Syllabus for CSC-200

Joseph (Yosef) Mendelsohn

 

Summary of the course

This course provides a general survey of computer systems. It deals with state of the art personal computer operating systems, applications, database systems, internet, and basic web site design principles. This course is geared towards the non-majors and assumes no prior knowledge or experience in Computer Science. The structure of the course utilizes both classroom lectures and computer classroom lab.

 

Textbooks and printed resources

Tomorrow’s Technology and You, Eighth edition, Prentice Hall by George Beekman and Michael J. Quinn

 

Students sometimes wish to know if they may use a different text or edition. This is fine with me, however, it is the students' responsibility to ensure that they have access to a text (e.g. through a friend) for use for examples/assignments, etc.

 

Prerequisites

None, although some familiarity with computers is assumed.

 

 

 

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COURSE RESOURCES

1.    Course web page:  http://www.depaul.edu/~ymendels/200  Everything comes from here.

2.    Course Online (COL) – see link at top of course web page

3.    Office Hours (see below for times & locations)

4.      Tutoring – see link at top of course web page

 

1.  The course web page:

Your one-stop-shop for this course. 

http://www.depaul.edu/~ymendels/200

 

         Announcements

         Assignments

         Course documents

         Lecture notes (distributed as Acrobat files i.e. PDF).  You can download a viewer here.

         Assignments are submitted via COL (Course Online)

 

Lecture notes:  Notes and files for each lecture will be posted at least one day before lecture.  However, please note that I reserve the right to make updates at any time. I would recommend that you print out the lecture slides (if you choose to) no earlier than the day before lecture.  They will typically be in either Powerpoint or Acrobat (PDF) format. If you don’t have PowerPoint, you can download a free viewer here.   If you don’t have Acrobat, you can download a viewer here.

         I strongly recommend that you print out the presentations ahead of time and bring them to class with you. This will enable you to scribble quick notes or “star” important concepts, etc. 

 

 

2.  What is Course Online (COL)?

COL is the method by which Distance Learning (DL) students take the course. However, it is also an important resource for in-class students as this is where you will be submitting your assignments.

 

COL is used to:

1.    View the lectures for DL students (sometimes available to in-class students as well) 

2.    Submit assignments

3.    Receive grades and grader feedback

4.    Engage in discussion groups

 

https://col.cti.depaul.edu

 

Login with your CampusConnect ID and password.

 

 

3. Office Hours for Winter Quarter 2009:

·         LOCATION: 990  W. Fullerton (across from Dominick’s – in basement).  Room 132.  Tel: 773-325-2172

·         This office can be VERY confusing to find. To help you, see this image.

·         Tuesday 12:00 - 1:30

·         Thursday 12:00 - 1:30

 

 

4. Tutoring:  Free – make use of it!  See link to the tutoring page at the top of the course web page.

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Politeness:

Please remember that anything you do in the classroom directly affects people around you.  Doing any of the following is distracting and disrespectful to your classmates and your instructor.  This includes:

-       Walking in to class late

-       Leaving class early (unless discussed with the instructor ahead of time)

-       Checking cell phones / blackberrys / pdas for texts, incoming calls, e-mails, etc

-       Checking your cell phone for texts, incoming calls, etc

-       Surfing the web

-       Anything else on a PDA or computer not directly related to the material at hand.

 

Contacting me:

E-Mail:  JosephMendelsohn@gmail.com 

I will be much more willing to go over code, assignments, etc during office hours than via e-mail.  Though I try to check e-mail frequently, I am not always able to do so.

 

I will make every effort to ensure that distance learning (DL) students receive prompt replies to email.

 

When e-mailing me, it is very important that you include your name and section number (not course number) in the subject. I have a pretty stringent spam-filter on my e-mail, so if you don’t do this, your e-mail may well end up missed in my spam folder.

Eg:  Subject: Your_Name, 702, question on assignment #2

 

 

Assignments:

All assignments are submitted via Course Online (see above).

All assignments are due 10 minutes before class time.

Late assignments will be accepted, but with the following penalties:

·         Within 24 hours (1 day) after the due date/time - 80% (20% penalty)

·         24:01 and 48:00 hour late (2 days) - 60% (40% penalty)

·         48:01 and 72:00 hour late (3 days) - 40% (60% penalty)

·         72:01 and 96:00 hour late (4 days) - 20% (80% penalty)

·         96:01 hours late or greater - 0%

In other words, there will be a 20% penalty for each day (or partial day) your submission is past the due date/time

 

Assignments will be posted almost every week, starting this week, and are due every Tuesday at 10 minutes before class time.

 

Grading:

Grading Breakdown:

·         Exams: two exams, 25% each to total 50%

·         Assignments (lowest grade is dropped): 50%

 

Grading Scale:

Points

Grade

Points

Grade

93 or above

A

73 - 76

C

90 - 92

A -

70 - 72

C -

87 - 89

B +

67 - 69

D +

83 - 86

B

60 - 66

D

80 - 82

B -

less than 60

F

77 - 79

C +

 

 

 

 

Exams:

Attendance for tests is mandatory and makeups will not be offered. A score of 0 will be recorded if a test is missed without prior consultation. The only exceptions considered will be medical absences, and these must be documented by a physician's note.

 

 

University/CDM Policies:

Online Instructor Evaluation

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over two weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online at https://mycti.cti.depaul.edu/mycti

Email

 

Email is the primary means of communication between faculty and students enrolled in this course outside of class time. Students should be sure their email listed under "demographic information" at http://campusconnect.depaul.edu is correct.

 

Academic Integrity Policy

This course will be subject to the academic integrity policy passed by faculty. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/

Plagiarism

 

The university and school policy on plagiarism can be summarized as follows: Students in this course should be aware of the strong sanctions that can be imposed against someone guilty of plagiarism. If proven, a charge of plagiarism could result in an automatic F in the course and possible expulsion. The strongest of sanctions will be imposed on anyone who submits as his/her own work any assignment which has been prepared by someone else. If you have any questions or doubts about what plagiarism entails or how to properly acknowledge source materials be sure to consult the instructor.

 

Incomplete

An incomplete grade is given only for an exceptional reason such as a death in the family, a serious illness, etc. Any such reason must be documented. Any incomplete request must be made at least two weeks before the final, and approved by the Dean of the College of Computing and Digital Media. Any consequences resulting from a poor grade for the course will not be considered as valid reasons for such a request.