Course Description

This course gives the student a broad and hands-on exposure to the capabilities and uses of the computer. In this course you will study a number of problems that computers can solve and the hardware and software to solve them. Tools will include application programs such as spreadsheets, databases, and graphics editors, as well as resources such as intranets and the Internet. There will be a team project in which students design and launch web sites that serve a specific, articulated purpose, benefiting web surfers practically, spiritually or in both ways. You will be learning about computer vocabulary, culture, and artificial intelligence to better adapt you for life and work in the 21st century.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites to CSC 171. No previous experience with computers is assumed. This course satisfies the three hour general education requirement for a course in mathematical sciences.

Textbook:

COSC171 Course Manual (available for purchase at Textbook Express)

 

Expectations

Attendance

Regular attendance and active participation is crucial to your success in this class. In part, this is because we will devote the majority of the class time to the most important and challenging course topics. The best way to master the material is in the context of a learning community — interacting with peers and with the instructor on a regular basis. Sometimes you will find you can contribute to the collective understanding; sometimes you will benefit from what others have to share. In your education at Messiah College, you should aspire to more than mere technical mastery of the material. If you miss class for any reason, speak to a fellow student to find out what was covered in class that day. Participation refers to factors such as timeliness, attitude, engagement, initiative, collaboration, and attentiveness. Preparation refers to completion of reading and other assignments before class on the day they are due.

Timeliness

All assignments must be completed and submitted before the due date. Any student who falls behind in reading or other assignments can no longer actively participate in the daily learning activities of the course, to the detriment of everyone. To make allowance for unforseen circumstances, each student may submit up to three assignments late during the semester, with the following penalties: within the first 24 hours after the due date, a 10% reduction in points; within the next 24 hours, with a 25% reduction in points. After 48 hours, no assignments will be accepted. Once a student has received credit for three late assignments, no further late assignments can be submitted.

Communication

Messiah College email will be used for official communication relating to the class. In order to avoid missing important messages, please check your Messiah email at least once a day Monday-Friday. Any email you send me MUST have a subject line that identifies the course and the specific subject of your inquiry (examples: "COSC282 linked list homework due 2/15," "COSC171 question on class lecture for 2/22," "ENGL230 absence on 3/5 due to family emergency") Email sent without a subject line or with a generic subject line will be treated as SPAM (examples: "today's homework," "question for you," "missing class").

Assignments

All assignments are to be submitted in accordance with the instructions provided. Assignments that call for electronic copies must submitted be via Sakai -- no emailed work will be accepted. Assignments that call for hard copies must be submitted at the beginning of class on the due date -- after class begins, no work will be accepted.

Collaboration

In general, it is a good idea to complete learning activities with other students. Unless I specify otherwise, you are encouraged to work collaboratively, with the following provisions: (1) share ideas and thought processes, but not answers; (2) turn in your own individual submission; (3) indicate any such collaboration. Unless explicitly instructed to, NEVER SHARE CODE with another student, even after you have completed the class. Doing so is a violation of academic integrity, and could result in sever penalties, both to the other student and to you EVEN AFTER YOU'VE COMPLETED THE CLASS.

When collaboration is explicitly called for, each student will be asked to evaluate the participation of her/his peers. Make sure your contribution to the project is sufficient.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is taken very seriously. Violations will result in severe consequences, including failing the course. For a complete policy, see the current Student Handbook. Violations include (but are not limited to):

Plagiarism: Examples: failing to cite a reference, failing to use quotation marks where appropriate, misrepresenting another’s work as your own.

Cheating: Attempting to use or using unauthorized material or study aids for personal assistance in examinations or other academic work. Examples: using a cheat sheet, altering a graded exam, looking at a peer’s exam.

Fabrication: Submitting altered or contrived information. Examples: falsifying sources and/or data, etc.

Facilitating Academic Dishonesty: Examples: working together on an assignment where collaboration is not allowed, doing work for another student, allowing one’s own work to be copied.

ADA

Messiah College welcomes students with disabilities. If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss needed academic accommodations for this specific course, please speak with the instructor within the first week of class (or within the first week following the documentation of your disability). Campus policy states that disability accommodations must be pre-approved through the Office of Disability Services, located in Hoffman 101/102 (extension 5382).