CSci 1001: Introduction to the Computing World -- Syllabus.

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Syllabus

The syllabus will be updated throughout the semester. Dates, topics, assigned reading, and problem set due dates will be added or might change. All changes in assigned reading and due dates will be announced in class (and occasionally by e-mail). While I will do my best to update the web site accordingly, it is a student's responsibility to keep track of the problem set due dates and reading assignments. If you are not sure about due dates, please don't hesitate to ask.

Reading assignments are listed for the day when the material is first explained in class. You may read ahead the material ahead of the lecture or after, either way is fine.

Policies on Collaboration and Use of Resources

Problem sets and labs are individual work, unless otherwise stated. While it's perfectly OK (and is encouraged) to discuss the problem sets in general terms with others in the class, your solution must be your own work. Copying any part of another person's solution (even if you modify the code) is considered academic dishonesty and will be dealt with according to the university's policy.

It is OK to use code found in a textbook or online, but such use must be credited (i.e. you have to state the exact source of the code and clearly explain how this code was used). Failure to credit the source constitutes academic dishonesty.

Using code samples from the book or from lecture notes as a starting point of your code is perfectly reasonable. However, using large chunks of code "as is" (even with a proper credit) may significantly reduce your grade if your own contribution was small. If in doubt about what materials are appropriate to use and how, please ask the instructor.

Project work is done in groups. Members of the same group have free access to each other's code (and are encouraged to pair-program). Make sure to document contributions of each team member (in comments in the code or in a separate file). This will help me to properly grade your work in case the contributions of the team members where uneven. Communications with anyone outside of your group are limited to general discussion only, no code should be shared between groups.

Reading assignments

Reading assignments are posted for the day when the topic starts in class. The textbooks should also be used as a reference for problem sets and for project work.

Exams and quizzes

The exam dates are set. If you have an unavoidable time conflict with the exam time, please let me know right away. In addition to exams there will be 5-8 short in-class quizzes throughout the semester. Quizzes will be given in the beginning of a class meeting and will not be announced in advance. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped (i.e. not counted towards the quiz total).

Exams and quizzes are open book, open notes. You may use the text books, your own notes, and code samples that you find helpful. If you would like to use a different text book on the test, please let me know ahead of time (please bring a copy) and I'll let you know if it it's OK.

Course topics and timeline

Tuesday Thursday
Week 1: August 27 - 29
Summer break, no class Introduction and course overview. Basic elements of a computer. Computer hardware and software.
Reading: Ch. 1.
Week 2: September 2 - 5
Internet and the World Wide Web. Web pages: Internet protocols; XHTML and CSS
Reading: Ch. 2, 3, additional reading (see resources).
Week 3: September 8 - 12
Web pages: XHTML
Problem set 1 posted: basic elements of a computer; XHTML and CSS. Due Thursday, September 25.
Web pages: CSS
Week 4: September 15 - 19
Lab on XHTML and CSS (Sci 2530)
Web pages: CSS
Week 5: September 22 - 26
Introduction to Javascript.
Reading: Ch. 4.
Javascript data types, expressions, random number generator.
Reading: Ch. 5.
Problem set 1 due
Problem set 2 posted: Javascript. Due Thursday, October 9.
Week 6: September 29 - October 3
Lab on Javascript (Sci 2530).
Javascript conditionals.
Reading: Ch. 11.
Week 7: October 6 - 10
History of computers; view of the future.
Reading: Ch. 6, current events.
More on conditionals
Problem set 2 due
Problem set 3 posted: history of computers; Javascript functions. Due Thursday, October 23.
Week 8: October 13 - 17
Lab on Javascript conditionals (Sci 2530).
Algorithms and computability; programming languages.
Javascript loops
Reading: Ch. 8, 13.
Week 9: October 20 - 24
Fall break - no class Javascript loops; strings.
Reading: Ch. 15.
Problem set 3 due
Week 10: October 27 - 31
Review for the midterm.
Midterm
Week 11: November 3 - 7
Javascript functions.
Javascript input, forms.
Reading: Ch. 7, 9.
Problem set 4 posted: forms, handling input, form validation. Due Thursday, November 13.
Basics of pair programming.
Computer data representation; binary and hexadecimal systems.
Reading: Ch. 12
Week 12: November 10 - 14
A lab on JavaScript events and functions. Javascript form validation.
Javascript arrays.
Reading: Ch. 17. Problem set 4 due
Problem set 5 posted: data representation; Javascript arrays, loops, events. Due Tuesday, December 2.
Week 13: November 17 - 21
Javascript events.
Reading: TBA.
Lab on Javascript arrays, loops, events (Sci 2530).
Week 14: November 24 - 28
The von Neumann architecture; elements of a computer
Problem set 6 posted: an XHTML/CSS/Javascript project. Due Tuesday, December 9
Thanksgiving, no class.
Week 15: December 1 - 5
Computer security; encryption, secure communications.
Reading: additional materials. Problem set 5 due
Ethical and legal issues related to computing.
Reading: Ch. 18, current events.
Week 16: December 8 - 12
Presentations of projects.
Wrap-up and discussion.
Problem set 6 due
Review for the final.
Final exam: 4-6pm Tuesday December 16th, Sci 1030