| INSTRUCTOR: | Lab TA / Grader: | |
| Name: | Cory Strope | Zach Blomme |
| Office Hours: |
TR 1:45 - 2:45 W 12:30 - 1:30 Student Resource Center (AVH Rm. 13A) |
M 1:30 - 2:30 T 11:00 - 12:00 Student Resource Center (AVH Em. 13A) |
| Email: | cstrope AT cse.unl.edu | zblomme AT cse.unl.edu |
PREREQUISITES:
Familiarity with high school algebra & keyboarding.
Exposure to microcomputer (PC) use and application.
TIME: 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm TR
Credits: 3
CLASSROOM: Avery Hall 115
TEXTBOOK:
Required:
Computer Science, an Overview, 9th edition,
by J. Glenn Brookshear. Addison Wesley, 2006,
ISBN 0-321-38701-5
HONORS CONTRACT: If you plan to contract this course as an honors course please contact me within the first three weeks of classes. In general, honors students will be assigned some extra homework. In addition, a final project/report is required and will be due on the last class of dead week. Other alternative assignments might be considered depending on your skills and background.
"Basics of Computing" is a course suitable for potential computer science majors, as well as interested non-majors.
The objective of this course is to expose students to the breadth of topics in the computer science field, covering digital logic, computer organization, operating systems, algorithms, programming languages, databases, networks, automata, and more. These topics provide a glimpse of what a computer science major will master, and provide non-majors a practical understanding of the computer science field. Note that this course is not an introduction to using the Internet or popular software packages (such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.)
Note: Credit in CSCE 101 will not count towards a major or minor in Computer Science or Computer Engineering.
There will be 5 homework assignments, each is due at the beginning of class on the due date. Do not walk in after class and try to turn in a homework assignment (it will be considered late). Late homework submissions will be accepted, but a 20% penalty is assessed to the homework each non-weekend/non-vacation day it is late. Note that if a homework is turned in after class, it is considered 1 day late. If you have a valid excues for a late submission (e.g. illness), fill out the missed assignment form and contact me as soon as possible.
You may not consult each other for assistance on the homework unless otherwise specified. If you are unsure about the homework consult either Zach Blomme or myself. Copied materials from any source (including internet web pages) will be considered a case of plagiarism and will be reported to Student judicial affairs. In addition, no credit will be given to any of the parties involved. It is your responsibility to fully protect your work. I strongly recommend you refer to the CSCE Department's Policy on Academic Integrity if you are unsure.
Write as clearly and concisely as possible. If I cannot understand what you wrote due to poor writing, etc., then I cannot award full credit, even if your answers are correct. Thus I recommend that you ask someone (e.g. a friend or someone from the English Department, but not a student in this class) to proofread your write-ups before you submit them, to check for clarity, typographical errors, etc. If English is not your native language, then I strongly recommend this!
You must show all steps of your work for full credit. Do not simply write final answers for a problem if it involves intermediate steps. In most cases, you will show your work in the same manner that you would for a math class. Writing a short essay describing how you solved the problem is unnecessary.
The only way to submit your homework is in class at the beginning of the class when it is due. Please do not send your homework or essay through email or place it in my mailbox unless you have discussed this with me.
The course grader reserves the right to reject any homework that is deemed to be in an inappropriate format (e.g. not stapled, unreadable, unclean!). In such cases you will be asked to redo/update your homework. In addition, the homework will be considered late, and all late homework policies will apply as described above.
EXAMSThere will be 2 midterm exams and a final exam in this course. The first midterm exam will be given during the fifth week, the second midterm exam during the tenth, and the final exam will be on May 4, 10:00 am - 12:00 noon. There will be NO makeup exams given unless there are extraordinary circumstances. In case you think there are extraordinary circumstances fill out the missed assignment form and contact me immediately.
QUIZZESThere will 5 quizzes, given regularly throughout the semester.
GRADING| Homeworks: 30% | Midterm Exam I: 15% | Midterm Exam II: 15% | Final Exam: 20% | Quizzes: 20% |
| 90% = A | 80-89% = B | 70-79% = C | 60-69% = D | 59% = F |
You will receive a "+" with your grade if the last digit of your score is a 7 or higher, and a "-" if the last digit is a 3 or lower. I may scale up from this base scale if necessary.
If you have any concerns regarding your grade speak to the instructor during office hours or make an appointment by email. Grades are considered final 5 school days after being returned. Please check your grade on Blackboard frequently to make sure our records are consistent with yours. The grades on Blackboard are the ones used to calculate your final grade, so make sure they are correct. Keep assignments that are returned to you so that you have proof in case of a conflict.
Academic dishonesty of any kind will be dealt with in a manner consistent with the CSCE Department's Policy on Academic Integrity . You are expected to know and abide by this policy.
Exams and quizzes are designed to test your understanding of the course material. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to fully understand the concepts presented in the homework assignments. Academic dishonesty will be apparent through your performance on exams and quizzes.