Computer Science 202
Introduction to Programming

Fall 2012, The College of Saint Rose

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Disclaimer

Everything on this syllabus is subject to change. Changes will be announced in class and updated in the online version of the syllabus.

Course Objectives

CSC 202 is the first course of a 3-course sequence in Java. The emphasis of this course will be on the development of basic programming skills in Java. This course is a prerequisite to most of the courses in the Computer Science department, and successful mastery of the concepts and programming skills is crucial to success in follow-on courses. For this reason, students must earn a grade of C+ or higher in order to progress to other Computer Science courses.

Upon successful completion of CSC 202, CS and IT majors should enroll in CSC 252, Problem Solving with Java, and following CSC 252, students should enroll in CSC 302, Data Structures.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Texts

The required text for the course is Starting Out with Java, From Control Structures through Obejcts, Fourth Edition (Addison Wesley, 2010, ISBN 978-0-13-608020-6) by Tony Gaddis. This is available from the Saint Rose bookstore and elsewhere. Be sure to get the correct edition and the book with this specific title, as this is the latest in a long series of textbooks and the author has written many variations on this text with similar titles. If you plan to take CSC 252 in the future, do not sell your text back at the end of the semester! This text is also used in that course.

You will also need to purchase an access code for an interactive flowcharting tool called Visual Logic that we will use this semester. We have arranged a "bundle" with the publisher where you will get a Java Reference card and the Visual Logic access code at a discount. You should use this link to order your access code and reference card bundle.

Lectures

Everyone is expected to attend class and participate in discussions. Supplemental readings are listed on the lecture and reading schedule. Of course you are encouraged to do the reading, but all important topics will be covered in class.

The notes used to guide in-class presentations are available as PDF files linked from the lecture and reading schedule.

Be prompt, prepared, and ready to focus on the day's topics. This should go without saying, but this means your phones and other devices not being used exclusively to follow along with class materials and/or to take notes must be powered off. Unfortunately, food or drink cannot be permitted, as we meet in a computer lab.

Most lectures will include a small assignment due at the start of the next class. No late submissions of these "lecture assignments" will be accepted, as they will often be discussed in class on the due date. Some of these assignments will be graded for correctness, while others will be graded based on whether an honest effort was made.

Lab and Programming Assignments

We have the advantage of holding all of our class meetings in a computer lab. This allows a significant fraction of our class time to be used for lab activities. During class, you will often be paired with a partner to work on a programming task, but everyone must submit their own lab handout with questions answered independently, and their own Java program. Answers to questions included in lab activities are expected to be well-written. Lab activities are typically due at the start of the next class.

Additionally, programming assignments will be assigned approximately weekly. These programming assignments should be started as soon as assigned, so that you can ask questions at the next class, by e-mail, during office hours if you have questions or difficulties. Programming assignments must be completed independently! Any assistance you receive should be documented in the comments at the top of your program. The number of points available will vary with the complexity of the assignment. Programs will be graded on design, documentation, style, correctness, and efficiency.

You may develop programs for the programming assignments anywhere (in the school's labs, your own computers, etc.) but grading will be done using the school's lab systems unless otherwise specified. It is your responsibility to ensure that your program works on the grading platform.

Unless otherwise specified, lab activities and programming assignments may be turned in with a penalty computed as 1.08^h%, where h is the number of hours late. Extensions will only be granted in serious situations. You can find a Java program that prints out a table of the late penalties here. Work turned in after solutions have been made available cannot receive credit.

All assignments and projects are to be submitted electronically using the procedure specified on each lab or assignment handout. Please submit written work in portable formats (plain text where appropriate, PDF or postscript when needed). If in doubt about a file format, please check before submitting. Keep a copy of all submissions for yourself.

Exams

There will be three exams: two in-class exams and a final exam on December 11.

Grading

Grades for individual assignments and exams are not scaled. Any scaling deemed appropriate will take place at the end of the semester by adjusting the above thresholds. The following thresholds may be adjusted downward (thereby raising grades) but will never be adjusted upward.

Attendance

Every college student should be motivated to attend every lecture and lab meeting for all the right reasons (e.g., desire for knowledge, desire to get the most out of every very expensive minute, etc.). As college students, you understand that regular attendance is essential to your ability to master the course material.

Therefore, there is no formal attendance policy. You are expected to attend regularly, and should still see the instructor about any excused absences. An excused absence may be any of the following:

1. A documented athletic or academic event that conflicts with a class meeting. The required paperwork must be presented in person at least one week prior to the event.
2. A family emergency.
3. Personal illness.

While there is no formal penalty for unexecused absences, missing class regularly will be considered a sign that you are not taking the course seriously. History shows that students who are frequently absent perform poorly on graded work. Do not expect compassion when final grades are assigned or extensive extra help if you do not understand a topic that was covered while you were absent without a valid excuse.

Disability Accomodations

If you are a student with a documented disability and require academic accommodations please register with Lynn Cantwell, the Director of Services for Students with Disabilities, located in the Academic Support Center on the 2nd floor of St. Joseph Hall (campus extension 2335 or 518-337-2335, off campus) for disability verification and for determination of recommended reasonable academic accommodations. After you have made arrangements with that office, please see me to discuss your accommodations. Please remember that timely notice will help avoid a delay in your receipt of accommodations.

Academic Integrity

You are encouraged to discuss the concepts related to course assignments and exams with your classmates. This is an essential part of a healthy academic environment. However, work submitted for grading must be your own (or the combined work of group members, for group assignments). Any unauthorized copying or collaboration is considered a breach of academic integrity and will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty cases are unpleasant and uncomfortable for everyone involved. You are responsible for reading and understanding The College of Saint Rose Policy on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity.

The minimum penalties for a first violation will include failure (0 grade) for the assignment or exam in question and the filing of a Academic Dishonesty Report Form with the Registrar's office. A second violation will result in failure of the course and a second Academic Dishonesty Report Form.

If there is any doubt about the degree of collaboration allowed or the permitted sources for a particular assignment, please ask for clarification before collaborating or consulting the source. Any such collaborations or sources must be cited properly.