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Update 2024-08-26: Changed the bonus point policy for course evaluations.

Course Catalog:
To explore some topical applications and technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and networking, examines some of the fundamental aspects of computing, including how a computing machine stores, manipulates, and transforms numbers, words, images, and sounds, changing them from mere data into useful information; strategies for solving computational problems (algorithmic thinking); expressing computational solutions in various computer languages from assembly through icon-driven graphical languages (4GLs); historical, social and theoretical issues. Includes a weekly hands-on lab through which students experience a variety of computing environments. (TECH)(TECO)

Course Info #

• Instructor: Nat Tuck
• Email: <nathaniel.tuck@plymouth.edu>
• Office: D&M 305
• Lecture: Monday, Friday @ 9:05-9:55am
• Labs:
  • Section 01: Monday at 2:30-4:10pm
  • Section 02: Friday at 2:30-4:10pm
• Final Exam: Wed Dec 11 @ 8am - 10:30am
• Course Site: https://homework.quest/ click “cs2010”
• Office Hours: See course site.

Student Learning Outcomes #

Successful students will:

• Be able to describe the characteristics of computer applications and how they are developed and implemented
• Be able to identify the components of a computer (hardware and software) and explain their function
• Use the software development process to create problem-solving programs
• Design and implement (using a software tool) a logic circuit solution to a simple problem
• Be able to read and write decimal values and text in binary and hex
• Be familiar with CS and IT majors as offered in the University
• Be familiar with career possibilities in CS and IT

Texts #

Schneider, G. M., Gersting, J. L., and Miller, K., Invitation to Computer Science (Eighth Edition), Cengage, 2019

• Follow the instructions on Canvas get access to the textbook and online resources.

Grading #

Letter grades

≥ 93 → A, ≥ 90 → A-,
≥ 87 → B+, ≥ 83 → B, ≥ 80 → B-,
≥ 77 → C+, ≥ 73 → C, ≥ 70 → C-,
≥ 67 → D+, ≥ 63 → D, ≥ 60 → D-,
else (< 60) → F

Labs

Each week there will be a lab assignment to complete during the lab period. Labs will only be accepted before the end of the lab period, and only when submitted from a lab workstation.

This course is a pre-requisite for several other courses. Labs are intended to help you personally practice specific skills without outside help.

Towards that end:

• Personal electronics may not be used. If they are brought to lab, they must be kept in a closed container like a backpack.
• Only approved web resources can be used. That includes the course web site, the textbook, the LMS, and nothing else unless explicitly listed in the assignment.
• Students who intentionally or repeatedly violate this policy will be asked to leave and will not be able to complete that lab assignment.

Homework

Each week there will be a homework assignment to be completed outside of class.

Minimizing the use of external resources is recommended, and academic honesty rules will be strictly enforced.

Quizzes

There will be quizzes in lecture and/or lab throughout the semester.

Attendence and Excused Absences

Attendence is required for both lectures and labs.

If you are unable to attend class or submit homework due to a circumstance covered by the university Excused Absence Policy, contact the professor by email to avoid losing attendence credit and discuss options for making up missed work. If it is reasonably feasible to send this email before the class you will miss you must do so.

Your final grade in the class will drop by one letter grade after the fourth unexcused absence.

Late Work

Work submitted after the assignment deadline will not be accepted. Start early to guarantee you have enough time to complete your homework assignments.

Grade Appeals

If you think you recieved an incorrect grade, send me an email describing why your grade is wrong and how you think it should be corrected.

If the grade isn’t clearly wrong, I will ask you to stop by my office hours so we can discuss the issue in more detail.

Fair Grading Policy

All grading in this class is subject to the university Fair Grading Policy.

Late Registration

If you register late for the course please contact the professor to discuss completing any missed assignments as soon as possible.

Course Evaluations

Course evaluations can be a valuable tool to determine how the semester went. They’re more useful with a higher response rate.

To encourage more responses, if 75% of students complete their course evaluations before the start of finals week every student will get a 10% bonus to their final exam grade.

Email

Some communication about this class will be done through email to your University address. Please check your email; you are responsible for any email communications you miss.

Resources #

Tutoring #

There is evening tutoring in the lab classroom. See the course website for more details. The PASS Office also offers individual tutoring.

Accomodations #

Plymouth State University is committed to providing students with documented disabilities equal access to all university programs and facilities. If you think you have a disability requiring accommodations, you should contact Campus Accessibility Services (CAS), located in Speare (535-3300) to determine whether you are eligible for such accommodations. Academic accommodations will only be considered for students who have registered with CAS. If you have authorized CAS to electronically deliver a Letter of Accommodations for this course, please communicate with your instructor to review your accommodations.

Academic Integrity #

Please carefully read and be familiar with the unversity Academic Integrity Policy. Especially don’t do any of the things in the list of examples of academic integrity violations. Make sure to review the penalties for repeated offenses.

The maximum penalty for academic dishonestly is a grade of “AF” in this course. In addition, the student’s name may be sumitted the the appropriate university authorities for further diciplinary action which may result in penalties up to dismissal from the University.

The most likely violation for this course is plagarism, which is when a student submits a solution for an assignment that wasn’t produced by them (or their assigned team in the case of a group assignment). Both submitting work that you didn’t produce and providing solutions to other students are unacceptable in this course and will result in a penalty as described above.