Syllabus

Thriving in Our Digital World (CIS 101) Fall 2019

Instructor Info

Course Description

Computing technology has a profound influence in our society. Students work together to use technology for creative expression, write computer programs to solve problems, use digital tools to make meaning from vast amounts of information and to understand how the Internet supports modern communication. Fulfills Foundations - Mathematical Sciences.

Prerequisite: MTH 110

Course Materials

There is no textbook that needs to be purchased for this course; instead we will utilize multiple different resources. You will need the following:

• A free online account on Code.org
• A subscription to Top Hat for inclass activities
• Blown to Bits, a free online textbook

Any additional material will be posted on the course website.

Course Objectives

After successful completion of the course you should be able to

1. Application/Use: Use computing tools and techniques for creative expression
2. Comprehension/Explain: Explain how computing has impacted innovations in other fields
3. Comprehension/Explain: Explain how the Internet functions and supports modern communication
4. Evaluation/Interpret: Interpret data appearing in different forms and draw valid conclusions based on data analysis
5. Origination/Create: Create work effectively with others to create an original computational artifact
6. Origination/Create: Create a computer program to solve a specified problem

General Education

The mission of the GVSU General Education Program is to provide a broad-based liberal education experience that fosters lifelong learning and informed citizenship. The program prepares students for intelligent participation in public dialogues that consider the issues of humane living and responsible action in local, national, and global communities. This course fulfills the Mathematical Sciences category. Student learning outcomes include:

• Quantitative Literacy – competently and confidently work with numbers.
• Collaboration – work together and share the workload equitably.

Advanced Placement (AP)

This course is equivalent to AP CS Principles. If you have already passed the AP exam, you should not be taking this course.

Grading Policies

Grade Breakdown

Your grade is composed of the following components:

Grading Scale

All your grade components will be added up with the percentage weights indicated and result in a single number. This number will determine your letter grade, according to the following scales:

Course Policies

• All assignments and assessments, unless otherwise specified by the instructor, are to be completed individually.
• An assignment is considered late if you turn it in past the posted due date and time. Late assignments will not be accepted.
• All assignments will be submitted through the course website. All quizzes will be completed through the course website.
• Any questions, concerns, or misgivings regarding a pecific grade must be raised within one week of the release of the grade. After one week has passed, the assigned grade is considered accepted and no further complaints will be considered.
• The syllabus is subject to change. In particular, the instructor reserves the right to modify course policies, the course calendar, and due dates.

Classroom Activities

During class, we will engage in peer instruction and pair programming. Each day in class you will respond to several questions on your phone, tablet, or laptop and discuss answers with your peers.

You will need a subscription to Top Hat. Your classroom activity grade will be based on the percentage of class days in which you earn credit. You earn credit for a day by being present and answering 80% of the questions. Credit is based solely on participation and attendance, not on correctness.

You must attend class and participate as described above to receive credit for a given day. No make-ups will be allowed for any reason. You are, however, to miss up to 4 days, which should be reserved for unexpeted occurences such as sickness or family emergencies.

Homework and Quizzes

Short quizzes will be given (to be completed on the course website). These may be given during class or assigned to be completed prior to class. Additionally, brief homework assignments may also occassionally be assigned.

Projects

Three projects will be assigned throughout the semester. The creativity and data story projects are completed as a group. The exploration project is completed individually. Additional details regarding the projects will be provided when they are released.

In the News

Technology is pervasive in the world and constantly in the news. You will pick and analyze a news article about technology. Additional details will be provided when the assignment is released.

Midterm and Final Exams

There will be two midterm exams and one final exam to test you understanding of course material and problem-solving skills. The final exam will be cumulative. The dates for all exams can be found on the schedule.

Need Help?

If you have questions, please ask! Either during class, in office hours, or via Piazza, I am here to help.

Piazza

We will be using Piazza for communication. Important announcements will be posted on Piazza and it is your responsibility to monitor Piazza for these announcements. If you have a question or a concern, please post it on Piazza. Most questions can be posted publicly. However, if you are asking a question about your specific grades or some other private matter, you may post the question/note privately. Do not post solutions (answers, code etc.) publicly on Piazza.

Please post on Piazza in place of emailing the course staff. This is both to assist other students who may have similar questions and to ensure you receive the fastest response as emails are far more likely to be buried in an inbox with hundreds of other emails.

While Piazza is a fantastic resource, it is typically not appropriate for helping students debug code, which requires a more back and forth conversation. If you need assistance debugging your code, please come to office hours.

Academic Honesty

All students are expected to adhere to the academic honesty standards set forth by Grand Valley State University. In addition, students in this course are expected to adhere to the academic honesty guidelines as set forth by the School of Computing and Information Systems, the details of which can be found at https://www.cis.gvsu.edu/academic-honesty/.

All assignments outside of the classroom are to be completed individually unless explicitly stated otherwise by the instructor. While, learning from others and collaboration is encouraged, the work you submit must be your own.

Special Needs

If there is any student in this class who has special needs because of a disability, please contact Disability Support Resources (DSR, https://www.gvsu.edu/dsr/) at 616-331-2490.

GVSU Course Policies

This course is subject to the GVSU policies listed at http://www.gvsu.edu/coursepolicies/.

In Case of Emergency

Fire: Immediately proceed to the nearest exit during a fire alarm. Do not use elevators. More information is available on the University’s Emergency website located at http://www.gvsu.edu/emergency.