Computing for Behavioral Scientists
Psy 422 (301)

Spring 2002 
Monday 5-8
Byrne 358
David Allbritton
http://condor.depaul.edu/~dallbrit

Course server: sheu-hp.psy.depaul.edu

Course Schedule:

• Week 1 - Programming Strategies and Intro to Unix
• Week 2 - XHTML Basics; Forms
• Week 3 - XHTML and Cascading Style Sheets
• Week 4 - JavaScript:  Basic Programming Concepts
• Week 5 - JavaScript:  Objects, events, and forms.
• Week 6 - Databases and CGI (plus passwords for web pages)
• Week 7 - Using PHP to store form data in a database and conduct a simple experiment.
• Week 8 - Using Perl to store form data in a database and conduct a simple experiment.
• Week 9 - Memorial Day; No class
• Week 10 - student project presentations (can be a work in progress)

Textbook:

• Deitel, Deitel, & Nieto (2002), Internet & World Wide Web How to Program, 2^nd edition, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0130308978.

Course Requirements:

• Weekly in-class assignments (due by next class meeting)
• Final Project
  • A web page describing the project, including a URL to what you produced. You are encouraged (but not required) to make this a valid XHTML web page. You may instead write a brief (< 15 pages) traditional paper and simply use your word processor's "Save as Web page" function to convert it to HTML and then put it on your course home page. Either way, the paper and the project must be accessible via web browser on your home page on the course server.
  • Due by Final Exam date
  • Can be either:
    • An application.  Examples:
      • JavaScript statistics demos for use as teaching aids
      • Web-based accounting system for tracking subject pool credits (or one component that could be used as part of such a system)
      • Web-based system for submitting IRB proposals
      • Creating web pages for faculty members
      • Perl script for matching subjects on several variables simultaneously
      • Create an XML language for psychology
    • or A tutorial.  Examples:
      • How to set up a web server with Apache
      • How to use XML

Learning Goals

• Be able to find your way around a Unix server and get web pages up on the Web.
• Develop basic problem-solving skills that can be applied to many different computing tasks.
• Develop confidence that you can successfully learn new computing skills that will be useful to you in your work as a behavioral scientist.
• Develop an individualized set of skills that are sufficient for solving a particular problem (in your project).

Grading

Grades will be based on your final project, the homework assignments, and attendance/participation. As I evaluate these components, I will focus primarily on how much you have developed your problem-solving and computing skills and worked at applying those skills to things you care about, rather than focusing on the absolute level of expertise attained.