Introduction to CIS17: Methods and Expectations

Welcome to the introduction to programming logic, design and implementation. This course is designed to teach the fundamentals of programming logic prior to taking the more rigorous language courses. During the semester students will learn HTML so that they can start the creation of a portfolio, which is a requirement for all career students in the CIS Department. The portfolio should be added to as you take other courses. During your capstone course, the portfolio should be prepared for evaluation and use.

The Web site:

The Web site that you are currently visiting will contain all information for this course. It is a resource for students in the classroom and the method of delivery for students taking the course over the Web. The class notes, examples, sample programs and presentations will all posted at the site as well as the assignments. Your focus at the web site should be on the weekly schedule, which will point, you to the other site information that you need to read and study. I usually update the site four or five times a week, so be sure to check it on a regular basis. Note: Assignments will not be handed out in class; they are available on the Web.

The site for CIS17 also has a Blog where I can post information that is important and you can post information or questions. Other students can respond to your postings as well as myself.

The way this course works:

Students taking this course have three options:

They may choose to take it as a traditional classroom/lecture course and attend all or at least most classes
They may take the class entirely over the Web meaning that they will get notes and sample programs over the Web and they will communicate with me mainly through e-mail.
Students can blend the two approaches described above. If they have questions about the material, if they are confused about a specific topic, or if they just feel like attending class they are welcome to do so. If it is inconvenient to attend class or they feel that they understand the material and don't need the classroom activity, they can work through the Web site.

The information posted on the Web site will supplement the two text books required for this course.

Requirements:

All students taking the course must have an e-mail address. The college provides an email address or there are places where you can obtain a free address on the Web. As soon as you have an e-mail address send me an e-mail so I can put you into my system.

Students taking the course over the Web must communicate with me at least once a week via e-mail just to let me know they are still there!

For everyone in the class: If you miss more than two classes in a row, please send me an e-mail letting me know that you to still exist!

For in class students, sometimes assignments should be turned in on a given day so that I can discuss the concepts in class. In most cases, assignments should be turned in the week after they were assigned. Programs will have a specified due date that should be met. I accept late papers with no individual penalty or point loss. The problem is that there is a lot of work and if you get behind you risk completing the course. In addition, 10% of your grade is based on participation, quality of work, getting things in on time etc., so chronic lateness will affect your grade.
There will be a penalty for late quizzes (a grade if it is late and a grade for each week until the grade reaches a D - a quiz grade will never drop below a D based on lateness - you can only fail a quiz based on your answers). In most cases, a quiz cannot be resubmitted.

Submitting Assignments:

All students should send me assignments over the Web. Let me know if this is a problem. Students should pass in only one assignment per email. The assignment name should be on the subject line. If you have questions or need help, send a separate email with either the word question or help in the subject. I respond first to those emails and file the assignments to be corrected when I have accumulated a group.

On most assignments, if you get a bad grade you can either resubmit or do a make-up. If I have heavily corrected the assignment and the answers are there, needless to say you cannot resubmit. Make-up assignments will be posted on a regular basis or the student can ask that one be assigned.

Help:

If you need help, see me or e-mail me and we will figure out the best response. It is better to contact me as soon as you see signs of a problem! You can send me drafts of assignments with particular questions over e-mail and I will respond as soon as possible. With rare exception I check my Web site every day and on days when I am not at BCC, I usually check it multiple times. I am willing to set up review sessions or question and answer sessions for in class students, Web students or both. Questions and answers can also be done in the board room. Tutoring is available at TASC for students who would like to set up one or more tutoring sessions.