Administrivia
Computer Sciences 302, Lecture 6 (Fall 2004)

Course Description

CS302 introduces you to programming concepts, with an emphasis on object-oriented design. We will be using the language Java. Beyond the ability to program at an intermediate level, you will gain familiarity with the thought processes and tools that make the technically savvy so valuable in today's marketplace. Finally, you will also have a feel for whether the subject interests you as a degree major.

Overall Organization

Our department currently offers the course in two formats:
  1. Large Lecture + Discussion These students share a large lecture, three days a week, taught by a faculty associate. In addition, they also have a weekly discussion section with a teaching assistant.
  2. Small Lecture Only These students have only a small lecture, three days a week, taught by an instructor. These classes focus on technically-inclined students possibly interested in further pursuing computer sciences. You are currently enrolled in this course format. (Even if you are neither technically inclined, nor planning on continuing past this course, I'd like to reassure you that you are still welcome and suited to my version of the class.)
All course types share the same syllabus, assignments, and exams; all teachers together create this curriculum. Furthermore, all instructors also establish their individual grading curves within the greater context of all of the lectures, both large and small. However, as your instructor, I will hold primary responsibility for assigning individual grades and curving our section. Please take the time to explore the general course web page shared by us all. It will give you further information on universal course issues.

Workload Organization

Reading Please keep up with the reading assignments posted on the syllabus. I will try to provide copies of my own notes for each chapter, but keep in mind that these should act only to help you evaluate your own note-taking abilities. My versions do not replace the experience of reading the textbook yourself. Also, I may give in-class quizzes on the reading material to help keep you on track. Good performance on these will increase your participation grade.

CodeLab As part of the course materials, you must eventually purchase this software for about $25-$30. You will use it online throughout the course to hone your programming skills on short exercises. CodeLab assignments are required. I will post problems (and more information about how to use the site) as the course progresses.

Projects Involved, time-intensive design and programming work that will help you apply lecture concepts in a coding environment. An advanced warning: do not try to procrastinate. Everyone occasionally finds software bugs tricky and frustrating, and a few hours of down-time can make an unbelievable difference in sorting out subtle issues. So I strongly recommend that you plan ahead to ensure sufficient time to handle unexpected quandaries. Also, please see the main course page for information on our collaboration and academic misconduct policies.

Exams We have two midterms and one final. Here is the schedule for these exams:
Midterm 1:Tuesday, October 5, 5:00 pm -7:00 pm
Midterm 2:Thursday, November 11, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Final Exam:Wednesday, December 22 10:05 am - 12:05 pm
Please note that as a course policy we offer no make-ups. If you have a problem (for any reason) with any these exam times, you must inform me by Friday September 10 or we cannot offer an alternative time.

Grading

Our section will follow the grading criteria and weights established by the main course page (see the grading tab). Note that you have the responsibility to seek clarification if needed. Also, be forewarned that in this course, you earn grades based on results, not effort. To summarize:

CodeLab 8%
Projects A01% 15%
A11%
A21%
A33%
A41%
A58%
Exams Midterm 120% 75%
Midterm 225%
Final30%
Class Participation 2%

Participation Policy I do not believe in mandatory attendance. Thus, for a student who never attends a single lecture, I will assign for your participation grade the same grade that you have earned in the rest of the course. Participation will never, therefore, lower your grade. However, I do believe in the value of lecture toward helping you master the material. Toward this end, I will record your attendance and participation, and these actions on your part can increase the participation portion of your grade above your net grade in the rest of the course. For example, suppose that Billy Bob has earned a B in the course, and has attended half of the lectures. He would then earn an AB for the participation portion of his grade. Had he attended all of the lectures, he would have earned an A in participation. I am willing to negotiate this policy, so I encourage you to comment on your perception of its fairness.


Last Updated: 2004/09/01