CS 117: Introduction to Computer Science Winter 2002
Syllabus

Wednesday, January 30

This document isn't really working for me, so I will now stop trying to update it. To keep track of assignments, go to http://www.mathcs.carleton.edu/faculty/jondich/cs117/assignments/.

Friday, January 4, 2002

The Instructor

• Jeff Ondich
• CMC 327
• jondich@carleton.edu
• Office phone: 646-4364
• Home phone: 663-7123
• Office hours: M 2A, T 11:30, W 5A, F 2A. Feel free to drop by any other time I'm around.

The Prefector

• Sarah Allen
• allens@carleton.edu

The Textbook

• An Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming with Java, by C. Thomas Wu. Published by Jones and Bartlett, 2001. It's a good book, and especially good at introducing the ideas of object-oriented programming.

Your Grade

• Assignments: 45%
• Exam 1: 20%
• Exam 2: 20%
• Final Project: 15%

Working from Home

• We will be programming in Java, using the BlueJ programming environment. This will be set up for use in the Computer Science labs. You may install Java, BlueJ, and other tools that we use on your own machine. PCs running Windows or Linux, and Macs should all work. I'm glad to informally provide whatever advice I can to help you get the software running on your own machine, but home use is technically "unsupported."

Homework Policy

• Each assignment will have a specific time for which it will be due, and your electronic submissions are timestamped. A program turned in late within one day of the due time will be docked 25%. A program turned in later than one day of the due date but within two days will be docked 50%. After that, you will receive no credit. This policy is to protect the grader, but also to encourage you to begin your work as early as possible. If you have extraordinary circumstances, I may grant an extension, but you need to talk to me before the assignment is due.

Getting Help

• If you need help with a project, you can consult with other students, talk to the prefector, ask a lab assistant, or come to me. I am happy to answer your questions either in person or via email.

Collaboration, Cheating, and the Difference Between the Two

There are two different kinds of working together: collaborating and cheating.

Collaborating

• Collaborating is good.
• You are encouraged to collaborate on ideas and program design.
• Programming is often a social effort, and there is much you can learn by talking out the ideas in this class with each other.
• You can by all means talk to each other, look at each others' programs to help fix problems, and share ideas.

Cheating

• Cheating is bad. It's bad for your reputation, your emotional well-being, and your immortal soul (if any). Don't cheat.
• Any programs that you turn in should be your work.
• Even if you work with someone else and share ideas, you must still write your own program.
• If a piece of your program uses someone else's idea, you must make sure to give that person credit in program comments. Proper citation of other people's ideas is essential.

The following are examples of cheating.

• Taking someone else's program changing the name of the programmer at the top, and turning it in.
• Taking someone else's program, changing the variables and comments around, and turning it in.
• Finding a similar program on the internet, putting your name at the top, and turning it in.
• Finding a similar program on the internet, changing the variables and comments around, and turning it in.

I will be using software to discover cheating if it occurs, and will not hesitate to notify the College if it does.

Tuesday, January 8, 2002

We'll be in lab tomorrow, getting you introduced to BlueJ and some Java basics. Your first programming assignment will be due at class time on Monday, January 14. You will submit all of your programming assignments this term electronically. Here are instructions for doing so.