CS 101 A1: Introduction to Computer Science Syllabus: Fall Semester 2010 Boston University College of Arts and Sciences Computer Science Department CS 101 A1: Introduction to Computers, Fall Semester 2010 http://www.cs.bu.edu/courses/cs101a1/ Section A1 Class Meetings Tuesday/Thursday 2:00pm – 3:30pm @ CAS B12 Aaron Stevens, Instructor [email protected]. Always include “CS101 A1” in the subject. Office hours @ PSY 228B: Mon 2:00-4:00pm; Wed 3:00-4:00pm; Thu 9:00-10:00am and by appointment Lab Meetings @ EMA 304: A2 Fri 10:00am 11:00am A3 Fri 11:00am 12:00pm A4 Fri 1:00pm 2:00pm A5 Fri 2:00pm 3:00pm A6 Fri 3:00pm 4:00pm Teaching Fellows Maryam Ghasemifirouzabadi [email protected] Xianrui Meng, [email protected] Jeffrey Guarente, [email protected] Always include “CS101 A1” in the subject. Check website for tutoring hours. Tutoring hours held at undergraduate CS lab, EMA 302. Course Description CS101 is an introduction to computing and digital multimedia. The main ideas of computing are explored: algorithmic thinking, encoding information, using protocols and standardization, and abstraction. CS101 will discuss the practical application of these ideas by addressing questions including: • What is a computer? What is computer science? What does a computer do? • What is the World Wide Web? Where did it come from? How do we publish information to it? • What is the Internet? What does the Internet do? How does it work? What are its vulnerabilities? • What is the difference between analog and digital information? Why are our computers digital? • How does a digital machine represent numbers, text, images, audio, and video information? • What are algorithms, and how do algorithms impact computation? • How do web applications work? Google? Facebook? YouTube? • How to secure your digital life? To answer these questions, CS101 will survey a selection of fundamental topics in computer science. The applied portion of the course will cover designing and publishing basic web sites, image and audio manipulation, simple animation and programming. CS101 A1 will have some assignments adapted for students in the School of Hospitality Administration, and will include some additional on spreadsheets, data manipulation, data analysis and charting.CS 101 A1: Introduction to Computer Science Syllabus: Fall Semester 2010 Books We will use custom-published versions of 2 books: 7 chapters taken from A Balanced Introduction to Computer Science by David Reed. Pearson Custom Publishing, ISBN 0-558-14415-2. Digital Media Primer, by Yue-Ling Wong Pearson Custom Publishing ISBN – 055858182X or ISBN13 – 9780558581824 Other online readings and tutorials will be posted to the schedule page. Grading The following percentages are tentative and may be changed at my discretion at any time: Required lab activities (attendance and submission) 10% Homework Assignments (about 13) 30% ** Scheduled Quizzes (6) 30% ** Final Exam (written) 30% Attendance and participation: I will award up to 3 bonus points for perfect or near perfect attendance, participation/asking questions, and 2-minute quizzes*. 3% BONUS * 2-minute quizzes are occasional, unannounced, single-question quizzes that will be given sporadically throughout the semester. Points will be awarded for attendance and answering the question correctly. For labs, points will be awarded for attendance as well as submitting your work done during the lab. ** At my discretion, the lowest one homework score, and the lowest one quiz score, will be dropped. How to Prepare for Quizzes and the Final Exam The most effective strategy is active recall. Reading the book, notes and examples alone will give you a false sense of familiarity. Instead, you must actively digest the class material, and practice your recall of it in question and answer form. After each class meeting, review the class notes and examples, and especially points that I spend time elaborating upon. For each of these “main points” – there are probably about 4-6 of these per class meeting – you should write out a challenging question about the point, and prepare the answer. By actively preparing questions that you know you can answer, you will be surprised how many of those show up on the quiz/exam. Getting Help With Homework The homework assignments in this class will be very challenging and often time consuming. Work on homework assignments as soon as they are given. Plan your time so you can so you can ask questions in class and get assistance in the labs and tutoring hours. If you get stuck, the teaching fellows are here to help you. The best avenue for getting help is to email your TF, or to come to office hours. Emails will be answered within 24 hours, often sooner, during the weekdays, and by Monday at noon if your email comes in over the weekend.CS 101 A1: Introduction to Computer Science Syllabus: Fall Semester 2010 Policies and Miscellaneous The official administrative business of this class will be conducted by email. Grade questions/disputes, explanation of absence, etc. will be processed via email so that we both have a written record of what was agreed. Attendance and discussion/asking questions are expected and will be reflected in your grade. If you must be absent, please email me in advance to let me know why you won’t be in class, and to let me know what you will do to keep up with the assignments. CS101 is not a correspondence course. Inadequate attendance is sufficient grounds for a grade of F. Lab attendance and submission of the lab work is required. Lab work is not “graded” like a homework assignment, but rather it is checked for submission time/location for attendance purposes and for completion. You are expected to attend the lab section for which you are registered, and attending another section will result in your receiving credit for the lab submission but not for attendance. Late lab work will be accepted within 4 days, but only for completion credit (not attendance). Assignments are due on the date stated on the homework assignment (to be posted on web). • Assignments received within 0-24 hours of the deadline will be accepted with a 10% penalty. • Assignments received within 24-48 hours of the deadline will be accepted with a 20% penalty. • Assignments received more than 48 hours past the deadline will not be accepted or graded. There are no make-up