General Information CS 107 – Computing, Mobile Apps, and the Web • Spring 2012Harney Science Center • Room 235 Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays • 2:15pm – 3:20pm This course gives non-majors with no prior programming experience an introduction to computer science. Students in this course will use App Inventor to create apps for Android devices, providing a gentle introduction to computing and programming. Students will also develop problem-solving skills and gain valuable experience working with computers, mobile platforms, and the Internet—all of which are valuable no matter what discipline you choose. WebsiteThe course website is located at: You can find announcements, a calendar, lecture notes, and contact information on this website. Please check the course website regularly. Mailing List All homework questions should be directed to the course mailing list. The mailing list for this course is:Email: cs107@cs.usfca.edu If you are registered for this course, please verify you are subscribed to the course mailing list. AnnouncementsAnnouncements will be posted on the course website. You can subscribe to these announcements via RSS at: Feed: http://cs10703.cs.usfca.edu/home/posts.xml Some announcements may also be sent to the mailing list at cs107@cs.usfca.edu. CalendarLectures, assignment deadlines, and exam dates will be posted on the public Google Calendar for this class. See the course website for more details. Instructor Please contact the instructor for any lecture, project, or course related questions.
Teacher AssistantPlease contact the teacher assistant for any participation grading or programming-related questions. Pakkapon Poopaka Prerequisites There are no prerequisites for this course.Course MaterialsThe book "App Inventor: Create Your Own Android Apps" by David Wolber, Hal Abelson, Ellen Spertus, and Liz Looney is required for this course. You may get either the print or electronic edition of this book, but the print edition is recommended since you can easily reference it during lab.
Learning OutcomesAt the end of this course, students should be able to:
Topics and ScheduleWe will cover the following topics:
Please note this schedule is only an estimate. The exact schedule may change over time. GradingGrade BreakdownThe final grade will be calculated as follows:
See below for additional details on grading. Letter GradesLetter grades will be assigned according to the following scale:*
*Note that this scale is subject to change at any time. PortfoliosStudents will be creating public portfolios using Google Sites to display and submit their work for this class. All submissions, including homework and projects, will occur on the portfolios. The proper format will be provided in class. ParticipationThere will be MANDATORY labs every Friday. Each lab is worth 10 points, and graded on a pass/fail basis. Students must attend the full duration of lab to receive credit. Additionally, students must present at least one project (in addition to the final project) throughout the course, and must participate in presentation evaluations. HomeworkThere will be one homework assigned (almost) every Friday during lab. The homework assignments are designed such that you can finish most of the assignment during lab time. Each homework assignment should be posted on your portfolio when complete. There will be four "checkpoints" where we will look at your portfolios and grade the homework assignments. ProjectsThere will be four projects total in the course, worth 25% of the overall grade. For projects, students may work in groups of 1–3 students. An A+ grade will only be assigned to those projects that demonstrate creativity and an understanding of the underlying logic. The final project (project 4) is due during finals week. Every group will present their final project during the final exam slot for this class, which will be Monday, May 14 from 3:00pm – 5:00pm in HR 235. Students will evaluate and vote on the best project presentations. The best final projects will be showcased on this website, and will receive extra credit. ExamsThere will be one midterm exam and one final exam, on weeks 7 and 15 respectively. These exams will be closed note and closed book, and are worth 20% of the overall grade each. There will be a review session prior to each exam. Students will also be given an opportunity to retake the exam to earn back a percentage of missed points. The exact percentage will depend on the class average. Retake opportunities usually occur the lecture after the exam date. Extra CreditPlease note that each grade category (exams, projects, homework) will be capped to 100%. As a result, homework extra credit only improves your homework score—it does not improve your exam score or project score. Late PolicyAll exam dates are firm except in the case of verifiable medical or family emergency. Makeup exams must be arranged prior to the original exam date, without exception. Homework and projects may be submitted up to 2 days late. Submissions up to 24 hours late will receive an automatic 10% penalty. Submissions within 24 – 48 hours late will receive an automatic 20% penalty. Any submissions after 48 hours late will receive an automatic 0%. Any exceptions to this late policy must be arranged prior to the deadline. If a medical or family emergency arises, please email me ASAP. Academic HonestySimply put, do not cheat and do not plagiarize or copy from other students or from the web. I expect all students to adhere to the academic honesty policies at USF. For more information, please refer to the Fogcutter Student Handbook. Students suspected of violating the academic honesty policy will face severe penalty. The first offense will result in a 0 on the assignment or exam, and a report to the Dean's office. Repeat offenses will result in an automatic F for the course. |
