CSCI 101: Intro to Computer Science

Syllabus

Text:	Recommended: The Analytical Engine: An Introduction to Computer Science Using the Internet (2nd Edition) by Rick Decker and Stuart Hirshfield (ISBN: 0-534-39159-1)
Prerequisites:	Acceptable score on the Mathematics Placement Test or completion of an appropriate course.
Instructor:	Dr. Sergei Bezrukov	sbezruko@uwsuper.edu

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Catalog Description

An introductory course in computer science providing a survey of current topics and practical experience with a variety of current software, plus an introduction to computer programming. Topics include: the history of computing; fundamentals of hardware and software; principles of system analysis and design; elements of HTML and JavaScript programming; and emerging issues such as artificial intelligence and human language processing. Laboratory exercises include: word processing; spreadsheets; the Internet and World Wide Web; computer programming; and Turing machines.

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Course Objectives

Upon completion of this class, you will be familiar with:

• Fundamental computer concepts and terminology, including: major applications of computers; hardware components; Internet/e-mail; communications and networking technologies; programming terminology; history of computers.
• Computer software listed below.
• Design of webpages.
• Basic concepts of computer hardware and programming languages.
• Some problems in computability and Artificial Intelligence.

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Software and Hardware Requirements

• Hardware:
  • Computer with color monitor, CDROM drive, and mouse.
  • Minimum 128 Mb of memory, minimum 100 Mb free space on the hard disk.
  • Internet access (DSL/cable is not required but recommended).
• Software:
  • Operating system: Microsoft Windows XP/7/8/10/11   or   Linux/Unix   or   MacOS.
  • Microsoft Word   (any version, will be used for one assignment only)
  • Microsoft Excel   (any version, will be used for one assignment only)
  • Paint (is a part of standard Windows distribution)
  • Web browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer   or  Firefox

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Evaluation and Grading

• Scores and grade
  • The final grade for the course depends on the averaged score for home work assignments (this score is denoted by hw), scores for two midterm exams (denoted by ex₁ and ex₂), score for the final exam (ex₃), and some amount of bonus points.
  • The total score will be computed according to the formula:
    total score = (25*hw + 25*ex₁ + 25*ex₂ + 25*ex₃) / 100 + bonus
  • The total score will be translated into the final grade according to the following table:

    	A : 93 -	A- : 90 - 92
    B+ : 87 - 89	B : 83 - 86	B- : 80 - 82
    C+ : 77 - 79	C : 73 - 76	C- : 70 - 72
    D+ : 67 - 69	D : 63 - 66	D- : 60 - 62
    F : 0 - 59

• Assignments (25%)
  Nine home work assignments will be assigned and graded.
  • Maximum score for each assignment is 100 points.
  • For final grade purposes, the lowest of the assignment scores will be dropped if it is above 60% (this cannot decrease your average homework score).
  • If hw₁, hw₂, ... , hw₈ are the scores for these assignments (each number in the range 0 to 100), then the total score for the assignments is the average of these scores, that is
    hw = (hw₁ + hw₂ + ... + hw₈) / 8
    rounded off to the nearest integer from above.
  • Late submission for all assignments except the last one is accepted within 1 days after the assignment was due. In this case the total score for this assignment will be dropped on 10 points.
  • All your files related to the assignments must be uploaded on Canvas for grading.
  • Solutions to the assignments will be available from the course web page 2 days after the assignment was due. No assignment work is accepted after this.

• Midterm exams (two of them, each worth 25%)
  One exam will be given after passing through the three first sections of the course, and another one will be given about 2.5 weeks before the end of the course. The maximum score for each midterm exam is 100 points.
  • The first exam covers the material from the first part of the course.
  • The second exam emphasizes on the material covered after the first exam.
  • The midterm exams can be taken online.
  • The midterm exams, must be done strictly individually, so no collective solutions or discussions are allowed.
  • No late submission of the exam work is accepted.
  • All your files related to the midterm exams work must be uploaded on Canvas for grading.
  • Solutions to midterm exams will be posted online 2 days after the exam was due. They will be available within the next two days only.

• Final exam (25%)
  The maximum score for the final exam is 100 points.
  • The final exam is comprehensive. So, any course content from the entire semester is fair game.
    
  • The final exam must be done strictly individually, so no collective solutions or discussions are allowed.
    
  • No late submission of the exam work is accepted.
  • All your files related to the final exam work must be uploaded on Canvas for grading.

• Bonus points (0-6)
  Bonus points will be issued during the last week of the course for:
  • quality and completeness of homeworks (0-2 points)
  • completeness of the answers on the exam questions (0-2 points)
  • overall progress in class (0-2 points)

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Class Policies

• Representing someone else's work as your own without referencing or permitting another student to do so with your work is cheating.
  Cheating might result in administrative actions described in UWS14.03 UW-System Administrative Code Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures.
• A make up of an exam is allowed if an unavoidable absence occurs. A reason for absence must be documented.
• Students are required to check with the instructor if they find some of these rules unclear, before taking an action.

Suggestions for Success in Class

• Ask the instructor right away if something is not clear (send an email).
• Try to find time to solve as many problems from the textbook as possible (even more than it is assigned). Solving the problems is the only way to learn how to solve them.

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University Policies

• Class Cancellations
  When weather conditions are dangerous, students will be informed via the media about class cancellations. Students should not call Campus Safety.
• Accommodation of Religious Beliefs
  Student's sincerely held religious beliefs should be reasonably accommodated with respect to scheduling all examinations and other academic requirements. Students should inform the instructor of these needs at the start of the semester.
• Disabilities Accommodation
  Adaptations of methods, materials or testing will be made to accommodate educational participation. Students should inform the instructor of these needs at the start of the semester.

Please refer to the University Catalog or the UW-Superior Web page for full description of these and other policies.

Last modified: Thu, Jun 13, 2024.