Front Door

Introduction

Welcome to the Spring 2007 session of Grinnell College's CSC 151, Fundamentals of Computer Science I, which is described relatively briefly in the official blurb. My own take on this course is that we'll be starting to develop your knowledge of Computer Science and Algorithmic Problem Solving. We will be using Scheme as our development language. As in all Grinnell classes, we'll also be working on general thinking and work skills.

In an attempt to provide up-to-date information, and to spare a few trees, I am making this as much of a paperless course as I can. Hence, materials will be in a course web. You may want to read the basic instructions for using this course web.

Important Warnings

Warning! Experience shows that CSC151 exercises different parts of your brain than other courses (even than math courses). Expect some difficult times, but have confidence that you can get through them and that you'll come out of the course with much more knowledge.

Warning! Computers are sentient, stupid, and malicious. When things go wrong, don't blame yourself. Ask me or a TA for help.

Basics

Meets: MTuWF 10:00-10:50 a.m., Science 2417

Instructor: Samuel A. Rebelsky (rebelsky@grinnell.edu), Science 2427. Office hours: MTuWF, 11:00-11:50. I also tend to follow an open door policy: Feel free to stop by when my door is open or to make an appointment for another time.

Teaching Assistant: Emily Jacobson (jacobso2@grinnell.edu). Office hours TBD.

Grading (subject to change): Class participation: 15%; Regular homework: 15% (six or so graded homework out of sixteen or so total assignments; lowest dropped); Project: 15%; Exams: 45% (3 graded exams plus optional final); Best of the above (any one exam, participation grade, or ave HW): 10%.

The final examination for this course is optional. It can be used as a makeup for one examination. I will also drop the lowest homework grade you receive.

More information on grading can be found in the grading policies page.

Labs: Computer science 151 is taught in a collaborative workshop style. Each day, you'll work on laboratory problems with other students in the class. We may start each day with a short lecture/discussion and end with a reflective discussion.

Extra Credit: I offer a number of forms of extra credit during the semester. Here are some of the most common ones. Throughout the term, I may suggest other forms of extra credit.

• I will occasionally give you quizzes to ensure that you're keeping up with the reading. Correct answers on the quizzes will give you some amount of extra credit.
• I will often offer 1/2 point of extra credit for attending a particular talk (e.g., a computer science talk or college convocation) or for supporting your classmates in their public endeavors (e.g., attending a concert or a dance recital). Each category is capped at 1.5 points.

Tutoring: The Math Lab makes tutors for 151 available at regularly scheduled times. As soon as tutors have been scheduled, I'll let you know what those times are (and post them on this page).

Good-Faith Grade Guarantee:

Because I realize that computer science does not click will all students, I reward effort as well as outcome. Hence, students who make a good faith effort in this class will pass the class, with at least a C+. A good-faith effort includes missing no more than two classes, turning in every homework assignment, and spending the requisite time on each examination.

Optional Books and Other Readings

Kelsey, Richard, Clinger, William, and Rees, Jonathan, eds. (1998). Revised⁵ Report on the Algorithmic Language Scheme. February 20, 1998. The concise and complete definition of the Scheme programming language. You won't need to understand all of it, but you'll find it helpful to keep it by your side.

The PLT Team Languages Team (2006). DrScheme Manual. The guide to the Scheme development environment we'll be using.

Rebelsky, Samuel (2007). The CS151.02 2007F Course Web. The hypertext that you are currently reading. Many of these materials (particularly those under Readings and Labs are required. You should make it a point to load the page of the day at the beginning of each class to check announcements and such.

Optional: Davis, Janet (2007). The CSC151.01 2007F Course Web. The course web for the other section of this class.

Optional: Springer, George and Friedman, Daniel P. (1989). Scheme and the Art of Programming. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. The textbook that we formerly used in the class.