Syllabus, CMPSC 8, Winter 2018

Basic Facts

Required Resources

Official UCSB Catalog Description

CMPSC 8: Introduction to Computer Science

Not open for credit to students who have completed Computer Science 16 or Engineering 3.

Introduction to computer program development for students with little to no programming experience. Basic programming concepts, variables and expressions, data and control structures, algorithms, debugging, program design, and documentation.

A few course policies in brief

You may NOT:

What this course is about

This class serves as an introduction to programming and computer science. We will use the Python language and write Python programs throughout the course. We will be using Python 3 in the class. The Python Interpreter can be downloaded for free from Python’s download page (http://python.org/downloads/). I encourage everyone to install Python on their local computer in order to practice programming in your own time.

If you find yourself working on a computer that doesn’t have Python installed, you can run simple Python code (along with several other languages) on the web with tools such as IDEOne. This is not a requirement for the course, but you may find it to be a useful tool.

Learning how to program requires A LOT of practice like learning any new skill. Making mistakes is an essential part of learning as long as you learn from them! Questions like “I wonder what will happen if I do this…” or “How will Python behave in this case…” is a great way to investigate and observe the functionality and limitations of a programming language (there are many programming languages available to software developers and each have their specific pros and cons that may or may not be the best choice for the problems you are trying to solve).

I find the best way to practice is to rapid prototype constantly. Writing simple snippets of code to test and confirm your understanding allows you to 1) practice typing out code, which makes you more comfortable with the language and 2) solidify your understanding of the specific behavior of the programming language functionality.

Programming is the study of algorithms, i.e. step-by-step instructions telling the computer what it needs to do. There are MANY algorithms that can solve a problem and it’s important to consider the computational time, memory space, and correctness of the algorithms you create.

Why Python?

What you need to learn to become a skilled beginning level programmer

So, what is it that you need to know to be a skilled beginning-level programmer in Python? Here’s the list of what you’ll need to be ready for CMPSC 16 (aka CS16, the next programming course):

  • Problem solving
    • breaking down a problem into a sequence of steps
    • abstracting specific problems into general ones
      and finding general solutions
  • Memory concepts
    • variables, primitive vs. reference variables, name, type, value
    • assignment statements
    • scope of variables
  • Control structures
    • for loops, if/else, while loops
  • Lists in Python (similar to arrays in other languages)
    • index vs. value, finding sum, min, max, average, count of elements matching some condition, making a new list of elements containing only those that match some condition
  • Functions
    • function call vs. function definition
    • formal vs. actual parameters (arguments)
  • Testing
    • How to test your code
  • Input/output concepts
    • Writing to the terminal
    • Reading from the keyboard
    • Reading and writing to files
    • Neatly formatting output
  • Program style
    • How to write code that other people can read and understand

Course Grades

Letter grades will be determined by the end of the course after all labs, homeworks, and exams have been computed. I can say that I will not grade harder than a traditional straight scale (90% = A-, 80% = B-, etc.). However, I will adjust the letter grades accordingly based on your overall performance at the end of the course. If you are concerned about your grade in the class, I encourage you to discuss the matter with me during my office hours. Please come talk to me sooner rather than later so there can be some time where we can help you succeed in the course.

Your course grade will be determined as follows:

Grade Item Percentage of Final Grade
Midterm 1 (Thurs. 2/8) 15 %
Midterm 2 (Thurs. 3/1) 15 %
Final (Tues. 3/20, 4pm - 7pm) 30 %
Homeworks 10 %
Labs 30 %

In general, homework(s) will be assigned weekly throughout the quarter, and distributed to the class in lecture on Tuesdays, and are due the following Tuesday in lecture.

There will be weekly labs assigned throughout the quarter. You will work on the labs during your assigned lab section, and most likely on your own time outside of your assigned lab section. Generally, labs will be due on Sundays @ 11:59pm (please be sure to check the due dates for all assignments on the course page and calendar).

Late work

I will consider late submissions only for medical or family emergencies where documentation can be provided. This does not include overwhelming workload from other courses, scheduling conflicts, or vacation plans.

Accommodations for disabilities

Students with disabilities may request academic accommodations for exams online through the UCSB Disabled Students Program at http://dsp.sa.ucsb.edu/. Please make your requests for exam accommodations through the online system as early in the quarter as possible to ensure proper arrangement.

Managing stress

Personal concerns such as stress, anxiety, relationships, depression, cultural differences, can interfere with the ability of students to succeed and thrive. For helpful resources, please contact UCSB Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) at 805-893-4411 or visit http://counseling.sa.ucsb.edu/.

Responsible scholarship

Honesty and integrity in all academic work is essential for a valuable educational experience. The Office of Judicial Affairs has policies, tips, and resources for proper citation use, recognizing actions considered to be cheating or other forms of academic theft, and students’ responsibilities, available on their website at: http://judicialaffairs.sa.ucsb.edu. Students are responsible for educating themselves on the policies and to abide by them.

Furthermore, for general academic support, students are encouraged to visit Campus Learning Assistance Services (CLAS) early and often. CLAS offers instructional groups, drop-in tutoring, writing and ESL services, skills workshops and one-on-one consultations. CLAS is located on the third floor of the Student Resource Building, or visit http://clas.sa.ucsb.edu

Standard Disclaimer

This syllabus is as accurate as possible, but is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion, within the bounds of UC policy.