Course Syllabus


Course Overview

This class provides an introduction to the internet/web capabilities and trends, and to computer programming in the context of building full-featured web sites. Intended for students with no previous programming experience who wish to understand the technologies making web sites possible, this course will provide a set of practical problem solving skills necessary for the development of dynamic client-side web content. This class provides non-majors with a basic skill set for leveraging web technologies within their own majors and research interests and an appreciation of both the potential and limits of such resources. This course covers:

Visit this link to find the prerequisites and restrictions for this course. The course Piazza page is your best source for getting course information. TA office hours, additional resources and essential course information will appear on Piazza, and all course-related questions will also be answered on Piazza to ensure all students have equal access to the information.


Course Topics

Following topics will be covered in this course (subject to change).

Administrative Information


Textbook (Recommended)


Textbook (References)


Clicker (or App)

Clicker questions may often be introduced in lectures. You can purchase the Clicker device at bookstore or you can install the Clicker app on your handheld device. The license is free. You can find out how to register here. Clicker points are extra. The points will not be added to your total when an initial letter grade is assigned based on your other points. No makeup point will be given for Clicker points.


Grading

  • Your grades will be computed according the following weights:
    Evaluation Components
    		 Points
    Projects (up to 5) 450 pts
    Quizzes (up to 6, in class) 100 pts
    Midterm 1 (Date: October 11, in class) 100 pts
    Midterm 2 (Date: November 15, in class) 100 pts
    Final ( December 11 4:00-6:00pm, CSI 2117) 250 pts
    Max. Points Possible 1000 Points

  • Your grades will be entered to the grade server in the end. Once we have graded any class material (e.g., exams and assignments) we will post an announcement and a deadline by which you must submit any regrade request (if necessary). It is your responsibility to submit regrade requests by the specified deadline; no regrade requests will be processed afterwards. If the regrade request deadline is not announced, it is by default one week after the your grades are posted.

  • Written tests will be graded using GradeScope. We will synchronize the university roster with the course created in GradeScope. You should log in using your directory ID and password (Choose School Credential in the login page). Before your grades are entered to the grade server, you will be able to check your grades and make regrade requests in GradeScope.

  • Score distribution will be reviewed at the end of the semester and the cutoffs will be set between two scores with significant gaps compared to the ones above and below. Note that the cutoff for A and B can still be set at 90% and 80%, respectively.

Additional Notes on Projects


Academic Integrity

Note that academic dishonesty includes not only cheating, fabrication, and plagiarism, but also includes helping other students commit acts of academic dishonesty by allowing them to obtain copies of your work. In short, all submitted work must be your own.

Cases of academic dishonesty will be pursued to the fullest extent possible as stipulated by the Office of Student Conduct.

It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. If the student is found to be responsible of academic dishonesty, the typical sanction results in a special grade "XF", indicating that the course was failed due to academic dishonesty. If you have any doubt as to whether an act of yours might constitute academic dishonesty, please contact your TA or the course coordinator.


Projects/Labs

On any graded project or lab, you are NOT allowed to collaborate or exchange code. We compare each student's code with every other student's code to check for similarities. Every semester, we catch an embarrassingly high number of students that engage in cheating and we have to take them to the Honor Council.

GroupMe/ Other Group Chats

We encourage students to talk about course material and help each other out in group chats. However, this does NOT include graded assignments. Talking about release tests is NOT okay.

There have been a couple instances in the past where students have posted pictures/source files of their code, or earlier sections have given away exam questions to later sections. Not only did this lower the curve for the earlier section because the later one will do better, the WHOLE group chat had to pay a visit to the Honor Council. It was an extremely ugly business.

Github

You may post your project code to private Github (or similar service) repos only. As a student, you can make a private repo for free. Just remember that your free premium subscription has an expiry date, and your code becomes public once it expires. The Honor Council can retroactively give an XF (even to students who have already graduated) if your code is then used by another student to cheat. So just be careful. Posting graded code to a public repo will give you a free ticket to the Honor Council.

Study Guides

Creating collaborative study guides on Google docs is OK. Encouraged, even. Just do this before the exam, and don't bring the study guide to the exam. Don't add exam questions to the study guide after the early section's midterm.

PRACTICE Exams/ Worksheets/ Lecture examples/ Ungraded Lab examples

Totally cool. Highly encouraged to co-create and share (with same caveats as study guides).

Additional examples of Academic Integrity Violations

The following are a few examples of academic integrity violations:

Additional information can be found in the sections titled "Academic Integrity" and "Code of Student Conduct" available at Course Related Policies.


Disabilities Support Accommodations

In case academic accommodations are needed, you must provide a letter of accommodation from the Office of Accessibility and Disability Services (ADS) within the first TWO weeks of the semester. For details, see the section titled "Accessibility" available at Course Related Policies.


Excused Absences

The university allows for self-documentation for some absences. If you need to be excused for an absence from a single lecture, due to your illness (or other reasons), you shall make a reasonable attempt to report prior to the class. Send me an email if you have a medical problem. All other planned, execusable absences must be reported using the absence report feature in the grade server).

Upon returning to the class, present with a self-signed note attesting to the date of your illness (or other reasons). Each note must contain an acknowledgment by the student that the information provided is true and correct. Providing false information to University officials is prohibited under Part 9(i) of the Code of Student Conduct (V-1.00(B) University of Maryland Code of Student Conduct) and may result in disciplinary action.

Self-documentation may NOT be used for the midterm and the final exam, and it may only be used for only 1 class meeting (or more, if you choose) during the semester. Any student who needs to be excused for a prolonged absence (2 or more consecutive class meetings), or for the exams, must provide written documentation of the illness from the Health Center or from an outside health care provider. This documentation must verify dates of treatment, clearly recomment the student to be off from all school work and indicate the time frame that the student was unable to meet academic responsibilities. In addition, it must contain the name and phone number of the medical service provider to be used if verification is needed. No diagnostic information will ever be requested. Note that the "Medical Discharge Summary" from the Health Center will NOT be accepted as evidence of doctor's recommendation for your absence.

For additional details, see the section titled "Attendance, Absences, or Missed Assignments" available at Course Related Policies


Course Evaluations

The department and faculty take student feedback seriously. At the end of the course visit https://www.courseevalum.umd.edu/ to complete your course evaluations.


Miscellaneous


Copyright

All course materials are copyright UMCP, Department of Computer Science © 2019. All rights reserved. Students are permitted to use course materials for their own personal use only. Course materials may not be distributed publicly or provided to others (excepting other students in the course), in any way or format. Although every effort has been made to be complete and accurate, unforeseen circumstances arising during the semester could require the adjustment of any material given here. Consequently, given due notice to students, the instructor reserves the right to change any information on this syllabus or in other course materials.


Web Accessibility