Stony Brook University – Summer Session I Extended 2020 (Online Course)

May 26 – July 17, 2020

Course Overview

Catalog Description

Introduces central ideas of computing and computer science, instills practices of computational thinking, and engages students in the creative aspects of the field. Also introduces appropriate computing technology as a means for solving computational problems and exploring creative endeavors. Requires some programming. Prerequisite: Level 3 or higher on the mathematics placement examination

Major Topics Covered

• Data representation and compression
• Computational thinking and problem solving
• Basic algorithms for searching and sorting
• Boolean logic
• Fundamentals of programming in the Python language

Course Learning Outcomes

• An ability to use computing tools and techniques to create computer program artifacts
• An ability to use multiple levels of abstraction, models, and simulation in computation
• An ability to use algorithms to develop and express solutions to computational problems

Stony Brook Curriculum Learning Outcomes (TECH: Understand Technology)

• Demonstrate an ability to apply technical tools and knowledge to practical systems and problem solving.
• Design, understand, build, or analyze selected aspects of the human-made world. The "human-made world" is defined for this purpose as "artifacts of our surroundings that are conceived, designed, and/or constructed using technological tools and methods."

Course Meeting Times

Lectures

Lectures will be delivered asynchronously via videos posted to Blackboard.

Lab Sessions

Lab sessions will also be conducted asynchronously and will require students to complete a set of short programming exercises.

Exams

Exams will be administered on Friday, June 26, 2020 at 6:00 pm Eastern Daylight Savings time (EDT) and Friday, July 17, 2020 at 6:00 pm Eastern Daylight Savings time (EDT)

Textbook and Materials

• There is no required textbook for this course.
• Students will need to install Python version 3.8 or higher on their personal computers, as well as PyCharm Community Edition. Both software packages are free.
• For the purpose of taking exams, students enrolled in this course must have access to a computer with a working microphone and webcam.

Communication with the Course Staff

Instructor Info

• Prof. Kevin McDonnell
• Email: ktm@cs.stonybrook.edu
• New Computer Science Building 212
  
• Office Hours:
  • By appointment only during the summer.

Piazza

The Piazza discussion board should be used for all communication with the teaching staff for questions about the course assignments and material. Email should be sent to individual instructors or teaching assistants only to schedule appointments.

Piazza is a forum for additional learning and assistance. The following are not appropriate uses of Piazza:

• cyber-bullying
• posting memes
• complaining about a grade
• airing concerns/comments/criticisms about the course
• posting more than a few lines of source code from an attempt at a homework problem
• posting the solution to a homework problem or a link to a website containing the solution
• in general, anything unrelated to the course material and student learning

Therefore, your are expected to use the Piazza forum for all non-personal, course-related communication. Questions about what a homework problem is asking, technical problems that need troubleshooting, or other questions that might be of interest to other students must be posted to Piazza and not emailed to the instructor or a TA.

Email Etiquette

Email the instructor under the following circumstances:

• Blackboard is not properly displaying one of your grades.
• You need to contact the instructor or TA about a private matter. Examples include:
  • Making arrangements for disability accommodations.
  • To discuss private, personal matters that are impacting your coursework such as physical or mental illness, death in the family, etc.
  • If the instructor asks you to email him something relating to a previous conversation.

When emailing your instructor about the course, use the following guidelines to ensure a timely response:

• use your official @stonybrook.edu email account
• use a descriptive subject line that includes "CSE 101" and a brief note on the topic (e.g., "CSE 101: Appointment")
• begin with a proper greeting, such as "Hi Prof. McDonnell"
• briefly explain your question or concern or request
• end with a proper closing that includes your full name, Net ID and SBU ID number

Assessments and Grading Scheme

Lab Assignments

Students will usually be assigned a set of computer programming laboratory exercises each week. These exercises will reinforce the programming and problem-solving content covered in lecture.

Lateness Policy

Assigned work is not accepted for credit once the deadline has passed. Students who take this course are often surprised by just how much time this course requires of them. You are advised to budget your time wisely and to start working on an assignment the day it is posted.

Examinations

There will be two two-hour exams. Exams will be administered via Blackboard and must be taken using Respondus LockDown Browser with Monitor. Therefore, students enrolled in this course must have access to a computer with a working microphone and webcam. A student's webcam must be turned on and record the student taking an exam for the full duration of the test.

Make-up Examinations

Make-up exams will be given only in extenuating circumstances, such as a documented personal illness. In such cases the student must inform the instructor about an anticipated absence before the day of the exam and provide supporting documentation to the Dean of Students Office (e.g., doctor's note stating that the student was ill and unfit to take the exam). Students who miss an exam for a valid reason may need to take a make-up exam; specific arrangements will be made on a case-by-case basis. Make-up exams will not be made available to students who miss an exam due to work/job-related commitments, vacations, etc.

Quizzes

There will be at least one quiz per week, although during most weeks there will be two or more quizzes. Quizzes will be taken via Blackboard.

Grading Scheme

• Quizzes: 15%
• Laboratory Assignments: 25%
• Examinations: 60% (30% each)

Grade Cutoffs: A [93-100], A- [90-93), B+ [87-90), B [83-87), B- [80-83), C+ [77-80), C [73-77), C- [70-73), D+ [67-70), D [63-67), F [0-63)

Grades will be posted on Blackboard.

Tentative Class Schedule

Week Of	Lecture Topics
May 25	What is Computational Thinking?
	Computer Programming Fundamentals
June 1	Iteration, Lists and Algorithm Design
June 8	Searching and Sorting Algorithms; Scalability
June 15	Divide and Conquer Algorithms
	Recursion
June 22	Machine Learning and String Manipulation
	Exam #1
June 29	Random Numbers and Object-oriented Programming
	Data Representation and Compression
July 6	Computer Architecture and Assembly Language Programming
	Natural Language Processing and Regular Expressions
July 13	Cryptography
	The Limits of Computation
	Exam #2

Free Tutoring Services

The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) offers a range of free tutoring services for students in CSE, AMS and other courses. See the CEAS Undergraduate Student Office website for more information. For small group and one-on-one tutoring please inquire also at the Academic Success and Tutoring Center.

Academic Integrity

Every student's homework submission must be his or her own work. You are not permitted to share, borrow or even look at another student's work while completing your own homework. Likewise, copying code from any source other than the textbook or from the instructor's handouts will constitute cheating. Any evidence that source code or solutions have been copied, shared or transmitted in any way, including the use of source code downloaded from the Internet or written by others in previous semesters, will be regarded as evidence of academic dishonesty. The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) regards academic dishonesty as a very serious matter and provides for substantial penalties in such cases, such as receiving an 'F' grade and/or expulsion from the University. Those involved in academically dishonest behavior will be prosecuted to the fullest extent permitted by the University and College laws. For more information, you can obtain a copy of the CEAS guidelines on academic dishonesty from the CEAS office.

All examinations will be closed-notes and closed-book. No electronic devices of any kind will be permitted to be used during exams except for the computer on which the exams will be taken. All cell phones must be silenced or turned off during exams. No web browsing or access to the Internet is permitted during exams, except to access Stony Brook University's Blackboard website to take the exam. Browsing of the course's content on Blackboard or any other website during exams is strictly prohibited.

Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Faculty are required to report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. Faculty in the Health Sciences Center (School of Health Technology and Management, Nursing, Social Welfare, Dental Medicine) and School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic judiciary website.

Americans with Disabilities Act

If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact the Student Accessibility Support Center, ECC (Educational Communications Center) Building room 128, (631) 632-6748. They will determine with you what accommodations, if any, are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.

Critical Incident Management

Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of Judicial Affairs any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students' ability to learn. Faculty in the HSC Schools and the School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures.