Basic Information
This course is the computer science department’s introductory course. The two primary goals are to introduce the general field of computer science and to introduce the concept of programming.
This website is subject to change as more content is added. Check it often!
Readings before class - ZyBook "participation" activities and readings are due before the class they are assigned. Each section usually takes on average 10 minutes complete (although some might take a little more time and some might take a little less time). "Challenge" activities are optional and may be used as examples in class. Chapter sections marked as optional will not be graded, but they will better help you understand Python.
Topics/Notes - Any class notes will be linked here. If you miss a class, screencasts are provided through eLearning. (Note - screencasts are only meant as note suppliments. You may miss things written on the board or in-class activities/bonus points.)
Assignments - Assignments should be submitted on the program submission system before they are due. The system will automatically run your program and report any errors. If you do not understand what the system means if it returns an error, it is your responsibility to ask. Assignments can be turned in up to two days late with a 10% penalty deducted per day.
| Date | Readings before class | Topics/Notes | Assignments |
| 8/26 | Get the online textbook: Instructions here |
Intro - Course Introductions | No programming assignment this first week. |
| 8/28 | zyBook 1.1 - 1.2 | Session One - Understanding the history and basics of computers | |
| 8/29 | Lab #1 in WRT 112 (check your assigned lab times) | ||
| 8/30 | zyBook 1.3 | Session Two - Numerical representation | |
| 9/2 |
NO CLASS - Holiday | ||
| 9/4 | zyBook 1.4 - 1.7 | Session Three - Finish numerical representation, Lab #2 Programming Preperation | |
| 9/5 | Lab #2 in WRT 112 | ||
| 9/6 |
zyBook 1.8 - 1.10 | Session Four - Starting to write programs (Notes and examples from zyBook) |
HW #1 (due 9/11 at 11:59pm) |
| 9/9 | zyBook 1.11 - 1.13 | Session Five - More with data and types (Notes and examples from zyBook) |
|
| 9/11 | zyBook 2.1 - 2.2 | Session Six - Introducing Branching in Python (Notes and examples from zyBook) |
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| 9/12 | Lab #3 in WRT 112 | ||
| 9/13 | zyBook 2.3 - 2.4 | Session Seven - Boolean and Relational Operators (Notes and examples from zyBook) |
HW #2 (due 9/18 at 11:59pm) |
| 9/16 | zyBook 2.5 | Session Eight - More if/else (Notes and examples from zyBook) |
|
| 9/18 | zyBook 3.1 - 3.3 |
Session Nine - Introducing For and While Loops | |
| 9/19 | Lab #4 in WRT 112 | ||
| 9/20 |
zyBook 3.4 - 3.5 | Session Ten - Lab Debrief and More Practice | HW #3 (due 9/25 at 11:59pm) |
| 9/23 | zyBook 3.6 - 3.7 | Session Eleven - Advanced Looping | |
| 9/25 | zyBook 3.8 - 3.9 | Session Twelve - Nested looping | |
| 9/26 | Lab #5 in WRT 112 | ||
| 9/27 | Session Thirteen- Lab Debrief |
HW #4 (due 10/2 at 11:59pm) | |
| 9/30 | Powerpoint notes | Session Fourteen- Algorithms and Program Development | |
| 10/2 | zyBook 4.1 - 4.2 | Session Fifteen - Introduction to Strings | |
| 10/3 | Lab #6 in WRT 112 | ||
| 10/4 | Session Sixteen - Working with Strings | HW #5 (due 10/9 at 11:59pm) | |
| 10/7 | zyBook 4.3 - 4.4 | Session Seventeen - More with Strings - Methods | |
| 10/9 | zyBook 4.5 | Session Eighteen - More with Strings - Penny Math | |
| 10/10 | Lab #7 in WRT 112 | ||
| 10/11 | Session Nineteen - Lab Debrief | ||
| 10/14 | Session Twenty- Exam prep, various examples, and wrap up | ||
| 10/16 | Note: Test in Sabin 102 | In-class Exam #1 | |
| 10/17 | Note: Test in 112 Wright Hall | In-lab Exam #1 | |
| 10/18 | zyBook 5.1-5.2 | Session Twenty One - Files | |
| 10/21 | Session Twenty Two - More Files | ||
| 10/23 | zyBook 6.1-6.2 | Session Twenty Three - Defining your own functions (zyBook used in class) | HW #6 (due 10/28 at 11:59pm) |
| 10/24 |
Lab #8 in WRT 112 | ||
| 10/25 | zyBook 6.4 | Session Twenty Four - Lab 8 Debrief, more on functions | |
| 10/28 | Session Twenty Five - Function wrapup, code comments | ||
| 10/30 | zyBook 7.1-7.3 | Session Twenty Six - Introducing Lists | |
| 10/31 | Lab #9 in WRT 112 | ||
| 11/1 | zyBook 7.4-7.5 | Session Twenty Seven - More Lists | HW #7 (due 11/6 at 11:59pm) |
| 11/4 | zyBook 7.7-7.8 |
Session Twenty Eight - Lists - Indexing and Sorting | |
| 11/6 | Read class handouts | Session Twenty Nine- Intro to Functional Decomposition | |
| 11/7 |
Lab #10 in WRT 112 | ||
| 11/8 | zyBook 10.1 - 10.2 | No class today (gone to student conference) Watch THIS VIDEO Session Thirty - More Design |
HW #8 (due 11/13 in class) Only deliverable is design document Grading Codes |
| 11/11 |
zyBook 10.3 - 10.4 | Session Thirty One - Design Wrap-Up | |
| 11/13 | Session Thirty Two - Using Files and Lists to Parse Text |
HW #9 (due 11/20 at 11:59pm) |
|
| 11/14 | Lab #11 in WRT 112 | ||
| 11/15 | Session Thirty Three - Introduction to Dictionaries | ||
| 11/18 | zyBook 8.1 and 8.2 | Session Thirty Four - Word Frequency Analysis | |
| 11/20 | zyBook 8.3 and 8.4 | Session Thirty Five- Namespaces and Memory | HW #10 (due 12/4 at 11:59pm) |
| 11/21 | Lab #12 in WRT 112 | ||
| 11/22 |
Review of Lab Twelve | ||
| 12/2 | zyBook 9.1 | Session Thirty Five - Sets | |
| 12/4 | zyBook 11.1-11.3 | Session Thirty Six - Intro to Searching | HW #11 (due 12/11 at 11:59pm) In-Lab Exam 2 Study Guide |
| 12/5 | Lab #13 in WRT 112 | ||
| 12/6 | Session Thirty Seven - Review Searching and Big O Analysis | ||
| 12/9 | Read for +5 Points zyBook 11.5-11.8 |
Session Thirty Eight - Intro to Sorting | |
| 12/11 | Session Thirty Nine - In-class review session | ||
| 12/12 | Note: Test in 112 Wright Hall | In-Lab Exam #2 | |
| 12/13 | Session Forty - Final Review | ||
| 12/17 | Final Exam for class that meets at 11am MWF | 10:00am-11:50am in SAB 102 | |
| 12/18 | Final Exam for class that meets at 9am MWF | 10:00am-11:50am in SAB 102 |