15-110: Principles of Computing
Due to the COVID-19 Epidemic, all classes and office hours from 03/16 onwards will be conducted remotely. Please refer to the class Piazza for links to the Zoom class sessions.
Principles of Computing (15110) is a course in fundamental computing principles for students with little to no computing background. Programming constructs: sequencing, selection, iteration, and recursion. Data organization: arrays and lists. Use of abstraction in computing: data representation, computer organization, computer networks, functional decomposition, and application programming interfaces for graphics. Use of computational principles in problem-solving: divide and conquer, randomness, and concurrency. Classification of computational problems based on complexity, non-computable functions, and using heuristics to find reasonable solutions to complex problems. Social, ethical and legal issues associated with the development of new computational artifacts will also be discussed. Prerequisites: none.
Meeting Times
| Session | Instructor(s) | Time | Location |
| Lecture 1 | Kelly Rivers (krivers) | MWF 2:30-3:20pm | DH 2210 |
| Recitation A | Diaj (dtoussai) and Enock (emaburi) | R 9:30-10:20am | GHC 5207 |
| Recitation B | Amanda (lianglij) and Neeraj (neerajsa) | R 10:30-11:20am | GHC 5207 |
| Recitation C | Mahima A. (mahimaa) and Rachel (rachelt1) | R 11:30-12:20pm | GHC 5207 |
| Recitation D/J | Frank (frankh) and Mahima S. (mshanwar) | R 12:30-1:20pm | GHC 5207 |
| Recitation E | Andrea (arestrad) and Emily (eding) | R 1:30-2:20pm | GHC 5207 |
| Recitation F | Meghan (mamcgraw) and Rishabh (rishabhc) | R 2:30-3:20pm | GHC 5207 |
| Recitation G | Elyana (erhurst) and Iris (ilu1) | R 3:30-4:20pm | GHC 5207 |
| Lecture 2 | Margaret Reid-Miller (mr54) | MWF 3:30-4:20pm | DH 2210 |
| Recitation H | Jonan (jseeley) and Laura (lkoye) | R 9:30-10:20pm | GHC 5210 |
| Recitation I | Lauren (leheller) and Rhea (rkudtar1) | R 10:30-11:20am | GHC 5210 |
| Recitation D/J | Frank (frankh) and Mahima S. (mshanwar) | R 12:30-1:20pm | GHC 5207 |
| Recitation K | Tara (tarap) | R 1:30-2:20pm | GHC 5210 |
| Recitation L | Claudia (cosorio) and Harshini (hmalli) | R 3:30-4:20pm | GHC 5210 |
Office Hours
Piazza is monitored by TAs every day. This is a good place to ask short questions, and to review general questions asked by other students.
TA Hours take place
in the Gates 5th Floor Teaching Commons and clusters on weekdays, and in GHC 5222 on weekends via zoom. These are a good place to get help with the course material or homework assignments. When you have a question, sign up on the
OH Queue and a TA will come find you to help.
Make sure to include a link to a Zoom meeting in your question.
Instructor Hours take place in
Gates 4109 for Prof. Kelly and GHC 6003 for Prof. Margaret Zoom. This is a good place to ask questions directly of the instructor, or to get general course material help. Meetings with the instructors are also available by appointment.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| TA Hours | 6-8pm | 6-8pm | 6-8pm | 6-8pm | 6-8pm | 2-7pm | 2-7pm |
| Instructor Hours | 10-11am (Kelly) | 1-2:30pm (Margaret) | 1-2pm (Kelly) | 4-5:30pm (Margaret) | 1-2pm (Kelly) | None | None |
Walk-in Tutoring is available through the CMU peer tutoring program for 15-110 material. This tutoring program is separate from the in-course resources. Tutoring is available at the
this link on Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday 8:30-11pm.
Resources
- Piazza: Announcements will be made via Piazza, and it will be used for discussion and questions as well. Visit it frequently or set your preferences to send you an email whenever an announcement is made.
- OH Queue: TA Office Hours will use the OH Queue to organize student questions.
- Gradescope: Assignments will be completed and submitted through Gradescope, and feedback will be displayed there.
- Canvas: Grades will be posted on Canvas.
Grading
Students will complete six homework assignments over the course of the semester. Each homework assignment will take 2-3 weeks to complete. Students are required to complete a check-in assignment demonstrating their completion of a portion of the assignment in the weeks before the assignments are due. In addition to homework assignments, students will also be graded on participation, and will take three exams (one during the finals period).
Final Grades will be computed as follows:
- Check-in assignments: 15% (5 x 3% each)
- Homework assignments: 36% (6 x 6% each)
- Exams: 45% (3 x 15% each)
- Participation: 4%
Health and Wellness
Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress. All of us benefit from support during times of struggle. If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings of anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support. Contact the Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) office at 412-268-2922 and visit their website at
http://www.cmu.edu/counseling for more information.
If you or someone you know is in danger of self-harm, please call someone immediately, day or night:
CaPS: 412-268-2922
Re:solve Crisis Network: 888-796-8226
CMU Police: On-Campus 412-268-2323, Off-Campus 911