Course Syllabus

CSC 131 – Introduction to Computer Science 

Course Syllabus - Fall 2023

"This syllabus is subject to change, but only with sufficient notification"

 

Welcome to the Introduction to Computer Science class!

This course will focus on Problem-solving methods and algorithms in a modern high-level programming language.

The course emphases:

• programming style and the design,
• coding, and
• testing of complete programs.

This course is recommended primarily for computer science majors.  The students who successfully complete this course will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of basic programming concepts including data types, variables, modularity, parameters, conditional statements, iteration, and arrays.
• Demonstrate program development techniques to describe and understand the problem statement, think through input/process/output, leading to problem representation, and finally coding.
• Demonstrate the ability to use program control structures (i.e., iteration, conditionals).
• Develop and use algorithms to solve a variety of problems, for instance, those related to array processing, and text processing.
• Practice modular programming by developing, debugging, and integrating modules into a larger program.
• Demonstrate the ability to use programming language-specific software libraries.
• Demonstrate the ability to use basic file input and output.
• Demonstrate the ability to use software development tools to implement and run programs from an integrated development environment.

 

What else do I need to know about this course? A grade of ‘C’ (2.00) or better is required for taking any course for which CSC 131 is a prerequisite.  Satisfies University Studies I: Foundations/Mathematics and Statistics. Satisfies University Studies IV: Building Competencies/Quantitative and   Logical   Reasoning.   Partially satisfies   University   Studies III: Transdisciplinary Cluster/Modeling. Prerequisites: MAT 111 or MAT 115.

 

What do I do when I need help? If you need help: Talk to Professor: talk to me or shoot me an email or message on Slack. Teaching Assistant: TBD

How to contact Dr. ElSaid? E-mail: elsaida@uncw.edu Office Hours: MWF 12:50pm-2pm or By Appointment [making an appointment is advised to make sure the instructor is available] Class Location: CI 2006 || Office Location: CG 2023   Phone: (910) 962-2179 You can email me at any time but I only respond to emails from 8 am to 4 pm only on weekdays. All the emails regarding CSC131 must be in the following format otherwise I might not open them in time:      CSC131 – your title      For example "CSC131 – Lab 2" I would strongly encourage using Slack would be more convenient to communicate.

 

Textbooks 

• Required: Introduction to Computer Science Using Python: A Computational Problem-Solving Focus, by Charles Dierbach
• Optional: Fundamentals of Python: First Programs, 2nd edition, by Kenneth Alfred Lambert.

 

Grading

A modified 10-point scale will be used to compute your course grade. Pluses and minuses will be assigned based on the following chart.

The Canvas grade calculation only is accurate when all the grades are entered. 

Quizzes/Participation:  5%  Assignments:                  35% Tests:                                55% Test1: 10% Test2: 20% Test3: 30% Project:                             +3%

 

Attendance: 

Please do not come to class when you are not feeling well or are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. If you have been exposed to COVID-19 or are concerned about exposure, please contact the Student Health Center at (910) 962-3280 for specific information about testing, contact tracing and quarantine/isolation requirements, which differ for vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals, according to CDC guidance. Remember, keeping healthy is essential to keeping campus open! Thank you for your help and compliance. 

I will take attendance every face-to-face session. More than 4 unanticipated/unexcused absent, result in an F in the course. 

Anticipated Absences. Anticipated absences should be reported to the instructor at least seven days before the absence is scheduled to occur. Situations in which an instructor is encouraged to approve a documented anticipated absence include:

• Attendance at university-sponsored activities in which the student is representing UNCW, e.g., a professional meeting in which the student presents his or her research, required varsity athletic events for team members, or required events for SGA officers. Instructors may require certification of the student’s participation from the administrator in charge of the activity. Absences for university-affiliated, but not directly sponsored, activities (such as a club or Greek life events) do not qualify under this policy.
• Required court attendance as certified by the Clerk of Court.
• Required military duty as certified by the student’s commanding officer.

Unanticipated Absences. Students are encouraged to communicate with instructors in a timely fashion after unanticipated absences from class. Each faculty member determines how to treat such absences but typically will excuse absences due to health emergencies, death in the family, or a comparable emergency when supported by verifying documentation from the student. 

The zoom link will be provided upon request and only to those who have a medical reason and are unable to join the in-person class. Everyone else must attend the class. The request for attending via zoom must be sent at least one hour before the start of the class. Supporting documents must be sent to the instructor within a week of the request. The instructor will only open the zoom for the students who attend the class virtually but he has no obligation to be checking the chatbox or recording the session via zoom. 

 

Lab Assignments, Quizzes, CS Circle, Projects

• All homework must be YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL WORK.
• You may be asked to explain any code that you submit as a part of the assignment. Adequate explanations are an important skill that can be developed only by practice.
• Independent programming assignments will be assigned weekly.
• Some programming assignments/labs may carry more weight than others. The instructor will provide adequate instruction on how to complete each assignment.
• Lab assignments are typically completed during the lab sections at the end of the class on Mondays and Wednesdays. For a few labs, up to a few hours extension will be provided which will be announced either on Canvas or in class.
• Up to 4 programming projects might be assigned during the semester. They will be announced ahead of time before their due date. 
• There are NO make-ups for lab assignments, CS Circles, or any Quizzes.
  • You have only ONE token to use on a lab of your choice for late submission or resubmission, no questions asked. 

Academic Integrity

University Policy on academic integrity will be followed for this course. Cheating will be taken very seriously, resulting in harsh penalties. Since the skills required in this class are also required in the next class, cheating in this class will seriously hamper your ability to pass the next class.

Any dissemination of class notes, lecture slides, recordings, handouts, copies of exams, or any other course materials without permission of the instructor is prohibited by UNCW policy.  UNCW Copyright Use and Ownership Policy specifies that class notes and related materials are considered derivative of the original intellectual property of the course instructor. Therefore, the instructor (not the student) owns the copyright and must provide specific permission to distribute and/or reuse those materials for anything other than personal use and scholarship by the student. Commercial use, display, or dissemination of such notes, copies, or recordings—as well as posting to websites--will generally constitute an infringement of copyright and the Honor Code.  Materials that qualify as student-owned are listed in the policy.