Course Information
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CS 111 - Introduction to
Computer Science I Course Information |
On the surface it appears that Computer Science is a very dynamic discipline. However, there are certain principles that are basic to Computer Science. These are the fundamentals that enable us to solve problems within the context of a hardware environment. For that reason this course has a heavy emphasis on the methodology of problem solving with the use of computing equipment, algorithms, and the implementation of those algorithms in a specific programming language. Because of the importance of the Internet, this course will be taught using the Java programming language. Exercises will introduce the student to basic computing concepts, data types, classes and methods, decisions, iteration, testing and debugging, arrays and vectors, and other selected topics. The goal of these exercises is to illustrate good programming principles, an understanding of object oriented programming, programming and elementary data structures, as well as some basic software engineering principles. Students will have weekly homework exercises throughout the term that will provide a solid foundation of experience for future problem-solving.
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Intro to Java Programming, Comprehensive Version, Student Value Edition 12th Edition by Y. Daniel Liang Companion Website, (Pearson) ISBN-13: 978-0136520153 ISBN-10: 0136520154 © 2020 (Note: The 10th or 11th editions are acceptable, but you will need to double-check correctness of reading sections.) |
Section A - M,W,F 1:10-2:00PM in Glatfelter 112:
Section B - M,W,F 2:10-3:00PM in Glatfelter 112:
Todd Neller
Office: Glatfelter 209
Office Hours: Mo 3:10-3:45PM, Tu 1-5PM, We 3:10-5PM, Th 1-3:45PM, Fr 3:10-5 or by appointment. (On days when I finish teaching just before office hours, office hours will start when I arrive back at my office.) Note: Generally, feel free to drop in if my office door is open (i.e., most of the time beyond class).
A Video Explainer about Office Hours for Students
Phone: 337-6643
E-mail: tneller@gettysburg.edu
In-class Assistants:
Section A: Kasen Groth (TA office hours Thursday 7-9PM)
Section B: Thuc Tran (TA office hours Tuesday 7-9PM)
Grading Assistants: Ben Casinelli (TA office hours Sunday 7-9PM) and Kiet Tran (TA office hours Thursday 7-9PM)
Note: Students serving in office hours are able to serve students beyond their own assigned classes, so there should be at least one student who can assist you every Sunday through Thursday evening 7-9PM in Glatfelter 207 (or elsewhere if noted).
You are responsible to know the material from each lecture and reading assignment before the start of the next class. Homework is due at the beginning of lecture on the due date. Source code that does not compile may not receive partial credit. You are required to attend 2 colloquia or approved departmental events over the course of the semester. The submission system should not be viewed as a testing system. You should thoroughly test each line and case of your code. That said, we allow homework resubmission. No more than the 10th submission will be graded. (The system will still allow more than 10, but the graders need not consider submissions beyond the 10th.)
It is your responsibility to notify me of your submission of late work. Late homework (HW1-HW14) will receive a flat 10% penalty (e.g. what would have received 95% would receive 85% credit, not 85.5%). Late homework will only be accepted until either 9 classes later or half-way between the due date and the last day of classes (rounded down), whichever comes first. For example, homework due at the beginning of class 4 would be accepted late until class 13, but homework due at the beginning of class 39 would be last accepted late at the beginning of class floor((39 + 42)/2) = floor(40.5) = 40.
Warning: Treat the late policy as a seldom-used pressure release to cope with unusual situations. If you chronically make use of the policy, (1) you'll be starting assignments far after the relevant material, increasing their difficulty, and (2) programming quizzes pre/in-class exercises will presume that you're up-to-date and allow no extensions. Also, you need to communicate your desire to exercise the policy to me via email. In such cases, I recommend meeting with me in office hours to make a catch-up plan.
Class attendance and participation is required. If you attend all classes and are willing to participate, you'll get 100% for this part of your grade. Even if you know enough to give a particular lecture, please consider the value of helping your peers during in-class exercises.
Woody Allen is quoted as saying "80% of success is just showing up." While our class attendance/participation grade is not 80% of the final grade, it is critical that late arrivals and unexcused absences are not excessive. Missing more than half of class unexcused is considered being absent. An unexcused late arrival is counted as a half absence. If the total number of absences counted this way exceeds 20% of class meetings, i.e. 8.5 absences or more, the student will have failed the course.
You are expected to work an average of 9 hours per week beyond class time. Gettysburg College policy, in accordance with federal and state standards, equates 1 credit unit with an average of 12 hours of work per week with 50 minute classes counting as 1 full hour of work. During these remaining 9 hours beyond class, a student is expected to learn from assigned readings, complete exercises related to such readings, attend required colloquia, and complete assignments.
Think of your college studies as a more-than-full-time job, and engage in it with passion. After all, you get out of it what you put into it, and it is my hope that you'll gain much from your investment in this course. If you'd like to learn more about how to better track tasks and manage time as a student, consider watching my short tutorial on getting things done.
For full credit on your assignment to read this course information page, simply click here and send me an email with the subject "Course Information Read" before the beginning of class 2.
Honesty, Integrity, Honor. These are more important than anything we will teach in this class. Students can and are encouraged to help each other understand course concepts, but all graded work must be done independently unless otherwise specified (e.g. group work). Submitted work should be created by those submitting it. Submission of plagiarized code or design work is a violation of the Honor Code, which I strictly enforce. For detailed information about the Honor Code, see http://www.gettysburg.edu/about/offices/provost/advising/honor_code/index.dot.
What is permitted:
What is not permitted:
Put simply, students may discuss assignments at an abstract level (e.g. specifications, algorithm pseudocode), but must actually implement solutions independently or in permitted groups. Credit should be given where credit is due. Let your conscience be your guide. Do not merely focus on the result; learn from the process.