CS 8: Course Policies

Course Description and Rational:

Computers have become an ever-present part of our lives due to their ability to perform tedious, repetitive, and complicated tasks, freeing us from those tasks which we tend to hate or find difficult. In this class, you will start learning how to harness the power of a computer and instruct it to perform the tasks you want.

However, some have the idea that computers are capable of anything and in this class, we will explore what computers are capable of and, implicitly, what we are better at than a computer. Knowing what computers are capable of will help you to see when a computer can be used to solve a problem and knowing how to instruct computers will give you the skills needed to have the computer solve the problem.

This course teaches the basics of programming, using Python, which is an industrial-strength programming language used at companies like Google and Industrial Light and Magic (a division of Lucasfilm, now owned by Disney). It will cover fundamental concepts in computer programming including control flow, data structures, sorting and searching algorithms, object-oriented programming concepts, accessing databases, and good program design. You will learn how to make computers do what you want them to do. You may be planning to be a linguist, physicist, nurse, or computer scientist. Being able to program and understanding how software works will be extremely valuable, whatever you do.

Prerequisites:

This is a first course in computer science programming. It is recommended both for students intending to major in computer science who do not have the required background for CS 0401, as well as for students majoring in another area. There are no prerequisites for the course.

Textbook:

Title: Starting out with Python (third edition)
Author: Tony Gaddis & Godfrey Muganda
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-358273-6
Not required, but recommended.

Free alternatives include:

Think Python (PDF)
Dive into Python 3
Non-Programmer's Tutorial for Python 3
Official Python Tutorials (moves quickly, but comprehensive and thorough)

Additional Material:

It is highly recommended that you have a removable storage device to store your programs on while you work on them. A small, inexpensive USB flash drive that has at least 64 MB should be enough for this class.

You will need access to a computer capable of running Python programs. Most computer labs on campus meet this requirement. If you would like to use your own computer, it is recommended you install Python 3.4.3: https://www.python.org/downloads/.

Grade Breakdown:

Type	Percentage	Quantity
Assignments:	25%	3 – 5
Midterm Exam:	20%	1
Final Exam:	25%	1
Labs:	15%	5 – 12
Quizzes:	10%	2 – 4
Participation:	5%	N/A

Grade Scale:

Percentage	Letter Grade
above 100	A+
93 – 100	A
90 – 92	A-
87 – 89	B+
83 – 86	B
80 – 82	B-

Percentage	Letter Grade
77 – 79	C+
73 – 76	C
70 – 72	C-
67 – 69	D+
63 – 66	D
60 – 62	D-
less than 60	F

General Information:

Students are encouraged to attend all lectures, which may include material that is not directly taken from the text. If a student misses a lecture, he/she is still responsible for the material covered. While lecture slides will be available from the Daily Schedule, anything written on the board or programmed may not be available from anywhere other than a classmate.
Information, including announcements, handouts, review sheets, and solutions, will be posted on the Daily Schedule. Students are expected to be aware of all information that is posted on this page.
Each student is expected to do his/her own work. For a first offense, a student caught collaborating/cheating in any way will receive a zero for the exam/project/lab. In the event of a second offense, the student will receive an F for the course and may be subject to stronger actions.
Note: Submissions that are alike in a substantive way (not due to coincidence) will be considered cheating by ALL parties involved. Be sure to protect yourself by storing your files in private directories and retrieving printouts promptly.
It is recommended that students save their work frequently and maintain backups of their computer and, especially, any programs being written for this class. Failing to turn in an assignment on time because "my computer crashed" or "I lost my usb drive" are not valid excuses for turning an assignment in late.
All material that a student turns in should also be saved in a safe place until the term has ended and he/she has received and accepted his/her final grade. Do not assume that uploading your project means you no longer need to keep a copy of it.
All programs must be written in Python.
If a student is having issues that can affect his or her grade, it is better to talk to the instructor sooner rather than later.

Assignments:

There will be three to five equally-weighted programming projects assigned throughout the term.
Programming projects will be discussed primarily in office hours and recitation.
Assigned projects can be found on the Assignments and Labs page and on the daily schedule once they are assigned.
Students with a course grade of C or below may be required to meet with the instructor for a "program conference". For the first assignment, prior programming experience may be used instead of course grade. The instructor will contact the appropriate students to set up conference times.
Instructions on submitting projects can be found in the Assignments and Labs page.
On-time assignments must be received at the submission site by 11:59 pm on the due date. Assignments submitted after that time will be graded as late submissions.
Assignments will be accepted late, but will face a reduction in the assignment's final grade.
- For each day (including weekends) the assignment is late, there will be a 10% deduction (so, if it is two days late, there will be a 20% deduction).
- Any project more than three days late (including weekends) will receive a 0. However, you may still submit it for feedback.

Exams:

Exam dates will be listed on the daily schedule. Exams will be announced at least two weeks before the date.
Students are expected to be present for each exam. Make-up exams will only be given in the event of a properly-documented emergency, and only if the instructor is informed in advance. If you cannot contact your instructor directly, send him an email or call the CS department (412-624-8490). Failure to notify your instructor prior to missing an exam will result in a zero for the exam.
The final exam will be cumulative.

Labs:

Labs will be assigned most weeks of the semester. They will be due one week after they are assigned.
Assigned labs can be found on the Assignments and Labs page and on the daily schedule.
Labs will be discussed in labs and office hours, not lecture.
Each lab will be equally-weighted, unless otherwise noted.
Labs will be accepted up to one day late, but with a 15% reduction. You may still turn in labs after the late deadline to receive feedback on the lab (you may need to email your TA so he knows to look for it).

Quizzes:

Quizzes will be listed on the daily schedule at least one lecture before the quiz will be given.
Quizzes will be in-class and cannot be made up if missed. If you will miss a quiz, let me know ahead of time.

Participation:

There are many ways to earn participation points:
- Ask on-topic questions during lecture
- Answer questions during lecture
- Visit office hours regularly
- Complete the ungraded surveys on CourseWeb
There will be "quick quizzes" at the end of many lectures. These quick quizzes will ask basic questions from material covered during lecture that day.

Extra Credit:

Extra credit will primarily be part of the assignments.
Any other forms of extra credit will not be considered until all assignments (that are due) have been submitted. A student can gain no more than 10% of their course grade through these other forms of extra credit.
All extra credit will be due before the last week of the semester (i.e. two weeks before finals week).

Disability Services:

If you have a disability, please have the Office of Disability Resources and Services (DRS) send a confirmation letter. Upon receiving the letter, we can discuss accommodations.

"The Office of Disability Resources and Services (DRS) provides a broad range of support services to assist students with disabilities. Services include, but are not limited to, tape-recorded textbooks, sign language interpreters, adaptive and transportation. Contact DRS at 412-648-7890 or 412-383-1355 (TTY) in 216 William Pitt Union or see www.drs.pitt.edu for more computer technology, Braille translation, and nonstandard exam arrangements, DRS can also assist students with accessibility to campus housing information." (quoted from the Undergraduate Bulletin)

Academic Integrity:

Each student is expected to do his/her own work. For a first offense, a student caught collaborating/cheating in any way will receive a zero for the exam/project/lab/quiz/homework. In the event of a second offense, the student will receive an F for the course and may be subject to stronger actions.
Note: Submissions that are alike in a substantive way (not due to coincidence) will be considered cheating by ALL parties involved. Be sure to protect yourself by storing your files in private directories and retrieving printouts promptly.
Note: To decrease the chance of being accused of cheating, always fill out the assignment information sheet and turn it in with any assignment.

"As members of the University of Pittsburgh community, A&S students are expected to meet the obligation to exhibit honesty and to respect the ethical standards of the University community and of their chosen field of study in carrying out academic assignments. A&S students are therefore expected to familiarize themselves with the published rules and regulations go to http://www.provost.pitt.edu/info/ai1.html" (quoted from the Undergraduate Bulletin)

CS 8: Introductory Programming with Python