CSE 8A Fall 2012 Syllabus
Welcome to CSE 8A! We are excited to have you in this course. In this class, our goal is to help you experience the thrill of getting a computer to solve a problem of your choosing – by expressing that solution in the Java programming language. We do not expect you to have any prior programming experience, just a willingness to learn.
What you will learn
CSE 8A will teach you the basics of solving computational problems and expressing solutions to those problems using the Java programming language. Specifically at the end of this course you will be able to:
- Read a computational problem and formulate an algorithm to solve that problem
- Implement a program in Java that performs specific tasks
- Use abstractions such as variables and functions to manage complexity in your programs
- Describe the functionality of a program that you or someone else has written
- Find and fix errors in programs that you or someone else has written
- Describe ways in which computer science plays a role in society and in other scientific disciplines
Instructors
Instructor
email
Class section Office Hours |
Susan Marx
M/W/F 10am-11:00am CSE 2110: M 1-2pm, Tu 1-2pm and by appointment |
Gary Gillespie
[email protected]
M/W/F 12-1:00pm, PCynH 109 CSE 2204: M 5pm-6 & W 1pm-2 by appointment and by appointment |
Course Websites
Course homepage: http://cse8afall.weebly.com/
On this page you will find important resources including lecture slides, tutoring hours, etc. Check this page early and often!
Discussion Forum: https://piazza.com/class#winter2013/cse8a
We will use Piazza as the discussion forum for this course. You should use this site for (almost) all questions you have in this course. See the section on “getting help” for more details.
On this page you will find important resources including lecture slides, tutoring hours, etc. Check this page early and often!
Discussion Forum: https://piazza.com/class#winter2013/cse8a
We will use Piazza as the discussion forum for this course. You should use this site for (almost) all questions you have in this course. See the section on “getting help” for more details.
Required Resources (yes, REQUIRED)
Textbook:
Mark Guzdial and Barbara Ericson, Introduction to computing and programming with Java: A Multimedia Approach, 2007. Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Clickers:
Buy an iClicker clicker at the bookstore (not interWrite or HITT brand, and not the smartphone clicker app: genuine iClicker only. But either version 1 or 2 will work). YES, YOU MUST HAVE AN iCLICKER FOR THIS COURSE.
Register it at http://www.iclicker.com/registration so you can collect your clicker points for your grade. (USING YOUR UCSD ID (PID starts with A) when registering.)
Mark Guzdial and Barbara Ericson, Introduction to computing and programming with Java: A Multimedia Approach, 2007. Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Clickers:
Buy an iClicker clicker at the bookstore (not interWrite or HITT brand, and not the smartphone clicker app: genuine iClicker only. But either version 1 or 2 will work). YES, YOU MUST HAVE AN iCLICKER FOR THIS COURSE.
Register it at http://www.iclicker.com/registration so you can collect your clicker points for your grade. (USING YOUR UCSD ID (PID starts with A) when registering.)
Add/Drop Policy
Because of the fast-pace of this course, we will not allow any student to add the course after Friday of Week 1 (January 11). You must be enrolled in BOTH CSE 8A and CSE 8AL by the end of week 1 to be able to receive passing grades in either class. Enrolling in only CSE 8A or CSE 8AL and not both means the grade you will receive at the end of the term is F. We cannot make any exceptions, so if you are thinking of adding this course, please do so right away.
Course Components
Class Sessions (a.k.a. Lectures)
These are instructor-led class periods, but they will not be traditional lectures. During class you will work alone and in groups to work through problems and answer questions using your iClickers. You must bring your iClicker to every class. Notes for class sections will be available on the course website before and/or after class.
Attendance in your own section is mandatory, and your participation will be factored into your course grade (see “Grading” section below). You may miss three classes without penalty, but missing more than 6 class sections will result in a failing grade for the course (F). If you have to miss more than a few courses, please see the instructor in advance. However, we expect that you’ll find these class sessions so helpful that you wouldn’t consider missing them anyway.
Attendance in your own section is mandatory, and your participation will be factored into your course grade (see “Grading” section below). You may miss three classes without penalty, but missing more than 6 class sections will result in a failing grade for the course (F). If you have to miss more than a few courses, please see the instructor in advance. However, we expect that you’ll find these class sessions so helpful that you wouldn’t consider missing them anyway.
Reading Assignments and Reading Quizzes
To prepare you for these interactive class sections, there will be reading assignments to be completed before each class section. This reading is required, and you will not be able to participate in class if you have not done the reading. At the start of the class, you will be given a short reading quiz. Your performance on these quizzes will be factored into your course grade. Reading quiz questions (but not answers) will be made available to you before each class, so you should be able to score 100% on these quizzes. Your lowest three quiz scores will be dropped.
Problem Solving Assignments (PSAs)
Most weeks there will be a set of problem solving assignments due, usually on Mondays (by midnight). These will consist of
You will engage in pair programming on these PSAs (see handout on pair programming). You may choose your own partner, but you may not work with the same partner more than twice. You will be required to submit your PSA partner's name before leaving lab each week, and each week you will submit a history of your past PSA partners. You may work with a partner from your own class section or from another class section.
- reading a problem statement
- formulating a plan to solve the problem (an algorithm)
- implementing a solution (writing a program in Java that solves the problem)
- completing an interview with a tutor
You will engage in pair programming on these PSAs (see handout on pair programming). You may choose your own partner, but you may not work with the same partner more than twice. You will be required to submit your PSA partner's name before leaving lab each week, and each week you will submit a history of your past PSA partners. You may work with a partner from your own class section or from another class section.
Closed Labs
Together with CSE 8A you should have registered for CSE 8AL, a weekly closed lab section. Labs are required and you must be registered for CSE 8AL.
All labs are held in CSE B240 (basement) You should be in one and only one 8AL section. You must go to the same lab each week.
In lab you will get both participation points (for showing up to your assigned lab on time and working consistently) and a quiz score for a quiz you will take at the end of each lab.
You will work with a partner in CSE 8AL. We will assign partners and partners will change from week to week. You will learn who your partner is for any given week when you arrive in lab.
All labs MUST be finished in the allotted class time and cannot be made up. As soon as you finish, you may leave lab. If you are more than 5 minutes late for your OWN lab section you will receive a zero (0) for participation score in that lab. You can still earn points for the lab quiz. If you miss your own section you may attend a different lab section IF there is space. Again, you will not receive participation points, but you may earn quiz points.
Your lowest lab score will be dropped.
All labs are held in CSE B240 (basement) You should be in one and only one 8AL section. You must go to the same lab each week.
In lab you will get both participation points (for showing up to your assigned lab on time and working consistently) and a quiz score for a quiz you will take at the end of each lab.
You will work with a partner in CSE 8AL. We will assign partners and partners will change from week to week. You will learn who your partner is for any given week when you arrive in lab.
All labs MUST be finished in the allotted class time and cannot be made up. As soon as you finish, you may leave lab. If you are more than 5 minutes late for your OWN lab section you will receive a zero (0) for participation score in that lab. You can still earn points for the lab quiz. If you miss your own section you may attend a different lab section IF there is space. Again, you will not receive participation points, but you may earn quiz points.
Your lowest lab score will be dropped.
Discussion Sections
If you would like help getting started on your PSAs, you should attend one of the 5 discussion sections per week:
Wednesdays: 2-3pm (Center Hall 216)
Wednesdays: 3-4pm, 4-5pm (Center Hall 109)
Fridays: 11am-12pm (Solis 104)
Fridays: 3pm-4pm (TBD)
These discussion sections will help you get started on your PSAs by guiding you through a careful reading of the assignment and giving you some problems to work on that will help you get started. They are run by our TAs Shari Haynes, Garrett Rodrigues and our lead tutors Vinay Venkatesh and Alberto Garcia. During these sections, they will guide you through a close reading of the PSA and give you problems to work designed to help you get started on your homework.
Discussion sections are shared across both lecture times, so you may attend any section that fits your schedule. The content in each section will be (roughly) the same so there is generally no need to attend more than one per week.
Wednesdays: 2-3pm (Center Hall 216)
Wednesdays: 3-4pm, 4-5pm (Center Hall 109)
Fridays: 11am-12pm (Solis 104)
Fridays: 3pm-4pm (TBD)
These discussion sections will help you get started on your PSAs by guiding you through a careful reading of the assignment and giving you some problems to work on that will help you get started. They are run by our TAs Shari Haynes, Garrett Rodrigues and our lead tutors Vinay Venkatesh and Alberto Garcia. During these sections, they will guide you through a close reading of the PSA and give you problems to work designed to help you get started on your homework.
Discussion sections are shared across both lecture times, so you may attend any section that fits your schedule. The content in each section will be (roughly) the same so there is generally no need to attend more than one per week.
Exams
There will be four in-term exams and one final exam. While this might seem like a lot, our goal is to give you feedback on your performance early and often and to lower the stakes (and the stress) of any single exam. In-term exams will be in class, closed book, closed notes, and very short (20-30 minutes). In-term exams will take place on the following dates:
The final exam will also be closed book and closed notes. It will be held in your assigned exam time and you must take the exam during your scheduled time:
- October 11
- October 25
- November 15
- November 29
The final exam will also be closed book and closed notes. It will be held in your assigned exam time and you must take the exam during your scheduled time:
- March 20, 11:30am-2:30pm (Gillespie)
- March 22, 8-11am (Marx)
Grading
Your final grade will be determined via the following percentages:
We will use a standard scale for assigning letter grades: 90-100 = A; 80-89.9=B, 70-79.9=C, 60-69.9=D, <60=F. Plusses and minuses will be given at the instructor’s discretion. Your grade in CSE 8A and CSE 8AL will be the same.
Important grading policies:
- Reading quizzes: 5%
- Participation points: 5%
- PSAs: 25%
- In-term exams: 20%
- Final: 25%
- Labs: 20%
We will use a standard scale for assigning letter grades: 90-100 = A; 80-89.9=B, 70-79.9=C, 60-69.9=D, <60=F. Plusses and minuses will be given at the instructor’s discretion. Your grade in CSE 8A and CSE 8AL will be the same.
Important grading policies:
- You must score at least 55% on the final exam to pass the course. If you score lower than 55% on the final, you will receive an F for the course, regardless of your overall average.
- You may not miss more than 6 class periods to pass the course. If you miss more than 6 classes, you will receive an F for the course, regardless of your overall average. Missing a class is determined by lack of your iClicker participation responses during class sessions.
- Your lowest lab score, lowest in-term exam score, and lowest three class days (including reading quiz and participation) will be dropped.
- You have one week from the time a PSA, Lab Quiz or Exam is returned to request a regrade. After that, the grade is set in stone. To request a regrade, please contact the person who graded the assignment/quiz/exam originally. If you are requesting an exam regrade, write up a note explaining the issue and submit the exam with the note stapled to the front to your instructor.
Academic Integrity
The basic rule for CSE 8A is: Work hard. Make use of the expertise of the CSE 8A staff to learn what you need to know to really do well in the course. Don't cheat.
If you do cheat, we will enforce the UCSD Policy on Integrity of Scholarship (see the General Catalog or the corresponding web page (scroll 2/3 of the way down)). This means: You will get an F in the course, and the Dean of your college will put you on probation or suspend you or dismiss you from UCSD.
What counts as cheating?
In CSE 8A, you can read books, surf the web, talk to your friends and the CSE 8A staff to get help understanding the concepts you need to know to solve your PSA problems. However, you can only work with your partner on PSAs. Furthermore, when you are working with your partner, you must be working together, co-located, on the same part of the assignment, not dividing up the work, but working jointly and each understanding what solution you have produced and how and why it works.
The goal of CSE 8A is about skills as much as it about knowledge. Future instructors, employers, and colleagues will expect that you will attain a certain proficiency in problem solving. Using unauthorized aids in doing your work will prevent you from attaining the proficiencies that others will expect. Meeting or not meeting these expectations relate directly to getting internships, retaining employment, and success in your future studies.
In CSE 8A, using program code that someone else has written (unless it was explicitly provided as part of the assignment), or providing program code to someone else, or turning in code that you have written with someone else other than your partner, is considered cheating. Yes, we do electronically check every program that is turned in.
How can I be sure that my actions are NOT considered cheating?
To ensure you don't have a problem with this, here are some suggestions (in this discussion we aren't talking about your assigned partner):
To reinforce these points, every student in CSE 8A must read, understand, and sign the Integrity of Scholarship Agreement. You must turn in an integrity statement before completing any of the assignments or labs.
If you do cheat, we will enforce the UCSD Policy on Integrity of Scholarship (see the General Catalog or the corresponding web page (scroll 2/3 of the way down)). This means: You will get an F in the course, and the Dean of your college will put you on probation or suspend you or dismiss you from UCSD.
What counts as cheating?
In CSE 8A, you can read books, surf the web, talk to your friends and the CSE 8A staff to get help understanding the concepts you need to know to solve your PSA problems. However, you can only work with your partner on PSAs. Furthermore, when you are working with your partner, you must be working together, co-located, on the same part of the assignment, not dividing up the work, but working jointly and each understanding what solution you have produced and how and why it works.
The goal of CSE 8A is about skills as much as it about knowledge. Future instructors, employers, and colleagues will expect that you will attain a certain proficiency in problem solving. Using unauthorized aids in doing your work will prevent you from attaining the proficiencies that others will expect. Meeting or not meeting these expectations relate directly to getting internships, retaining employment, and success in your future studies.
In CSE 8A, using program code that someone else has written (unless it was explicitly provided as part of the assignment), or providing program code to someone else, or turning in code that you have written with someone else other than your partner, is considered cheating. Yes, we do electronically check every program that is turned in.
How can I be sure that my actions are NOT considered cheating?
To ensure you don't have a problem with this, here are some suggestions (in this discussion we aren't talking about your assigned partner):
- Don't even look at or discuss another student's code for a PSA you are working on, and don't let another student look at your code.
- Don't start with someone else's code and make changes to it, or in any way share code with other students.
- If you are talking to another student about the assignment, don't take notes, and wait an hour afterward before you write any code.
To reinforce these points, every student in CSE 8A must read, understand, and sign the Integrity of Scholarship Agreement. You must turn in an integrity statement before completing any of the assignments or labs.
Getting Help
We expect that ALL STUDENTS WILL NEED HELP at some point in this course. If you find yourself needing help, this is not cause for embarrassment. It is completely expected. Please seek help early and often through any (or all) of the following resources.
Your partner and peer instruction group:
Most components in this course are done in groups. Your assignment partner or peer instructor group provide a nice first line of help when you get stuck. You will quickly learn how much you can figure out working together!
Open lab hours:
There are many, many hours in which tutors are willing and available to help you with any questions you might have. See the tutoring schedule on the course website. CSE 8A open tutor hours are held in CSE B250, one lab over from where you have your CSE 8AL lab.
Piazza:
Use the Piazza site for any questions related to the homeworks, material in the course or course logistics. Piazza allows you to post questions anonymously (to other students) if you don’t feel comfortable revealing your name. In general all questions should be addressed to Piazza EXCEPT:
Office hours:
Your instructor is always willing to help you during her or his office hours. If you cannot make it to your instructor’s office hours but wish to meet with your instructor, please send her or him email to set up an appointment.
Your partner and peer instruction group:
Most components in this course are done in groups. Your assignment partner or peer instructor group provide a nice first line of help when you get stuck. You will quickly learn how much you can figure out working together!
Open lab hours:
There are many, many hours in which tutors are willing and available to help you with any questions you might have. See the tutoring schedule on the course website. CSE 8A open tutor hours are held in CSE B250, one lab over from where you have your CSE 8AL lab.
Piazza:
Use the Piazza site for any questions related to the homeworks, material in the course or course logistics. Piazza allows you to post questions anonymously (to other students) if you don’t feel comfortable revealing your name. In general all questions should be addressed to Piazza EXCEPT:
- Confidential questions that you wish to address to your instructor only. Please email your instructor directly.
- Questions about your grade. Please contact the person who graded your assignment directly.
- Posts that include portions of your PSA solution. Please come see a tutor in lab.
Office hours:
Your instructor is always willing to help you during her or his office hours. If you cannot make it to your instructor’s office hours but wish to meet with your instructor, please send her or him email to set up an appointment.