*Course
Information CS101: Spring, 2009*
*Course Description: *
Problem Solving and
Object-Oriented Programming: An introduction to the JAVA programming language
with
*Prerequisites*
There are no prerequisites
for this course.
*Textbooks*:
Joel Adams,
Bruce
Kim Bruce, Andrea Danyluk
and Thomas Murtagh, Java: An Eventful Approach,
Prentice Hall, 2007.
*Course Meeting Times:*
Lectures:
T,Th 11-12:15 in Reese 304.
Labs:
Everyone
takes one lab (Sections held in Kendade G06 computer
lab):
Section 1: Tu 1:15-3:05
Section 2: W
1 :15-3:05
*Instructor:*
Professor Lisa Ballesteros
Office: 220 Clapp
Email: lballest@mtholyoke.edu
If at any time, you have
any problems, concerns, or issues you would like to discuss, come to office
hours or contact me via email to make an appointment. I check email regularly. I am always available during office hours
and am happy to try to schedule appointments outside those times when
necessary.
*Laboratory Instructor:*
Mohammad S. Raunak
Office: Clapp 222
Office Hours: TBA
Email: raunak@mtholyoke.edu
*Course Structure*
There will be 1 mid-term
exam, 1 final exam, weekly lab assignments, and 2 test programs.
The purpose of lab is to
practice the material we discuss in class to help learn the material. Lab assignments will be done in pairs. Bring a USB memory stick with you to the laboratory
in order to save project files. This
protects you in the event that the network goes down and your home directory
cannot be accessed. Inability to access your account is not an acceptable
excuse for not finishing a programming assignment.
Test programs will be
similar to lab assignments, but their primary purpose is to evaluate how well
you have learned the material in previous classes and labs. For this reason, test programs will be
treated as take-home exams and are to be done individually.
Grading:
Attendance:
Announcements made during
normal class meetings are official communications for this course. Although I may not take attendance daily,
regular attendance is expected.
Consequently, absence is no excuse for failure to act in accordance with
class announcements. If you miss class,
talk with your classmates to find out what you missed. The course website is also a good location to
get course materials as it contains an updated version of the syllabus as well
as links to lecture notes, labs, and handouts.
Deadlines
Because it is extremely
important to keep up with the material in this class, all assignments are due
on the dates specified. Late labs will
not be accepted unless some other arrangement has been made with me in advance,
so plan ahead. If extenuating
circumstances arise which will make it difficult to meet a deadline, come talk
to me and I will work with you to find a solution.
*It is extremely important to keep up to date in this
class.* The lectures and labs are integral parts of this course. In order to understand the material covered
in a given day, it is important that you understand the material and concepts
covered on previous days. The most
successful approach to this course is to work regularly on readings and
assignments. Don’t put things off until
you feel pressured by a deadline, as problem solving typically takes longer
than expected. I am happy to answer any
questions and to give feedback in class and during office hours. There are NO silly questions. If you are unsure about a concept we are
discussing or about an assignment, do not wait to ask questions. If you get behind, don’t wait to get
help. Ask questions in class, come to
office hours, and attend regular TA sessions.
Comments about working together:
Discussion is an important
aspect of learning. I encourage you to
form study groups to discuss concepts related to course materials. However, there is a fine line between
discussing a concept and solving a problem together. *It is
not O.K. to write programs together and it is not O.K. to solve assignments
together unless it is specified as a group assignment.* You may discuss assignments at a high level,
but the actual solution and the write-up or coding of that solution must be
done independently. All of your
resources for solving homework or programming problems *must be cited*. This means
that if you use other books or reference materials to solve a problem, you must
indicate the name of the reference used and the page on which the solution was
found. If you work in a study group, the
names of your study partners must be included on all assignments. Failing
to appropriately cite any and all resources used to complete an assignment is a
violation of the honor code*.