Course: COMP 130 - Introduction to Computing

Fall 2019 Sections:

• 01: Prof. Braught, 8:30-9:20MWF, 3:00-5:00W (lab), Tome 118
• 02: Prof. Fruchter, 10:30-11:20MWDF, 3:00-5:00T (lab), Tome 118

Textbook:

• Think Python 2e by Allen B. Downey, Green Tree Press. (https://greenteapress.com/wp/think-python-2e/)

Course Description: An introduction to computer science as a scientific discipline. The key elements of computer programming will be introduced, using the Python programming language. This leads to techniques for solving problems and conducting scientific investigations via computation. Core topics include: programming constructs such as conditionals, loops, functions, and parameters; data structures such as arrays and dictionaries; libraries and objects; algorithmic techniques such as recursion; and software engineering techniques such as testing and debugging. Additional topics include social, legal and ethical issues raised by computing and computing for the greater good.

Prerequisite Knowledge: This course assumes no prior programming experience. It assumes a general facility with computers including text editing, browsing, saving and deleting files, etc.

Course Learning Goals:

• Understand elementary concepts of computer programming (including recursion, dictionaries, libraries and objects) and software development (including testing and debugging).
• Use scientific reasoning to evaluate hypotheses about computer program outputs.
• Gain an appreciation of the social, legal and ethical issues raised by computing and computing for the greater good.
• Comprehend and create basic numerical and/or logical arguments. (For COMP 130, this means that students will use abstraction and logical thinking as problem-solving techniques.) [college-wide quantitative reasoning goal]
• Develop the ability to use scientific methods as a way of understanding the world. [college-wide laboratory science goal]
• Gain knowledge of content and principles within the natural sciences. [college-wide laboratory science goal]
• Develop the ability to critically evaluate claims from a scientific perspective. [college-wide laboratory science goal]

Ethics Across Campus & the Curriculum: This course participates in Dickinson’s Ethics Across Campus & the Curriculum initiative. Inside and outside of the classroom, we encourage students to develop and practice the skill of ethical reasoning. This involves thinking critically, interacting respectfully, and actively listening to each other. We do not shy away from disagreements. We encourage meaningful engagement with counterarguments and diverse views. It is important to remember the value of recognizing when we know that we do not know. Self-confidence does not require absolute certainty and there is no shame in saying, “I would like to think and learn more about this” or “I’ve changed my mind based on this conversation.”

Select courses in the following departments and programs include a focus on ethical reasoning: Chemistry, Computer Science, Educational Studies, English, Environmental Studies & Environmental Science, Film Studies, French and Francophone Studies, History, International Business and Management, International Studies, Italian, Law and Policy, Math, Middle East Studies, Music, Philosophy, Physics and Astronomy, Political Science, Psychology, Russian, Sociology, Spanish and Portuguese, History, Religion, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

Grading: Grades in this course will be based on the Instructional Elements as described below. Both roll-call and final grades will computed using the following weighting of those instructional elements:

Category	Weight
Attendance & Engagement	5%
In-Class & Homework Exercises	10%
Laboratory Exercises	15%
Written Exams (3)	10% each
Laboratory Exams (2)	10% each
Final Exam	20%

Instructional Elements:

• Readings & Preparation: Readings will be assigned for each day of class. The readings are to be completed before class in preparation for the lecture and in-class activities. Readings should be completed using active reading strategies including note taking for important points as well as entering, executing and playing with code snippets from the text to aid in understanding. Note that each Dickinson course, unless otherwise noted in the course description, is equivalent to four semester hours. This level of credit for courses is based on the assumption that at least three hours of study accompany each class period.

• Attendance & Engagement: Attendance and engagement during class and laboratory sessions is required. Anticipatable absences may be excused if arranged with the instructor in advance. Absences due to emergencies may be excused if discussed with the instructor as soon as possible after the absence. Engagement may be demonstrated in a variety of ways including: attentiveness, interaction with groups or partners during in-class activities, demonstrated investment in activities, responding to instructor questions and asking questions.
  • Grading: Unexcused absences will result in a 0 score for the period missed. Excused absences will be omitted from the scoring. Each student in attendance on a given day will receive a ✓ which may then be annotated with -, + or ++ after the class period, based on the instructors observations using the following criterion:
    • ✓- : a clearly demonstrated lack of preparation; repeated or extended periods of inattention or disengagement; inappropriate or disruptive classroom behavior was observed.
    • ✓+ : constructive engagement and/or participation in paired, group or class activities was observed.
    • ✓++ (rare): particularly exceptional contribution to a paired, group or class activity was observed.

  Note that the instructor is not able to observe all members of the class at all times. Thus, a ✓ score does not necessarily imply a lack of participation or engagement.

• In-Class Activities and Homework Exercises: Each assignment will be indicated on the schedule on the main course page. It will appear on the date assigned and a due date will be specified.

  In-class activities and homework exercises in this course are viewed not as an end goal but as a critical part of the learning process. As such, these assignments are intended an opportunities to assess your understanding of the material you have been learning. Activities and exercises that you have trouble approaching or find overly difficult should be interpreted as indicating areas where you would benefit from further study (e.g. review class notes, reread the textbook, seek out additional sources, visit the evening TA hours, visit the instructor’s office hours). Increases in your understanding of the material will be reflected in these activities and exercises becoming more approachable and less difficult.

  Because these activities and exercises are intended to be part of the learning process, and not an end goal, the feedback you receive on them will be crafted to assist with that learning in two key ways. First, you will not be graded on the correctness of the solutions that you submit. Rather, each problem will be marked with a ✓+ (Clear / Correct or Very Nearly Correct), ✓ (Significant Progress, Mostly Clear, Minor Mistakes), ✓- (Significant Mistakes, Incorrect Approach, Little Progress, Unclear) or X (Submission Shows Insufficient Effort). These marks are not a score on the problem. They are placed there for you to use as a point of comparison with your own personal assessment of how well you have mastered the associated topics. For grading purposes you will receive 1 point for every activity or exercise for which your submission presents evidence of a sincere effort (i.e. is not marked X). Second, instructor comments on returned assignments will be minimal (often just the above marks and when necessary just enough additional information to point you toward the relevant issues). This sparseness is intentional. It requires that you to revisit critically every problem, but particularly any that are marked with less than a ✓ but also those where my mark differs from your personal assessment (e.g. ✓- from me but you expected a ✓+, or conversely a ✓+ from me but you know that you didn’t fully understand your answer). To support you in learning from revisiting the activities and exercises there will be evening TA hours, worked solutions will be posted (via Moodle) following the due date and the instructor will hold office hours.

  To maximize your learning from the homework, how you approach it and what you do with the feedback that you receive should be carefully considered. Constructive collaboration on in-class activities and homework exercises with anyone and with any resource is highly encouraged. Constructive collaboration includes things like:

  • discussing the problems, the relevant lecture material, text sections, and specific approaches to the problems.
  • going over your solution with someone else to check it for mistakes or to get help on how to proceed.
  • comparing solutions with others to see alternative approaches.
  • working collaboratively with someone else to develop a shared solution to a problem.

  With all of this freedom comes great responsibility. You must constantly remember that completing the activities and exercises is part of the learning process and not the end goal. The end goal is for you to enhance your understanding of the course material through an understanding of the activities and exercises. So while you may collaborate extensively, it is ultimately your responsibility to fully understand the material (the written and lab exams are completed individually).

  To maximize the learning benefit of this approach I suggest some variant of the following when revisiting returned activities and exercises:

  1. Think about the activity or exercise again. Sometimes they make more sense after you’ve been away from it for a few days. If it seems to make more sense, attempt it again before consulting the solutions.
  2. Consult the posted solution to see if it makes sense. If it does, don’t stop there. Instead put the solution away and try to reconstruct the solution for yourself.
  3. If the solution doesn’t make sense or you have trouble reconstructing the solution, reread the associated sections of the text, review your class notes, rework any related examples that were done in class. Then goto step 1 above.
  4. If 1-3 don’t do the trick consult your classmates and visit the evening TA hours and/or visit the instructor’s office hours with some well formed questions about the problem. Some templates for well formed questions include: - This problem looks similar to this example we did in class but I don’t quite understand this part of that example. - I’ve reviewed the solution to this problem and can’t see how my solution differs. - I don’t understand this part of the posted solution to this problem. - I approached this problem in a different way than the solutions, is it a valid approach? - I still don’t know how to approach this problem. I’ve thought about trying approaches X, Y, Z (be prepared to explain why they don’t seem to work). Can you give me an idea about how to get started? - …
  5. Return to step 1 above.

• Laboratory Assignments: Lab assignments will be given weekly via the course schedule on the main course page. The schedule may also indicate reading or other preparation that is to be completed prior to the lab period. The assignment will appear on the date of the lab period and will be due prior to the subsequent lab period. It is expected some lab assignments will require additional work outside of class in the week following the scheduled lab period.

  Labs in this course will be completed using the pair-programming paradigm. This paradigm will be explained during the first lab period and all students are expected to follow it throughout the course. All work on the lab must be completed in collaboration with your partner. Collaboration between pairs is not permitted and no individual work is permitted on labs without prior arrangement with the instructor. The instructor will assign pairs and they will change regularly throughout the semester. Changing pairs exposes you to a wider variety of ways of thinking and allows knowledge and techniques to spread throughout the class in an organic way. I highly encourage you to share ideas and techniques with your lab partners.

• Written Exams: All written exams are strictly individual work. They will be timed (50 min.), hand written and given in class. These exams will be closed notes and closed book. However, you will be permitted one 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper (single sided) of hand written notes that can be read with the naked eye. Because of the inherently cumulative nature of this course, each exam will necessarily rely on content from previous exams. However, the emphasis of each exam will be on the material introduced since the previous exam.

• Lab Exams: All lab exams are strictly individual work. They will be time (2 hours) and will be hands-on during the course lab period. These exams will be open to all materials including the textbook, notes, prior activities, exercises and lab assignments, and static web resources (i.e. no human interaction via chat or messaging). Lab exams will be distributed electronically at the beginning of the lab period and must be submitted electronically by the end of the lab period.

• Final Exam: The final is strictly individual work. It will be timed (3 hours), hand written and given in the classroom. This exam will be closed notes and closed book. However, you will be permitted three 8.5” x 11” sheets of paper (single sided) of hand written notes that can be read with the naked eye.

Learning Support: There are three sources of learning support for this course in addition to the text, class meetings and the instructor’s office hours.

• Evening TA Hours: Upper class Computer Science majors are available in Tome 118 Sunday-Thursday evenings from 8:00-10:00 to assist with understanding course material, homework and lab assignments.

• The QR Center: The QR Center offers appointment based tutoring for COMP 130 in addition to general quantitative support. Appointments can be made on-line through WCONLINE.

• Peer Tutors: Students demonstrating that they have taken advantage of the other support mechanisms and still require more assistance to succeed in the course can apply for a peer tutor through the peer tutoring program.

Academic Integrity: Please take the time to read Dickinson’s position on Academic Integrity in the Advising Handbook. Violations of this policy are considered serious transgressions, so you should be especially certain that you understand your rights and responsibilities under it. The specific collaboration policies for this course have been outlined in detail in the Instructional Elements section above. If you are unsure about whether or not certain kinds of collaboration are permissible in this course, ask your instructor. Students suspected of academic dishonesty will be referred directly to the Student Conduct Process.

Intellectual Property Rights: Audio or video recording of class meetings, lectures or discussions is prohibited without explicit permission of the instructor. Photographic records of whiteboards, projected slides or other visual media is also prohibited without explicit permission of the instructor. In any case where permission is given for audio/video/photographic records to be made they are for personal use only. They may not be shared or redistributed and must be destroyed at the end of their usefulness or within one week following the termination of this course, whichever comes first. Similarly, any redistribution of sample code, homework solution sets or provided lab code is prohibited.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Dickinson values diverse types of learners and is committed to ensuring that each student is afforded equitable access to participate in all learning experiences. If you have (or think you may have) a learning difference or a disability – including a mental health, medical, or physical impairment – that would hinder your access to learning or demonstrating knowledge in this class, please contact Access and Disability Services (ADS). They will confidentially explain the accommodation request process and the type of documentation that Dean and Director Marni Jones will need to determine your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. To learn more about available supports, go to www.dickinson.edu/access, email access@dickinson.edu, call (717) 245-1734, or go to ADS in Old West (lower level), Room 005.

If you’ve already been granted accommodations at Dickinson, please let me know as soon as possible so that we can meet to review your Accommodation Letter and complete your Blue Forms. If you will need test proctoring from ADS, remember that you will need to provide them with at least one week’s notice.

Please note that for some accommodations students are given permission to record class meetings using a smart pen or other recording device. Thus, you may or may not be aware of when recording is taking place. Any recordings made under an accommodation are for personal learning purposes within the context of this class only, may not be shared and must be destroyed following the semester.

Life Happens: Sometimes stuff just happens. Sometimes it is an unexpected sudden event such as an illness or family emergency. Other times it may be an ongoing issue or concern or an accumulation of smaller issues. Any of these things may affect your ability to focus or perform up to your potential through no shortcoming or fault of your own. Dickinson is a kind and caring community and we want to see you achieve at your full potential. So, if you are experiencing life events that are affecting your performance please don’t hesitate to talk to your instructor, your advisor or your class Dean. They will all be willing to talk with you, help to formulate a plan and/or connect you with others that may be able to assist.