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COMS 161Introduction to Computing

Title: Course IntroductionDate: August 25, 2004Lecture Number: 1

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Announcements

• I try to make class announcements at this time–Like assignments, program due dates,

etc…

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Review

• I try to give a brief review of what we covered in the last class to motivate you for this class

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Outline

• I try to give an outline of the topics we will cover in this class– If all goes well, the outline for this class

becomes the review for the next class

• Rules of the Game– Go through the syllabus and calendar

• Course Introduction

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Professor Paul F. Hemler– New at the HSC this year– Office: Bagby 110– Office Hours:

• MWF: 3:00pm - 4:00pm• TR: 10:00am - 12:00noon• By Appointment

– There is no reason we cannot find and set-up a meeting time

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

– Semester Schedule– Class Times:

• MWF: 8:30am - 9:20am

–My email address: phemler@hsc.edu–My phone number: 223 – 6202–My home page–Course home page–Department home page

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Course Objectives– To develop a thorough understanding of the

organization and functioning of digital computers. Topics include:• Computer architecture• Systems• Theory• Logic• Programming

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Course Objectives (Cont.)– To achieve a thorough understanding of the

organization and use of the Internet and the World Wide Web

– To better understand multimedia and networking as methods for information exchange

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Course Objectives (Cont.)– To understand and appreciate the ethical,

moral, and legal issues surrounding computers and computer networks

– To gain a historical perspective on today’s computer and network technologies

– To become aware of many facets of the computer science discipline

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Course Textbook– Exploring the Digital Domain, Second

Edition by Ken Abernethy and Tom Allen

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Course Grading Policy– Straight-up, no curves, tricks, or illusions

Letter PointsA 95 - 100 A- 90 - 94 B+ 87 - 89 B 83 - 86B- 80 - 82

Letter PointsC+ 77 - 79C 73 - 76C- 70 - 72D+ 65 - 69D 60 - 64F 0 - 59

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Point Distribution

Homework 20%Exams 40%Papers 20%

Final Exam 20%

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Homework: 20%– Homework assignments to help you

understand the book material– No late homework will be accepted

• Homework is due at the start of class on the due date

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Homework: 20% (Cont.)– Write your solutions clearly and concisely

on the paper you hand in• The work you hand in is a reflection of you• Make it look good and easy for me to evaluate

– Put a box around your final answer

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Exams: 40%– Three exams spaced throughout the

semester

Exam Exam Date Weight1 9/22/04 10%2 10/25/04 15%3 11/19/04 15%

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Exams: 40% (Cont.)– Closed book, Open mind– No make-up exams unless your absence is

excused– Come prepared

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Research papers: 20%– Two research papers on topics related to

the course will be required

Paper Due Date1 10/01/042 11/15/04

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Research papers: 20% (Cont.)– Here are some potential topics and we will

discover more as the course progressed.– Feel free to investigate any Computer

Science topic you may be interested in.

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Research papers: 20% (Cont.)– The papers should be written according to

the guidelines you learned in you Rhetoric 101 and 102 classes

– Papers must be on a topic that is new to you• Paper should not have been or is being done

for another course

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Research papers: 20% (Cont.)– Grading

• Research: - research quality and thoroughness; significance and credibility of sources

• Persuasion: - thesis and arguments presented clearly; sources used effectively; points well-justified

• Style: - grammar and spelling; organization; presentation

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Final Exam: 20%– Mandatory on the assigned date and time.– Cumulative– Your last opportunity to demonstrate

mastery of the course material– It is important you prepare for this exam

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Class Attendance:– Mandatory

• I will keep a class roll• We will cover material that may not be in the

book, but is  important for you to know• Class is fun, interesting, and informative

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Class Attendance: (Cont.)– Your third unexcused absence get you a

special meeting with me– Your sixth unexcused absence gets you

• A letter from the Dean• Grade Drop of a letter (B- goes to a C-)

– Class roll taken at the start of class (8:30 sharp)

– If you miss the roll but are in the class• See me at the end of class

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Class Attendance: (Cont.)– There are good reasons for missing a class

• Sickness, death in the family, ..., • You will be excused from the class if you let me

know before the class you intend to miss– Send email, call me, stop by, ... 

– There are no reasons for anyone to have unexcused absences

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Commitment:– You should expect to spend 9 hours a week

on this class• 3 hours in class• 4 hours reading the text book• 2 hours doing homework problems

– Less than 4 hours or more than 12 hours per week means there is something is wrong

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COMS 161 - Syllabus

• Extra curricular activities: – Let me know if your play a sport that will

require travel and missing class– You should have a schedule of those

classes you will miss• Share it with me ASAP

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Class Introduction

• Let’s get to know each other– Name– Year– Where are you from?– Major (if known)– What do you like to do for fun? (Or tell us

something that nobody in here knows about you.)

– Why are you here?

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Class Introduction

• Me First!