The syllabus can be downloaded
here (PDF)
.
This course introduces fundamental computer programming concepts
using a high-level language and a modern development environment.
Programming skills include sequential, selection, and repetition
control structures, functions, input and output, primitive data types,
basic data structures including arrays and pointers, objects, and
classes. Software engineering skills include problem solving, program
design, and debugging practices.
Well, that's the official, boring
description. The goal of this course is to open your mind to
computational thinking, to educate you to leverage programs as tools in
your field of study, and to empower you with a fundamental knowledge of
programming.
1:40 PM |
Garibaldi Computer Lab |
Dr. Jeffrey Paone |
Course Learning Outcomes By the end of this
course, students will be able to:
- Identify and construct proper object-oriented C++ syntax. Explain
the components that comprise C++ syntax and how the components
operate together.
- Design and write pseudocode to accomplish a given task or solve a
defined problem using common programming design structures including
conditionals, loops, functions, arrays, and classes.
- Translate pseudocode into valid and correct C++.
- Analyze & trace existing code and calculate the output given an
initial input while explaining what the code.
- Identify and correct errors in C++ syntax, program structure, and
algorithm.
- Discuss at a high level how C++ code becomes an executable program
and how data is stored in computer memory.
- Discuss ethical practices in code development and code usage.
Required Textbook (electronic) zyBook for John Cabot University. To purchase the book (USD 58)
- Go to http://zyBooks.com
- Create an account
- Enter zyBook code: MINESCS160PaoneSummer2018
- Pay with credit card
Expectations You are expected to attend all
classes and come prepared to actively participate in the activity and
discussion for the day. To do well in this course, you must keep up
with the out of class material and engage in the in class activities.
We promise to prepare you and to provide you with the tools needed to
succeed.
Student Evaluation The final course grade will be
computed from the following course percentage breakdown:
- 5% zyBook Completion
- 35% Assignments + Labs
- 10% Final Project
- 10% Quizzes
- 20% Midterm Exam
- 20% Final Exam
Final grades will be determined using a straight scale. The straight
scale assigns letter grades as follows:
- [90, 100] -- A
- [80, 90) -- B
- [70, 80) -- C
- [60, 70) -- D
- [ 0, 60) -- F
All
assignments are due at 11:59 PM on the date specified. In
order to receive full credit for any assignment, the submission must be
on time, unless an approved absence is submitted. All students begin the semester
with three (3) slip days. A single slip day allows an assignment to be turned in
up to one day late with no penalty. A student can use all three slip days at once
for a single assignment, or use a single slip day on three different assignments (or 2 + 1, etc).
Once all slip days have been used, submissions will be
accepted for an additional 72 hours subject to the
following late penalties:
- (00h 00m, 24h 00m) Late: -10%
- [24h 00m, 48h 00m) Late: -25%
- [48h 00m, 72h 00m) Late: -50%
- [72h 00m, INF) Late: -100%
While there exist many compilers and IDEs, it is possible your
code and solution may work in one environment but not another. All
submissions will be graded against g++ as used in Codenvy. It is your
responsibility to ensure your submission works in the lab environment.
If your submission does not work, the following
penalties will be applied and the grader will contact you to correct
your submission:
- Submitting Extraneous Files: -5%
- Missing Files: -10%
- Compiler Error: -25%
For a discrepancy in any grade in which you think you deserve more
points than you received, you must raise the issue within three days of
the day the item was returned. No claims, justifiable or not, will be
considered after this deadline. For discrepancies with assignments, you
should contact the grader first. For any other discrepancies, you
should contact your instructor.
Piazza
- Be polite. This also applies to assignment clarifications (e.g.
writing “This requirement makes no sense” may not be the best
phrasing. Try something like: “I’m not clear what requirement X
means. Should I do [a] or [b]?”)
- A Piazza post is not a text message; use complete sentences and
correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
- When asking a question, do not post large blocks of code. A single
line of code, to clarify your question, may be appropriate. Before
posting, ask yourself: would this be giving most of the answer to
another student? Thinking about how to phrase the question may help
you solve the problem.
- When answering a question, do not post the exact code from your
homework solution. Possible exception would be something that takes
one line and is primarily a syntax question. E.g., to a question like
“How do I set the color of my rectangle” you might answer with
something like “You need to set the color before drawing. If g is a
Graphics object, you can do g.setColor(Color.CYAN);”.
- Using pseudocode is an excellent way to answer questions.
Collaboration Policy for Programming Assignments & Projects The following policy exists
- If the project is an individual effort project, you are not
allowed to give code you have developed to another student or use
code provided by another student. If the project is a group project,
you are only allowed to share code with your group members.
- You are encouraged to discuss programming projects with other
students in the class, as long as the following rules are followed:
- You view another student’s code only for the purpose of
offering/receiving debugging assistance. Students can only give
advice on what problems to look for; they cannot debug your code
for you. All changes to your code must be made by you.
- Your discussion is subject to the empty hands policy, which
means you leave the discussion without any record [electronic,
mechanical, or otherwise] of the discussion. All changes to your code must be made by you.
- Any material from any outside source such as books, projects, and
in particular, from the Web, should be properly referenced and should
only be used if specifically allowed for the assignment.
- To prevent unintended sharing, any code stored in a hosted
repository (e.g. on github) must be private. For group projects, your
team members may, of course, be collaborators.
- If you are aware of students violating this policy, you are
encouraged to inform the professor of the course. Violating this
policy will be treated as an academic misconduct for all students
involved. See the Student Handbook for details on academic
dishonesty.
Academic Code of Honor
- All students are expected to follow the University’s Academic Code
of Honor.
- A student or assigned team working on a program may discuss
high-level ideas with other students or teams. However, at time of
submission all work submitted must be his/her/their own work.
- Use of the Internet as a reference is allowed but directly copying
code or other information is cheating. It is cheating to copy, allow
another person to copy, all or part of an exam or a project, or to
fake program output. It is also a violation of the Code of Honor to
observe and then fail to report academic dishonesty. You are
responsible for the security of your own work.
- We will provide, as part of the course, functional code examples
for most of the topics covered. While you are encouraged to examine
these examples, your submissions must represent a good-faith effort
to complete the assignment. Merely copying and pasting code from the
examples will result in a failing grade. Furthermore, relying too
heavily on the given examples will fail to prepare you for the much
more open-ended final project.
- Developing a program is a creative exercise; just like in art, no
two programs will look exactly the same (unless the “canvas” has been
copied). To ensure copying does not exist, homework assignments are
checked via an automated system that generates similarity metrics
between your work and that of all other students and previous student
work in this class. When a high-level of similarity is detected, the
course coordinator is notified and investigates the similarity. If
plagiarism is evident, the course coordinator begins the process of
submitting an Academic Misconduct.
Disclaimer This syllabus is intended to give the
student guidance in what may be covered during the semester and will be
followed as closely as possible. However, the professor reserves the
right to modify, supplement and make changes as the course needs arise.
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