Meetings: People and times
The course instructor for CSCI 202 is J Dean Brock. The class will meet on Tuesday and Thursday from 1:45 PM to 3:25 PM. All class meetings will start in RRO 217 and will move to RRO 223 if there is lab work to do.
If UNC Asheville is following its Late Start Schedule, the class will meet from 2:30 PM to 3:50 PM.
Class home page
All class handouts, including homework assignments, can be found through the following URL:
CSCI 202 also has a moodle page which will be often be used for homework submission.
Course topics
Fairly specific, though sometimes tentative, information about the topics covered in the course can be found on the class’ topics and schedule pages.
Catalog Course Description
Data structures (lists, stacks, queues and trees); searching and sorting algorithms; use of a modern, object-oriented programming language (ACM CS2). Includes a formal laboratory section using program development tools. Prerequisite: CSCI 181 or 182.
Learning objectives
- Learn and use object-oriented design techniques, such as encapsulation, abstraction, inheritance, and polymorphism.
- Use exception handling to implement robust applications.
- Use common I/O operations to perform file I/O.
- Implement the insert, delete, and search operations on linked data structures.
- Formally show the correctness of an algorithm using invariants, preconditions, and postconditions.
- State, in big O notation, the running times associated with a given algorithm.
Textbook and readings
The required textbook for the course will be Big Java: Early Objects (ISBN 978-1-118-43111-5) written by Cay S. Horstmann.
Because all exams will be closed book, you can purchase an ebook copy (ISBN 978-1-118-54599-7) or share a copy with a friend.
Software
Programs in CSCI 202 will be written in version 7 of the Java Development Kit using the NetBeans IDE. “Bundled” versions of JDK 7 and NetBeans 7 for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows can be downloaded at Oracle’s download site for Java.
Grades
The following weights are used in computing the course grade.
| Grade component | Weight |
|---|---|
| Early exam | 1/12 |
| Middle exam | 1/6 |
| Final exam | 1/4 |
| IDE Practical | 1/12 |
| Homework | 1/4 |
| Labs | 1/6 |
Exams and the IDE Practical
There three in-class written exams. The first will last 50 minutes and will be given in February. The second will be given in late March or early April and will last 100 minutes. The third is the final exam.
All exams will be closed book and closed notes. Appropriate reference material, such as the Java Reference Card, will be provided as references for taking the exam.
There will be a IDE Practical in which students will be asked to create a small Java application in the lab in 50 minutes. This will be given in the same class meeting as the first exam. Students will be allowed up use a web browser during the practical.
UNC Asheville’s Academic Policies and Procedures do provide excused absenses for “travel on university-sanctioned business” and “up to two excused absences per semester for religious observances” when seven days notice is given. The seven day notice will allow us to avoid scheduled exams. For this reason, attendance at all exams is mandatory.
Homework
Most homework assignments will be small programming exercises; however, there will be some written assignments involving class concepts.
Almost all exam questions will be derived from homework. Students who rely on others to complete homework are unlikely to pass this course.
Students are required to cite any sources, including the work of other students, used in completing their assignments. If this is not done, no credit will be given for the homework. Use of other sources can result in adjustments to the homework grade.
All homework has a specific due time. Any late homework must be submitted to the late assignment bin as discussed in the policy on late assignments.
Labs
In general, the lab grade is passed on participation. Students attending lab and working diligently should do well on the lab component. Each student is expected to type every keystroke required to complete a lab assignment. If there are not enough working lab computers for every student to work individually, some students will be assigned to work in pairs.
There will be about fifteen formal labs during the semester. (Following ABET recommendations for accreditation of computer science programs, about 75 minutes will be allocated to formal labs each week.)
The two lowest lab grades will dropped in computing the lab grade average.
Scale
The following numerical scale will be used in assigning grades based on Score, the score computed using the weights described above.
| Score ≥ 93 | A |
| Score ≥ 90 & Score < 93 | A- |
| Score ≥ 87 & Score < 90 | B+ |
| Score ≥ 83 & Score < 87 | B |
| Score ≥ 80 & Score < 83 | B- |
| Score ≥ 77 & Score < 80 | C+ |
| Score ≥ 73 & Score < 77 | C |
| Score ≥ 70 & Score < 73 | C- |
| Score ≥ 67 & Score < 70 | D+ |
| Score ≥ 60 & Score < 67 | D |
| Score < 60 | F |
There will no “rounding-up” in computing the final grade. A score of 69.95 is less than 70 and results in a grade of D+.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
The University of North Carolina at Asheville is committed to making courses, programs and activities accessible to persons with documented disabilities. Students requiring reasonable accommodations must register with the Disability Services Office by providing supporting documentation. All information provided will remain confidential. For more information please contact the Disability Services Office at (828)232-5050 or disabilityservices@unca.edu or visit them in the OneStop Student Services Center.
Email Communication
Academic administrators at UNCA have told instructors that information protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act should only be sent to official university email addresses. Information related to recorded grades is clearly protected as is any discussion that would allow a reader to draw conclusions about your performance or attendance in class.
For more information
The best way to get in touch with me is to send email to brock@unca.edu. If you need to see me, send me email to arrange an appointment.
I get lots of email, so please include CSCI 202 in the subject line.