17.6. CS3114 Introduction¶
17.6.1. Introduction¶
17.6.1.1. Introduction¶
What we are doing today:
Administration stuff
Course mechanics
Course introduction (OpenDSA Chapter 1)
17.6.1.2. Administration stuff¶
Sign-in sheet (be sure to sign-in on one of them)
Get a copy of the syllabus
- Force Add System:
See at end “By Permission”
17.6.1.3. Course Mechanics¶
Go over Syllabus
Course online support: Canvas, OpenDSA, Web-CAT
17.6.1.4. Canvas¶
We will use Canvas
Project specs and supporting documents
Link to Piazza forum
Post scores and grades
Access to OpenDSA (online textbook)
17.6.1.5. Role in the Curriculum¶
This course represents a transition between “learning to program” courses (CS 1114, CS 2114) and “content” courses.
- To do well, you must be able to handle both
Programming (we focus on projects with dynamic memory allocation and file processing, and they have significant design challenges)
Content, theory and analysis
The projects test programming proficiencies
OpenDSA exercises test knowledge of how algorithms work
Exams test understanding of the theory (analysis)
Note
Most graduates from our department will tell you that this is one of the two hardest courses, and also one of the two most important for job preparation. So its both high effort and high value.
17.6.1.6. OpenDSA¶
Access OpenDSA through Canvas->Modules
Lots of visualizations, exercises
Mastery-based approach
Homework due periodically through the semester
Small homework (Chapter 1) due at 11pm this Thursday (in 2 days)
17.6.1.7. Web-CAT¶
Get the updated plugin
Project submission
Support for junit testing
Auto-grading: Correctness, style
17.6.1.8. Milestones¶
4 projects, each with a 3-4 week life cycle
- Most projects will have 3 milestones
Intermediate deliverables with due dates
First due at end of first week
Second due about 2 weeks before due date
Third due about 1 week before due date
Milestones designed to encourage incremental development
In previous semesters, milestones had the effect of boosting the final grade of the middle third of the class by about a full letter grade.
17.6.1.9. Homework¶
Look at Canvas
Look at Piazza site, make sure you are enrolled there
Look at Project 1 spec: Will discuss next time
Do Chapter 1 exercises in OpenDSA by 11:00pm Thursday (in 2 days)
17.6.1.10. Before you leave today¶
Put your name and PID on sign-up sheet
- If you need to force add the course:
