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\emph{Digital Sciences DSCI 15310 Computational Thinking and Programming}\\
Section 001\\
Call Number 14807\\
\textbf{SYLLABUS} (tentative)\\
Summer 2012
\end{center}
\begin{description}
\item[Course Organization]
This course is 100\% online. Materials will be delivered through Blackboard
Vista (\htmladdnormallink{https://vista8.kent.edu}{https://vista8.kent.edu}).
You will be reading the textbook,
listening to lectures and doing exercises and submitting them through Vista.
There will also be homework which will be submitted in the same manner. 

Blackboard Vista Discussion Forums will be
available for your convenience, or you can submit questions via email.

The course is divided into twelve units; two for the first week, then we will
sometimes cover one unit, sometimes two each folowing week.
%\item[Time and Place:]
%Monday, Wednesday, 12:30 - 1:45 PM in room 121 MCS aka MSB;
\item[Instructor:]
Michael Rothstein, office 268 MSB, phone 330-672-9065.
\item[Email address:]
rothstei at cs.kent.edu (The address mrothste at kent.edu will not work too well
because I do not check it as often; for a quicker response, the first address
is recommended.) (Substitute @ for `` at '').\\
Best way to reach me is through email at the cs.kent.edu address or during my
office hours. 
I recommend you email me directly; do not use Vista or Blackboard email.
Though I try to reprogram Vista to send the email to the appropriate place, it
always gets reset back. Email to rothstei at cs.kent.edu is the recommended
option.
I will try to answer email within 24 hours, with priority given to cs email.
However, please do not count on an instant response; I may be otherwise
occupied.
\item[Instructor's Web address:]
\htmladdnormallink{http://www.cs.kent.edu/~rothstei}
{http://www.cs.kent.edu/~rothstei}
This website will contain a copy of this syllabus and a link to the Vista
site for the course.
\item[Please Note:]
The syllabus may be changed during the semester if necesary: changes will be 
announced; they will also show up on Vista and the instructor's website.
\newpage
\item[Office Hours:] \hspace{3cm}\\
%\begin{tabular}{ll}
Monday:  4:00 to 6:00\\
Tuesday:  4:00 to 6:00\\
Thursday:  4:00 to 6:00\\
%\end{tabular}\\
Also, you can always send email with questions and/or to 
set up an appointment. I try to answer email within 24 hours, with priority
given to cs email. Email use is to be preferred over voicemail, which will
not be checked as often.

During office hours, you will also be able to contact me through Wimba; go to
course site, course content, click on the last icon (after all the available
units) and then click on ``Enter this room''. You will be able to use your
mike to talk to me, use your speakers to listen to me and I will have a camera
though which you will be able to see me (if you don't see me in the camera, I
may have stepped out for a minute...)
\item[Course Goals:]
There are several goals to this course:
\begin{enumerate}
\item Learn a form of reasoning, or problem solving, called Computational
  Thinking.
\item Learn what a computer can do and the primitive operations it can
  perform.
\item Learn what an algorithm is and learn to design simple algorithms.
\item Learn a subset of a certain programming language called Python.
This subset includes:
\begin{enumerate}
\item loops
\item if then-else and branching
\item strings lists and dictionaries
\item functions, procedures and their use for top-down design.
\item files
\item introduction to classes
\end{enumerate}
\end{enumerate}
This course will require a lot of extra work; just like a language is only
learned with practice, a programming language and programming itself, can
only be learned with lots of practice. A course similar to this has earned a
reputation as a tough course because of the time required. In a regular term.
I usually suggest about 10 to 12 hours of weekly work; for a summer session,
probably 20 to 25 hours weekly of study and practice will be needed.
\item[Textbook:]
Punch, William and Enbody, Richard, \emph{The Practice of Computing Using
  PYTHON\/} Addison-Wesley, 2011 ISBN 978-0-13-611067-5. (Note we are still
using the first edition). Available as an eText from CourseSmart.com; use\\
\htmladdnormallink
{http://www.coursesmart.com/9780132142908?\_\_professorview=false\&\_\_instructor=1110661}
{http://www.coursesmart.com/9780132142908?\_\_professorview=false\&\_\_instructor=1110661}\\
Another useful book is:\\
Downey, Allen B. \emph{Think Python: How to Think Like a Computer Scientist\/}
Green Tea Press, 2010. This book is  available at its website\- 
\htmladdnormallink{http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/thinkpython.html}
{http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/thinkpython.html}
%\newpage
\item[Other useful resources:]
There are several resources on campus that will enable you to have more
success in this course:
\begin{enumerate}
\item For issues related to your computer, system software or software
  downloaded from the University Website, please contact the University
  Helpdesk at (330)-672-HELP (330-672-4357) or at their website:
  \htmladdnormallink{http://support.kent.edu}{http://support.kent.edu};
  they are there to help you.
\item For help with the course, there is help in the form of tutors from the
  Computer Science Department and from the College. However, your instructor
  will be more than happy to help you through any difficulties you may have
  with course. In particular the discussion forums are there
  for that purpose.
\item For help with Blackboard Vista, there are a collection of PDF files you can
  look at at
\htmladdnormallink{http://www.et.kent.edu/elearning/bbVista/?page\_id=1577}
{http://www.et.kent.edu/elearning/bbVista/?page\_id=1577}
%go to the Blackboard Tutorial site:
%\htmladdnormallink{http://www.kent.edu/is/edtech/elearning/student/index.cfm}
%{http://www.kent.edu/is/edtech/elearning/student/index.cfm}
\end{enumerate}
\item[Other necesary materials:]
You will need to download some software to run on your computer:
\begin{enumerate}
\item
You will need a PYTHON interpreter. It is freely available.
The current version is 2.7, but most
things are the same; PYTHON 2.7 just has more features than 2.6.
For Windows users, you will need to download the whole thing from
\htmladdnormallink{http://www.python.org}{http://www.python.org}. The details
are specified in Appendix A in the textbook. It is strongly recommended you
download this as soon as possible: you will get the Python interpreter, a
program that allows you to write Python programs and test them (an editor 
called Idle after actor Eric Idle); this is called a ``Software Development
Environment'', and some references and tutorials.

For people using MACs and Linux Computers, you already have Python running in
your computer! Python is so useful that many people have incorporated it into
the operating system. You may even have Idle (just open a console box and type
``idle'' (without the quotations) and see what happens. In the worst case,
you might want to download the whole thing also. Note that the version of
Python available on your system might not be the latest.

\item
If you are trying to access campus information from outside campus, you will
need the campus VPN; you can download that from the University Helpdesk
\htmladdnormallink{http://support.kent.edu}{http://support.kent.edu}.
Contact the Helpdesk if you need help with this item.
\end{enumerate}
%\item[Material to be covered:]
%We will cover the material, mostly from the textbook, from chapters
%0 through 11 and some material from the \\
%\htmladdnormallink{Python Website on mixing languages}
%{http://docs.python.org/extending/}. Each unit (except the first)
%corresponds to one of the chapters in the book.
\item[Subject and Units Calendar]
As mentioned before, this course is broken up into 12 units, the first has some
introductory material, the others correspond to a chapter in
the book. Not all the material in each
chapter will be covered, in particular, we will only cover a few examples.
Also, we will only cover until chapter 11.
The table of subjects and units follows:\\
\begin{tabular}{|c|c|c|p{2.5in}|}
\hline
Week of & Units & Source & \multicolumn{1}{c}{Material} \\
\hline
Jun 4 & 0 & Syllabus and Videos & Syllabus; First Python Program \\
Jun 4 & 1 & Chapter 0 & Computers and Computer Science\\
Jun 11 & 2 & Chapter 1 & Variables, objects (data) and operators.\\
Jun 18 & 3 & Chapter 2 & Boolean variables, if while, for statements, 1st
program due, Midterm 1\\
Jun 25 & 4 and 5 & Chapters 3 and 4 & Algorithm and Program development, Functions,
strings, 2d program due\\
Jul 2 & 6 and 7 & Chapters 5 and 6 & Writing functions, list, tuples, mutable
objects, 3d program due, Midterm 2 \\
Jul 9 & 8 and 9 & Chapters 7 and 8 & Advanced function usage, Dictionaries and sets, 4th program due\\
Jul 16 & 10 and 11 & Chapters 9 and 10 & Files, and divide and conquer\\
Jul 23 & 12 & Chapter 11 & Introduction to classes, 5th program due, Final Exam\\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\item[University Prerequisite:]
Technically, there is no prerequisite; however,  some
familiarity with reading and writing algebraic formulas will be useful.
\item[Other Prequisites:]
You need to be able to use a computer, to use the web, to download programs
and use them. You will not be able to progress in the course without these
skills.
\item[Work policy]
Each unit has some graded work assigned to it; your grade for that work will
show up on Blackboard at the end of the corresponding week; if you don't
complete the work by the deadline, your work will be a 0; a chance will be
given for you to make up the work for partial credit during the succeding
weeks; I want you to succeed and will bend over backwards for you to do so.
\item[The 30 minute rule] If you have difficulty with a concept, mull it over;
  try to listen to the lecture again; if after thirty minutes you are still
  having difficulties, please email me. We can work through the issue together
  and post the answer so other people may benefit.
\item[On online communications:]
Please check your KSU email at least every other day; grades will be posted on
Blackboard Vista at the end of each week.
When sending online communications,
remember that nobody sees your face, or even your calligraphy, when they read
them, so try to:
\begin{itemize}
\item
Be as professional and matter of fact as possible: avoid strong,
abusive language; also avoid humor or sarcasm, it can be misinterpreted.
\item
An online classroom is still a classroom: even though the class is online,
appropriate behavior is still mandatory; the University has strict rules about
disruptive behavior. Respect for your classmates and your instructor is more
important than ever.
\item
There are some conventions in online communication: among them: avoid the use
of all capitals: it appears as shouting: an emphasis effect can be acheived 
if needed by using underline characters \_like\_this\_.
Emoticons ( ``smileys'' ) can also be used, but use them sparingly.
\item
Be considerate of other people's privacy; do not give out other people's
information without their explicit permission.
\item
Do not distribute inappropriate material: no jokes, chain letters, virus
warnings, etc. to classmates or other University personnel.
Sharing pornography is strictly forbidden and may be viewed as sexual abuse.
\end{itemize}
%\item[Attendance policy:]
%By initiative of the Provost of the University, I have been charged with
%keeping full attendance records, at least for the first ten weeks of the
%semester. Though I will not compute these records into your final averages,
%when I assign letter grades, I will give you a slightly better grade if
%you have a better attendance record.
%Notwithstanding the above, if you are absent, there may be material created,
%either spontaneously or in response to questions, and covered in the
%classroom; often there will not be any written notes of this material, so it
%might be a good idea to team up with somebody who keeps good notes to make sure
%you have all the material covered. Some of this material may show up in an exam%.
%
%Read the text. Only general reading assignments will be given. The class will
%mostly cover material in the same order as the text book, there may be
%exceptions however. It is the student's responsibility to maintain an
%awareness of the material in the text that is currently being covered. Ask the
%instructor if you are unsure of the text material currently being covered.
%\item[On Clickers:] Clickers are required for this course. They will be used
%for quizzes and eventually to take attendance. (Initially I will take
%attendance manually in order to get aquainted with you).
%See \htmladdnormallink{this University guide}
%{http://www.cs.kent.edu/~rothstei/ClickerPrimer4Students.pdf} on Clicker use
%for indications on how to obtain clicker functionality and registering it.
%%\newpage
%\item[Class disruptions:]
%Disruptions should be kept to a minimum; these include (in increasing order of
%seriousness):
%\begin{enumerate}
%\item Early departure (if announced and done discreetly: please sit near the
%  door so that as few people as possible notice.)
%\item Late arrival
%\item Use of electronic devices or other devices which may interfere with
%  your or other student's participation. Laptops are acceptable for taking
%  notes, however, please sit in the last row of the room so that your screen
%  does not distract/block other students.
%\item Conversation among students.
%\item Aiding and/or abetting these or any other student's disruptive behaviors.
%\end{enumerate}
%Guidelines pertaining to class disruptions are outlined in 
%
%\htmladdnormallink{Chapter 4 of the University Policy Register}
%{http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/chap4/index.cfm} in section 4 - 02.2.

%In summary, serious violators will be subject to:
%\begin{enumerate}
%\item Instructions to cease and desist, usually indicated by class being
%  stopped.
%\item A request for the offender(s) to withdraw from the classroom.
%\item If that fails, Campus Police will be called in.
%\end{enumerate}
%In all cases, the matter will be referred to University Authorities.
%\item[Lab:] This course has a mandatory lab associated with it.
%  \emph{Lab attendance is required.}The lab has a different instructor and
%  details on how the lab is conducted will be given in the lab meetings. The
%  lab instructor gives the lab scores to the lecture instructor. You must pass
%  both the lab and the lecture part of the course to pass the course.
%
%  The lab grade is worth 30\% of the total grade
%item[Assignment on ``Hacking Elections'':]
%ince the year 2000, a lot has been said and done about election fraud;
%fter the Florida Fiasco, electronic voting machines were mandated accross
%he land. Your assignment is to determine how election fraud could be
%ommitted with present-day equipment. If you are not eligibel to vote, or
%oted absentee, your assignment consists of a survey of famous past election
%rauds. This assignment is due November 12th.
\item[Grading:]
Your grade will be based on periodic exercise, quiz and discussion grades, two
midterms, one final, and assorted programming exercises assigned as homework.
% assorted quizzes throughout the term,
%and a ``class participation grade'', based on the number of relevant
%questions asked: though I don't believe there are any dumb questions, they do
%have to be relevant to the class material; specially good questions or catching
%my mistakes get extra points.
The weights are:\\
\begin{tabular}{lr}
Class Discussions & 10\% \\
Programming homework & 20\% \\
Weekly Exercises and quizzes (the total) & 20\% \\
Midterm 1 (Last week of September) & 15\% \\
Midterm 2 (First Week of November) & 15\% \\
Final (Finals Week) & 20\%
\end{tabular}

All quizzes and exams will be comprehensive. This includes the final.
%The midterms and finals will be given on-line, with instructions to be
%distributed later.
\item[Test make-up policy:]
I will need signed documentation to verify individual absences in order to
provide make-ups; only university accepted reasons will be honored.
%\item[Averaging algorithm:]
 %The three tests will be worth 20\%, 30\% and 40\% respectively.
%The exercises are (collectively) worth 10\% of the grade.
%%Each test will be worth 20\%, and the final will be worth 40\%.
\item[Grading scale:]
%(I usually give a grading scale which is quite rigorous: if it is
%in place from the beginning, there is little room for complaint:
%in addition, I DO NOT follow it: I actually use something more like:
%\par
%\begin{tabular}{cl}
%92-100 & for an A\\
%84-91 & for a B\\
%76-83 & for a C\\
%68-75 & for a D
%\end{tabular}
%\par
%or sometimes even lower: a lot depends on the severity of the tests
%and final and your gut feelings. In order to allay their feelings about
%arbitrariness, I fill this space in as follows:)
%\par
I will assign number grades during the session
and only convert them to letter grades when I turn them in at the end
of the session. No decision can be made regarding a conversion table 
until the very last minute due to such imponderables as test difficulty, class
participation, etc. which will influence the grade. However,
I guarantee the following, worst case, table:
\par
\begin{tabular}{cl}
97-100 & will convert into an A\\  %93
94-96 & will convert into at least an A-\\  %90
91-93 & will convert into at least a B+\\   %87
88-90 & will convert into at least a B\\    %83
85-87 & will convert into at least a B-\\   %80
82-84 & will convert into at least a C+\\   %77
79-81 & will convert into at least a C\\    %73
76-78 & will convert into at least a C-\\   %70
73-75 & will convert into at least a D+\\   %67
66-72 & will convert into at least a D      %60
\end{tabular}
\item[Special accommodations for Students with Disabilities:]
University
policy 3342-3-01.3 requires that students with disabilities be
provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course
content. If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please
contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements
for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first verify your
eligibility for these through Student Accessability Services (contact
330-672-3391 or visit:\\
\htmladdnormallink{http://www.kent.edu/sas}
{http://www.kent.edu/sas}
for more information on registration
procedures). 
\item[Registration Requirement:]
The official registration deadline for this course is
June 10, 2012. University policy requires all students to be officially
registered in each class they are attending. Students who are not officially
registered for a course by published deadlines should not be attending classes
and will not receive credit or a grade for the course. Each student must
confirm enrollment by checking his/her class schedule (using Student Tools in
FlashFast) prior to the deadline indicated. Registration errors must be
corrected prior to the deadline.

The last withdrawal date for this course is July 8, 2012.
\item[On cheating, plagiarism and other unethical behavior:]
You are encouraged to discuss class problems with other students
but required to work independently of anybody else
except the  instructors and/or a tutor, unless otherwise indicated.
%All work for this class should be done individually.
%In the case of homework, the only cooperation implicitly allowed is that
%students may discuss between themselves the broad outline of the work.
Copying other people's work, allowing your work to be copied (even
inadvertently!) and plagiarizing work will not be tolerated and
will be dealt with according to University regulations,
as described in the University Policies and Procedures, a condensed version
of which is attached.

Notes:
\begin{enumerate}
\item By default, the penalty for cheating in this course is an ``F'' in the course.
\item University regulations require me to notify Student Conduct in case of violations.
\item Cooperation is just as bad as the deed itself: so, deciding
which of two is the original is a non-issue: both are equally guilty.
\end{enumerate}
%{\em Digest of Rules and Regulations}, available through:\\
%\htmladdnormallink{http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/chap3/3-01-8.cfm}
%{http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/chap3/3-01-8.cfm}

\end{description}
%\newpage
\normalsize
                                   
\subsection*{
ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY AND PROCEDURES REGARDING STUDENT CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM}
\small
\emph{Condensed Version}

\normalsize
\vspace{20pt}
Complete policy and procedure are available in Chapter 3 of the University
Policy Register, 
\htmladdnormallink{http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/chap3/index.cfm}
{http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/chap3/index.cfm}, section 3 - 01.8

Cheating and plagiarism constitute fraudulent misrepresentation for which no
credit can be given and for which appropriate sanctions are warranted and will
be applied.

The university affirms that acts of cheating and plagiarism by students
constitute a subversion of the goals of the institution, have no place in the
university and are serious offenses to academic goals and objectives, as well
as to the rights of fellow students.

``Cheat'' means to intentionally misrepresent the source, nature, or other
conditions of academic work so as to accrue undeserved credit, or to cooperate
with someone else in such misrepresentation. Cheating includes, but is not
limited to:

\begin{enumerate}
\item 
Obtaining or retaining partial or whole copies of examinations, tests or
quizzes before these are distributed for student use;
\item 
Using notes, textbooks or other information in examinations, tests and
quizzes, except as expressly permitted;
\item 
Obtaining confidential information about examinations, tests or quizzes
other than that released by the instructor;
\item 
Securing, giving or exchanging information during examinations;
\item 
Presenting data or other material gathered by another person or group as
one's own;
\item 
Falsifying experimental data or information;
\item 
Having another person take one's place for any academic performance without
the specific knowledge and permission of the instructor;
\item 
Cooperating with another to do one or more of the above;
\item 
Using a substantial portion of a piece of work previously submitted for
another course or program to meet the requirements of the present course or
program without notifying the instructor to whom the work is presented; and
\item 
Presenting falsified information in order to postpone or avoid
examinations, tests, quizzes, or other academic work.
\end{enumerate}

``Plagiarize'' means to take and present as one's own a material portion of the
ideas or words of another or to present as one's own an idea or work derived
from an existing source without full and proper credit to the source of the
ideas, words, or works. As defined, plagiarize includes, but is not limited to:
\begin{enumerate}
\item[a.]
The copying of words, sentences and paragraphs directly from the work of
another without proper credit;
\item[b.]
The copying of illustrations, figures, photographs, drawings, models, or
other visual and nonverbal materials, including recordings of another without
proper credit; and
\item[c.]
The presentation of work prepared by another in final or draft form as one's
own without citing the source, such as the use of purchased research papers.
\end{enumerate}

\subsubsection*{Academic Sanctions}

The following academic sanctions are provided by this rule for offenses of
cheating or plagiarism. Kent campus instructors shall notify the department
chairperson and the student conduct office each time a sanction is imposed.
Regional campus instructors shall notify the regional campus dean and the
student conduct officer each time a sanction is imposed. Regional campus
student conduct officer shall notify the Kent student conduct office each time
a sanction is imposed by a regional campus Instructor. The following academic
sanctions are provided by this rule for offenses of cheating or plagiarism. In
those cases the instructor may:

\begin{enumerate}

\item 
Refuse to accept the work for credit; or
\item 
Assign a grade of ``F'' or zero for the project, test, paper, examination or
other work in which the cheating or plagiarism took
place; or
\item 
Assign a grade of ``F'' for the course in which the cheating or plagiarism
took place; and/or;
\item 
Recommend to the department chair or regional campus dean that further
action specified in the rule be taken. The
department chairperson or regional campus dean shall determine whether or not
to forward to the academic dean or to the
vice president for the extended university a recommendation for further
sanction under this rule.
\end{enumerate}

%\subsubsection*{Academic Appeals}
%
%
%The general principle that applies to the following procedures is that an
%appeal is directed to the administrative level immediately above the unit from
%which the appeal emanates.
%
%Appeals are limited to the following reasons:
%
%\begin{enumerate}
%\item[a.]
%The decision is arbitrary or unreasonable,
%\item[b.]
%The decision resulted from a procedural error,
%\item[c.]
%The decision is not in accordance with the facts presented,
%\item[d.]
%New information is available which may suggest modification of the decision.
%\end{enumerate}

%For complete policy and procedure go to www.kent.edu/policyregister 
%3342-3-01.8, available at
%\htmladdnormallink{http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/chap3/3-01-8.cfm}
%{http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/chap3/3-01-8.cfm}.


\end{document}
