Class Sessions: Tuesday/Thursdays 3:10 pm - 4:40 pm

Class Location: 14 E. Jackson Blvd, Room 512

Instructor: Jennifer Roscoe

Lab Sessions:  Monday 11:50 am - 1:20 pm

Lab Location:14 E. Jackson Blvd, room 512

Lab instructor: Alan Kotlyar

Instructor Contact Information

jroscoe2@depaul.edu 

Email is the best way to reach me and I will respond within 48 hours.

Instructor Office Hours

Monday 2:15 pm - 3:00 pm Via Zoom Link Password: 996337

*Link will be available on our course site if DePaul is in Session that day

*January 15 tentatively rescheduled for January 18, 4:40 pm - 5:25 pm In Person

Tuesday 4:40 pm - 5:25 pm In Person After Class, Location Room 512*

*If another class is present, we will relocate to an available room as needed

Please make use of my office hours and the lab instructor.  Asking questions about the assessments, course notes and examples, or the readings can improve your understanding enormously.  It will also let me know if I need to review a topic with the class. If you want to talk to me during my office hours but are unable to do so for any reason, please contact me and I will do my best to make an appointment outside of those hours.

Course Description

An intermediate course in problem solving, algorithms and programming. Programming skills are further strengthened through more complex and larger programming assignments. The assignments will also be used to introduce different Computer Science areas (e.g. a Client/Server application for the Distributed Systems area). Classes and object oriented programming are motivated and introduced.

Prerequisites

You must have taken CSC 241: Introduction to Computer Science II or an equivalent course that introduces problem-solving techniques and programming in Python and earned a passing grade (C- or better). I will also assume that:

• You know how to create, debug, compile, and run Python, and you use a reasonable coding style (i.e., your code is easy to read and relatively concise)
• You know Python's basic control structures and types
• You can solve basic computing problems

Do not doubt your ability to be successful in this course, you are ready and capable.

Tips for Success in the Course

In order to do well in this class, you must participate in the class sessions regularly, complete all of the labs on time, complete class activities, read the chapters in the book as indicated in the homework assignment, start work on the assignments early, submit the assignments on time, and ask questions early and often.  The answers to the programming assignments, the lab exercises, and the exam questions should be written in a way that is rigorous, clear, and concise.

Course Materials

This course uses several platforms to enable our interactions:

• All information for this course is posted to the Desire 2 Learn (D2L) site. To log onto the D2L page visit https://d2l.depaul.edu/.

• Course notes, programming assignments, lab assignments, exam study guides, the midterm and final exam, and other course materials will be available through the D2L site.
• There will also be links to course recordings which are useful for review.

• Additional informational videos will be recorded using Panopto, which is connected to D2L. The recordings will be posted to the Content tab on D2L.

Textbook

The required textbook for the course is Introduction to Computing using Python: An Application Development Focus, Second Edition, Ljubomir Perković, John Wiley & Sons, 2015. Make sure you have the electronic version of the text since it contains case studies that we will be using. The electronic text has ISBN 978-1-118-89105-6. You can buy the ebook directly from the publisher if you like: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Introduction+to+Computing+Using+Python%3A+An+Application+Development+Focus%2C+2nd+Edition-p-9781119159612

Course Topics and Learning Goals

This course is the second of a two-course sequence introducing computer science skills, including problem solving, algorithm development, recursion, and programming using Python. The concept of a class and object-oriented programming will be motivated and introduced. We will then apply these skills in the area of Internet and distributed computing.

After you have taken this class:

• You will strengthen your Python programming skills.
• You will know how to design classes and understand the fundamental principles of object-oriented programming.
• You will be able to formulate class invariants and enforce those invariants in the design of classes.
• You will be able to design effective tests for methods and classes.
• You will be able to apply recursion as a problem-solving and programming technique.
• You will be able to write simple Internet client programs.

Course Calendar

The following gives all the important dates for this course.  The topics covered are subject to change.

Grading policy

Course assessments include lab exercises, programming assignments,  a midterm and a final exam. The course grade will be computed as follows:

An incomplete grade is given only for an exceptional reason such as a death in the family, a serious illness, etc. Any such reason must be documented. Any incomplete request must be made at least two weeks before the final, and approved by the Dean of the College of Computing and Digital Media. Any consequences resulting from a poor grade for the course will not be considered as valid reasons for such a request.

Late Work Policy: Programming Assignments, Lab Exercises, Midterms and Exams

Each programming assignment and lab exercise will have a posted deadline, specified on the assignment. Assignments submitted by the deadline will be graded for full credit. Assignments or labs submitted no later than 12 hours after the deadline automatically will lose 15% of the points. No assignments are accepted more than 12 hours after the deadline for any reason, including submission of the wrong file.

No late midterms or exam submissions will be accepted for any reason. Make-up exams will not be given. If you wish to petition for a make-up exam, you must notify via email in advance and provide documented evidence of the emergency that will cause you to miss the exam. Failure to contact me in advance of the exam date and time will disqualify you from being allowed to take a make-up exam. If a make-up exam is granted, it will be of a form of my choosing.

Programming Assignments

Each week you will have a programming assignment. You can consult with your homework partners, the teaching assistant, the instructor, and the CDM tutors on the programming assignments, but you may not under any circumstances submit code that you have not helped to write or work written using the assistance of an AI tool. Your lowest programming assignment score will be dropped in the calculation of your course grade.

Lab Exercises

Unless otherwise noted on our schedule, you will have lab exercises available every Monday at 11:50 am that are due at 11:59 pm that same evening. You are highly encouraged to attend the scheduled lab session. Any lab sessions that implement a DePaul approved lab study will be mandatory to attend in person, these dates will be announced at least a week in advance if applicable to the current quarter. If available, you can also log into a Zoom help session conducted by the TA. You can find the link for the Zoom lab sessions in the course calendar on D2L.

The two lowest lab scores will be dropped in the calculation of your course grade.

Lab Grading Rubric

Each lab session is worth 5 points. To receive full points for the lab exercises, you must submit a file containing a solution to all exercises on the lab assignment by the deadline specified in the exercise set.  A general rubric for each area is given below:

Midterm and Final Exams

The midterm and final exams will be cumulative. The midterm exam will take place on February 8, 2024, and the final exam will take place on March 19, 2024. The exams will take place in a lab. Both exams will require you to write Python code. The details about how the exams will be given will be shared later in the quarter on the midterm and final exam study guides which will be posted to D2L.

Academic Integrity Pledge

All students will be required to sign and submit an Academic Integrity pledge at the start of the quarter. The Academic Integrity pledge will be posted on the D2L site. The pledge must be signed and submitted as a part of the first programming assignment. Students who violate this agreement are violating the Academic Integrity policy of DePaul University. http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/.

Academic Integrity Policy

The course adheres to the DePaul University's Academic Integrity Policy.  For complete information about Academic Integrity at DePaul University, please see: http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/.

Violation of academic Integrity includes, but is not limited to: copying from another student, presentation of the work of another as one's own and work written using the assistance of an AI tool. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy.  Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.

A charge of cheating and/or plagiarism is always a serious matter.  It can result in an automatic F in the course and possible expulsion.

Online Course Evaluations

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student's identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation.        

Additional DePaul Policies and Assistance Programs

Mental health and Academic Assistance

Balancing the hard work of achieving your educational goals with the other demands of life is difficult at the best of times. For many of us, for a variety of reasons, things are more difficult now. I want to make sure you feel comfortable reaching out to me for support. The university also has great resources just a phone call or email away. These have been created and maintained for you, so use them:

• DePaul University Counseling Services: Mental health is as important as physical health, and there are professionals a phone call away: (773) 325-7779 or 911 for emergency situations. You can find more information here: https://offices.depaul.edu/student-affairs/about/departments/Pages/ucs.aspx
• The DePaul Dean of Students can help you with a wide range of topics, including figuring out if you should withdraw or apply for an incomplete: https://offices.depaul.edu/student-affairs/about/departments/Pages/dos.aspx
• There are a lot of additional, more specific resources listed with the Office of Student Affairs, including crisis hotlines and sexual assault resources: https://offices.depaul.edu/student-affairs/support-services/counseling/Pages/Crisis-Hotlines.aspx

Respect for Diversity and Inclusion at DePaul University as aligned with our Vincentian Values                                                
At DePaul, our mission calls us to explore “what must be done” in order to respect the inherent dignity and identity of each human person. We value diversity because it is part of our history, our traditions and our future. We see diversity as an asset and a strength that adds to the richness of classroom learning. In my course, I strive to include diverse authors, perspectives and teaching pedagogies. I also encourage open dialogue and spaces for students to express their unique identities and perspectives. I am open to having difficult conversations and I will strive to create an inclusive classroom that values all perspectives. If at any time, the classroom experience does not live up to this expectation, please feel free to contact me via email or during office hours.
                 

Preferred Name & Gender Pronouns                                

Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the quarter so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. Please also note that students may choose to identify within the University community with a preferred first name that differs from their legal name and may also update their gender. The preferred first name will appear in University related systems and documents except where the use of the legal name is necessitated or required by University business or legal need. For more information and instructions on how to do so, please see the Student Preferred Name and Gender Policy at http://policies.depaul.edu/policy/policy.aspx?pid=332

Students with Disabilities                                        

Students seeking disability-related accommodations are required to register with DePaul’s Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) enabling them to access accommodations and support services to assist with their success. There are two office locations:

Loop Campus (312) 362-8002
Lincoln Park Campus (773) 325-1677                                                         
Email: csd@depaul.edu
                                                        
Students who register with the Center for Students with Disabilities are also invited to contact Dr. Gregory Moorhead, Director of the Center, privately to discuss how he may assist in facilitating the accommodations to be used in a course. This is best done early in the term. The conversation will remain confidential to the extent possible.

Please see https://offices.depaul.edu/student-affairs/about/departments/Pages/csd.aspx for Services and Contact Information.

Changes to Syllabus                                        
This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.