CS 103 - Introduction to Computing

This course is an introduction to some of the major ideas in Computing. We will get an overview of the field through readings and explore computing through spreadsheets and the design of simple web pages.

The required text covers computer literacy and covers several popular applications. While I expect you to become comfortable with several applications, this is not the essence of this course, any more than pencil sharpening is the point of a Mathematics course.

Required Text

Course Goals

Computers are a powerful tool. To use most tools effectively, you must learn how they work and understand the limitations of the tool. The course will cover the following

Basics of Computer Systems

We will discuss Hardware and Software, and define terms such as RAM, ROM, CPU, ALU, Operating Systems, Applications, Documents, etc.

Algorithms

An Algorithm is a finite set of well defined instructions for accomplishing a task. The steps must be clear enough and simple enough that a computer can execute them. We will study illustrative algorithms, and you will use the spreadsheet Excel to write some algorithms. We will see that there are limits to what can be computed with an Algorithm, as well as limits on the number of steps required to solve some problems. Together, these provide limitations on what we can expect to do with computers.

Applications

We will study several Computer Applications, such as the spreadsheet Excel, the presentation system PowerPoint, and the Database Management System Access. Spreadsheets are used to perform repetitive computations on table of information. Presentation systems are designed to allow the display of text and graphics. Database Management systems are design to organize large sets of data, and to allow users to search and sort the data.

Computer Languages

Computer programmers use special languages to write computer applications such as Excel. The programs they write are cryptic enough that they are called code. To get a better understanding of what can and cannot be done with computers, we will study HTML, a language that is used to write web pages, such as this one.
To see what the HTML for this page looks like, look for the option in your browser that lets you view the source to a page.

Data Representation

We will examine in some detail how computers store integers (whole numbers) and real numbers (numbers such as 1/2 or sqrt(2)). We will look at how computer store text, and how computers store documents that combine a variety of forms.

Assignments

You will be asked to produce some documents using the applications we will be studying. You will find that the required text and the CD that comes with it will be helpful in figuring out advanced features of each application. One focus of these assignments will be producing integrated reports, importing charts from Excel and images from a camera into presentations and papers.

Expectations

You will be expected to have some familiarity with computers. You should be comfortable surfing the web and reading you e-mail. This is not a course for Computer Science Majors, and you will not be expected to learn general computer programming.

I will cover material in lecture that is not covered in the text. Some of my class notes may be available on the course web site, but it will be your responsibility to find out what was covered in classes you miss.

I will not read my e-mail, IM my friends, or enable my cell phone in class. I expect you to do the same.

There will be frequent assignments. I will try to keep them short and to avoid meaningless work. Many of the assignments will require thought. You will be expected to read the assignment as soon as it becomes available and to start work promptly. I want to discuss solutions when the problems are due, so it will not be possible to accept late homework other than in extraordinary circumstances.

Academic Honesty

Here is what the college has to say about academic honesty.

Academic misconduct includes all forms of cheating, lying and plagiarism; it includes the providing or receiving of assistance in a manner not authorized by the professor in material to be submitted for academic evaluation, or presenting as one's own the words or ideas of another person or persons for academic evaluation without proper acknowledgment. The sanctions imposed for academic misconduct are determined and applied by the instructor and/or other members of the academic community. These sanctions include those that fall within the instructor's responsibility; the instructor may take no action, may give a failing grade for the assignment in question, determine that no credit will be received for the course, or give a failing grade for the course affected. Furthermore, in cases of severe academic misconduct, the instructor, after discussion with the department chair and the Dean, may recommend to the Academic Vice President that the student be suspended or dismissed from the college. (Catalogue, p.23)

You will be encouraged to discuss the course with others in the class, and to assist them answering questions about applications. However, I expect that all work you submit is your own.

If you have any questions about these expectations, please see me.

Grading Algorithm

Grades will be based on the following:
Hourly exams:  Two 50 minute exams scheduled during the semester.
Final Exam:  A comprehensive final exam, during final exam period, with extra emphasis on the last third of the course.  The final will count as much as 2 hourly exams.  Exam Questions will be based on the lectures, the text and the lab assignments.  In general, there will be 3 types:
 1) Identifications (Two or three sentences which define a term, give an example,  differentiate it from others, etc.),
 2) Essays   (e.g. What are the major parts of a computer system?)
 3) Problems (e.g. Design a small spreadsheet to compute GPAs). These will take a variety of forms