In this course, we will continue sampling the perspectives and methods of computer science. The first and most apparent difference you will observe is the change in notation for expressing algorithms, namely Java instead of Python. Although there will be some review of elementary matters in order to get you up to speed in Java, a major focus of the course will be the use of object-oriented analysis and programming, and we will try to get there as soon as possible. Along the way, we will develop tools to analyze the efficiency of algorithms, methods for writing more efficient algorithms, and ways to write more complicated data structures. This course will involve much programming, since I view this as an important way for you to understand the topics we will be studying. Furthermore, I will give you a broad range of programs from many disciplines, since I believe it is important for computer scientists to apply their knowledge to other areas. Finally, we will consider the notion of computations with changing state by looking "under the hood" at computers.
Louis Yu will be the classroom instructor. Max Hailperin and Jeff Engelhardt will be the lab instructor. For more information on our availability, please see our contact info.
All course materials will be available on the course website and on Moodle. The URL for the course is http://homepages.gac.edu/~lyu/teaching/mcs178-s15/.
Our main textbook is Introduction to Programming In Java: An Interdisciplinary Approach by Robert Sedgewick and
Kevin Wayne.
The textbook authors maintain a website for the book
at http://www.cs.princeton.edu/IntroProgramming.
We will also use selected sections of Concrete Abstractions: An
Introduction to Computer Science by Max Hailperin, Barbara Kaiser, and Karl Knight. You will not have to
buy this, since it is available for free on
the web.
Attendance, both physical and mental, is required. I reserve the right to lower your attendance grade if you miss a class or show up late.
Everyone will start with 3 points of attendance grade at the beginning of the semester (attendance is worth 3% of the final grade). During the semester, points will be deducted according to the following:
Should you need to miss a class or lab for any reason, you are still responsible for
the material covered in there. This means you will need to make sure
that you understand the reading from that day; you should ask another student
for the notes from that day, and you should make sure that you understand what was covered.
If there is a project due that day, you should be sure to submit it (electronically) on time (thus, do not leave your projects to the last minute).
If you have influenza-like symptoms (temperature over 100 with headaches, sore throat,
or cough), please call Health Service. If they say that you stay home, you should do so,
and I require that you email me as not to receive any deduction on your attendance grade.
This course depend on class participation and discussion. I will often give the class a problem and pass the keyboard around for collaborative programing. Thus, participation is worth 3% of the final grade. Everyone will start with 0 points of participation grade at the beginning of the semester. At the end of the semester, I will evaluate your contribution to class discussion and give you up to 3 points.
For this course, you will need to complete 7 projects. In each case, I will indicate what I expect of you.
A project report that meets those expectations is due before the start of class on the date specified. If you submit
the report late, your grade will drop 5% per day late or fraction thereof.
If you are too sick to complete a report on time, you will not be penalized. However,
you need to talk to me or email me as soon as possible, and provide the necessary doctor's note.
Other circumstances will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
In general, you should talk to me or email me (asap) around the time of the incident.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we will meet in the OHS 326 computer lab. One or more of those lab days will be
provided for you to work on each project. However, you will generally need to spend additional time on the project
outside of class.
Some lab days are not for project work. Instead, the syllabus lists a topic from the textbook with the prefix
"In lab:". On these days, I will be covering material from the book, somewhat like on a class day, but in an
environment where I can ask each of you to try things out on your individual computers. For each of these days where a textbook topic
is covered in the lab, the same topic is listed on the following class day. We will have this extra class time to go over
the topic some more if you need it. Any remaining time will be available for us to talk about topics that are not in
the textbook.
I do not currently intend to assign you homework, but reserve the right to do so, should I fell that it would benefit you.
There will be two intra-term tests during the semester and a final exam as scheduled by the registrar. If you have a conflict with a testing time, please contact me as soon as possible to make an alternative arrangement.
Each intra-term test consist of two parts: a written part and a programming part done on separate days. In general, the written part will be held during lecture time and the programing part will be held during lab time. Please see the course schedule on when each part of the intra-term tests is scheduled. The final will be two hours, I will publish the time for the final when it is set.
The grade breakdown for the course is as follows:
| A: 94-100 | B+: 87-89 | C+: 77-79 | D+: 67-69 | F: < 62 |
| A-: 90-93 | B: 83-86 | C: 73-76 | D: 63-66 | |
| B-: 80-82 | C-: 70-72 |
Please point out any arithmetic or clerical error I make in grading, and I will gladly fix it. You may also request reconsideration if you feel I have been especially unjust.
Finally, this semester we are using Moodle (http://moodle.gac.edu/) to keep track of your scores. The pro of doing so is that you know your score for a component as soon as it is graded. This will give you a pretty good idea of your current standing going into a test or exam. Please see The Guide for Checking Your Grades Using Moodle for the general updating schedule and the instructions for checking your scores.
Any substantive contribution to your project report by another person or taken from a website or publication should be properly acknowledged in writing (by citing the source). Failure to do so is plagiarism and will necessitate disciplinary action.
As a guideline for collaboration, it is ok for students to get together in small groups to
go over material from the lectures and text, solve problems from the text, study for exams,
and discuss the general ideas and approaches to projects. However, work to be turned in, including projects
and homework exercises, must be done independently. This means that the work you turn in must represent
only your own work. It must not be based on help from others or information obtained from sources other than those
approved by the instructors (e.g., the text, the course webpage, and materials provided in the lectures).
Effective learning is compromised when this is not the case.
Accordingly, you should never read or copy another student's code or solutions,
exchange computer files (or pieces of papers with solutions written on them),
or share your code/solutions with anyone else in the class until after both parties have submitted the assignment.
Under no circumstances may you hand in work done by someone else under your own name.
As a student at Gustavus you are expected to uphold the Honor Code and abide by the Academic Honesty Policy. A copy of the honor code can be found in the
Academic
Bulletin and a copy of the academic honesty policy can be found in the
Academic Polices section of the
Gustavus Guide.
Gustavus Adolphus College is committed to ensuring the full participation of all students in its programs. If you have a documented disability (or you think you may have a disability of any nature) and, as a result, need reasonable academic accommodation to participate in class, take tests or benefit from the College's services, then you should speak with the Disability Services staff, for a confidential discussion of your needs and appropriate plans. Course requirements cannot be waived, but reasonable accommodations may be provided based on disability documentation and course outcomes. Accommodations cannot be made retroactively; therefore, to maximize your academic success at Gustavus, please contact Disability Services as early as possible. Disability Services (www.gustavus.edu/advising/disability/) is located in the Academic Support Center. Disability Services Coordinator Laurie Bickett can provide further information.
Support for English learners and multilingual students is available through the Academic Support Center's English Learning Specialist (www.gustavus.edu/advising/). The ELS can meet individually with students for tutoring in writing, consulting about academic tasks, and helping students connect with the College's support systems. When requested, the ELS can consult with faculty regarding effective classroom strategies for English learners and multilingual students. The ELS can provide students with a letter to a professor that explains and supports appropriate academic arrangements (e.g., additional time on tests, additional revisions for papers). Professors make decisions based on those recommendations at their own discretion. In addition, English learners and multilingual students can seek help from peer tutors in the Writing Center (www.gustavus.edu/writingcenter/).