CSC 243, Introduction to Programming
Sections 701/710, Fall 2012

Overview

This course introduces imperative and structured programming and focuses on problem solving, algorithmic thinking, and structured programming using Python. The course covers the following concepts: number, string, and collections data types, (using) objects and classes, functional and modular abstractions, conditional and iterative structures, file I/O, exceptions and exception handling, namespaces, and recursion.

Preconditions

Being comfortable with algebra and logical thinking.

Postconditions

After the successful completion of this course:

Course Calendar

[subject to change]
Week 1
9/11
Python interpreter; variables, expressions, and assignments; core data types (number types, string, and list); (using) objects and classes (Ch 2)
Week 2
9/18
Python programming; one and two-way conditional statements; iteration through sequence objects; functions and parameter passing (Ch 3)
Week 3
9/25
String processing; file I/O; exceptions (Ch 4)
Week 4
10/2
multi-way conditional structures; loop patterns (Ch 5)
Week 5
10/9
multi-dimensional lists; more loop patterns (Ch 5)
Week 6
10/16
Midterm exam
Week 7
10/23
Functional and modular abstraction; namespaces; the program stack and normal execution flow (Ch. 7); intro to recursion (Ch. 10)
Week 8
10/30
Recursion (Ch. 10)
Week 9
11/6
Recursion (Ch. 10)
Week 10
11/13
Topics: exception handling (Ch 7); additional collection classes (dictionary, tuple, and set); string encodings (ASCII and Unicode); randomness (Ch. 6)
Week 11
11/20
Final exam

Instructor


Office  Office Hours  Phone  Email 
Ljubomir Perkovic
 CDM 713 T     4:00 - 5:30pm
Th   4:00 - 5:30pm
312-362-8337  lperkovic@cs.depaul.edu
Please send me an email if you need an appointment at another time.

Class Hours

SECTION 701
Lectures
Tu
 5:45pm-9:00pm CDM 218

Text

Introduction to Computing Using Python, Ljubomir Perkovic, Wiley, 2012

Course web page

This syllabus, as well as the class lecture notes, homework and homework solutions, course online and discussion forum links, homework submission link, and other links can be found on the course web page at http://reed.cs.depaul.edu/lperkovic/csc243. Please check this site and the discussion forum regularly.

Grading

The course grade will be apportioned as follows:
homework
35%
midterm exam 30%
final exam 35%
There will be a total of 8 homework assignments, but only your best 7 count toward the final grade, so you may miss one homework assignment with no penalty. All homeworks must be submitted by the deadline and no later. Any homework not handed in by the deadline will receive 0 points, without any exceptions.

To do well in this course, you should follow the lectures regularly, read the chapters in the books each week as indicated in the homework assignment, start working on the homework early, and talk to me promptly if you have any problems. The answers to the homework and exam questions should be written in a way that is rigorous, clear and concise.
 

Policies

Lateness and Absence

No late homework will be accepted. If you don't hand in a homework in time, you will receive 0 points for the homework. Midterm and final exams makeups must be arranged at least one week in advance, barring extreme situations.

Deadlines for adding or dropping a class, declaring a class Pass/Fail or as audit, and withdrawing from a class

See the DePaul 2012-2013 Full Year Calendar.

Online Instructor Evaluation

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over two weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online at https://mycti.cti.depaul.edu/mycti

Email

Email is the primary means of communication between faculty and students enrolled in this course outside of class time. Students should be sure their email listed under "demographic information" at http://campusconnect.depaul.edu is correct.

Academic Integrity Policy

This course will be subject to the academic integrity policy passed by faculty. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/

Plagiarism

The university and school policy on plagiarism can be summarized as follows: Students in this course should be aware of the strong sanctions that can be imposed against someone guilty of plagiarism. If proven, a charge of plagiarism could result in an automatic F in the course and possible expulsion. The strongest of sanctions will be imposed on anyone who submits as his/her own work any assignment which has been prepared by someone else. If you have any questions or doubts about what plagiarism entails or how to properly acknowledge source materials be sure to consult the instructor.

Incomplete

An incomplete grade is given only for an exceptional reason such as a death in the family, a serious illness, etc. Any such reason must be documented. Any incomplete request must be made at least two weeks before the final, and approved by the Dean of the College of Computing and Digital Media. Any consequences resulting from a poor grade for the course will not be considered as valid reasons for such a request.

Resources for Students with Disabilities

Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential. To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:  Student Center, LPC, Suite #370,
Phone number: (773)325.1677, Fax: (773)325.3720, TTY: (773)325.7296.