Course Details at a Glance

Description

The Denison computer science curriculum begins with a fundamental assumption that, to be a successful computer scientist or software engineer, you must begin with a foundation that includes good programming skills.  Thus, one of the first goals of this course is for you to learn a new programming language.  Java has been selected as the introductory computer language of choice for the reasons of cross-platform ubiquity, relative simplicity, and strong object orientation as the principal programming model.  So you will learn the syntax and semantics of Java.  This is much like learning to speak a foreign language with very restrictive syntax and vocabulary.  The key to learning the language is by practicing as much as possible.

Textbooks

The following textbook is required for the course.  Three-hole punch copies of the first five chapters of the textbook will be available for purchase at the Denison bookstore.  Later in the semester, additional chapters will also be made available.

The following is a supplementary text, so that you may have an introductory Java text that independently presents the fundamental aspects of the Java programming language.

Course Web Page

http://www.denison.edu/~bressoud/cs171-f04/

Final Grade Determination

Course Work

Biweekly Tests:

In order to provide frequent feedback on how well you are progressing and mastering the material in this course, we will hold tests every two weeks, starting Friday, September 10th.  These are explicitly intended to not be high-pressure exams, but to serve to keep everyone on track with frequent assessment opportunities.  These will be short (approximately 30 minutes) and will leave class time for other lecture coverage.

Programming Assignments:

For each of the 2 week learning units, there will be an associated programming assignment.  It is very important that you allocate sufficient time for working on these programming assignments.  It is through these programs that you will gain the practice and deeper understanding of the Java programming language.

You may discuss programming assignments with other students in the class in terms of how to approach the problem, but the program must be your own. You may not get help on programs from students outside the class. You may, however, seek out the help of the Computer Science fellows, who will hold regular hours at Olin Hall.  In addition, you are always welcome to come see me for help.

Final Project:

By the end of the term, you will be proficient enough in programming that I will be assigning a more ambitious final project.  This will entail a project definition, implementation, and documentation.  More details will be given later in the semester.

Final Exam:

There will be a final exam for the course.  The final will be cumulative and cover material from the entire semester.  All exams will be closed book, closed notes.

Class Participation:

In general, we would like everyone to do their part to make this an enjoyable interactive experience. Hence in addition to attending class, we would like you to actively participate by asking questions, joining in our discussions, etc. Note that there is a significant portion of your grade attributed to class participation.  Any day that you do not attend class, you (by definition) do not participate, and so be very careful about missing class, as it will affect your grade.

Student Responsibilities

Attendance:

Your attendance is expected at each class meeting. Per the class participation portion of the grade, I will reduce your grade for absences.  Up to 3 excused absences will be tolerated without affecting your grade.

Readings:

You are responsible for the content of reading assignments, lectures and handouts, as well as announcements and schedule changes made in class, whether or not you are present. If you must miss a class, you are responsible to get what you missed. Exams will be given in class on the day scheduled and may not be made up.

Other Issues

Disability Accommodation:

Any student who thinks he or she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately as soon as possible to discuss your specific needs. I rely on the Office of Academic Support in Doane 104 to verify the need for accommodation based on documentation on file in their office.

Academic Integrity:

Do your own individual homeworks and projects. Do NOT copy from another person. There should be no reason for two nearly identical assignments. Usually a warning will be given first and then an incident of academic fraud will be reported for subsequent incidents.