Instructor:

Course Web Site:   www.cs.kzoo.edu/cs101/
Course-Related Teams Site:   CS Collaboration Center

Textbook: Understanding the Digital World by Brian W. Kernigan, 2nd Edition (2021). Other reading assignments will be made available online.

Prerequisite:  None

Course Goals:

This half-unit course addresses three big questions in the field of computing: What is a computer (and how does it work)? How do we compare and analyze computational solutions? And finally, How do humans and computers interact, and what are the social and ethical issues that arise?

Specifically, you will explore several of the "big ideas" in computer science, including:

Individually or in a small group, you will also research and present a related topic of your own choosing.

A detailed schedule of readings, assignments, and in-class activities is available on the Schedule page of the course web site.

Format and Resources:

This class will meet twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. Much of what would typically be the lecture portion of this course has been replaced with short videos that introduce new concepts. You should watch these before class. This leaves class time for more active learning activities, such as discussion, hands-on exercises, and group activities. Active and consistent attendance, engagement, and collaboration are the best ways you can benefit your learning.

Attendance and Participation:

Regular attendance and fully engaged participation is expected of all students in this course and will affect your grade. Active participation means being on time, being prepared, listening to others, contributing ideas of your own, and asking questions as they come up. There are direct correlations between keeping up and how much you learn and can apply later.

If you are ill or pose a health risk to other people, you should wear a mask or not come to class. You should keep up as well as your condition will allow by watching class videos, working on assignments, and communicating with your instructor and/or TAs in the Collaboration Center through Teams.

To create an inclusive and supportive learning environment in which everyone can participate fully, we will follow these Community Guidelines adapted from the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) at the University of Michigan.

Assignments:

This course consists of many small activities that build on one another. It is very important to remain actively engaged in the course on a regular basis in order to stay on track.

All assignments, as well as links to readings and videos introducing new material, will be made available on the Detailed Schedule page of the course web site (http://www.cs.kzoo.edu/cs101/). Students are responsible for checking this resource frequently.

Reading and video assignments will be assigned for each class. You are expected to come to class having completed the assignments and prepared to discuss or act on the ideas from them.

Hands-on excercises and other in-class activities: Class time will generally be for active learning activities, including hands-on activities and collaborative group work. Any activities that are not completed in class should be completed before the next class.

Research topic: Each student will choose a computing-related topic to research and present as a video, either individually or with a partner. Detailed presentation expectations and possible topics will be made available on the course schedule. You may ask a reference librarian or the course instructor for help identifying possible sources as you do your research. [It's possible that these will take the form of, or be a replacement for, final structured reflections -- see below.]

Structured reflections: Each week you will submit a reflection on what you learned from the readings, videos, and in-class activities from the week. I will provide a template, and may ask you to address specific questions or topics in your reflections. You will reflect on the quarter as a whole in a final reflection.

Assignments are due at the beginning of class.

Late policy: Assignment due dates have two important functions: to help you plan your time and keep you on track to successfully complete the course, and to make grading more manageable. Late assignments will accrue late penalties or might not be accepted at all. To encourage timeliness, assignments that are one day late will lose 2%; two - three days late will incur a 5% loss. After three days, the loss will jump significantly to 25% or more. In unusual circumstances an extension may be granted, but only if you speak to your instructor in advance.

Grades:

Grades will be based on the following activities:
 
    Required
    To Pass    		 In-Class Activities    40%
    Essential Structured Reflections    40%
    A - B Student Presentation    15%
    Additional Reflective Responses on Student Presentations    5%

Collaboration and the Honor System:

This course operates in accordance with the principles of the Kalamazoo College Honor System: responsibility for personal behavior, independent thought, respect for others, and environmental responsibility. In particular, academic integrity is a fundamental principle of scholarship. Representing someone else's work as your own, in any form, constitutes academic dishonesty. Unauthorized collaboration and receiving help from others outside the bounds permitted by the instructor are also violations of the College honor system. You are responsible for working within the permitted bounds, and acknowledging any help from others or contributions from other sources.

In-Class Activities: Some activities will involve working in pairs or small groups. Whether working individually or in a team, you may discuss assignments with classmates and give and receive help. You may not, however, digitally share your work or results, unless you are working as a team on a project where teamwork has been explicitly allowed. You may also, of course, receive help from your instructor and from the CS teaching assistants during class and Collaboration Center hours.

Structured reflections should be entirely your own work.

Student presentation: Most student presentations will be done in pairs, although with instructor permission it may be possible to do one individually or as part of a group of three. Your presentation should represent a synthesis of ideas drawn from your research. You should use citations in your presentation to credit all ideas drawn from other sources; you should also list all of your sources in a bibliography at the end of your presentation.

A few words on citations: If you directly quote one of your sources, be sure to put the phrase/sentence in quotes and include a citation. If you use an idea or fact from one of your sources, but do not directly quote it, you should still include a citation. Basically, citations should be included for any information in your presentation that is not originally your own.

Penalties for violating the Honor System in this course may include receiving no credit for an assignment, a lowered course grade, or failure of the course. Depending on the severity of the incident, a report may be sent to the Dean's Office, which may result in additional consequences, including suspension from the College. Any subsequent violation will result in the immediate failure of this course.