Roddy 142
872-3536
[ Attendance | Sharing | Plagiarism | Deadlines | Exams | Special Needs ]
Dr. Blaise W. Liffick
Roddy 142
872-3536
Building Java Programs. Reges and Stepp. Addison Wesley. 2008. ISBN 0-321-38283-8.
There are several goals for this course. First, you will learn how to develop algorithms to solve several types of problems. Second, you will learn to express these solutions in the Java programming language. This will all be done through writing many programs, which are an essential part of this course. This course is introductory, i.e. it assumes you have no knowledge of programming. However, it does assume some rudimentary knowledge of how to use computers, e.g. for word processing. (If this is not the case, you should seek out the department's tutors IMMEDIATELY!) Each assignment assumes you understand all prior material covered in previous labs and homeworks. If you missed something, get help. Don't fall behind on programming assignments, and keep up with the reading!
There is one other element that you will need to have a solid understanding of in order to succeed in this course (and in future CS courses), what is typically referred to as the "computing environment." For this course, that means learning to use the Linux operating system and the Eclipse IDE programming system. Your ability to master these systems is just as important as learning the programming skills covered in the course.
3 Exams @ 25%
Labs and Assignments 25%
I use a 100 point scale, with 93%=A, 90%= A-, 87%=B+, 83%= B, etc. You
must complete all exams, labs, and assignments in order to pass the course.
All students are expected to regularly attend classes, be prepared for class by doing the assigned readings, and having completed any assignments. Only previously approved and university recognized absences are excusable. Excessive (>3) unexcused absences may result in your course grade being lowered one letter grade. Contact me prior to any absence (if possible) in order to obtain clearance. The university attendance policy is given at http://muweb.millersv.edu/~register/attendance.html
It is the premise in this course that students learn three different ways: (1) by attentive listening during lectures; (2) by doing things themselves; and (3) by sharing information and ideas with other students. This last item is important to the learning process, but it cannot be allowed to overshadow the importance of the other two items. Students are encouraged to share ideas and to discuss common problems. Much of this course is founded on the principal of cooperative learning, meaning that you will learn from each other, generally in a team format. You are expected to be responsible to your teammates and shoulder your fair portion of the work load. This will be enforced in two ways: (1) team members will evaluate each other's efforts with each project, and (2) students who shirk their responsibility to the team will be removed from the team and given no credit for the team's work.
However, the preceding policy should not in any way be taken as
approval of the act of plagiarism. Plagiarism shall be treated as the serious
offence that it is. Acts of plagiarism shall be dealt with as severely as
is permissable by university policy, including possible failure in the course.
Multiple acts of plagiarism may result in expulsion from the university.
Plagiarism shall be regarded as any copying, in whole or in part, of material
from any source, without explicit credit to the source. In addition, any
copying from another student's assignments, past or present, shall be treated
as plagiarism. All students involved in an act of plagiarism shall be treated
the same as concerns this policy, including any student who knowingly allows
his or her work to be copied.
Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period on the assigned due date, unless otherwise specified. No late assignments will be accepted. If your assignment is incomplete, turn it in for possible partial credit. Programs must cleanly compile for any credit. Developing your program incrementally will assure that you always have something for which you can receive some credit.
There are no make-up exams - if you miss a test, you will receive a zero. Exceptions may be made at my discretion for reasons of illness (as in "on your deathbed") or university excused absences.
Anyone requiring special accomodations should contact me as soon as possible, before any exams or assignments are due.