Description

CS163: Java (CS1) No Prior Programming

Computer programming in Java for students without previous programming experience. Topics include variables, assignment, expressions, operators, booleans, conditionals, characters and strings, control loops, arrays, objects and classes, file input/output, interfaces, recursion, lists, and sorting.

CS164: Java (CS1) Prior Programming

Computer programming in Java for students with previous programming experience, not necessarily in Java. Topics include variables, assignment, expressions, operators, booleans, conditionals, characters and strings, control loops, arrays, objects and classes, file input/output, interfaces, recursion, lists, and sorting.

Personnel

CS163 (Section 001)

Lecture: 12:00-12:50pm, MWF, Scott Bioengineering 101

CS163 (Section 002)

Lecture: 4:00-4:50pm, MWF, Clark A 201

Instructor

Instructor: Benjamin Say
Email:

Office Location: COMSC 256

Office Hours:

MF 1:30pm-2:30pm COMSC 256

W After ACM COMSC 130

Other times by appointment

Graduate Teaching Assistants

Rachel Hirsch
Office Hours:
T/R 11am-1pm COMSC 120
F 1pm-2pm COMSC 120
SUN 4pm-6pm COMSC 120
Email:

Akash Shrestha
Office Hours: By Appointment
Email:

Saptashwa Mitra
Office Hours: By Appointment
Email:


Undergraduate Teaching Assistants

Paul Bivrell (lead)
Office Hours: By Appointment
Email:

David Im (lead)
Office Hours: TBA (CSB120)
Email:

Riley Clark
Yao Shi
Tom Stroup
MingFeng "Ken" Wang
Sabrina White

Prerequisites

MATH 124 (Logarithmic and Exponential Functions) with a C or better

Textbook

Java Programming (Required):

Introduction to Java Programming (Comprehensive Edition), Daniel Liang (10th edition)

This course uses a digital ereader to access the Liang book. The license to the ereader is available to you automagically.

Zyante (Required):

We are using an online tutorial from Zyante to supplement the Liang textbook. You must purchase the tutorial directly from Zyante (not the bookstore), and the cost is $48. Instructions for registering with Zyante are as follows:
  1. Sign up at zyBooks.com
  2. Enter zyBook code: COLOSTATECS163WakefieldFall2017
  3. Click Subscribe
Once you have registered you can sign in to the book by browsing to www.zybooks.com. Please register in time to complete the first assignment.


iClickers (Required):

You are required to purchase an iClicker remote for in-class participation. iClicker is a response system that allows you to respond to questions we pose during class, and you will be graded on that feedback and participation. In order to receive this credit, you will need to register your iClicker remote on Canvas by classtime, August 23, 2017. See the instructions for registering your iClicker on the resources tab.

Piazza (Optional):

This term we will be using Piazza for class discussion. The system is highly catered to getting you help fast and efficiently from classmates, teaching assistants, and the instructor. Rather than emailing questions to the teaching staff, I encourage you to post your questions on Piazza. If you have any problems or feedback for the developers, email team@piazza.com. Piazza will be accessed via the Module tab on Canvas.

Piazza does not cost anything to students or the department. It allows students to post questions and get answers about the following topics:
  • Java Programming
  • Linux Operating System
  • Eclipse Development Tools
  • Programming Assignments
We expect to post clarifications about assignments as well as answering questions relating to assignments. Also, we plan on handling regrade requests, look for an announcement on rules for posting these to Piazza. Please use the existing topics we have created, do not create new ones. There are a number of things that we prohibit on Piazza, as follows:
  • Please do not post any of your assignment code on Piazza.
  • No profanity, sexism, racism, or anything in bad taste, of course!

CS163 Schedule

What Days Time Instructor Helper Where
Lecture (Sect. 001/301) M W F 12:00pm - 12:50pm Benjamin Say Rachel Hirsch Scott Bioengineering 101
Lecture (Sect. 002) M W F 4:00pm - 4:50pm Benjamin Say Akash Shrestha Clark A 201
Lab (L01)  T R  8:00am - 8:50am Paul Bivrell MingFeng "Ken" Wang COMSC 215
Lab (L02/LN2)  T R  12:00pm - 12:50pm Saptashwa Mitra Yao Shi COMSC 215
Lab (L03)  T R  2:00pm - 2:50pm Rachel Hirsch David Im COMSC 215
Lab (L04)  T R  3:00pm - 3:50pm Rachel Hirsch Tom Stroup COMSC 215
Lab (L05)  T R  9:00am - 9:50am Paul Bivrell Riley Clark COMSC 215
Lab (L06)  T R  10:00am - 10:50am Akash Shrestha Riley Clark COMSC 215
Lab (L07)   W F 3:00pm - 3:50pm Rachel Hirsch MingFeng "Ken" Wang COMSC 215
Lab (L08)   W F 9:00am - 9:50am Akash Shrestha Sabrina White COMSC 215
Lab (L09)  T R  1:00pm - 1:50pm Akash Shrestha Yao Shi COMSC 215

Help Desk

The help desk is a breakout room on the north side of the COMSC 120 lab. Throughout the day there are lab operators in COMSC 120 that can provide limited help, but during the hours posted below a teaching assistant from this class is available to help students. The COMSC 120 lab is open 24/7.

Help Desk Hours TBA
Days Time Where
Sun. 4:00pm- 8:00pm COMSC 120
Mon. 10:00am- 6:00pm COMSC 120
Tue. 10:00am- 6:00pm COMSC 120
Wed. 10:00am- 6:00pm COMSC 120
Thu. 10:00am- 6:00pm COMSC 120
Fri. 10:00am- 4:00pm COMSC 120

Grading

The course requires demonstration of a student’s grasp of the concepts on evaluations. Here is the grading scheme:

Activity Weight Description
Assignments 10% Java Assignments
Quizzes 10% IClicker Responses and ZyBooks
Labs 10% Lab Attendance and Completion
Programming Quizzes 10% In-Lab Programming Quizzes
Midterm 1 15% First Midterm
Midterm 2 15% Second Midterm
Midterm 3 15% Third Midterm
Final Exam 15% Comprehensive Exam

Teaching assistants grade assignments, labs, and quizzes. If you believe you have been graded unfairly, talk with the help desk (assignments) or your teaching assistant (labs) first. If you cannot visit help desk, please post to the grade complaints topic on Piazza. Grade complaints will be considered only for two weeks immediately following when the assignment grade appears on Canvas!
  • Assignments will be done individually. As required by the department, we will check for collaboration using a software tool, so do your own work!
  • Lab participation is strongly encouraged. A portion of the class grade comes from successfully finishing the assigned lab work, and our previous students have indicated that labs are the best part of this class.
  • Programming Quizzes will be taken during lab hours with no additional aids. They are used to test your understanding of Java topics.
  • Peer Instruction sessions are held during lectures and require you to bring an iClicker. These sessions can occur at anytime during a lecture, be sure to have your iClicker with you.
    There will not be any paper quizzes during lectures.
The assignment of letter grades will be made as follows:

Letter Grade Points
A ≥90%
B ≥80%
C ≥70%
D ≥60%
F <60%

We will not assign lower grades than shown. However, your average score on exams must be ≥60% to receive a passing grade (C) in this course.

Early Performance Feedback

This course participates in Early Performance Feedback. This gives students an opportunity to identify if they might need to make changes in how they are approaching the course before the drop date. Students with a course average less than 70% after the first exam will receive information from the campus Collaborative for Student Achievement office about resources to help them get a passing grade in the course. The instructor and TAs are also available to talk with any student concerned if they will get a passing grade in the course. Just ask!

Important Dates

Date Description Location
First day of classes Aug 21 Normal Classroom
Deadline to add without override Aug 27 N/A
Last day to drop Sept 6 N/A
First midterm Sept 15, 7a-4p CSB 110
Second midterm Oct 13, 8a-4p CSB 110
Last day to withdraw Oct 16 N/A
Third midterm Nov 10, 8a-4p CSB 110
Early Final (Optional, take instead of during finals week!) Tentative Dec 8, 8am-4pm TBA
Final Exam (Section 001/301) Dec 13, 4:10pm - 6:10pm CSB 110 and 120
Final Exam (Section 002) Dec 11, 4:10pm - 6:10pm CSB 110 and 120

Midterms will be held in the CS110 lab. Timeslot sign up will be done through Canvas. Information on how to sign up for a time will be made available in class closer to exam time. There will be no class on the exam days.
The final exam will be in the Computer Science Building in the 110 and 120 labs. The final exam is comprehensive.

In-Class Participation

All students taking this course are expected to participate actively. This includes asking and responding to questions. Students are also expected to scan the announcements on the home page and the progress page every day for updates. If an assignment changes significantly, we are responsible for sending out an email.