CompSci 100e, Spring 2011, Prof. Rodger
Syllabus

Professor: Susan Rodger

  • Office: LSRC D237
  • Office Hours: Tue: 1:15-2:30pm, Wed 1-2:30, and sometimes Mon afternoons and
    Friday mornings. (You can also come by anytime for a quick question,
    I'm usually in Mon-Fri til 2:30, sometimes later on Mondays and Thursdays.)
  • Email:

  • Phone: 660-6595

Professor: Jeff Forbes

Professor Forbes is teaching the other section of CompSci 100E.
  • Office: LSRC D235
  • Email: forbes@cs.duke.edu

Graduate TA: Bala Chandrasekaran

Bala will be teaching the lab sections for Prof. Rodger's class.
  • Office: North 007
  • Office Hours: Wed. 4-6pm in his office, North 007
  • Email: balac AT cs.duke.edu
  • Phone: 660-4007

Graduate TA: Jannie Tan

Jannie will be teaching the lab section for Prof. Forbe's class.
  • Office: North 005
  • Office Hours: Thursdays 3-5pm
  • Email: jytan AT cs.duke.edu
  • Phone: 660-4005

Undergraduate TAs

Course Meeting Time

  • LECTURE: Tuesday and Thursday: Old Chem 116, 10:05am-11:20am

Text

Reading

In general you should read the text in order to be prepared to ask and answer questions in class. If you've looked at material before it's discussed in class you'll get much more out of the class discussion. This is especially true once class has been going for a while.

Web page

Many of the materials for this course (including this page) are available on http://www.cs.duke.edu/courses/spring11/cps100e/rodger/

Bulletin Board

You should regularly read the bulletin board as it may contain announcements, hints, and information relevant to this class.

Classwork

Class attendence is required. We will work on some problem solving and have some discussions during class.

Computing projects

All computing projects will use Java 5 or 6, the Eclipse environment and Ambient for submitting. See Resources for installing these.

Collaboration Policy

Collaboration in CompSci Courses

INCLUDE README file in all computing projects

Failure to provide this file with this information will result in rejection of the assignment as complete. You may be able to resubmit.

LATE POLICY on Programming Assignments

Assignments turned in on time receive no penalty. Assignments turned in by the Monday after they're due incur a 10% penalty (that is Monday midnight). Assignments turned in after that will get at most 50% of the credit for that assignment and will not be accepted after two weeks from the due date. The steep penalty increase is because you'll get behind on the next assignment if you're late on the previous assignment (hopefully you get the idea).

Programming assignments will be due on different days of the week.; So sometimes you'll have more late days for some assignments than than other assignments. But regardless, Monday is the deadline after which most credit disappears.

If you're having trouble, be sure to see a UTA/TA and preferably the professor in charge of the course as far before the due date as possible. Don't give up, ask for help. Don't give up, ask for help. Don't give up, ask for help.

Individual extensions will be granted for medical reasons (see the Short-term Illness Notification policy) or other circumstances beyond your control that must be presented with an official Dean's excuse. We do not grant extensions after an assignment is due.

If you have personal reasons to ask for an extension, and you do so at least a week in advance, it's possible to get one, so please ask.

You cannot make up an in-class or recitation assignment. We will provide opportunities to earn "extra" points on in-class work so that if you miss a small number of these your grade won't be affected. However, frequent absences from class will affect the portion of your grade based on quizzes and in-class work.

Points on assignments will vary. Harder assignments will be worth more than previous assignments, and most assignments will get harder as the semester progresses (harder means takes more time, requires more thought).

APTs

APTs are Algorithmic Problem-solving/Programming Testing problems and programs. You'll be given a description of a problem and asked to write code to solve it -- testing the code online and when you're happy with the code submitting it for grading. We don't look at the source code when grading, we run it and test it. However, you should strive to make your code small and beautiful. APTs will typically be due on Tuesdays or Thursdays. We will not accept late APT programs this semester. Keeping up with APTs ensures you understand the topics we're discussing in class. You'll have many chances to do extra APTs, thus being able to make up for missed submissions.

Collaboration

Unless otherwise stated, computing projects should be your own work. You may consult with one or two other students (and as many times as you want with TA's and Prof. Rodger). Consult means you can discuss the project before writing it, and get help with debugging your project, but you should write your own code. Writing one world and making multiple copies of it is not acceptable! For each assignment you are expected to include a list of the people with whom you have consulted (including students, TA's, tutors, professors). Finally, you may not consult with the same CompSci 100 students on two consecutive assignments.

Tests must be your own work.

Grading

Grading is done on an absolute, but adjustable scale. This means that there is no curve. Anyone earning 90% or more of the total number of points available will receive a grade in the A range (A- to A+); 80% = B, 70% = C, 60% = D. This scale may go down, but it will not go up.

To receive a grade of A or A+ you must exceed expectations. This means you must do everything required extraordinarily well or you must do more than is required and do this well. In other words, to earn an A you must do more than merely meet the requirements, you must go beyond them.

In order to earn an A+ you must do SOME of the optional assignments and exceed expectations in general.

Labs/classwork/participation 10%
APTs 12%
assignments 30%
two exams 26%
final exam 22%

A student needs to do all the required APTs to be considered for an A. A few extras for A+.

There will be two exams, and a final exam. Exams will be closed books, but you will be allowed to bring 2 sheets of paper with notes on them. Do not plan to leave town before the final exam date which is Wednesday, May 4 from 7-10pm!