[ Course Schedule ]   [ Syllabus ]

ITEC 120 - Principles of Computer Science I - Fall 2015

Course Syllabus

 

Instructor	Shawn Brenneman asbrennem@radford.edu shawnbrenneman.com/itec120 Office: Davis 016 (831-5415) Office hours:   M ·  11:50am-12:50pm & 4:50-5:20 in DA 225 T ·  11am-noon in DA 016 W ·  11:50am-12:50pm & 4:50-5:20 in DA 225 F ·  11:50am-12:50pm in DA 225
Co-Instructor	Jeff Pittges, PhD jpittges@radford.edu www.radford.edu/~jpittges Office: Davis 008 (831-5175) Office hours:   M ·  11-11:50am in DA 225, 2-2:50pm in DA 225 T ·  11am-noon in DA 008 W ·  11-11:50am in DA 225 Th ·  11am-noon in DA 008
Required Text	Java Software Solutions    John Lewis and William Loftus  8th Edition  Addison Wesley  ISBN: 978-0133594959
Course Schedule	shawnbrenneman.com/itec120
D2L course	https://learn.radford.edu/d2l/home/77727
Online Class	https://breeze.radford.edu/itec120-cs1/

 

Schedule Overview (subject to change)

 

Grading

	Labs, Reading, and participation	10%
	Quizzes	10%
	Lab Quizzes	15%
	Homework	20%
	Exams (10% each)	20%
	Final Exam	25%

To pass this class you must pass all three components: labs, homework, and exams.

Grading Scale
A	90 and above
B	[ 80 - 90 )
C	[ 70 - 80 )
D	[ 60 - 70 )
F	below 60

 

Course Description

This course introduces the fundamental principles of computer science by teaching students to solve problems with the Java programming language. Students learn object-oriented techniques to decompose a problem into smaller problems that may be solved more easily. Concepts are presented in lecture and applied in the lab where students gain hands-on experience with all facets of computer science.

 

Expectations

1. You are expected to spend 8 – 12 hours outside of class each week. If you are unable to invest sufficient time outside of class you must lower your expectations. Your performance and your capacity to learn are directly proportional to the amount of time and effort you invest in this course.
2. You are expected to participate in class. You are expected to come to class prepared, to ask questions, and to provide feedback.
3. You are expected to start assignments early and to ask questions. If you wait until the last minute to start an assignment your ability to learn will diminish and your performance will likely suffer. If you start early and ask questions you will find your instructors very supportive, you will enhance your ability to learn, and your performance will improve.
4. You are expected to solve problems by applying the concepts and principles presented in class. This class will not teach you how to solve specific problems. This class will help you build a foundation that will enable you to solve any type of problem related to the concepts and principles covered in class.
5. You are expected to fail. People often learn more from failure than from success. As we get older we become afraid to fail and our ability to learn diminishes. This class provides a supportive environment rewarding those who are willing to take risks. Ask questions, make comments, and be an active participant in class.

 

Academic Integrity

The value of the degrees conferred by Radford University is directly related to the integrity of the institution. By upholding the Honor Code you maintain the University's reputation and the value of the degrees conferred to all students. The Radford University Honor Code applies to this course. The Honor Code will be strictly enforced and all violations will be reported.

The purpose of this course is for every student to learn and master the material presented. Consequently, you are encouraged to work with other students and to use the Internet and other sources of information under the following conditions:

• All graded assignments must be your own work.
• Always give credit for work that is not entirely your own by citing your sources (e.g., parts of programs, homework answers constructed with information from books or other resources).
• You may study with other students and you may discuss general problems related to assignments, but you may not work on an assignment with another student and you may not copy material from any source.

If you are unsure of these guidelines speak with the instructor before you collaborate with another student or utilize a resource.

If you work on an assignment with a tutor you must include the name of the tutor.

 

Homework

Homework from the text as well as other sources will be assigned throughout the semester. All assignments are to be completed on your own. You may not work with a classmate to solve a problem. Late homework will not be graded.

You will submit assignments to a dropbox on D2L. The dropbox closes on the due date. If you miss the submission deadline you may submit to the Late Submissions dropbox. Late assignments will not be graded. However, it is wise to show that you completed an assignment by submitting your work to the Late Submissions dropbox. Late submissions may receive a small amount of extra credit at the end of the semester. Do not send an assignment via email. Assignments submitted via email will not be graded

 

Etiquette

Please turn off cell phones. Please arrive for class on time.

 

Attendance

Attendance is required. Being late twice will count as one absence.

Attendance counts towards your participation grade. You are expected to attend each class, prepare for each class, and contribute to class discussions.

You are responsible for all material presented in class and all announcements made in class. If you miss a class you are responsible for determining what was missed. Being absent when a homework assignment is made or changed, a test date announced, etc, is not an acceptable excuse for not being prepared.

 

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

• Solve problems by decomposing a problem into a set of smaller problems.
• Design object-oriented models that effectively represent the problem space.
• Develop programs incrementally with the Java programming language.
• Test and Debug programs by developing unit tests and by tracing through program execution.
• Document programs using the Javadoc document generator.
• Apply all of the skills above in a team environment to solve a problem involving multiple classes.

 

Students with Disabilities

If you are seeking academic accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act at Radford University, you are required to register with the Disability Resource Office (DRO). To receive academic accommodations for this class, please submit your documentation to the DRO in the lower level of Tyler Hall Suites 54-69, by fax to 540-831-6525, by email to dro@radford.edu. After submitting documentation to our office, you will set up an interview with a Disability Services Specialist to discuss accommodations. You will be notified via email once your accommodation package is complete and ready to be picked up. Once you have picked up your accommodation package, you will need to meet with each course professor to review and discuss your package. For more information and/or for documentation guidelines, visit www.radford.edu/dro or call 540-831-6350.

 

Best Practices for CS1

A best practice is a method or technique that has consistently shown results superior to those achieved with other means. In other words, this section describes what the most successful CS1 students do.

Come to class prepared
If you come to class knowing what to expect you will learn and retain much more information. The reading assignments are designed to prepare you for class. Read the assignments carefully, work through the problems, and bring questions to class.

Practice until you cannot get it wrong
Amateurs practice until they get something right. Professionals practice until they cannot get it wrong. There is no limit on the number of times you may take the weekly quiz. You keep your highest score. The quizzes provide hundreds of practice problems. Even if you score 100, keep taking the quiz until you cannot get any question wrong. This is also true for labs. Work each lab multiple times until you cannot do the lab wrong.

Start assignments early
Labs provide step-by-step tutorials to demonstrate new techniques and constructs. Read each lab the night before the lab session. Homework assignments challenge you to apply what you learned to solve a problem. Follow the four-step problem solving process:

1. Determine what needs to be done
2. Determine how to do what needs to be done
3. Do it
4. Test your solution

You cannot solve a problem until you understand what the problem is. Read each homework assignment on Monday, identify what you need to learn to complete the assignment, and make sure you understand what needs to be done by the end of Thursday's lab.

Learn to fail fast
Do not waste time going down the wrong path. Test early and test often to ensure that you are on the right path.

Work smart
Students often make the mistake of working harder rather than taking the time to think through what they are doing. If you plan ahead you will learn more, you will perform better, and you will save significant amounts of time.

 

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