arithmetic or clerical error I make in grading,
and I will gladly fix it. You may also request reconsideration if I
have been especially unjust.
Late assignments
All homework and lab assignments are due at the beginning of class on
the day indicated. Late assignments will be penalized by one full
grade (such as A to B or A- to B-) for each weekday late or fraction
thereof. However, no late assignments will be accepted after graded
assignments are handed back.
If you are too sick to complete an assignment on time, you will not
be penalized. Simply write "late due to illness" at the top of the
assignment, sign your name, and hand it in. Other circumstances will
be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Honor
Students are encouraged to discuss the course, including issues raised
by the assignments. However, the solutions to assignments should be
individual original work unless otherwise specified. If an assignment
makes you realize you don't understand the material, ask a fellow
student a question designed to improve your understanding, not one
designed to get the assignment done. To do otherwise is to cheat
yourself out of understanding, as well as to be intolerably
dishonorable.
Any substantive contribution to your solution by another person or
taken from a publication should be properly acknowledged in
writing. Failure to do so is plagiarism and will necessitate
disciplinary action.
The same standards regarding plagiarism apply to team projects as
to the work of individuals, except that the author is now the entire
team rather than an individual. Anything taken from a source outside
the team should be be properly cited.
One additional issue that arises from the team authorship of
project reports is that all team members must stand behind all reports
bearing their names. All team members have quality assurance
responsibility for the entire project. If there is irreconcilable
disagreement within the team it is necessary to indicate as much in
the reports; this can be in the form of a "minority opinion" or
"dissenting opinion" section where appropriate.
Style guidelines
All homework and lab reports should be readily readable, and should not
presuppose that I already know what you are trying to say. In particular:
- Use full English sentences where appropriate (namely almost everywhere,
including in mathematical proofs or derivations).
- Word-process or type your homework if you can. In any case, make sure it
is legible.
- Use diagrams, tables, programs, and calculations as supporting components
of English writing, not in isolation. Remember that your goal is to
communicate clearly, and that the appearance of these technical items plays
a role in this communication process.
- Be sure your assignments are always stapled together and that your name is
always on them.
For a more detailed set of guidelines, David Wolfe prepared the document Suggestions for clear lab
reports in computer science courses reports. I recommend that you
look at this document and, if you have questions about lab write-ups,
ask your lab instructor.
Accessibility
Please contact me immediately if you have special physical circumstances,
e.g. impaired vision, which may affect the accessibility of any course
components. I will do my best to facilitate necessary arrangements or
resources.