Coursework

Work in this class will include readings from the textbook and from additional sources I provide, weekly programming assignments, two one-hour exams, a final exam, and in-class activities including collaborative exercises and written quizzes.

The total course load is intended to be 12 hours per week (including class time); the load should be spread evenly across the semester.

• Grading: Final grades are determined by the weighted average of exam scores (15% for the two one-hour exams, 30% for the final), quizzes (10%) and homeworks (30%). I reserve the right to adjust final grades based on in-class participation and other factors.

• Exams: The two midterm exams are scheduled for Wednesday 6 October and Wednesday 10 November. The final exam is scheduled for exam slot 2. If you cannot attend one of the exams, please let me know as soon as possible so that we can make arrangements.

  If you miss a midterm for an extremely legitimate reason, your final grade will be based on the other exams. If you miss a midterm without a legitimate reason, you will receive a zero. If you miss two midterms or the final for any reason, you cannot pass the class.

• Assignments: We will have weekly assignments that are meant to give you an opportunity to apply and practice the material we cover in lecture. You will get the most benefit from these assignments if you work on them alone, although you are of course free to discuss the problems with other students and me.

In any class like this, it is difficult to draw a sharp line between accceptable and unacceptable forms of collaboration. Here are some guidelines that might help:

1.

In general, it is acceptable to talk about programs using natural languages, but not acceptable to use any formal language, and especially not Java. In other words, you should not be looking at other people's code or showing them yours.

2.

It is never acceptable to present someone else's work as if it were your own. Unless stated otherwise, I will assume that all work you hand in is yours and yours alone. If you work with another student, you must acknowledge that student's contribution in writing on your assignment. If you get help from me or a TA that constitutes a significant part of the assignment, you should acknowledge that, too. If you are not sure, err on the side of caution.

3.

Copying other people's code is a serious violation and may be regarded as a disciplinary matter. It is sometimes tempting to make superficial changes to copied code to disguise it, but I should warn you that (1) similarity between programs is often more obvious than you think, and (2) any attempt to disguise cheating will be regarded as an admission of guilt, and will be treated as a more serious offense, since it compounds plagiarism with further deceit.