CPTR 124
Fundamentals of Programming Fall 2014

Home Code Final Exam Study Guide Labs WebGrades


Instructor

Rick Halterman

School of Computing
1117E Hickman Hall
Southern Adventist University
Collegedale, TN 37315-0370
423-236-2871

halterman@southern.edu
http://computing.southern.edu/halterman

Office Hours: http://computing.southern.edu/halterman/General/OfficeHours


Course Venue

HSC 1307    MWF 8:00–8:50 am
HSC 1303    T 1:00–3:30 pm or W 1:00–3:30 pm


Textbook

Halterman, Richard L. Fundamentals of Python Programming. 2014.


Prerequisite

Math ACT ≥ 22 or Math SAT ≥ 520 or MATH 116 College Algebra, or permission of instructor


Purpose

Catalog description:

CPTR 124. Fundamentals of Programming (G-1) 4 hours
Prerequisite: Math ACT ≥ 22 or Math SAT ≥ 520 or MATH 116 or permission of instructor.
Control structures, data types, data representation, compiling, debugging, modularity, and standard programming algorithms are introduced, using an object oriented language. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory each week.

This course has three objectives:

  1. to develop the ability to correctly analyze a variety of problems and generate appropriate algorithmic solutions
  2. to explore the syntax and usage of the Python programming language as a means of accomplishing the first objective
  3. to examine the software development environment and associated tools.


Class Requirements and Grading

Class Work. The following class activities, weighted as indicated, determine the student's overall average for the course.

Activity

Weight

Assignments

20%

Worksheets

20%

Quizzes

20%

Midterm Examination

20%

Final Examination

20%

Grade Distribution. The overall average determines the course grade according to the following table:

Overall Average
(a)

Letter
Grade

92 ≤ a

     A

90 ≤ a < 92

     A–

88 ≤ a < 90

     B+

82 ≤ a < 88

     B

80 ≤ a < 82

     B–

78 ≤ a < 80

     C+

70 ≤ a < 78

     C

60 ≤ a < 70

     C–

58 ≤ a < 60

     D+

52 ≤ a < 58

     D

50 ≤ a < 52

     D–

a < 50

     F

CPTR 124 Fundamentals of Programming is a 4-hour course that includes an integrated laboratory component. As indicated above, the lab assignments contribute to the overall course grade. The lab is not a separate course in the catalog, but for scheduling purposes the University registration system requires a separate 0-hour entry for the lab. The grade for this 0-hour lab entry is Pass/Fail, determined as follows:

Whether P or F, the 0-hour lab entry does not contribute to a student's overall GPA.

Remarks

Laboratories and assignments. Attendance at laboratory sessions is required as this is a four credit-hour course. All lab assignments are due at the designated time and date. Late assignments will be penalized.

Ethics. It is expected that each student work individually on individual programming assignments.  For team assignments, collaboration is limited to teammates.  Programming problems on tests will be based largely on the experience gained by doing past lab assignments, so it is important that each student develop his/her own programs for adequate preparation for the examinations. In a team programming environment, each team member is expected to understand the workings of the complete program regardless of the division of responsibilities during development. 

The programming assignments are meant to be learning experiences. It is OK to get legitimate help from others. As long as each student develops his or her own logic and code, it is permissible to help each other over occasional rough spots. Legitimate help includes pointing out simple corrections or providing hints about how to structure a solution. Explaining to a classmate how a particular Python language feature works independent of its use within their program is always permissible and welcome. Helping to extinguish a particularly puzzling compiler error also is acceptable behavior.

INAPPROPRIATE help includes “I do not know what you are doing, but here, look at my code, this is how I did it.” Or, even worse, “I’ll send you my code so you can see how I did it.” Providing clues or hints to nudge in the right direction is much more beneficial to learning.

It obviously is bad if you submit someone else’s work as your own, but, as is common in academic settings, knowingly enabling the opportunity for someone else to copy your work also is bad.

Except among teammates, portions of programs should never be shared. Those involved in allowing their programs, or parts of their programs, to be copied, or copying from other students' programs risk receiving a score of 0 on the assignment and a grade of F in the course.

Please take care as you are providing help to others. It IS OK to help others, and you SHOULD help others as you can, but giving others your code or doing their work for them is not really the help they need.

If you have any questions or concerns about this matter, please do not hesitate to ask the instructor for clarification.

Class study. Appropriate study for the course includes reading the textbook (at least as far as last class's lecture material), experimenting with the programs from the book and programs we develop in class, and working through the exercises at the end of each chapter.

Weekly quizzes encourage students to remain current in their class preparation. Quiz contents are based on material covered in the preceding classes. Usually quizzes will be distributed at the beginning of the class period. Missed quizzes may not be made up; however, the lowest quiz score will be dropped during the last week of the semester.

Class periods that do not offer a quiz may include a worksheet to be completed during the class period by the student. Careful attention in class facilitates the completion of the worksheet. Missed worksheets may not be made up; however, the lowest two worksheet scores will be dropped during the last week of the semester.

Class decorum. Please comply with the standards of classroom attire as specified in the Student Handbook.  Notebook computers are welcome, and the classroom and lab (generally) have an excellent wireless signal.  Those with computers should mute the volume and sit in the rear of the class so as not to distract students behind them.  Electronic devices must be turned off during quizzes and tests.  You are expected to remain in the classroom during quizzes and tests, so be sure to take care of affairs (such as bathroom visits and tissue acquisition) before you sit for the quiz or test.

Examinations The dates for each test is listed in this syllabus. In certain situations, due to unavoidable circumstances, a missed test may be made up. Arrangements for the retake should be made before the time of the originally scheduled test. The make-up test may vary greatly in form from the original test, but its content (topics addressed) will be the same. Because of this difference, any points added (the so called "curve") to tests taken during the regularly scheduled time may not apply to retakes.

Please note the date and time for our final exam listed below. You need to plan to take your final exam at the scheduled time. Please make your work and vacation plans accordingly. Academic Administration will grant approval for variance from the published exam schedule only in cases of verified, serious, illness or a death in the immediate family. Academic Administration may, in case of exceptional and unavoidable circumstances, approve a variance, in consultation with the professor of this course. A $65 processing fee may be assessed.

Extra credit. Since the assigned material and activities are sufficient for most students, no extra credit will be available for additional work. However, well-prepared students wishing to enhance their learning experience beyond the class activities will be directed, upon request, to additional resources. Any such additional work will not influence the grade for this class.  

SAU account.  All students must have an active Southern Adventist University email account. This account is necessary to receive class messages and to be able to use the computers in the programming lab.

It is important that you check your southern.edu email account frequently (at least daily, if possible) so you you do not miss potentially important information about this course. Please use use your southern.edu email account when contacting the instructor; if you use a non-Southern account, your message may not make it through the University's spam filter.

Disability Statement. In keeping with university policy, any student with a disability who needs academic accommodations should call Disability Support Services at 423-236-2574 or Lynn Wood Hall, room 137, to arrange a confidential appointment with the Disability Services Coordinator (DSC) before or during the first week of classes. (Students who request accommodations after the third week of the semester might not complete the process in time to receive accommodations for that semester.) Legally, no retroactive accommodations can be provided. For more details, visit the Disability Support Services website at www.southern.edu/disability support.

Accommodations for disabilities are available only as recommended by Disability Support Services. Students whose accommodations are approved will be provided confidential letters which students should review and discuss with their professors in relation to particular course requirements.


Topics

Week Beginning

Text Chapter

Topics

August 24

1

Context of software development, tools, Wing IDE 101 IDE, writing and runnning Python programs

August 31

2

Values, variables, identifiers, assignment, reserved words, console input and output integers, floating-point numbers, strings, Booleans, eval function, formatting output

September 7

3

Arithmetic operators, expressions, mixed-type expressions, operator precedence and associativity, comments, formatting, types of errors, algorithms

September 14

4

Conditional execution: relational operators, Boolean expressions, if statement, compound Boolean expressions, if/else, multi-way if/elif/else, nested conditionals, conditional expressions, typical errors in conditional statements

September 21

5

Iteration: while loops, for loops, nested loops, abnormal termination with break and continue, infinite loops

September 28

6

Using functions: parameter passing, return values, time functions, standard mathematical functions, pseudorandom numbers

October 5

7

Creating functions: defining functions, calling functions, formal vs. actual parameters, call by value

Midterm Examination on Wednesday, October 8

October 12

8

Modules, global variables, recursion, generators

October 19

9

Using standard Python objects: string processing, file streams, rational numbers, Turtle graphics, simple graphical user interfaces, mutable vs. immutable types, object aliasing, garbage collection

October 26

10

Lists: declaring, using, passing to functions, aliasing, slices, copying, multilists, list comprehensions

November 2

11

List algorithms: sorting, linear search, binary search, permutations

November 9

12

Tuples, dictionaries, sets, variable argument lists, function keyword arguments, counting and grouping with dictionaries

November 16

13

Exception handling: exception mechanics, using exceptions

November 23

Thanksgiving Break

November 30

14

Custom types: classes, member data, methods, constructors, limiting access to members

December 7

14

Class inheritance: is a relationship, overriding methods, invoking base class code, inheritance hierarchies, polymorphism and object-oriented frameworks

December 14

Final Examination on Tuesday, December 16


Important Dates

  • Monday, August 25: first day of class for CPTR 124
  • Wednesday, October 8: Midterm examination
  • Friday, October 17: no class (midterm break)
  • Monday–Friday, November 24–28 : no class (Thanksgiving break)
  • Tuesday, December 16 at 8:00 am: Final examination Note day and time!


Class Code

Code we develop in class is available here.