Applied Programming Syllabus

ISCI 6310 Fall 2018

Instructor Information

Name	:	Terry Sergeant	Office Hours
E-Mail	:	tsergeant@hsutx.edu	MW	10:00-11:00; 1:30-2:30
Office	:	JB 322	TTh	8:30-9:30; 1:30-3:00
Phone	:	325-670-1292	F	10:00-11:00
Web Site	:	http://josephus.hsutx.edu

Summary

Description	:	Students will become proficient in constructing small-scale computer programs to solve a variety of problems. Topics include control structures, functions, arrays, objects, text-manipulation, calculations, and interacting with production APIs. No prior programming experience is required. Solid analytical skills and tenacity are required.
Prerequisite	:	None
Required Resources	:	You will need ready access to a computer (with a keyboard). Also, we will be doing exercises from the book A Smarter Way to Learn Python: Learn it faster. Remember it longer. by Mark Myers.

Course Objectives

Students who satisfactorily complete this course will (hopefully) be able to:

demonstrate proficiency in constructing small-scale computer programs in Python
independently construct Python code that will correctly implement solutions to problems that require the following concepts or techniques: control structures, functions, arrays, objects, text-manipulation, calculations, and interacting with production APIs
express a solution to a natural language problem in a working program

Grading

Your grade in the course will be earned / calculated as follows:

quizzes		10%
public exercises		10%
homework		20%
midterm exam		30%
final exam		30%

A	$\rightarrow$	90	-	100
B	$\rightarrow$	80	-	89
C	$\rightarrow$	70	-	79
D	$\rightarrow$	60	-	69
F	$\rightarrow$	0	-	59

Quizzes are graded, timed assessments that must be taken on the specified day. Answers to quizzes will be made available the following day. To be proficient in a programming language it is necessary for you to have memorized various facts/notation. The purpose of having the quizzes timed is that it does not leave time for you to ``look up'' information that should be memorized. Quizzes not taken in the required window will receive a grade of zero.

Public Exercises

Public exercises required you to write Python code to solve a problem and then post your solution at the appropriate discussion board. Then you will read/view solutions posted by other students and posts appropriate comments or questions. The purpose of the public exercises is to see that problems can be solved in multiple ways to provide practice in reading and understanding code written by others. Public exercises submitted after the due date will receive a grade of zero.

Homework Assignments

Homework in this course serves as a significant conduit for helping students become proficient programmers. In order to become a proficient programmer you must practice solving problems independently. The ideal, therefore, is that each student should make a habit of completing every homework assignment without assistance. There are times, however, when you may become stuck and require assistance. Therefore:

When working a homework assignment you must not make any sort of electronic copy of work that is not your own. Also, you must type assignments yourself. Failure to abide by these rules is a violation of the academic integrity standards for this course.

A homework assignment is considered late if it is not submitted at or before the beginning of the due date. Late homework assignments will receive a 30% point penalty and must be completed within a week or the original due date. Assignments that miss the one week deadline will receive a grade of zero.

Exams

Exams are comprehensive, timed, monitored, and to be completed without exeternal aids except for those specifically allowed in the exam instructions. You will be required to take the exam during a specific window and will be monitored. Receiving improper help is a violation of the academic integrity policy.

Students with Disabilities

Any student with a professionally diagnosed learning disability and/or other professionally diagnosed disability that may affect course performance may choose to seek accommodation. Eligible students seeking accommodation should contact the Office of the Director of Undergraduate Advising and Disabilities of such as soon as possible in the academic term (preferably during the first two weeks of a long semester) for which they are seeking accommodations. The director will prepare letters to appropriate faculty members concerning specific, reasonable academic adjustments for the student. The student is responsible for delivering accommodation letters and conferring with faculty members. Please refer to the most recent version of the Undergraduate Catalog for the complete policy. (Rachel King, Director of Undergraduate Advising and Disabilities, Office: SM-209, Phone: 670-5842, Email: disabilityservices@hsutx.edu)

Academic Integrity

Violations of academic integrity have been described to some degree in other sections of this syllabus.

Cases of suspected academic dishonesty will be handled in accordance with university policies outlined in Undergraduate Catalog and in the Student Handbook. The current catalog prescribes that ``no student who has violated the Academic Integrity Policy will be allowed to graduate from Hardin-Simmons University with honors.'' Penalties will be assigned at the discretion of the instructor and typically range from failure on the assignment to failure of the course. A general rule-of-thumb is that a first offense (if not too major) will result in a zero on the assignment and a second offense will result in an F for the course. The current catalog states that an F earned in this way cannot be replaced by retaking the course.

Computer Account Use

The instructor may occasionally use email to communicate with the class as a whole or with individuals. When contacting you for this course the instructor will use your HSU email account. You are expected to check your HSU email account at least once per day and you will be held responsible for any content distributed in this way.

Attendance

Regarding class attendance, the Undergraduate Catalog states:

Accordingly, absence from more than 25 percent of class meetings and/or laboratory sessions scheduled for a course (including absences because of athletic participation) is regarded as excessive, and a grade of F may be assigned as deemed appropriate by the professor.

Course Calendar and Class Structure

We may vary from this outline somewhat but the exam dates are firm.

Week	Topic / Schedules
Week 1	Input/Output
Week 2	Basic Math
Week 3	If Statements
Week 4	Lists
Week 5	While Loops
Week 6	Functions
Week 7	More Lists / Nested Loops
Midterm Week	Fri 19 Oct: Midterm Exam
Week 8	Data Files and Timing Code
Week 9	Dictionaries
Week 10	Lists of Dictionaries
Week 11	Working with CSVs
Week 12	Working with APIs
Week 13	Classes
Final Week	Fri 07 Dec: Final Exam