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Course Guidelines

(Fall, 2009)

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Course Goals                 Exams          Homework          Working in Groups          Laboratories          Class Attendance            Your Password             
Personal Issues             Withdrawal Policy                   Disability Disclosure        Academic Honesty   Code of Conduct

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Course Syllabus         Homework Assignments                 Labs                 Lecture Notes                  Other Resources

Summary of Course Goals:

This is an introductory course in component-based software development.  The goal is to introduce students to software development techniques applicable in a component-based, integrated software development environment in which the focus is on web-based and embedded software products. 

At the completion of this course, you should:

•      Be proficient in the use of Visual Basic for developing windows-based applications, and have a month's exposure to  the development of web-based, client-server applications (using ASP.NET).

•   Develop an appreciation for programming in an object-oriented environment, using class components and their properties and methods to build new software products.

•   Understand how to connect to, query, and modify existing databases.  (Although we will focus on  the use of Access databases in this course, what you will learn is transportable to work with other relational databases, such as Oracle and Sequel-Server.)

•       Be familiar with some of the textual and on-line resources to help you understand how to write VB code as well as how to import and reference a myriad of software components.

•       Be familiar with a broad range written and on-line help tutorials that are available for free and illustrate how to develop software components to achieve the functionality you or your client requires.

•    Have had a brief introduction to the world of windows- and web-based software development and deployment.

Exams:

Exams will be in class and/or in the lab.  They may use application/problem solving questions, short answer and/or a  combination of multiple choice.  You will be notified whether the exam will be open book and open notes.  The content for exams is cumulative, i.e. all material covered up to the day of exam may be included.  Exams will generally be based on material covered in class, but not necessarily restricted to it.  There will be no make up exams.  Exam content is cumulative, i.e. they address the material covered up to the day of the exam.

If you miss a midterm (there will be two) for an emergency [as agreed ahead of time with the instructor], there will be no makeup exam: the other exams will become proportionally more important.  If you miss any exam without prior agreement, and without definitive proof as to the reasons, you will get a zero.

The final exam is mandatory on the scheduled day.

Exams will be designed primarily to test your understanding of the how to use Visual Basic and the .NET platform to build software solutions.  You may also be expected to demonstrate your facility with text and on-line resources that can be helpful in getting your work done. 

NOTE: Poor performance (generally, failure to receive a solid D average) on either the exams or the homework will result in a grade of D or worse.  All continuing majors receiving such a grade will have to retake the course before taking any other courses in the CS major.  

Quizzes will be given on an as needed basis to reinforce material covered over a short period of time. All quizzes will be announced and will be graded by the instructor.  Quiz grades will be credited toward your final Exam grade.

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Homework Assignments:

Relatively short Homework Assignments (as distinguished from Labs) may be given as needed during the semester. Each homework must be completed on time and sent by e-mail to the Teaching Assistant (TA) or me [to be decided]. The homework will be graded and commented upon by the TA [or me] as soon as possible.  Homework will be graded separately from Labs and credited toward your total exam and quiz grade.  Late home work will not be accepted except in the case of documented emergencies.  A small numeric grade will be given for your homework.  This grade will be recorded and counted as part of your exam score total (added to your exam and quiz scores).  It is up to you to ensure your homework effort serves its purpose -- for you to learn the material.

I encourage all students to discuss assignments with me, the lab assistants, and with other students in the class.  HOWEVER, unless you have a group assignment, you are expected to work and complete all the homework on your own. Plagiarism will be handled with severe measures as documented in your student handbook.. 

All assignments should be carefully documented (commented).  Your name, section, the date, and the title of your assignment (and your instructor's name) should appear at the top of each program as part of the documentation.

Working in Groups: 

Your lab and homework assignments are intended to help YOU learn about the art and science of computer programming.  I tend to give a lot of homework and lab assignments and a good bit of reading.  For most students in the class, doing the reading and  assignments is the only way you will master the concepts and ideas discussed; it is most surely the only way you will learn about databases.  Occasionally, I may give a group assignment.  If and when I do, I will tell you.  Otherwise, you are responsible for your own assignments.  

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Laboratories:            

Laboratories are lead by the Teaching Assistants.  Attendance for the full period of each laboratory is MANDATORY.  In the laboratory you will be assisted as needed with the solutions of sub-problems required for the larger homework assignments you have been given.  Labs are graded numerically by the grader.  Labs are expected to be graded within a week of the date they were due.

Class Attendance:  
Attendance is expected, and may be recorded from time to time.  Absences for legitimate professional activities and illnesses are acceptable only if prior notice is given to the instructor by e-mail or phone.  Scheduling conflicts with your work, extra-curricular activities, or any other such activities is not a valid excuse.  Also, review Temple University attendance policy in the Undergraduate Bulletin.  Although attendance is not a specific part of the course evaluation it has a direct effect on class participation.  If you are not in class you cannot participate. 

Attendance and class participation will be taken into account in final grading, namely, the 'Others' portion of the grade . Class participation means that you attend class regularly and have completed your assigned readings.  It means that you ask relevant questions and make informed comments in class. 

Please --

1.   Come to class on time (within 5 minutes please) or eventually you may find that you are not welcome at all.

2.   Be prepared -- you will be helped considerably if you do the reading and the homework on time.  If you can stay a bit ahead in the reading you will be even better off.

3.   Ask questions in class -- even during exams.  I can’t tell what is being learned and what is causing trouble if you don’t ask questions.

4.   If you miss class, please obtain notes and missed assignments from your fellow classmates.  If there is anything that you do not understand, I will be happy to help you, but you have to make the first effort to make up the work.  I EXPECT EACH STUDENT TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO MAKE UP WHATEVER IS MISSED IN CLASS.  All assignments must be turned in on time.  

5.      Once class has begun, unless you have an emergency, please remain seated unless asked to come to the board.  It is very distracting to have students walking in and out of class in the middle of a class.  It is also RUDE.  Two hours IS a long time -- if you have an emergency leave quietly and return quickly.

6.      All assignments must be turned in on time. 

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Your Password:

Your password is your unique "key" to your computing resources.  It is your key and is not to be shared with anyone else regardless of who it is or the reasons you might think you have.  Misuse of your password may result in the removal of your computing access privileges and in University Disciplinary action.  Please treat this password as your own personal property -- that's exactly what it is!

Withdrawal Policy:

You may withdraw from this course (with a grade of "W passing") at any time prior to the "magic date" specified by the University (now about five weeks before the end of classes).  It is up to you to find out when this date is for a given semester.  I will generally try to give, grade, and return the SECOND EXAM in time for you to make a decision about what to do if you are not happy with your progress in the course.  Students who simply "drop out" of class without formally withdrawing will receive a grade of F.

All assignments should be carefully documented (commented).  Your name, section, the date, and the title of your assignment (and your instructor's name) should appear at the top of each program as part of the documentation.

Personal Issues:

Faculty (including me), advisors, and the staff in the Office of the Dean of Students are here to help you.  If, during the course of the semester, you have personal issues that are making it difficult for you to meet your course obligations, it is important that you communicate with these folks and that you do so in a timely manner.  Attempting to recover from such difficulties after the fact will be far more difficult.  Please see me, your advisors, or someone in the Office of the Dean of Students immediately if events occur or issues arise that interfere with your coursework.  If you do not communicate with us, it is very difficult for us to help you.

Disability Disclosure:
Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. Student must provide me with a note from the office of Disability Resources and Services at in 100 Ritter Annex, 215-204-1280, regarding their disability. 

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Temple Policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities:
This new policy has already been posted in the undergraduate and graduate bulletins on line.  Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom.  The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed through the following link: 

Policies on Rights and Responsibilities 


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ALL STUDENTS PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

Every registered student agrees to abide by an overall set of values, principles and regulations mandated by the university. In order for a student to remain in good standing, it is imperative that each student assumes responsibilities throughout his/her enrollment at Temple. Students also have a number of rights which protect their interests. This section details these important responsibilities and rights.

Academic Honesty:

Temple University believes strongly in academic honesty and integrity. Plagiarism and academic cheating are, therefore, prohibited. Essential to intellectual growth is the development of independent thought and a respect for the thoughts of others. The prohibition against plagiarism and cheating is intended to foster this independence and respect.

Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person's labor, another person's ideas, another person's words, another person's assistance. Normally, all work done for courses -- papers, examinations, homework exercises, laboratory reports, oral presentations -- is expected to be the individual effort of the student presenting the work. Any assistance must be reported to the instructor. If the work has entailed consulting other resources -- journals, books, or other media -- these resources must be cited in a manner appropriate to the course. It is the instructor's responsibility to indicate the appropriate manner of citation. Everything used from other sources -- suggestions for organization of ideas, ideas themselves, or actual language -- must be cited. Failure to cite borrowed material constitutes plagiarism. Undocumented use of materials from the World Wide Web is plagiarism.

Academic cheating is, generally, the thwarting or breaking of the general rules of academic work or the specific rules of the individual courses. It includes falsifying data; submitting, without the instructor's approval, work in one course which was done for another; helping others to plagiarize or cheat from one's own or another's work; or actually doing the work of another person.

The penalty for academic dishonesty can vary from receiving a reprimand and a failing grade for a particular assignment, to a failing grade in the course, to suspension or expulsion from the university. The penalty varies with the nature of the offense, the individual instructor, the department, and the school or college.

Students who believe that they have been unfairly accused may appeal through the school or college's academic grievance procedure. See Grievances under Student Rights in this section.

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Code of Conduct:

The Temple University Student Code of Conduct can be viewed at http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=03.70.12. Printed copies are available at the Office of the Dean of Students.

Temple University has the responsibility to formulate and enforce rules of conduct which are necessary for the furtherance of its educational goals and essential activities. In particular, the university has an obligation to protect itself from any acts which tend to impede, obstruct, or threaten its normal operations. While this authority is inherent, the university attempts to delineate its expectations as clearly as possible and publish its regulations. Students, both as individuals and as members of student organizations, are responsible for apprising themselves of, and complying with, all applicable, existing regulations in the Undergraduate Bulletin and any regulations that may be subsequently promulgated through appropriate publications of the university community. Copies of Student Rights, the Code of Conduct, and the Disciplinary Procedure may be obtained from the Office of the Dean of Students and on the web site at www.temple.edu/deanofstudents.

The University Disciplinary Committee is responsible for administering the Student Code of Conduct. Violations of the university's Code of Conduct, including, among other things, theft, underage consumption of alcohol, disorderly conduct, plagiarism, and possession of a weapon, can result in a student being brought before the University Disciplinary Committee. A finding of responsibility may result in a fine, suspension, and/or permanent expulsion from the university. A disciplinary hold is placed on the student’s record until sanctions are fulfilled. The hold prevents students from registering for courses, receiving their transcript or graduating.

 A Final Note::

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Last Updated
Wednesday, June 24, 2009