| Objectives | Exams |
| Texts and Software | Work Load |
| Professor : Dr Andrew Harrington | Journals |
| Sakai Usage | Homework |
| Adobe Connect | Academic Dishonesty |
| Piazza | Programming Environment |
| Class Attendance and Activities | Course Outline |
| Semester Grades | Questions |
Computers are everywhere today. The amount of information that can be creatively used is exploding. The ideas in this course should be useful both to modern citizens of the world with main interests in other areas and also to people who are going on to further Computer Science study.
Microsoft Office programs like Word and Excel are NOT covered. Information Services has free Short Courses on such applications.
No texts are required. All required material is free on the web in written form, and most of the material is also covered as videos downloadable from Google or Box. If you want printed materials, you can always print things out. In particular the Hands-on Python Tutorial is separately formatted as an indexed pdf document, ready for printing. Even online, some like the pdf image better. Feel free to compare.
Videos for most all of the course content are discussed, with a download link and instructions in http://anh.cs.luc.edu/python/hands-on/3.1/handsonHtml/context.html#using-the-tutorial-text-and-video.
Students have different learning styles. Some absorb thing well by reading and doing. They can mostly just look at the written tutorial, and ignore the videos except in a few places where I mention that the videos include major things missing in the text, and where the videos are demonstrating something naturally visual.
Other students really like to hear and see at the same time as with a more traditional presence of a professor introducing material. For this class the professor's traditional presentations are provided by lots of videos.
If you would like alternate explanations, some of the many Python resources are listed and briefly described on the course home page and many more are at the home site for Python: http://python.org.
The installation of Python on your computer is covered in The Hands-on Python Tutorial section, http://anh.cs.luc.edu/python/hands-on/3.1/handsonHtml/context.html#obtaining-python-for-your-computer.
Further materials, not centered on Python, are in the course notes at http://anh.cs.luc.edu/150/notes/notes.html, with main parts on video, at the Google and Box URLs, above.
Other references will be linked directly into the course schedule http://anh.cs.luc.edu/150/hw. Look to the schedule for what is happening next and what is due next.
university ID for email: aharrin
Email is always appreciated, and with our online software, we can set up separate synchronous times to work individually.
Initially I will plan to be online, with the classroom open, not only during the regular classes, but also
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 11:15-11:45AM
If that is not a good time to talk long enough, we can hopefully connect long enough to agree on a different time.
Note that the days do not match class days: Tuesday rather than Wednesday.
These initial times may well get modified.
Private information between professor and individual students will be handled through the University new Sakai system. It will mostly be used for grades, homework submissions, and grader comments. The public course materials will all be posted directly on the web under http://anh.cs.luc.edu/150.
Make sure you go through the technology check for the system you plan to use for synchronous online sessions, http://luc.edu/online/student_system_req.html. We will be using Adobe Connect software for regular synchronous meetings, at http://connect.luc.edu/comp150/. You are also likely to want to use the software for separate collaborations in pairs. See Using Adobe Connect before we first meet. Also look for communications about times to get together and test the software, so we can minimize time spent futzing with the environment when we want to be getting on with the coursework, together.
Piazza is an online learning community - sort of social media for a course. It has been used very successfully by tens of thousands of students around the world. This is my second semester using it, and my first time for a totally online course.
You encouraged to pose conceptual or technical questions (not homework questions) and offer answers to others there.
Entries in Piazza come in several forms: general comments, questions, answers, discussion on an issue with a problem, edits to previous entries (this is a wiki), and polls. Entries can be directed privately to instructors. Polls that I put out can be completely anonymous.
It is a wiki which means it as a shared, editable space: If you think you can improve something posted by anyone, change/edit it.
Be careful with questions and comments that would help with a homework problem: If you post for everyone to see, the entry needs to be general or conceptual enough not to give away solution details. Do look early at the homework, think, and post such questions, to get early help! If you have a question that is directly related to a solution you are thinking of, it should be a private communication for instructors.
Here are most suggestions on using the individual types of Piazza contribution:
Here are some ideas:
Suggestions for optimizing Piazza use in our learning community are highly encouraged.
Initially, make sure you respond to my the invitation to join, and add a response to the "Introduce Yourself" note.
Communication is encouraged through Piazza, particularly for content that might resonate with others in the course. Make sure you log in and give it your preferred email address. I will generally send announcements through Piazza, so I strongly suggest you set up Piazza for frequent updates via email. I may occasionally send a very important note and override your email preferences, so you get notified immediately.
We meet at http://connect.luc.edu/comp150/. I will try to have the meeting space opened 15 minutes before class time. Class is a good place to get a sense of others in the class, to give and to discuss suggestions for this online class, and you to voice general questions and comments, and let us respond.
I plan to record our synchronous sessions. Remind me to set that up at the beginning of each class! Please try to log in to class consistently. It is the only real group contact we have in this online course.
In face-to-face classes with a long established class period, I spend most of my time helping individuals with individual problems. With the online setup, I can meet with people about individual questions at a wide range of times, so I have not set the synchronous class times to be long. It may be that people want to arrange individual meetings directly before or after class, or at some separate times.
Also, in my short publicized office hours, we can go over things right then, or make agreement to meet some other time that is mutually convenient.
I am very happy to give extensive help outside class to people who log into class. If my first pass on an idea was not enough for you, we can do better together in pass 2, and maybe pass 3 if needed, .... Learning is a spiral process, and the rate varies by person and individual topic. Everyone can get it, particularly with help. Do NOT be shy about asking for help.
Points are comparable only within an individual category, where I will take an average. Averages in different categories are combined using the weights above.
For example a student who ends up with 95% in programs/homework/classwork, exams scaled to 75 and 85, and a final exam scaled to 92, would have a final numerical grade of (.30)(95) + (.15)(75) + .25(85) + (.3)(92) = 88.6, a B+.
Only raw grades will appear in Sakai, not scaled or weighted grades. The raw grades in Sakai allow for easy checking of my accuracy in recording. Please check periodically and correct us if necessary. With these conventions, any cumulative totals you see in Sakai are meaningless. (Sorry I cannot seem to block you seeing them.)
I convert to course letter grades with the following minimum requirements:
A 93 A- 90 B+ 87 B 83 B- 80 C+ 77 C 73 C- 70 D+ 67 D 63.
If you have consistently displayed more knowledge and ability in class discussions than you show in your exams, I may raise this grade. Note that one way to display your effort and thought is to ask questions in class about your reading/viewing!
The tentative exam due dates are
You can make your own plans when to take the exams: I will post each exam at least a day before it is due, so you can choose your own exact 3-hour time to work on it. While doing an exam, you will be encouraged to use a computer strictly as a word processor, but not to run any code. Dates are already posted in the course schedule.
Exams will cover material discussed in class, reading material on the web, and assignments. Exams will always be cumulative, but they will NOT include new material from the class immediately before the exam. This way there will always be time for questions after digesting a class. You will always be allowed at least two 8.5 x 11 inch sides of notes for exams. You will be given a generous time limit of 3 hours. You should make a clearly readable scan or photos of your handwritten work on tests and/or word-processed text files. Then submit them as a Sakai assignment.
Do not write down things on exams that you can see are incomplete or incorrect without making some comment acknowledging this -- it is better to know you are wrong than to be wrong and think you are right.
If you must miss an exam, let me know well in advance. Then if you have a good reason we can possibly make other arrangements. I have little sympathy for people who inform me after the fact for no good reason. I may completely excuse you from an exam if you were sick or unable to participate for long enough. Most often if you cannot take an exam at the usual time, I will want you to take it a little later.
*No second try*: If you have an excuse for not being prepared to take an exam, but decide to take it anyway, you don't get to change your mind after you see a poor grade. Being sick is not a way to get one more chance than everyone else. I may allow you to delay an exam due to illness, but I will not let you be reexamined due to a poor grade.
Time flies when you are having fun. I hope you do have fun as many have before you in this course, but you will only feel pressure if you do not commit to enough time as the course flies by in 6 weeks, rather than the usual 15 week semester. Plan on this being an intense and fun experience. If you figure 2-3 hours per week per credit in a normal semester, or 6-9 for a 3-credit course, and we are moving 2.5 times as fast, let it sink in that you need to plan on 15-22 hours a week, or 5-7 hours for each of our synchronous classes. We do not have time to waste the first day. You have a major reading assignment to discuss and ask questions about on the first day.
The class days are not spaced evenly. Having videos that you can watch on your own schedule means you can even out the workload if you get ahead between Thursday and Monday. It is even more important than in a 15 week semester to keep ahead as much as possible, because a lot of people finally "get" a topic when they get to "sleep on it". You do not have a lot of nights to sleep on things.
Part of keeping up is being sure you get help very promptly at the first sign of trouble. Contact me. Then at the next sign of trouble, contact me.... Your journal, discussed below, is another way for me to get a feeling for how you are doing. You still need to actively suggest how we connect when you need help in this online environment.
Students used to a face to face class with material presented at a fixed pace must make a major adjustment to a commitment to keep up with this largely self-directed course. Help is always available, but you have to put in the work regularly to see what help you need, and be proactive about getting the help!
Between each synchronous class and the midnight before the next synchronous class, make an entry in an online journal. This should be started as a private Note for me in Piazza, with the name <YourName> Journal. In the line labeled "SelectFolder(s)", select the "Journal" button.
Each time write an additional response to the same note, including:
I will try to respond to your post before class.
Initially there will be ongoing assignments to work on the Python Tutorial. You should keep all your work from the tutorials, and you will asked to turn it in a chapter at a time. You are given names for the files you are instructed to create. I will be expecting these particular names.
There will be reading/viewing assignments for all class days, shown in the course schedule along with written graded assignments, generally submitted through the Sakai assignment submission system. See electronic submission instructions http://cs.luc.edu/anh/electronicSubmission.html for details.
Assignments are due at midnight at the end of the date specified unless otherwise stated. Programming assignments should be turned in on time, running correctly. If your program is not running correctly, get help before you turn it in! It should not be hard to see that your code is not working! Graded assignments are either listed as programs (which you may work on in pairs) or homework, which is generally an individual assignment. Working on programs and homework problems is essential to your understanding of the course material and giving it insufficient attention will almost surely affect your exam performance.
You must give credit BY NAME to any person who assists you in completing an assignment. Be sure to make clear the nature and the amount of help you received. Failure to acknowledge such help is PLAGIARISM and will be dealt with accordingly. If you give help, you should also state in your own assignment, who and how you helped. See further restrictions below under Academic Dishonesty.
Late work can be penalized 20% per day including weekends. If there is some special reason for an assignment being turned in late, preferably speak to me directly first. I will consider reducing the penalties. If I accept your reason, ALSO make a comment at the top of your source code in the main program. (This reminder helps!) In this short semester, keeping up is extra important! Start early, and get help, if you need it, early. Preferably do assignments as you view/read through the material.
It has been demonstrated that Pair Programming, two people collaborating on one problem with one person coding while the other looks on (either directly or with our modern technology from afar), whether beginner students or seasoned professionals, allows projects been done better and faster with more confidence, and also that students learn at least as well and have more enjoyment in the process. You have the option to do pair programming in this course for assignments. (Your exams will NOT be in pairs however!) Read the page on how to make pair programming work and also the page of administrative guidelines for pair programming (mostly for when it does not work out as planned!).
An outside person, below, refers to someone other than a pair partner if you have one. On their joint assignment, there are no limits on the communication between pair partners, and a pair partner does not need to be listed under those helping you.
If you are seeking help: I may read your code and comment on it for you. You must acknowledge my help, clearly explaining its extent. You may not read an outside person's code but it is permissible to talk about the solution of the problem (not the actual code). Anyone with whom you discuss the problem, must be listed in your documentation.
If you are giving help:You may not allow an outside person to read your code "to get the idea". It is permissible to talk about your solution but be judicious about the hints you give. Again, the other student is responsible for listing your help in the documentation, and you should also list in your assignment how you helped, and your take on the help you gave.
The penalty for cheating may be anywhere from a 0 on an assignment to a grade of "F" in this course. The appropriate dean will be informed in writing of any cheating incidents.
Cheating consists of, but is not limited to:
If you are working on a pair or group project, an "outside person" only refers to people other than your assigned partner or team.
Note that cheating goes both ways: both giving and receiving.
Consultation is allowed with me. If you consult with me, still make a comment at the top of your work about the substance and depth of the help.
Help from any source is fine concerning
We will be programming in Python, available in the University Windows labs, and as a download to your own computer. There are several choices based on program version and operating system. You should get Python version 3.2 or greater for your operating system from the central site http://www.python.org/download. It comes with the graphical interface, Idle, which we will use.
Campus Network, Rights and Responsibilities
As a user of the campus network, you should be aware of your rights and responsibilities in http://www.luc.edu/its/policy_acceptableuse_public.shtml.
The Course Schedule and Assignments page shows the progression of topics, reading, exams, and written assignments. The time schedule of class topics is tentative.
Please contact me if you have questions about these ground rules or about anything else in the course. Before/in/after class or a note in Piazza work for me. While the text and video is out there for everyone, you are paying for a Loyola course with me: take advantage of that; I am here to help guide you in the rough spots.
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