Syllabus
Prerequisites
The class will involve programming and debugging! You should not take the course if you find programming or debugging extremely difficult because you will have to master several programming languages/concepts/libraries in very short order. That being said, the assignments that require these will have useful resources for brushing up on the topics.
Required Textbooks
There is no required textbook for this course. Readings are drawn from a variety of books, readings and online postings, and will be provided by the instructor.
Amount of Work
This is a “6 unit” mini. As per university policy, this means that this course is expected to take students 12 hours per week, including class time. Surveys of previous students show that this is accurate.
Course Materials and Communications
- All assignments must be turned in using Canvas.
- Slides will be on this page; You will need to log in with your Andrew ID to access them.
- If you have questions related to course materials or logistics, please post them on Slack (See the link on Canvas).
- Please bring paper and something to write with to class. Sometimes I may ask you to upload a photo.
- If you have special requests, please email the TA at TBD. If the TA cannot answer your question, she will forward it to the instructor.
Attendance
Lectures will be held in-person twice a week. A good portion of the learning in any class comes from intelligent discussion. If you don’t attend class, you cannot participate, and your performance in the class will reflect that. Rather than taking attendance, there will be pop quizzes and also artifacts collected at the end of class that were generated from in-class activities.
In case the class transitions from in-person to online, the classes will be held synchronously via Zoom. It would be highly appreciated if your video were on. I expect your full attention, professionalism, and interactive participation as if this were a real in-person class. This arrangement is not to place undue stress on you, but rather provide the best educational experience.
Excused absences this course accepts are medical and family emergencies, academic conference travel, religious events, and a small set of approved collegiate activities. If in doubt, contact me to find a solution. Note that interviews, family vacations, weddings, sleeping through alarms, etc. are not excused. Your lowest two participation grades will be dropped, allowing you to miss up to two classes without impacting your grade.
Homework and Quizzes
You will have homework assignments each week. Each week there may also be a quiz based on the lecture content which you will complete via canvas. I will drop the 2 lowest quiz grades.
All assignments in this course are individual: you are required to do them by yourself.
Grading
Homework will be posted to canvas. The due date is posted as well. Each day late will result in a 10% deduction (up to a maximum of 50% off). Students caught cheating or plagiarizing will receive no credit for the assignment. Additional actions – including assigning the student a failing grade in the class or referring the case for disciplinary action – may be taken at the discretion of the instructor. Please note that Canvas has automated plagiarism detection built in now, so please do not cheat or turn-in uncited work.
Your final grade in this course will be based on:
- 80% Homeworks
- 10% Quizzes
- 10% Participation
Incompletes & Pass/Fail
It is the policy of this class to not give incompletes. Several assignments have in-class components, so you will need to have each one finished on time. There is no option to take DHCS pass/fail.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Among the many topics in this class, we will discuss many that relate to diversity, equity, and inclusion. As your professor, I am committed to fostering and supporting an inclusive environment in my class (which extends beyond the physical room). It is our goal that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives are well served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength, and benefit. Dimensions of diversity include race, age, national origin, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, intellectual and physical ability, sexual orientation, faith and non-faith perspectives, socio-economic class, political ideology, education, primary language, family status, military experience, cognitive style, and communication style. We are intentional in our aim to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity, based on these dimensions and any other visible and invisible differences not captured in this list. Your suggestions for ensuring that the class lives up to these values are encouraged and appreciated.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability and are registered with the Office of Disability Resources, we encourage you to use their online system to notify us of your accommodations and discuss your needs with us as early in the semester as possible. We will work with you to ensure that accommodations are provided as appropriate. If you suspect that you may have a disability and would benefit from accommodations but are not yet registered with the Office of Disability Resources, we encourage you to contact them at access@andrew.cmu.edu.
Health and Well-being
If you are experiencing COVID-like symptoms or have a recent COVID exposure, do not attend class if we are meeting in-person. Please email the instructors for accomodations.
If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support. Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) is here to help; call 412-268-2922 and visit their website at www.cmu.edu/counseling/. Consider reaching out to a friend, faculty or family member you trust for help getting connected to the support that can help. If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or in danger of self-harm, call someone immediately, day or night:
If the situation is life threatening, call the police. On campus call CMU Police: 412-268-2323. Off campus: 911.
If you have questions about this, please let the instructors know. Thank you, and have a great semester.