My Syllabus
CS120, CS160, CS200 Common Syllabus Spring 2021
Instructor: Dean Zeller, MS
Email: dean.zeller@unco.edu
Phone: cell: 970-576-4966 (text messages, voice mail)
office: 970-351-2324 (voice mail, forwarded to my email)
Web Page:
Course Schedule: CS120: 10:10 – 11:00am MWF (004 – 22328)
CS160: 9:00 – 9:50am MWF (003 – 22371)
CS200: 12:20 – 1:10am MWF (006 – 23396)
Meeting Location: 2261 Ross Hall, with 2263 Ross Hall as an overflow classroom
Office: 2210F Ross Hall
Office Hours: MWF: 11:00am -12:00pm
Other times by appointment
Personal Zoom ID: 733 442 1315
Learning Assistants: Chris Gaona: gaon4805@bears.unco.edu
Yusuf Kortobi: kort8325@bears.unco.edu
Jaiden Twining: twin7131@bears.unco.edu
Tutor (Library): Erik Halenkamp: hale0084@bears.unco.edu
Go to to make an appointment.
Textbook None. All materials will be given in class or provided online.
See the Python and Java Resources section..
Course Withdrawal: Monday, January 25th
Course Requirements
Summary
Students are responsible for the following course requirements throughout the semester:
Attendance 12 at 5 points each, drop two absences 50 points (10% of total)
Labs 11 at 10 points each, drop lowest score 100 points (20% of total)
Assignments 11 at 20 points each, drop lowest score 200 points (40% of total)
Final Project 100 points 100 points (20% of total)
Final Project Evaluation 50 points 50 points (10% of total)
500 points
Attendance (50 points)
Attendance will be taken to encourage lectures and labs. Students complete their attendance requirement by collecting their gradeslip for the week, and briefly discussing class progress. Students may miss two attendance checks with no penalty. There will also be online methods for receiving attendance credit. Attendance for each week is worth 5 points, for a total of 50 points.
Labs
A maximum of eleven labs will be given throughout the semester. Labs are written in conjunction with the assignments. There is a purposeful overlap of material between a lab and assignment. Where applicable, students may use work from their lab in their assignments. Each lab is worth 10 points, for a total of 100 points after the dropped lab.
Assignments
A maximum of eleven assignments will be given throughout the semester. The lowest assignment grade will be dropped when determining the final grade. Each assignment is worth 20 points, for a total of 200 points after the dropped assignment.
Final Project and Evaluation
At the end of the semester, students will complete a final project, combining material learned into one large project. Part of the project requirements will be to make a demo and tutorial screen capture video demonstrating the program features. During finals week, students will evaluate the finished project demos. The final project is worth 100 points, and the evaluations are worth 50.
Teaching Methods
COVID-19: Safety vs. Effectiveness
There are many philosophies of teaching methods. Each has advantages and disadvantages when compared to other methods. It is the instructor’s firm belief that face-to-face instruction is, by far, the most effective way to communicate. While email, Zoom, and other online methods are available, they are less effective in general. Unfortunately, a new disadvantage of face-to-face has arisen: is it ethically sound to require students to physically attend class, when risk of infection is such an issue? At the same time, grocery stores, restaurants, and other public businesses are open at a reduced capacity. Ultimately, it is the decision of the student whether the risk of face-to-face contact is worth the added learning effectiveness. All in-class course requirements will have alternate methods to receive full credit.
Online Material as Textbook
The prevalent movement among college-level class is to abandon the use of textbooks, replacing them with satisfactory online material. Colorado Governor Polis and the Colorado Department of Higher Education awarded the UNC School of Mathematics won the 2020 Outstanding Z Department, for their efforts in providing free online Open Education (OE) resources for students. This course follows the philosophy championed by the school. Students are free to select their own material, provided the material is relevant. Students will share experiences of successful resources with others, providing for multiple sources. See the Python Resources and Java Resources sections for suggested starting points in looking for material. Many of the resources include an online compiler, if needed.
Study Groups
There is a well-known old Latin principle: Docendo discimus, or “the best way to learn is to teach.” (Literal English translation: “by teaching, we learn.”) This course will take extra measures to encourage and reward peer assistance. Assistance is different from review; peer review takes place after the work is complete, whereas peer assistance helps the work get done. Peer assistance can be encouraged through online study groups and providing time in class for students to ask questions of others.
Asking Questions
Given the blended class format, there are multiple ways to ask questions. The easiest and most effective way is to ask your instructor face-to-face. He is the most familiar with the topic, and can answer your questions quickly. If face-to-face communication is not available, use the following guidelines
• All questions on grading should go through the instructor.
• Any on-line communication formats, contact your learning assistant first. They were hired specifically to work directly with students to learn material. Contact your assigned learning assistant via email for questions on course material. For efficiency sake, they may ask students to come in to explain their work.
Class Favors
There are certain classroom tasks that students can do to help with the smooth operation of the class. While there is a limit on the amount of extra credit that can be given out, students can give favors. Favors are defined as something relatively easy (20 minutes) that helps with the running of the class. Favors do not directly affect the percentage grade, but will be considered when determining the final grade. Favors serve well as material for a letter of reference, should one ever be necessary. Not everything can be considered a class favor; it must be relevant to the learning process overall. Below is a list of acceptable and not acceptable tasks to consider as favors for the class. Students are expected to complete about 5 favors throughout the semester.
|Acceptable Favors |Unacceptable Favors |
|Instructor reminder |Washing instructor’s car |
|Technical assistance |Irrelevant errand |
|Correction in handout caught (first only) |Cleaning, laundry, etc… |
|Help recording class lecture |Socializing (Firespinning group, D&D) |
|Question first responder |Food/gifts for the instructor |
|Early assignment submission (4 days) | |
|Course-related errand | |
|Contribution to a lesson | |
|Assistance with university event | |
|Directed classmate tutoring | |
|Online assistance in discussion group | |
Potential Switch to Online Format
Because of the pandemic, the course could switch to exclusively online at any point in the semester. This course will follow all UNC official safety guidelines.
Grading Policies
Final Grade
Your final grade is ultimately determined as a subjective judgement by the instructor. The primary factor will be the last weekly grade, containing all requirements. Other influencing factors will be the score on the final project, completion of the evaluations, the previous weekly grades, and the number of class favors completed.
Weekly Grades
Students will receive a gradeslip each week, on paper, via email, or both. Each gradeslip will contain the current grade up to that point. These weekly grades will be stored and used to determine the final grade. When calculating the weekly letter grade, percentages will be are rounded up to the nearest whole percent (i.e. 79.2% is brought up to 80%). The grade scale table to the right will be used. For security purposes, grades will not be kept on Canvas.
Grade Appeals
In any teaching dynamic, there will be cases where the student disagrees with a given score, either due to an incorrectly entered number, score miscalculation, or misinterpretation of the answer. This is a normal part of the process, and is not considered a conflict. Students are expected to review their gradeslip each week to ensure for correctness. Students are free to appeal any grade on the gradeslip. Grade appeals must be done within three weeks of the return date. After three weeks, appeals will no longer be considered. This is to encourage fast and easy grade appeals.
Due Dates
The real world does not look favorably on late assignments. Students must have a solid work-ethic to understand that assigned tasks must be completed on time, and demonstrate the ability to learn material within a given timeframe. Assignments will typically be due by 11:59pm on Friday. Canvas will be set up with Friday as the due date, but will still be available until the following Sunday at 11:59pm. Any assignments submitted after the Friday deadline will be docked 15% (3 points). After that Sunday, no further assignments will be accepted, as they will be distributed to students for evaluation. Students are allowed one assignment to be late without penalty (called “free-late” in the Leniency section).
Leniency
It is always difficult for a teacher to determine what kind of leniency to give (or not give) students. It is also important that leniency is applied equally to all students. The course policies include the following leniency for all students:
• Two attendance checks will be dropped
• One assignment will be dropped
• One lab grade will be dropped
• One assignment will be accepted up to 2 days late without penalty (“free-late”)
Doctor Notes Not Required
The leniency described above is available for all students, and will be enforced evenly. No excuses or reasons are necessary, and will be applied automatically. A note from a doctor is not necessary. More severe situations will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Course Policies
Programming IDEs
There are many Python integrated programming environments (IDE), including IDLE, PyCharm, and Jupyter. For Java programming, IDEs include DrJava, NetBeans, Eclipse, and IntelliJ and BlueJ. Industrious students may be able to use Jupyter for Java programming as well. Students may use whichever IDE is suitable for them.
Assignment Submission
Without exception, labs and assignments must be submitted using the appropriate Canvas dropbox. Submissions over email will not be accepted. If Canvas happens to be unavailable, students may establish a submission time by emailing the zip file to the instructor. Please note that this is not a submission, but only a method of establishing a time of when the work was completed. It still must be submitted to the dropbox for credit. The version submitted to the dropbox must be the exact same version emailed; if any changes are made, the Canvas submission will not count.
Handwritten Work
While it is rare, there may be times that work is handwritten, such as for an exercise or lab requirement. If it is a requirement, a scan or picture will be acceptable.
Canvas Announcements
Students will receive announcements, updates, and other communication through Canvas announcements and the discussion board. Expect to have at least one announcement per week dealing with this class.
Behavior
This class follows the University of Northern Colorado regulations on student behavior and conduct. It is expected that students behave maturely, professionally, and will be respectful to the instructor as well as to fellow students. Please do not be disruptive to the teacher or to the other students. The instructor reserves the right to remove any disruptive students from class. This also applies to all online communication.
Video Recordings of Lectures
Whenever necessary, classroom lectures will be made available through video recording. Whenever in room 2261, please be aware of potential class recordings and/or broadcasting to others. All recordings will be made available to students, and will be deleted one week after the end of the semester. Video recordings can be paused for specific purposes.
Use of Appropriate Language
Please use language appropriate for everyone, realizing that other people in the classroom may be within earshot of the conversation.
Check-In
During week 6, an anonymous Canvas survey will be available for students to comment on progress and success in class. This will only be seen by the instructor, and will not become part of any ongoing public record.
Discussion Board
The Canvas discussion board will be available for common questions. At this point, its use is under discretion the student, and will not be directly involved in course requirements. It could be used as class attendance, favors, or just helping a fellow student out.
Student Success
It is important that you have every opportunity to excel in this class, so please come contact the instructor if you run into any difficulties. There will be a learning assistant to help. When asking for help, please be prepared to demonstrate what you have tried and the results you obtained. The more that you have tried in advance and the more specific your questions are, the better we are able to help you.
Academic Misconduct
It is critical that each student does their own work and properly acknowledges the work of others. Computer science and programming present a difficult situation for the academic world. Naturally, students need to learn programming on their own, and not simply copy it from the Internet or another source. However, in the industry it is perfectly reasonable, and sometimes required, to make use of work other people previously completed. Computer scientists must learn both aspects of programming. Thus, when writing code, it is imperative to differentiate between original code (written by the student) and code written by other sources. Students can designate the difference through very precise documentation that contains all information necessary to check the original source material. It is assumed that any work that does not contain the special documentation is claimed to be original work by the student. See the documentation guidelines for more information.
University Disability Statement
The following is the current UNC policy on disability support:
Disability Resources: It is the policy and practice of the University of Northern Colorado to create inclusive learning environments. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that present barriers to your inclusion or to an accurate assessment of your achievement (e.g. time-limited exams, inaccessible web content, use of videos without captions), please communicate this with your professor and contact Disability Resource Center (DRC) to request accommodations. Office: (970) 351-2289, Michener Library L-80. Students can learn more about the accommodation process at .
Course Disability Statement
This course, and your instructor, does not differentiate between diagnosed and undiagnosed disabilities. Any accommodations covered by the UNC Disability Statement above are available for any student, no questions asked. A letter from the university is not required. It will be arranged that lectures will be recorded and uploaded each class day.
Modifications to Syllabus
The instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus and assessment criteria in response to student needs, developments, and unforeseen events.
A Final Note
I want this class to be a challenging and rewarding experience for you. I am happily available if you need help with assignment or material review. Please see me if you have any concerns about the class – I will listen to and entertain all suggestions.
Python Resources
TwilioQuest
Uses Python programming as a basis for a video game
Requires an installation.
Runestone Academy – Foundations of Python Programming
Traditional Python programming textbook with interactive problems.
W3Schools Python Tutorial
Python tutorial with interactive problems.
The Python Tutorial
Python tutorial written by Python themselves.
Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, by Al Sweigart
Creative Commons textbook introducing the basics of Python.
Think Python
Creative Commons textbook introducing the basics of Python. Allen Downey writes a series of think textbook.
CS for All
An open book by Harvey Mudd College. (Could be a little advanced for an introductory class.)
CodeCademy
Famous online coding resource.
Google’s Python Class
A free class aimed at programmers with a little experience.
A Byte of Python
A free book aimed at beginners.
Java Resources
Introduction to Programming using Java, by David Eck
Many textbook authors have just decided to make their work free.
Teach Yourself Java in 21 Days
Carnage Melon released a Java textbook. At first glance, it looks quite advanced.
Think Java
Series of Think textbooks, written by Allen Downey.
W3Schools Java Tutorial
W3Schools is famous for their series of tutorials on a wide range of topics.
CodeCademy
Famous online coding resource.
Tutorials Point
A series of Java tutorials with live demos.
Oracle Java Tutorials
Oracle write a series of tutorials. They seem rather advanced at first glance.
Guru99 Java Tutorial for Beginners
Guru writes a series of free tutorials.
A free interactive Java tutorial.
SoloLearn
A free interactive Java course.
Biosketch of Dean Zeller
Teaching experience:
• University of Northern Colorado (lecturer of computer science and mathematics, Fall 2014 to present)
• University of Missouri (instructor of computer science, Fall 2013 to Spring 2014)
• Florida State College at Jacksonville (assistant professor of information technology, 2012 to 2013)
• Art Institute of Jacksonville (computer science and mathematics instructor, 2009 to 2012)
• Kent State University (graduate student in computer science, 2005-2009)
• Kansas City Missouri School District (high-school mathematics teacher, 2003-2005)
• Park University (assistant professor of computer science, 2000-2003)
• Bowling Green State University (instructor of computer science, 1996-2000)
• Bowling Green State University (graduate student in computer science, 1994-1996)
Education:
• Masters of Science in computer science (Bowling Green State University, 1996)
• Bachelors of Science in mathematics and computer science (Bowling Green State University, 1992)
Research Interests:
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
• K-12 Education of Computer Science
• Ethics and the Impact of Future Technologies on Society
• Bioinformatics
• Graph Theory
• Statistics and Data Mining
• Algorithms
• Geometric Modeling
• Combinatorics of Puzzle and Game Strategy
Hobbies:
• Firespinning (Fahrenheit 360° performance group)
• Roleplaying games (Dungeons and Dragons, LARPing, Hide-n-Seek)
• Wilderness survival, camping, hiking
• Comic books (20,000 of them!)
• Techno music (TechnoSwing, currently)
• Cooking, culinary arts
• Cats: Mephistopheles (“Messy”), Venom, Professor X (“Exy”)
• Drumming/percussion
• Board games: Othello, Checkers, Parcheesi, Backgammon, Risk, Scrabble
• Favorite sports: Racquetball, Badminton, and Ping Pong
Teaching Philosophy
Docendo discimus – "By teaching, we learn.” Seneca the Younger (4bc – 65ad)
Roman Philosopher
You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him to discover it within himself. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
Italian astronomer and physicist
The teacher if he is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but leads you to the threshold of your own mind. Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)
Syrian symbolist, poet, and painter
I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn. Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
German/U.S. physicist
I love teaching. Being a teacher is more than what I do or how I pay the bills; it is who I am. There are very few professions more honorable, or more satisfying, than to help others prepare for their lives. I teach with one basic principle – practice makes perfect. The only way one learns and retains knowledge is to use it, not once, but multiple times. Students must learn how to learn on their own.
Learning does not come without hard work and effort. I do not give out good grades easily. Even to get a B in my class requires time and elbow grease. I want my A-students to truly know they earned their grade. I do this by requiring a lot of assignments and expecting a lot out of my students. In my mind, a B is a perfectly acceptable grade to give a student, and the students wishing an A will have to put forth that much more effort.
My teaching approach changes with each semester. I am constantly experimenting with new and innovative methods of teaching and organizing classroom activities. Those that work are improved upon and used again in future classes. Those that do not are either reworked or abandoned. My methods consist of what I feel are the best techniques for any given situation.
I teach towards multiple disciplines. I give my students the abilities they need in order to succeed in the real world. They improve their writing skills by including proper program and user documentation. They develop their presentation skills by creating video screencaptures of their work. The purpose of education and learning is only partially driven by the prospect of a future occupation. It is important to realize that any academic pursuit is useful, not only in acquiring new knowledge, but in understanding the world from a new perspective.
I use class time and assignments as motivators towards learning a process. An ounce of proper motivation can produce amazing results. I allow students to decide for themselves what is important and relevant to their future. By allowing students to create their own ideas and philosophies, it is the ultimate goal for my students to surpass my knowledge and make their own discoveries.
I observe every action and facial expression of my students. I can tell when they are angry, scared, bored, happy, and relieved. Student emotions can give mountains of information, in regards to feedback, enjoyment, and effectiveness of the lesson. The more I observe, the more I am able to adapt. This allows me to make last-minute changes to exams, lesson plans, and assignments.
Finally, I encourage honesty and equality. I grade based only on the quality of work submitted. I expect hard work out of all students, regardless of past experience or current availability. Race, sex, prior history, political views, or personal opinion of me has no effect on how I grade. It will be solely determined by the quality of the work turned in and performance on the exams.
I am a teacher. I dream of someday talking again to my students, years after graduation, holding successful and productive careers.
Dean Zeller
Spring 2021
University of Northern Colorado
Where is Dean Zeller?
[pic]
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90% up: A
80-90% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
00-59% F
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