This study guide provides the objectives, requirements, and timetable for this course.

Contact Information.

Introduction

This course is designed for students who are interested in using the computer as a tool for creativity and for professional work. Major focal points of the course include using the world wide web for research, composing web pages with HTML tags and an HTML editor, graphic image manipulation, and creating interactive web pages with Javascript. Along the way, the student will gain a perspective on the evolving role of computers, computer graphics, and the internet in our daily lives.

Required Textbooks.

HTML 4 for the World Wide Web, Elizabeth Castro, Peachpit Press, 2000. This book provides the primary material for the first part of the course.

JavaScript, Complete Concepts and Techniques, 2nd ed., Shelly, Cashman, Dorin, Quasney, Shelly Cashman Series, Thomson Learning. This is the reference for the language that we will use to learn JavaScript programming.

Other reading assignments may be made using handouts and web pages.

Other Expenses/Actions

• You will need to sign up for laser printing priveleges (~$20 for the year) with ACCS (in Friends).

• You must activate your Nova account. This is free, but must be done in the first week of class. You can go to the ACCS office in Friends to do this.

• You may find it helpful to have a 3 1/2" floppy disk.

Communication

• Class lectures will not exactly follow the texts. You are expected to attend all classes and attendence will be taken.

• You are accountable for all material covered, all announcements made, and all handouts given out during class.

• Ways to reach me:

  • . Come during office hours!!!

  • Send electronic mail to barr@ithaca.edu
    

  • . Leave a note (including your name, schedule, phone number and userid) either under my door or in the Math/Computer Science Department Office 2nd floor Muller).

Grading

Grading will be based on the following events:

Assignments (all kinds) 30%

Exams (2 exams, 1 final) 30%. Exams will take place in class. The final will take place at a special time and will be announced in class and on the class web page.

Projects 30%.

Class Participation 5%.

Article Summaries 5%.

Assignments

1. Article Summaries. 5 article summaries are required over the semester. They are turned in at the beginning of class, every other Thursday. Articles for summary may be selected from any news source, printed or electronic. Some restrictions on the article summaries include:
   • All 5 summaries must come from the internet.
   • The article must concern computer technology.
   • You must include a copy of the article. If the article is on the web you must print it off.
   • Each article must by clearly identified by title, source, and date. If the article is from the web, you must supply the web address also (http://....)
   • The article must be one page long.

   Explain the purpose of each article and identify the main point(s). Try to categorize the aritcle, i.e., how does it relate to computing or technology? Since students slways want to know how long these summaries shoud be...."succinct but sufficient" is what I am after. Unacceptable summaries will be returned to you and no credit will be given. Summaries will not recieve a grade; rather they are either acceptable or not.

2. Class attendance is mandatory. You are responsible for all material and announcements given in class. If you miss a class you are responsible for obtaining the missed material/announcements.

3. All assignments other are expected to be INDIVIDUAL work. All work handed in must be original. Duplicate or very similar assignments receive negative grades. Flagrant cheating (on an exam or project, or assignment) will result in (at minimum) a FAILING GRADE for the course. General discussion is allowed, but not sharing of answers, algorithms, or work.

4. SAVE your intermediate work until an assignment has been graded, returned, and recorded. KEEP backup copies of the final versions of your assignments and projects. Also, keep the source code of your stacks on your disk, without editing them. NEVER leave program listings lying around or throw them away in public areas.

5. Assignments are to be turned in either before or after class or put under my office door. Projects will be placed in the class directory according to the instructions in the student OSP book.

6. Graded assignments will be returned in class. Work unclaimed in class may be picked up later from outside my office. If you have a question on a grade, bring it to my attention within one week of the assignment's return.

7. Periodically, I will post grades as we have them recorded. It is your responsibility to check these listings to ensure their correctness, within one week of the posting.

8. Handwritten assignments should be neat and easy to read (Or else type them!). Include your name and section number on every page and in every stack.

9. It is more productive to use the computer for entering, editing, and running scripts, and then spend time AWAY from the machine debugging a script.

10. Every program must contain a comment giving your name, section and the assignment number. This introductory comment should briefly describe the purpose of the program, describe how it is implemented, given the major interface elements, etc.

11. A late assignment will have 33% of the points deducted from the grade if it is turned in within 1 week after the due time, 67% deducted if within 2 weeks. After 2 weeks an assignment will be marked but no credit will be given. Always turn in whatever work is done at the due time. You should have something FINISHED (i.e., functioning and commented), even if the entire assignment isn't completed. Individual exceptions should be discussed with me in advance.

12. Don't get behind in this class! Start each assignment as soon as it is handed out, so that you have time to ask questions and can use your time wisely.

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Last Modified: 22 August 2000

THIS PAGE MAINTAINED BY:
John Barr, Ithaca College