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.
The Hands-on Python Tutorial is designed specifically for this course. 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.
Further materials, not centered on Python, are in the course notes
at http://anh.cs.luc.edu/150/notes/notes.html., with paarts on video,
http://deimos.apple.com/
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.
Private information between professor and individual students will be handled through the University Blackboard 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. One other private piece of data on Blackboard is the ID and password for the whole class to access the private folder on the course web site, where there may be solutions.
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 together with your partner
(see
below). There will often be time in class for everyone to work
with their partner, and during the Python portion in particular, you
can spend most of your time working at your own pace with your
partner if you like. Class is also a time for gathering in a
group, trying on harder concepts for size with examples, discussing,
and
getting your questions answered. You are responsible for what
goes on in class, even if some of the activity may not be
covered in the class notes. 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 contact we have in this online
course.
You can make the initial Python section be largely hands-on and self-directed, if you find that works well for you and your partner. For those who prefer a more traditional presence of a professor introducing material, there are lots of videos. In our synchronous time I will emphasize synthesizing course ideas in creative ways to address new and bigger problems. Video exposition has the advantage of letting you interact with it on your schedule. This allows more time for questions in the synchronous sessions. You can also communicate questions in the middle of a video that you start looking at well before class, and continue after you get an answer.
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. We can schedule
individual synchronous meetings.
Grading weights:
programs/homework/classwork (30%), two exams (20% each), final exam
(30%).
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) + (.2)(75+85) + (.3)(92) = 88.1, a B+.
Only raw grades will appear in Blackboard, not scaled or
weighted grades. The raw grades in Blackboard 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 Blackbaord are meaningless.
I convert to course letter grades with the following minimum
requirements:
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
Tuesday June 7, by midnight
Monday, June 20, by midnight
Final Exam: Friday, July 1, by midnight
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 2 8.5 x 11
inch sides of notes for exams. You will be given a time limit
(much longer than you should need) of 2-3 hours. I will post the
exam at least a day before it is due, so you can choose your own exact
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
you write.
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 attend 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 4-6 hours outside each of our synchronous classes. We do
not have time to blow off 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 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....
Initially there will be ongoing assignments to work on the Python
tutorial, with some time allowed in the synchronous sessions, and some outside. You
should keep all your work from the tutorials, and you will asked to
turn it in a chaptr at a time. Generally you are given names for the
files you are instructed to create. I will be
looking for 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
Blackboard assignment
submission system. See electronic submission instructions
http://cs.luc.edu/anh/electronicSubmission.html
for details and alternatives.
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! In shouldnot 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
read through.
It has been demonstrated recently 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. We will have the option to do pair programming in this course for in-class work and programing 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 eho 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 www.python.org/download.
It comes with the graphical interface, Idle,
which we will use. The version, 3.2.1 is due out in early June, 2011. I encourage you to get going on
the course earlier, starting with version 3.2, and then download and
install 3.2.1 when it comes out. It will very easily replace the
earlier version, and will fix some errors.
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. After class, by email, in my office, by phone, all work for me. I am here to help guide you in the rough spots.
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